WRussell's photos and post are interesting. One thing for sure: not all Japanese Tower Pistols are the same....most are about 67 cal and are made of soft and sometimes poorly fitted parts, but that's where the similarities end. The one that I bought in the late 1960's had a round barrel, soft frizzen etc, but after hardening the frizzen, it shot pretty well until the lock just wore out..I then converted it to percussion with a drum and nipple and fired it for many years. After hearing about the breechplug problem, I tried to remove my breechplug but couldn't. The barrel and tang were made in one piece and the breechplug was circular and threaded into the barrel, no welds. Safe? I have no idea. I would post a pic, but I no longer have it. I would not fire one of these (or any pistol) if I could not remove the breechplug to verify that it is properly breeched.
Arrr! Japanese Tower pistols
- Thread starter Zahman
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BEP
40 Cal.
Like many of us who are a day or two over 40, I also bought one of these pistols, in 1970 or so. I bought it from EMF when they were just starting out - paid $17.50 plus I believe 1.50 shipping. Under twenty dollars total. Didn't get much use out of it because the frizzen was way soft. A few years ago, I casehardened the frizzen and have shot it a few times. I can't hit much with a pistol and this one is a smoothbore. Without sights. So it just didn't see much use.
I've heard the reports that some breechplugs were welded in or maybe only pressed in. Never gave it too much thought until I read this thread. So today I decided to find out for myself if this pistol is safe to shoot. Only waited forty-some years!
I took the barrel out of the stock. That so-called "blind pin" turned out to be a four penny nail! Remember, these guns were not expensive. The breechplug/tang area looked similar to the picture in WRussell's post. It's just an opinion, but I feel that the welding is to attach the tang. Just a feeling. I screwed and strapped the barrel to a board and headed out into the country.
After checking with a DGW catalog, I selected the Definitive Proof Load for a 15 gauge (.677) bore. I used 165 grains of GOEX FFFg powder. The chart called for 656 grains of lead. Fourteen single-ought buck weighed 658 grains. Close enough. I inserted a length of firecracker fuse through the touch-hole, with about four inched protruding. Then the powder, dry newspaper wadding, the buckshot and more newspaper - wet this time. Tamped it all down well, put the whole thing behind a tree, lit the fuse and got behind a friendly three-foot thick maple.
After five seconds or so, the thing cut loose. What a bellow! But I'm pleased to say that everything held together just fine. Brought it home, cleaned it thouroughly and re-assembled the pistol.
I probably still won't shoot it too often. But I won't worry when I do, using 30 grains of powder and a 430 grain ball. And that certainly does not mean that all pistols of this type/era are safe. But I'm satisfied that mine is.
Safe shooting,
Sneezy
I've heard the reports that some breechplugs were welded in or maybe only pressed in. Never gave it too much thought until I read this thread. So today I decided to find out for myself if this pistol is safe to shoot. Only waited forty-some years!
I took the barrel out of the stock. That so-called "blind pin" turned out to be a four penny nail! Remember, these guns were not expensive. The breechplug/tang area looked similar to the picture in WRussell's post. It's just an opinion, but I feel that the welding is to attach the tang. Just a feeling. I screwed and strapped the barrel to a board and headed out into the country.
After checking with a DGW catalog, I selected the Definitive Proof Load for a 15 gauge (.677) bore. I used 165 grains of GOEX FFFg powder. The chart called for 656 grains of lead. Fourteen single-ought buck weighed 658 grains. Close enough. I inserted a length of firecracker fuse through the touch-hole, with about four inched protruding. Then the powder, dry newspaper wadding, the buckshot and more newspaper - wet this time. Tamped it all down well, put the whole thing behind a tree, lit the fuse and got behind a friendly three-foot thick maple.
After five seconds or so, the thing cut loose. What a bellow! But I'm pleased to say that everything held together just fine. Brought it home, cleaned it thouroughly and re-assembled the pistol.
I probably still won't shoot it too often. But I won't worry when I do, using 30 grains of powder and a 430 grain ball. And that certainly does not mean that all pistols of this type/era are safe. But I'm satisfied that mine is.
Safe shooting,
Sneezy
WOW! Lots of interest in these old things--I guess Japan was cranking them out like Datsuns back then. I'll take mine apart again and bring the frizzen of one of the pair to get hardened. Then, we'll see. Thank you all for the informative and enthusiastic responses!
roadrunner 586
Pilgrim
IM going to buy a stock with trigger no barrel and make it a percushion cap gun and have a barrel made or use amuzzlelloader barrel what do you thik about this
