New Ketland Lock on the way from Mike Miller, Rice Barrel and Buck Ridge Flintlocks
A new lock is soon coming from Rice/Buck Ridge Flintlocks. The lock fills the gap between the Chambers early Ketland and late Ketland. So far it’s a good sparking lock. It should be out this spring/summer. Can’t wait to get it on a firelock.
The plate is 5 1/2” long. It was intended to fit between the Chambers early Ketland 6” and late Ketland 5” plates. We didn’t put a step on the rear so you can leave it as is or file a step as needed. You can only make the internals so small and still have a smooth functioning lock of this one’s size.
The lock dimensions are 5 1/2”x 15/16”
Will it come in a left-hand version?
Mike has been asked several times about producing a left hand lock, and has this to say:
I’ve tried but not enough interest to pay for the R&D to produce them.
As noted by several excited enthusiasts, it’s an exciting time to see a new flintlock produced in 2023. There’s not many 200+ year old technologies still being refined and worked on today.
This lock looks to fill a mid-Ketland niche for builders looking for something that isn’t quite an early Ketland (1790-1810) or a Late Ketland (1820-1830) in both size and styling. Ketland locks remain one of the most popular names in historic locks due to the Ketland family prominence during the Golden Age of American Longrifles. Ketland, an English family and buisness later opened a branch in the United States to supply the growing demand for locks.
No release date is announced for the lock as of yet, though I suspect we will hear more as the muzzleloading tradeshows kick off through the year.