Brown Bess Nose Caps

[FlinterNick]

In regards to patterns with cast brass nose caps (1748 and forward).

Was the nose cap peened on ? Or bolted on ? Or attached to a lug of some type ?

I know that Pedersoli and Miroku were screwed on with a wood screw.

What was the original method of securing them? And what diameter brass or copper pin would I use ?

Thanks

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
This is all in Mowbray and Goldstein's book on Brown Besses. It is a brass rivet approximately the same diameter as a No 6 or No 8 screw. The easiest way to do it is to use a brass flat headed 8-32 bolt. Turn the head down to about 3/16" diameter, Drill and tap the muzzle cap and slightly countersink the outside of the hole. Drill the stock and counter sink the hole so the head of the bolt fits flush in the barrel channel. Install the cap, screw in the bolt, cut it off just above the surface of the cap and peen the excess down into the counter sink. File flush.

dave

 

[FlinterNick]

Hi,
This is all in Mowbray and Goldstein's book on Brown Besses. It is a brass rivet approximately the same diameter as a No 6 or No 8 screw. The easiest way to do it is to use a brass flat headed 8-32 bolt. Turn the head down to about 3/16" diameter, Drill and tap the muzzle cap and slightly countersink the outside of the hole. Drill the stock and counter sink the hole so the head of the bolt fits flush in the barrel channel. Install the cap, screw in the bolt, cut it off just above the surface of the cap and peen the excess down into the counter sink. File flush.

dave

Excellent Dave ! Thanks where is it in the goldstein book? I could find it at all In the 1748 section.

On some of the originals Ive seen disassembled it looked the the nose cap had some type of brass ”wings” that were folded down to create friction. I’m not sure if it was a British gun.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
It depends on the style of the nose cap. If it was made from sheet brass, particularly by the regimental armorer, it is thin and the upper edges along the barrel channel are folded over and pressed into the barrel channel.

In that case a brass or iron rivet may have been used (shown in Goldstein and Mowbray on page 26) as well or omitted. I believe the pattern 1748 had a cast nose cap and those were anchored by a brass rivet as shown in Goldstein and Mowbray on pages 52, 69 and 72.

dave

 

[FlinterNick]

So the rivet was peened on the outside, in the barrel channel it was probably flat headed?

Regardless, I’m going with your threading and screw on method, its more practical.