Anyone recognize this very old lock body?

[shutterstuff]

I have a customer that just purchased this 100 year old house. The cylinder was just spinning when I got there to do a rekey. The set screw is missing and I am trying to either find a set screw or a compatible lock body. The priginal cylinder I pulled out was a Russwin but the body does not look like any Russwin I have seen.

[billdeserthills]

Idk whose lockbody that is, but on those old ones, they have a nice, thick brass face on them.
Instead of trying to find a bunch of no longer available parts you can drill a hole through the
brass face, next to the old retainer hole, and tap the hole, to fit a 8/32 (or whatever you like)
screw, then find a new screw and make it your 'new retainer'. I had to do it myself a few years
ago on a mortise lock after I needed to drill out the cylinder retainer in order to get a guest house
door open, I saw it 3 months ago and it still works fine

[shutterstuff]

Idk whose lockbody that is, but on those old ones, they have a nice, thick brass face on them.
Instead of trying to find a bunch of no longer available parts you can drill a hole through the
brass face, next to the old retainer hole, and tap the hole, to fit a 8/32 (or whatever you like)
screw, then find a new screw and make it your 'new retainer'. I had to do it myself a few years
ago on a mortise lock after I needed to drill out the cylinder retainer in order to get a guest house
door open, I saw it 3 months ago and it still works fine

I thought about doing that, but it is a long screw. I believe this had a bracket of some sort that would hold both cylinders (if used) with the one set screw. My wholesale rep pointed out that there are two stress cracks as well (she has better eyes than I do...).

I think I am just going to retrofit a new Marks 91A and call it good.

[billdeserthills]

Embrace security, with a new mortise lockset that has a 1" throw
I have some 3" screws in various threading in my van, for my fix, but Yeah
do what you wish, many ways to fix a problem

[mhole]

The case would have had a piece which runs in the slots on 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock in the cylinder hole. The screw would engage in this piece, which would engage the groove on both cylinders at once (as you said).

[jeffmoss26]

does that marking say RHC? Could be Reading Hardware Company

[shutterstuff]

does that marking say RHC? Could be Reading Hardware Company

RHC is the best guess so far. We gave up on it.

This is the Marks lock I am going to use. They work well and I have done this before.

[billdeserthills]

Definately a good lock, I still have a couple someone sold me off their truck 20+ years ago
for $5 apiece

[shutterstuff]

Definately a good lock, I still have a couple someone sold me off their truck 20+ years ago
for $5 apiece

Nice score!

[Tyler J. Thomas]

does that marking say RHC? Could be Reading Hardware Company

RHC is the best guess so far. We gave up on it.

This is the Marks lock I am going to use. They work well and I have done this before.

Marks is a good one; Mul-T-Lock, believe it or not, also has one as well.

[dll932]

The case would have had a piece which runs in the slots on 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock in the cylinder hole. The screw would engage in this piece, which would engage the groove on both cylinders at once (as you said).

The piece is called a fork and old ones are hard to come by. Also, they're left hand threaded. The setscrew falls in the middle of the lock and each "tine' of the fork secures one side of the case. Sometimes you see drop in plugs for the side that doesn't have a cylinder to balance the strain on the fork. I have had some success with modifying other forks and retapping them for a right hand screw.

[Northlandlocksmith]

does that marking say RHC? Could be Reading Hardware Company

he is correct, reading hardware co.

[stratmando]

Both sides have screw holes, is that for looks?

[stratmando]

To clarify, the outside Plate has screws, knob can be removed, does this make them Vulnerable?

[billdeserthills]

To clarify, the outside Plate has screws, knob can be removed, does this make them Vulnerable?

Removing the knob doesn't get you in--
Some of the newer mortise locks have an 'emergency exit' function, when you push down on the lever,
the deadbolt is also unlocked-- I have twice found these wrong handing with the inside of the mortise lock
wrongly installed on the outside of the door, allowing the outside lever to actually retract the deadbolt when pressed