The manufacturing of Manton’s Pattern 1833 Carbine lock, a late Ordnance flintlock, and Lovell’s Pattern 1842 Percussion lock, the first purpose-designed Ordnance percussion sidelock

Recent work has revealed the significant steps that were made in the interchangeable manufacturing of flintlock musket locks in Britain between 1809 and 1817, and which built on Henry Nock’s earlier work on his enclosed screwless lock. This note uses experimental object study to examine the manufacturing and interchangeability of subsequent key Nock-influenced designs of Ordnance flint and percussion locks, to help to understand the British position before the step changes in technology that were applied in the manufacture of the Pattern 1853 Rifle Musket. The objects studied include a unique lock Pattern made in 1845 to guide manufacturing. The note shows that Manton’s Pattern 1833 Carbine lock, although using large numbers of gauges in its manufacture, was not interchangeable. The Pattern 1842 lock, which again used many gauges in its manufacture, while not interchangeable was highly standardised and made at close to interchangeable standards, with specific allowances to permit explicit management of metal- to-metal fitting, and at a high “West End” level of quality. The detailed changes in its design suggest that it provided an important platform for learning, thus contributing to the successful Pattern 1853 lock design. The present work also suggests that the fits, in engineering jargon, at which interchangeability was achieved should be more closely examined.