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I am Interested in making muzzle loaders the old way. Need advice how to.

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MrMystery02

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I am very interested in making rifled muzzle loaders the way they used to. I want to make and forge everything by hand instead of using fancy powertools. I never did anything related blacksmithing in my life before. It is also very unlikely there is any other hobbyist in my area who I can learn from (I live outside the US). Is it possible to master this by the help of books and videos? Is there an oven I can buy to heat up the metal to the right temperatures? Thanks for all the help in advance. This documentary is what got me really interested in it:
 

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MrMystery02 said:
I am very interested in making rifled muzzle loaders the way they used to. I want to make and forge everything by hand instead of using fancy powertools. I never did anything related blacksmithing in my life before. It is also very unlikely there is any other hobbyist in my area who I can learn from (I live outside the US). Is it possible to master this by the help of books and videos? Is there an oven I can buy to heat up the metal to the right temperatures? Thanks for all the help in advance. This documentary is what got me really interested in it: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gunsmith+of+williamsburg+(1969)
Click to expand...
The NMLRA has a whole series of videos by the best makers, (House, etc.) showing such.
 
MrMystery02 said:
Thanks. I want to find a craftsmanship hobby and want to master it. This is what I am most interested in.
Click to expand...
All the more power to you. My suggestion is to read, study, and read some more. Start your apprenticeship by making some smaller gun parts. Make them so they could go on a rifle you would eventually build.
Good luck!
Larry
 
I've never made guns, but I used to make medieval armour. It's a similar elephant to eat. You want to break it up into little bites.

My recommendation for folks who said, "Hey, I want to make armour!" is to start with something small. Armour making (and gunmaking) is really a collection of a whole host of skills - woodwork, metalwork, forging, file work, and machine work.

It may be beneficial to start off making a kit gun. This will give you the basic idea of how to assemble a gun, with some level of fitting required but at least you are not making the parts entirely from scratch.

When you master that, you can start learning how to make individual gun parts.

Just learning to forge a barrel is quite an undertaking!

You might start by making, say, a hammer.

Truly making a firearm from scratch is a master-level endeavor. Best of luck in your education!
 
Is there a farrier (horse shoer) near you? They do some forge work and might at least teach you the basics.
When I retired (long time ago) I had thought of becoming a farrier. There are several schools that teach that scattered around here in the US. However, I shoed only two horses and found that my poor old back could not take the bending over. Gave up that idea.

Any blacksmiths near you? Modern day blacksmiths make anything from forks and spoons, to fancy ironwork gates. There are many blacksmith workshops/schools scattered around here in the US also.
As maillemaker suggested above, an apprentice blacksmith starts out by making his own tools. Maybe a set of tongs, then a hammer, or whatever.

If not, then I think putting together several kit guns would be the way to start. Very few of the gun builders today forge all their own parts. Locks and barrels, in particular are bought. Small parts such as the trigger, and ramrod pipes are relatively easy to make.
There are gunsmiths, and there are gun stockers. Gun stockers buy the metal parts but make and fit the stock.

It takes years of apprenticeship to truly become a master. But, as a hobbyist, you can work and learn at your own pace.
 
Williamsburg demonstrates all aspects of building longrifles for educational purposes. Almost zero colonial and Federal period gunsmiths did all the things - forge their own barrels, drill, ream, and rifle them, make their own locks, etc. The vast majority bought locks and barrels, cast their own brass furniture (or in some cases forged of iron), made small parts, and stocked up the guns.
 
Some valuable info you will need is how to make the barrel. I have a book called "Hand riffling a muzzle loading rifle barrel at home" by Mark D. Wagner. It shows how to make the equipment just like they did in the 18th century and make a barrel from blank to finish. I think I bought it from a place called Lindsay's Publications, but they are out of business now.
Good Luck!
 
Look at Alex Bealer's book on blacksmithing and Foxfire 5 for the basics. Look on line for plans for a JACO horse pistol to get an idea on how to make a percussion Lock.
 
Contact Richard Sullivan at the Williamsburg gunsmith shop. He still makes everything by hand. Several years ago I attended a 3 day seminar he did on forging a gun barrel by hand. He also forges his own gun locks and hand casts all the brass furniture. He is an amazing wealth of knowledge.
Ohio Rusty ><>
 
MrMystery02 said:
Thanks. I want to find a craftsmanship hobby and want to master it. This is what I am most
Click to expand...
MrMystery02 said:
Thanks. I want to find a craftsmanship hobby and want to master it. This is what I am most interested in.
Click to expand...
I reccomend getting a gas forge and anvil to start. My opinion gas is easier to learn on. Try to make you own tongs and other tools you will need first. This will tell you if you want to continue without a huge expense. Then you can move on to a coal forge and other tools nessecary to gun building.
 
1950Dave just mentioned it but I will second it - Get this book by Bealer. Starting with just a hammer and a home made forge you can start making your own tools, once you have made them you will have learned enough to move on to actual projects. Keep in mind though that most "Old Time" builders did not do everything themselves. There were barrel makers, lock smiths, engravers, wood carvers etc. Very few people can get to be even Pretty Good at the many tasks required let alone Master them all. Still, I did it once just to see if I could do it, I did it, I now know I can do it and I'll never do it again!
 
You have long row to hoe! Learn how a file is used first, it isn’t just rubbing it back and forth. Then find out how to draw file with one and what kind of file to use for each job. There are many skills to learn before starting such work!
 
I admire your zeal. It is outstanding that you want to do this. Do you mean making your own barrels also?
If so you will need an assistant.
I would recommend you purchase a barrel

Smithing the hardware is not an easy task but at the same time. It is something you can do.
Study rifles. Get the CDs
You might need to make some of your own tools.

Great goal. I wish you well. But a difficult learning curse if you have not done anything like this.

Learning the forgi g techniques. Heck learning how to build a good fire I. The forge takes some learning plus building the forge.

Best of luck
 
Maybe start with a visit to Williamsburg and talk to the gunsmiths there. My feeling is that when you learn about what goes into it you might have a new perspective on your ability to do barrel forging.
Here’s an old silent movie showing some master gun barrel makers:
 
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