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I expected they would be. Whitworth is the coarser thread standard, this is 9/32-26 BSF (which I think means British Standard, Fine, if I'm wrong please educate me.) They almost work, but won't turn into the threads. A 1/4-28 cap screw turned right into the threads and engaged them, but was...

You're right. I took a breech plug to Lowe's. A 1/4-28 screwed right in, but was pretty loose. I think I'm going to try the .020" oversize that works for you. They also have a .025" over. I don't know if that would be pushing my luck. TOW has oversizes in .005 increments from .005" to .025". The...

Well, there it is. Common violin varnish. I have dark seedlac and dark red button shellac. Thanks!

I can't find the "before" picture at the moment, but this was covered with heavy orange rust. This "agter" picture was taken less than an hour later, after boiling, rubbing with half of a wooden clothespi, then polishing lightly with 0000 steel wool and kerosene, then oiling.

Before using any chemical or abrasive, I'd boil it in water. After a half hour or so boiling, rust will rub off easily with a piece of wood, often cloth or even paper towel, leaving rust bluing behind. That always looks better than bright, scraped steel.

The traditional 3 drams powder load in 12 gauge unmentionable inserts is about 82 grains. 85 grains is a perfectly acceptable load, with 1 to 1+1/4 ounces of shot. Generally, though, FFg powder is recommended in 12 gauge muzzleloaders. Goex lists FFFg in their blackpowder shotshell loads.

This may be a little off topic, but in Artificer's link I read about the use of colored varnishes on Brown Besses. At Bright Steel to Brown: British Musket Barrels, 1757-1865 there is this from the British Army 1811 (revised 1816) instructions on browning barrels, after final immersion in...

Back in the '70s, "Hawken" style rifles were not only a bit shorter and handier than long rifles, they had a distinctive look that I liked. They were the first commercial muzzleloaders to offer big bores for PRB shooting. .50 caliber got a big boost from "Jeremiah Johnson." Then I read about...

That formula has long been listed as a "traditional" furniture finish. Way back in my school days I built a walnut and maple chess (or checkers) board and I was dead set on using that formula. It gave a lovely color to the wood. I had to apply it warm, or the wax would solidify out. Perhaps I...

I think what I have is a "REPLICA DOUBLE BARREL PERCUSSION FOWLER" from Rajasthan Armoury. They are unlikely to give a helpful answer to my inquiry, but they have lots of nice pictures, and I believe some videos, of skilled craftsmen hand building their old timey replicas in incredibly primitive...

Thank you!

Titanium sparks brightly.

Several years ago I bought an Indian made double barrel percussion shotgun. I got it directly from an Indian seller. While I had it apart, the nipples went missing. No problem, I thought. TOTW has nipples in 9/32-26 BSF said to be good for Indian Jodhpur shotguns, so I ordered a pair. They won't...

Eh. I wish I could edit typos like "Vivil War." Y'all know what I mean.

I've thought a lot about, but not tried, various granular organic substances as a shot buffer. Also, as I have for several years used a thin card overpowder wad and a cushion of sawdust under round ball loads in unmentionables and more recently in my fowler, I've thought of using this principle...

Hot salt bath bluing is the way modern commercial unmentionables are blued. Solutes raise the boiling point of water, and the lye and nitrate do bring the boiling point close to 300F. I seem to recall around 270, but I'm not looking it up right now. Water is added when needed in the form of ice...

I'm one of those guys who's never fired a shotgun at a 30" circle 40 yards away. I know the very good reasons to do so, but it's never logistically convenient. All I can say is that the pattern density on cardboard boxes and drink bottles at 25 yards would be quite satisfactory for small game...

Most of us don't need to make Magnums out of our muskets. A .69 caliber is a 14 gauge shotgun. The long standard field load for 16 gauge "unmentionables" is 2 1/2 drams (68.4 grains) powder and 1 ounce (which a .66 caliber ball weighs) shot. Standard muzzle velocity for that with shot is 1150...

I've been doing this with sawdust between two punched cardboard disks to seal the gas and keep the shot from settling into the sawdust. It works well. I punch wads from the cardboard separating layers of cans in Fancy Feast cat food boxes. It's tough, though thin. They hold up well in firing...

I use sawdust between two cards I punch out. I use the same dipper for powder, sawdust, and shot. Another punched card on top. I started by using a card and sawdust for balls loaded in brass shells, and carried it over to MLs. Works well enough that I haven't experimented with other...