Found my old Handgonne

[Frontstuffer070]

Well after an inspiring post I read on here last night, I got the gumption to go dig out my old Handgonne and knock the rust off and out of it . I bought this thing from a fella over on another gun forum years ago. I just never did anything with it. I think its time. I believe it to be homemade and it is steel of some sort. A very nice job if it is. It has a thick knurled band around the breech section. It measures about 54 cal, but I believe there is enough to it that I could bore it to say .75. Any suggestion on what to do to it is greatly appreciated. Can some of you post pics and dimensions to your tiller (handle). Thanks for reading.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I make/shape (using a power plane & draw knife) my 'tillers' out of replacement wheelbarrel handles, some photos here:

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...enberg-castle-replica-circa-late-1300s.177216

 

[Frontstuffer070]

I make/shape (using a power plane & draw knife) my 'tillers' out of replacement wheelbarrel handles, some photos here:

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...enberg-castle-replica-circa-late-1300s.177216

Awesome, I'm off to get me one right now.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

I just got back from town. 40 bucks for 2 laquer coated handles? Naw, I don't reckon. So, I guess I'm going on a woods walk to find myself a nice straight white oak or Hickory.

 

[The Miner '49er]

You might try this from Lowes and under $10. I sanded, stained, and woodburned it. Just a little tapering to fit the gonne socket and a liberal dose of JB Weld and I was in business. A couple coats of neutral shoe polish finished it off. Good luck.

 

[russellshaffer]

I did exactly what miner49 did and it turned out nice. Mine was a "hardwood dowel" from Home Depot. I gave it away at a rondie raffle and it was well received. Sold lots of tickets. Yours is prettier.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

Yeah I plan to bed it with JB Weld Epoxy. I also plan to cut the head off of that bolt and file some grooves in the bolt to give the epoxy something to hold on to when I epoxy it into the handle. I called my friend down at the Grits / Saw Mill and he told me to come on down and we will turn one out of hickory. This place is amazing. Its like stepping back in time. He has a Stone ground Grits mill, Black Smith shop, Saw Mill, wood shop, old school smoke house, meat room, and there is a huge garden plot and livestock in the back. If you are ever in Leesville SC stop by Gantt's Stone Mill. You will be glad you did.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

I went down to the Mill today to turn down a piece of Hickory on the Lathe. But when I walked into the shop I saw a piece of Purple heart laying up in the corner, it was about 2' x 2". I asked my buddy about it and he said I could have it. He said it should make a great handle as its as hard as Hickory probably even tougher. Only problem was it wasn't 5 feet long. I used it anyway it made my Handgonne 43" total length. It seems to be long enough to get it comfortably away from my face. If not I'll put a longer tiller on it later. I brought it home and sanded it tto 320 and put one coat of BLO on it and this is what it looks like. That wood is too cool looking. SO, I guess I have a Handgonne Carbine I was informed that the mill also has a metal lathe and he said he could put me a bigger hole in it if I wanted.

 

[The Miner '49er]

Man, that is a beauty. Get set for fun.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

I don't know if I can wait on the fuse to get here. I'm about to go out here and take a counter sink in the drill press to make a slightly larger pan around the touch hole so I can shoot it.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

scratch that, I think a counter sink might open the touch hole. I don't want that so I'll have to get a burr bit for the die grinder maybe.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

I got to the Fireworks store this afternoon and got myself three 15 foot rolls of 2mm safety fuse for a whopping $2.50 each. And a couple packs of 2 hour punk sticks. And of course the touch hole is too small. So now I need to get a 27/32 drill bit which of course I don't have. Tomorrow may be the day.

 

[The Miner '49er]

I got to the Fireworks store this afternoon and got myself three 15 foot rolls of 2mm safety fuse for a whopping $2.50 each. And a couple packs of 2 hour punk sticks. And of course the touch hole is too small. So now I need to get a 27/32 drill bit which of course I don't have. Tomorrow may be the day.

Hooray, Huzzah, Yipeekyoh! No matter how you pronounce it, fun is spelled handgonne. I'm expecting my fuse tomorrow or Friday. Keep us posted.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

SHEEW WEEE!! THAT'S MORE FUN THAN A BARREL OF MONKEYS!!

I drilled my touch hole to 5/64 this morning, which is real close to the 2 mm fuse I bought. But the fuse still would not go in the hole. So I got my handy little bolt diameter card out and that fuse is perfect for a 3/32" hole. But I didn't want to drill the touch hole any bigger. SO, we just touched it off with a punk stick.
In short, WE DIDN'T HIT A DANG THING LOL!! Well yes we did, I shot at 25 yards and a total of six .530 balls on top of 35 grains of FFFg powder with a pillow ticking patch lubed with Beezwax and tallow rammed on top to keep the ball from rolling out and to lube the bore. Two of the balls went high and lodged in the 2x6 above the target. That charge was really a cream puff. But I didn't want to start out with a big charge being I didn't know what to expect or if the Gonne would hold together. I'll play with it some more and figure out a point of aim and get them at least on the paper. Maybe even try a patched ball. And my short tiller did not prove to be too short to me. So that part is a keeper.

 

[The Miner '49er]

Frontstuffer you found the fun and now you just need to fine tune it. Here's my target from today. Fuse and punk makes all the difference. Next time out I'm going to 15 yards.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Distance?

 

[Frontstuffer070]

Yeah I think, I was watching my son touch it off with the punk stick rather than keeping my eye on the target.

 

[The Miner '49er]

Distance?

75 yards, can you believe that!!?? Well, neither can I. Actually, it was 10 yards.