This double neck flintlock hammer cock was found in a bucket of old rifle parts and gunsmithing tools on a Lepley farm in Southampton Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It is a used hammer; note that it still holds a badly-worn, leather-wrapped gun flint. This indicates that it was probably removed from a flintlock that was being converted to percussion. This hammer was evidently used by someone through some hard times, because if you look closely, you will see that the flint is very small, and is held toward the front of the jaws by a wooden spacer. In the photo, it looks like the flint is broken in two, but close inspection of the actual item reveals woodgrain on the rear section, proving it to be a spacer.
The flintlock hammer is constructed from ferrous material as would be expected, and has a heart-shaped cutout. The spur is very short and rounded. A well-known longrifle gunsmith told me that this flintlock hammer is from an 1820s military pistol. Photographs showing various details are included below.
Return to the Lepley gunsmithing index
Return to Lepley stone house page
