Copy of an original blunderbuss

[davec2]

Back in 2016 I was commissioned to build a brass barreled blunderbuss. Here is the link to the original posts

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/blunderbuss.103402/

The fellow who I made this for has contacted me again about a smaller version. He happened across an original blunderbuss that was significantly smaller and lighter than then one I built for him in the link above. Here are some details:

Brass cannon barrel 12.5” long with clear proof & view marks and engraved “LONDON”
Brass mounts in good condition
Lock is marked “NICHOLSON” and is in excellent working condition
Back of the lock marked “IW”
Excellent wood, no cracks and no missing pieces
Bore is ~ 7 gauge ( ~0.9”)

The owner has asked me to make a near bench copy of it. Of course, the barrel is the hardest part to duplicate and I am heading toward machining it myself from bar stock. However, before I get started I wanted to ask this knowledgeable community for an assessment of this piece. This is really the very first original firearm that I have handled directly and it appears to be in excellent condition….at least to my untrained eye.

 

[davec2]

Back in 2016 I was commissioned to build a brass barreled blunderbuss. Here is the link to the original posts

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/blunderbuss.103402/

The fellow who I made this for has contacted me again about a smaller version. He happened across an original blunderbuss that was significantly smaller and lighter than then one I built for him in the link above. Here are some details:

Brass cannon barrel 12.5” long with clear proof & view marks and engraved “LONDON”
Brass mounts in good condition
Lock is marked “NICHOLSON” and is in excellent working condition
Back of the lock marked “IW”
Excellent wood, no cracks and no missing pieces
Bore is ~ 7 gauge ( ~0.9”)

The owner has asked me to make a near bench copy of it. Of course, the barrel is the hardest part to duplicate and I am heading toward machining it myself from bar stock. However, before I get started I wanted to ask this knowledgeable community for an assessment of this piece. This is really the very first original firearm that I have handled directly and it appears to be in excellent condition….at least to my untrained eye.

Here are a few more photos......

 

[deerstalkert]

don't know anything about it, except that I want one!!

 

[Brokennock]

This is going to be a great project to follow. Thank you for sharing.
I am sure you're going to fo a fantastic job @davec2
If nothing else we know the metal casting and engraving will be amazing

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

.... before I get started I wanted to ask this knowledgeable community for an assessment of this piece.

Our assessment? I say GO FOR IT! The proofs look great and everything else appears correct by my eye. In fact I have one just like it less with a 14" barrel, also brass, of same cannon muzzle shape, but with a folding bayonet on top of the barrel ... et no proof marks (???) on the barrel.

 

[davec2]

Gathering parts that are close to the original. Here is the original lock compared to one of Chamber's English fowler locks.....



Some options for the trigger guard.......







The guard with the acorn finial is a little too big in the bow and the bow is too narrow. I will go with the trigger guard with the fancier finial just for the size and shape of the bow.

This butt plate can be easily modified to almost exactly match the original....



This side plate is very close to the original but I may just duplicate the original by making a silicone mold and then doing a centrifugal casting in brass....



Rounded up the brass bar stock for the barrel. Got it set up in the lathe and started the pilot hole through. The bore will be about a 7 gage when finished.....

 

[davec2]

A little more work on the barrel today. Finished drilling the pilot through with a long 1/2" drill. Then bored the breach for a 1 1/8-12 breach plug and tapped it. Waiting now for a long bore size drill to finish the bore.

 

[davec2]

The new bore drill arrived finally from Drills & Cutters in Florida...bad timing on my part to order the drill a few days before the latest hurricane blew into their neck of the woods. However, it made it here safely. Now I need to modify the drill for use on brass. I will be out of the shop for a few of weeks (other contract work to do) so I will pick this up again in early November.