Anybody building guns the old ( 1780-1800) way?

[William Joy]

I am a journeyman gunsmith and mostly work on doubles and combination guns. As a hobby I am into muzzleloader shooting. I am interested in building a Flintlock rifle from scratch. and I would like to do it the way the were built in late 1700 ( so no modern deep boring equipment,electric tools, sandpaper,....). All parts need to be built ( even though I realize that most of them bought locks, parts,...). I am also leaning towards a damascuss steel barrel. Anybody out there having done a similar project and willing to answer a "few" ( ha!) questions?

 

[flintriflesmith]

The art of building rifles without modern technology largely died out in the first decade of the 20th century. It was revived in the 1960 at the Colonial Williamsburg gun shop by Wallace Gusler. He consulted old timers who remembered seeing it done, researched period documents, studied surviving tools, and examined original rifles for evidence of the methods used to make them.
His research was documented in the film The Gunsmith of Williamsburg released in 1968. Since then more researh has been done and many other makers have gotten involved but that film remains the classic source for how a period rifle was made. It is availabe on videotape from Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and is in may libraries.
I worked with Wallace in the mid-1960s when we were learning how to forge weld barrels and when Wallace left the shop in 1972 I became the master gunsmith. I left there in 1990 and George Suiter is now the master. They continue to make totally hand made rilfes when custom ordered.

Check out my web site for additional information. Including the fact that sandpaper was available but not commonly used in Colonial America. flintriflesmith.com

Gary

 

[flashpanner]

I am doing it as much as possible by hand and scratch. Barrel was purchased, lock was a kit. everything else started from raw stock. Triggers I hot forged to rough shape. Did alot of Armstrong machining. (files and hacksaw, got strong arms) Here are a few of my parts.
Ask away :wink:

 

[BrownBear]

Check out the gunsmith shop at Colonial Williamsburg. Dont' know about damascus, but when I was there they were hammer forging barrels around mandrels from billets. They also use a period rifling machine (wooden gears). As I remember talking to the guy, they make their own locks from scratch, too. If anyone knows of contemporary damascus barrel makes, I bet they will. Google Colonial Williamsburg to find their site and trace it through to the gunshop. As I recall the smiths do double duty in a nearby independent shop. Anyone help with names?

 

[William Joy]

Thanks guy's for your imput!
Anybody out there with some drawings, pictures,.... of an drilling and rifling machine/bench. I know how to forge a damascuss barrel and drill /rifle with modern machines - but need some serious help with plans for making a historical one....( and not using modern machines to create a "old fashiond "one

 

[Otter]

Sounds as if FRS (Gary) is the guy to establish a close working relationship with (neat website BTW, Gary). When I was younger (mid 30's) I first saw "The Gunsmith of Williamsburg" and wanted to build a muzzleloader in that manner. Didn't have the time, money or space to do it then. Now I have the time, money and space but don't have the physical abilities to build one. Life ain't fair. My wife and I made the trip to Colonial Williamsburg in the Fall of 2000 and I got to hang around the gunshop for several hours over the course of several days and found it fascinating. We were there at the time they "fired" the bricks for all the building projects on site, too. We are planning on going back again either this fall or next spring. The whole experience of the setting is outstanding. One of the best vacations we ever took.

Good luck in your efforts. Post pictures as you progress. Wish I were younger.

 

[BrownBear]

Somewhere in the last year or so there was one of those original rifling machines (or maybe a reproduction?) for sale. Really neat how they operate, and if you could whittle another screw guide, you could change to a new rifling pitch. I'll dig around, but the memory is foggy.

 

[Many Klatch]

At the Lore of the Laughery held at the NMLRA grounds in Friendship this year, they had an original wooden walk-a-mile barrel rifling rig in operation. I didn't have much time to spend with them but they were cutting metal everytime they went back and forth.

Many Klatch

 

[sundog]

If you can get to Dixon's Gun Makers Fair July 25th,26th,27th,28th there will be seminars and live demonstratiions. The fair is amaizing.You will be able to see work being done and talk to some of Americas finest builders.
The web address is www,dixonmuzzleloading.com
If you plan to attend and need lodging look at the Alloentown/Bethlehem area, it is about 20 miles away but there is a wealth of motels some of them have reasonable prices.

 

[Old Sarge]

Check out the FOXFIRE series of books on sale in the 70's era. One of the volumes is on building flintlock rifles from scratch. Including forging barrels and rifling them on a wooden rig as described before. I believe the gunsmith is Herschel House. A smith from Colonial Williamsburg, also. Lots of pics and liturature. BTW they even do their own pig iron from ore in the book.

 

[Frank/Pa]

Go to Dixon's gunmakers fair the last weekend in July. There is always a gentleman there that has a wooden rifleing machine set up.

 

[BrownBear]

Thanks guy's for your imput!
Anybody out there with some drawings, pictures,.... of an drilling and rifling machine/bench. I know how to forge a damascuss barrel and drill /rifle with modern machines - but need some serious help with plans for making a historical one....( and not using modern machines to create a "old fashiond "one

I Googled wooden barrel rifling machine and got lots of hits. Here is one that provides a pretty good read.

 

[Packdog]

William,
Steve Bookout has a nice book out on building a rifling maching and a DVD on rifling and reaming a barrel. The DVD is well made by American Pioneer Video and explains the process in terms even I could understand.
Toad Hall Rifle Shop

 

[tg]

"I am doing it as much as possible by hand and scratch"

It must help having three hands, or so the picture would make one think, (must be a third hand on the coping saw) (VBG) Nice work on the triggers.

 

[paulvallandigham]

As to making a rifling machine, I have an old booklet I bought through Dixie GWs, by Joseph A. Seabolt, publisheds in 1976, titled, " How to Build The Antique Rifling Machine. Its is actually well written and has good diagrams.

FoxFire 5 has the information about rifling machines someone else has referred to above. That series of books is still widely available.

A rifling machine is demonstrated every year at Dixon's Gun Maker's Fair, and if you ask politely, they may even let you take a turn at pushing/pulling the cutter through the barrel!

I have not seen the particular AMI video on rifling a barrel, but am familiar with other films in that series and they are outstanding.

And the Toad Hall Rifleshop has its own site, with good text, and photos about its rifling machine, and bits.
http://www.iowatelecom.net/~toadhall/index.htm

I hope this helps you. :thumbsup:

 

[Vaino]

If you're willing to build a flintlock as they were built in say, 1780, you should be complimented and applauded. But w/ all the specialized "tooling", methods and contrivances that the "old time" gunsmiths used and the hours of research and duplication of these tools and methods, more than one flintlock, so produced, should be in your future? Making "one of a kind" after all the time spent would surely display a perseverence and dedication posessed by few in this modern era of "hurry up", let alone the economics involved. Please let us know periodically of the progress of this "huge" undertaking......Fred

 

[Harrod]

William,get an apprentice. :wink: