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  1. Philip A.

    Coil spring vs leaf spring?

    Coil springs are much easier to produce on a large scale, with close to no material waste, hence an order of magnitude cheaper. The "let off" effect in a lock, i.e. the effort tu pull the **** diminishing as you approach full ****, is determined by the geometry of the tumbler and mainspring...
  2. Philip A.

    Boiled Linseed Oil Finish?

    In defense of BLO... If properly applied, it has many advantages. I've used it for decades on rifles and guns that see heavy usage in the tropical bush, under sun, extreme heat, torrential rains, and all sorts of scrapes and dings. It takes some time to complete, but only because you have to...
  3. Philip A.

    Straight vs swamp?

    If you're going to hunt, swamped, no questions. A straight barrel will feel as nimble as a sledgehammer... The only use I see for a straight barrel is added stability when shooting from a fixed position, due to the weight forward. For handling, swamped or tapered really beat a straight barrel...
  4. Philip A.

    Why the flare on swamped barrels?

    Twisted, thanks for a very interesting insight, I had never thought of barrels becoming shorter when they started to be drilled instead of forged... Makes perfect sense. Regarding barrels and balance, in the late 1800's, British gunmakers perfected the fit and balance of rifles that were used...
  5. Philip A.

    Need Help Identifying This Heavy Behemoth!

    Another one for auction sale in Switzerland, starting price CHF 700.- Here is a translation of the description: "Sniper rifle, Berner-Stutzer, "Eggimann Sumiswald". Cal. 10.5mm, modified after Milbank-Amsler. The original large-caliber Stutzer was fitted with a feed barrel and a bolt...
  6. Philip A.

    Need help Identifying this Blunderbuss and authenticity. Thanks

    Fully agree. I'm not an expert in Ottoman shenanigans, but I know a thirty dollars bill when I see one... 😋
  7. Philip A.

    Unbeatable bore rust

    Do you scrub it with steel wool? Change the brand of steel wool. Some steel wools are made with brittle grades of steel, and when you scrub your gun with it there are myriads of small steel wool particles left behind, which oxidize very easily and start the rusting process in or on your gun...
  8. Philip A.

    Barrels that are not 12L14 steel

    That's what I'd call an informative post...!
  9. Philip A.

    Barrels that are not 12L14 steel

    Thanks to all who gave the same advice! I contacted Jason at Rice barrels, he does barrels in .62, and in 4140...
  10. Philip A.

    Barrels that are not 12L14 steel

    I think you need to re-read what I wrote.
  11. Philip A.

    Barrels that are not 12L14 steel

    Apparently things are not breaking. Except when they do. https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/12l14-barrel-comes-apart.139208/ Just spend 15 minutes on the Net looking for broken things, and you'll find your heart content.
  12. Philip A.

    Barrels that are not 12L14 steel

    Yes, the vast majority of failures are due to user error. But that's not the point. The material's mode of failure is, besides other negative properties. In a firearm, if something goes wrong you want stuff to bulge and bend, not to crack or shatter. If the guy who went to play hobbyist...
  13. Philip A.

    Barrels that are not 12L14 steel

    Very nice piece! Is that a Kibler lock? What's the gun's weight? I'll contact Jason, thanks.
  14. Philip A.

    Barrels that are not 12L14 steel

    Mistakes do happen, and things are built with a safety factor "in case of". In this case, the material was chosen not for any safety reason, but against safety reasons: that steel is easy to machine, it saves time and money, and increases the useful life of your cutting tools. It has poor...
  15. Philip A.

    Barrels that are not 12L14 steel

    In general, or personally? In general, stainless is hard to machine, and I doubt that the stainless looks would appeal to the flintlock crowd... Personally, I don't like stainless guns. Stainless galls, and doesn't have the warmth of a nicely finished carbon steel. It doesn't even feel the same...
  16. Philip A.

    Barrels that are not 12L14 steel

    Yes, but that's no benchrest rifle... Mostly hunting, and I love getting close.
  17. Philip A.

    Barrels that are not 12L14 steel

    Because 12L14 is cold rolled steel, non-descript, lead-alloyed, easily machinable stock. No steel mill would ever recommend it for the manufacture of rifle barrels, because it has several characteristics that would make it highly undesirable for centerfire applications. This doesn't matter much...
  18. Philip A.

    Why the flare on swamped barrels?

    Yes, the weight upfront makes it hang... Which is good if you want to steady a shot, and bad if you need to swing fast. Personally, I prefer swing fast... If I have time to steady a shot, I have time to find a tree, an anthill, or even my knees...
  19. Philip A.

    Barrels that are not 12L14 steel

    Which manufacturers supply barrels that are not 12L14 steel? I know, I know... Thousands and thousands of barrels made from that cold-rolled screw stock perform very well and have not blown up... But that steel is simply NOT what I'd pick if I was making my own barrels, even though it's good...
  20. Philip A.

    Why the flare on swamped barrels?

    What is the original purpose of the flare in the swamped barrels? My reasoning is that it allowed to reduce the barrel's weight, while keeping the front sight quite short, but that's just an educated guess. Wanting to build a short-barreled .62, I've been looking at suitable profiles, and found...
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