Through the years, the locks on a sidelock will need some level of maintenance. No doubt a bit of cleaning of one with hand-detachable locks should be relatively easy...but what about a gun without such easy access? I bought a Purdey recently that doesn't have hand-detachable access. As I understand it, a Purdey would need access on both sides due to the location of their pins. Anyway, Purdey does not generally recommend that end-users clean their locks.... That being the case, is there a more reasonable option than sending the gun across the pond? And for that matter, how often should such a cleaning effort be made? Would it based on usage, time, or both?

Kings and landed gentry did them every year.

Plenty of gunsmiths here can do that work. Kirk Merrington, James Flynn, Dewey Vicknair, there are lots of them. I doubt side lock guns need maintenance more than about every 5-10 years with modern lube and reasonable care from the owner. A wipe down after use and keeping an eye on where the screw slots are goes a long way.

Good luck.

Best,
Ted

Thanks, Ted. I will definitely look into the guys you mentioned and see which one can handle this for me. Much of what is needed is likely not overly difficult, in fact, I had a gentleman at Purdey earlier today say, "I can talk you through, but it isn’t too challenging." That said, I would very much prefer to send the gun to someone to check it all out and get it at its best and good to go, particularly due to the fact that I have no idea when it was last serviced.

As I understand it the only difference between hand detachable sidelocks and those that are not is the need for a properly sized turn screw for those that are not. Hand detachable really means "screwdriver-less", in American terms. If you can acquire a properly fitted turn screw for your lock pins you can remove the locks and service them yourself.

And, I agree with Ted about the service interval. Barring submersion, or some other extreme conditions in usage, yearly is unnecessary.

If you can remove & lubricate H & H style hand detachable locks you can remove & lubricate Purdey style locks assuming you have the ability to properly use (& fit to the slots) a screwdriver.

A very good book on the subject which covers servicing Purdey locks & more is Amateur Gunsmithing by Desmond Mills & Mike Barnes. ISBN 0 85115 455 7 & published by Boydell & Brewer Ltd PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3DF.

Re. Annual servicing, If you don't get your guns rain soaked every outing as I've heard is the case in England you can probably back off a bit on the lock removal intervals & save wear & tear on the screw slots.

One reason I really prefer the H & H style hand detachable locks is the lack of screws for someone to bugger up.

Are you just wanting to remove the locks for inspection or to dry them off if they get some moisture in them? If that’s the case, like others have stated, that’s a fairly simple and straightforward thing to do if your very careful. There’s alot of nice sidelocks out there sporting evidence of poor assembly after the locks have been removed. Those dings, splinters, etc just aft of the lock plates is evidence enough that most folks should avoid taking them off just to have a peek.

Servicing or lubing the locks correctly will require a bit more than merely removing them. To correctly clean, lube, etc, the locks should be completely disassembled. In order to tear the locks down you’ll need the correct tools and there are plenty of things to bugger up. If you think about it, what’s the point of having perfectly clean and well lubed locks if the rest of the action is a filthy mess? Better to send it off to a competent gunsmith and have it stripped & cleaned every few years….more often if your hunting in harsh conditions. I don’t get caught in a lot of rainstorms when I’m out hunting, but every season I find myself hunting in more than a few days of sporadic drizzle, snow (mild to heavy) etc. and don’t forget what a rapid temperature change does to steel…..going from cold to warm will create condensation. Yep…..even on the inside your beloved gun.
If you spend the coin or plan on spending the coin for a gun of the highest quality, the maintenance plan should absolutely be figured into the expense.

On balance, rather the action and such being a filthy mess from rain and harsh hunting conditions, this gun to date appears to be one that more than likely has, for the most part, been resting peacefully in its case, which no doubt can still create the need for some attention after enough time has passed. I don't know what time frame under those conditions would warrant a full cleaning, but the fact remains, I'm just speculating on previous usage and have a lot of unknowns about its earlier years. That's probably a good enough reason to get it in the hands of someone that knows his way around the the other side of the sidelocks better than I do....
The gentleman at Purdey said "We prefer to handle internal maintenance in house, which is why you will not find modern references to removing/cleaning the locks." Will hopefully soon have a good "in house" option that's nearer by.

The recommendations of James Flynn and Kirk Merrington are spot on. I have know James for Over 30 years and Kirk almost as long.

Both are excellent choices.


John Boyd
Quality Arms

I highly recommend Mr. Merrington.

1cdog, I had a good chat with him today; seemed like a really nice guy and appears to really know his stuff. He's backlogged a good bit while also recovering from a recent surgery, but no doubt he can handle it all if I have the needed patience......

I consider my only phone conversation with Kirk Merrington, about 25 years ago for some help with a Greener stock removal, which he walked me through most patiently, as one of nicest ever with a true gentleman and professional gunsmith.
JR

I highly recommend reaching out to Dan Morgan, Fine Firearms Restoration, VT. 8024574828

I spent the better part of a day at his shop this spring getting a Fox A grade hook to latch correctly. I learned a ton from him as he fixed the Fox and showed me several very nice Scottish and British guns, and particularly the quality of the finish on the interior parts.

He specializes in Scottish and British best guns and is a top notch guy.

-Tom

I have had work done by most of the gunsmiths recommended above over the last 25 years in this hobby and agree with all of the recommendations. One man that has not been mentioned that should be is JJ Perodeau in Oklahoma. JJ is a fully trained European gunsmith who not only works on many fine shotguns but also many double rifles which is unique. He also turns work around much more quickly than many other smiths. Here is his website: https://jjperodeau.com

As to the issue at hand, I now have every newly purchased gun stripped and cleaned by my local gunsmith unless I have bought it from a shop that has already done so prior to marketing the gun.

I do not disagree with any of the smiths mentioned but one needs to be aware of exactly who will be working on a fine double or O/U when repairs or maintenance are needed. Some of the smiths mentioned may have an apprentice on hand that will doing some, or all, of the work.

I used to hear a lot about JJ back when I was going on safaris years ago; haven't thought about him in a while. My double rifle is also a sidelock. As you mentioned, he's really highly regarded with them. He does retail and repair, right?
I've had good conversations with two of the guys mentioned previously; leaning towards the one that said he should be able to get the gun good to in a month as compared to six. As you might imagine, having this all wrapped up before the fall has appeal.

That is a lovely rifle! .375 Flanged H&H?

Thanks, Chukarman, and I’ve really enjoyed this gun. It’s a .470 NE, which works well on disagreeable creatures. Beretta used to make these at this level and they aren’t easy to find these days.

Here’s the first page of when this gun was featured in the Doublegun Journal shortly before I bought it:

I've had quite a few American hammer guns that I'm sure never had the locks off in over a 100 years. On any of those that I've taken the locks off of, the left hammer has to be removed many times to get to the screw running from the left lock to the right lock. If it's backed off a couple of turns, the back side of a screwdriver can be used to tap on the screw head. This will unseat the right lock. Continue to remove the cross screw. It can then be used if left in its hole just a bit to pry the back of the left lock out a bit so it can be removed. The right lock should be out a bit, but again the same screw can be used in it's hole to pry a bit. The front of the lock plates have a small extension that goes in the receiver. That cross screw is what hold the back half tight against the wood. When putting the locks back in many times the triggers have have to be kept forward so the sears will fit by them.
You get the locks out and some WD-40 then some compressed air to blow them out followed up by a little oil is all it should take. I wouldn't go any farther than that unless you have some working knowledge of how the locks work. You'd need a spring vise to compress the main spring. And it's very, very easy to break off the small pin sticking out of the spring into the lock plate. Good luck finding another. It's not that hard to take them out, clean and oil em back up. Good luck.

Oh my god!!!! WD-40 in a gun lock! Sure to be a catastrophy....

Just kidding.

It is pretty easy to remove locks usually. I enjoy doing it occasionally and when first acquired, and it has never been a problem.

This is what some locks will look like after sitting on the gun for a few decades without the occasional strip and clean. The locks should be completely disassembled, cleaned and lubed. Just pulling the locks off, a few squirts of oil and scrub won’t make them function correctly and efficiently.





What they should look like after being properly cleaned, polished and lubed:

Great pictures of your locks, especially showing the improvements after a good cleaning.
I think I'm going by the Westley Richards store in Florida tomorrow. I was talking to LD McCaa, the manager there, last week and in our conversation he recommended Griffin & Howe for my gun; also had Gregg Elliott suggest them. I've never dealt with them previously though have enjoyed some good visits in the past with Guy Bignell. It certainly looks like they are well set up to do a good strip clean. Any of you have any thoughts about their gunsmithing services?