Goodies , I like to own

[enfield]

Due to the Corona - virus , I have to stay at home . Therefore I started to make some goodies , I'd for long wanted to have .

First thing to make is the rebuild of an old Ruggles underhammer pistol in my collection of old fire arms .

This entire gun is a fairly scarce piece , having a full metal frame with handle slabs .

Unfortunately , the only material at hand for the moment , is some scrap brass and a cutoff of a Swiss Vetterli barrel in cal. 10,4 mm in mirror sheening state inside . My sample is cal .31 . As I already have told , I have to stay at home , therefore I can't go for other raw material . I'll have to use , like our anchestors had to , what's on hand at the very moment .

Let's start off .


Should there be an interest for this new project , I'll gladly share with You .

Should You be interested , You can also have a look at my previous thread

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/ruggles-patent-underhammer-pistol.119504/#post-1636145





This is the stock material , I'd like to start off

 

[enfield]

I've just started my new goodie .
Since I have no milling machine , I "misused" my 120 years old lathe . After having bored through the brass stock ( off center by having clamped a 10X10mm steel stock under one of the three jaws ) I turned out the face to same dia as the barrel , then cut off the sides of the round brass and filed it to near the width which I want to have in the end . Then I clamped it on the support table of my lathe and started to mill the recess in which the "system " is to slide in . It worked out pretty slowly , but came out perfect !
I also cut a slot , into which I silver soldered the grip plate and started to bring it to shape .

 

[bptactical]

Nothing wrong with using a lathe as a mill. The engine lathe is about the most versatile machine one can have in a shop and if your only able to have one machine, make it a lathe.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Great project. Keep us posted and stay well.

 

[Buckskinn]

Now that is a cool project!

 

[enfield]

Yesterday , I've filed the system with the integral breech plug and fitted it to the barrel

Todays work has been making the hammer and main spring .

 

[Barry Strickland]

That is coming along nicely. On the hammer did you silver solder a piece of round stock on a piece of bar stock. Or, did you mill the hammer out of a larger piece of stock?

 

[enfield]

That is coming along nicely. On the hammer did you silver solder a piece of round stock on a piece of bar stock. Or, did you mill the hammer out of a larger piece of stock?

Nope : the entire hammer , as al all other components , are completely hand filed from solid stock . ( Unfortunately , I have no mill )
The hammer is filed from some tool steel ( C-45 ) , the spring is made from an old sawblade and the trigger will be made from O-2 , all parts be hardened by watching the color only by eye in oil and then annealed twice in my oven at about 200° - 220° C
Since I did that already several times , it works out for me .
With my similar made sear/tumbler in one of my restored old pistols , I've already fired several thousands of rounds with no traces of wear ( and my trigger pull is really crisp and light )

 

[enfield]

Trigger with coil spring installed , safety and full cock noth filed , polished , hardened , also nipple installed . First cap fired !

 

[enfield]

I was quite busy over the last two days : I made and installed the nipple and top strap with the integral sight with its screws, a globe front sight , handle slabs with brass bushings and screw , filed the system to shape , installed a trigger stop , and started the finish - and yes , already test fired ( with a load of 80grn Swiss and two (!) hammered in lead bullets . Clamped the thing in my vice , placed two 2" boards of beechwood in front of the muzzle and fired it from outside of my shop with a string . One big booom , the bullets penetrated the first board and stuck in the second half way - no damage to the gun !
Now I'm happy !

 

[Buckskinn]

That is quite a test fire! Glad it held together!!!

 

[enfield]

That is quite a test fire! Glad it held together!!!

me too ! But I didn't expect anything else

 

[tallpine]

Nice work Enfield

 

[enfield]

Nice work Enfield

Thank You

 

[John May]

All your projects interest me greatly as I am a under-hammer fan. Your work is exceptional, thank you for sharing it with us.

 

[squirehawk1774]

Neat little pistol you made.

 

[Barrie Dale]

Very nice workmanship in that pistol. Good for you. Thanks for posting the pics of it.

 

[smo]

Well done!

 

[enfield]

Thank You very much for Your praises ! I hope , the shooting range will be open soon , I eagerly want to try it on target !

 

[caspar25]

Wirklich ansehnliches Teil!