Blackley and Son sells Alexander Henry back-action percussion cap lock castings' sets - that is, parts "as cast," without finish machine work, without heat treat (http://www.blackleyandson.com/...ercussion_Rifle.html near the bottom). I have zero experience with their product, and no one I know has experience either.

1. Is this lock appropriate for an English-style Big Bore sporting rifle, based upon 1.25-inch O.D. barrels? I have located a bazillion photographs of such rifles having bar-action locks, but none having back-action. Photographs of Alexander Henry bar-action sporting rifles show attractive rifles, to my eyes. And photographs of back-action locks I have seen on Engish/Scottish/Irish sporting rifles, circa 1870-1900, are comparably attractive. But these are cartridge guns.

2. Please describe the quality of their raw castings - finish/RMS, precision of castings to finished part, materials used for non-springs - and degree of difficulty metamorphosing their castings to Alexander Henry lock. My experience the The Rifle Shoppe's "as cast" parts has me concerned about circling the drain of an endless job.

4. In an earlier query of mine regarding effectiveness of Pedersoli's Mortimer flintlock "stalking safety," the consensus was parts associated with that safety were flimsy. Does this lock set suffer a similar problem?

4. What finishes are appropriate for such a lock, and rifle? I suspect color case hardening, or pack hardening would be okay. But what others, if any?