How Indian flintlocks are made

[bornintheussr]

Sure you want a Blunderbuss? Veteran has some unique stuff as well.
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I ordered one of these for my neighbor no I'm not going to give it to him, here's the deal .... he is ordering lots of small items on amazon and stupid truck driver frequently delivering them to my mail box by mistake. Now instead of driving half a mile to his property to deliver this packages and a need to have a social conversation with him each time .... I will just load and shoot them in the direction of his property. Think it will work?

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Welcome to my Restaurant...dont mind the dirt floor....

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

When deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan these rifle could be bout for 60 dollars American. Problem is all the legal paperwork to get them back stateside the proper way. Wasn't worth it to me.

 

[1General_Grant]

last time I checked with Loyalist Arms they were at least 6 month behind on everything.

Wow.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

When deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan these rifle could be bout for 60 dollars American. Problem is all the legal paperwork to get them back stateside the proper way. Wasn't worth it to me.

I heard stories of guys who would make friends with the crew chiefs and there are hidden compartments under the cargo bay in C-17s.

Dudes would roll downtown and stock up on muskets (and reportedly other, much more modern full-auto unmentionables) and would smuggle them back on base and have their buddies tuck them away for the flight back stateside.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

I heard stories of guys who would make friends with the crew chiefs and there are hidden compartments under the cargo bay in C-17s.

Dudes would roll downtown and stock up on muskets (and reportedly other, much more modern full-auto unmentionables) and would smuggle them back on base and have their buddies tuck them away for the flight back stateside.

I am sure its happened a ton just not for me to risk.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

I heard stories of guys who would make friends with the crew chiefs and there are hidden compartments under the cargo bay in C-17s.

Dudes would roll downtown and stock up on muskets (and reportedly other, much more modern full-auto unmentionables) and would smuggle them back on base and have their buddies tuck them away for the flight back stateside.

The Maintenance tunnel under the floor was a cool spot to do such things. But Customs caught on pretty fast. Not to say there are not other ways of bringing contra band back. I'm retired now but I spent the last 18 years of my career wrenching on the C-17

 

[Ohio Rusty]

Doesn't give me the warm fuzzies seeing their dirt floor production shop. OSHA would have a field day if they operated that way here. I've seen other videos how they reclaim metal from all kinds of sources, most of which is inferior to anything produced here or elsewhere.

A floor like that is good. With all the sparks and forging, there is less to burn with a dirt floor. My Blacksmith shop has a dirt floor for that exact reason. I also use reclaimed metals to make things. With the price of steel so high, you need to think outside the box.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[Commodore Swab]

If you cast a cannon employing salvaged bronze from wrecks often it will sell for 2-3 times the same cast from new ingots.

More important than what metal is used how it was formed is equally if not more important. Good example would be the same steel DOM (drawn over mandrel) or rolled and welded.

 

[Reno]

Ehhh. Williamsburg with an accent. Look up some of them sawing wood or cutting out blanks. I am surprised they still have fingers and hands.

 

[The Damned Yankee]

You think the gun shops are bad?! You should see some of the food processing plants!!!!

 

[bornintheussr]

This is clearly an Indian made 1795 Springfield musket (minute 4:37) at the National Museum of the Army Reserve

 

[wiscoaster]

You think the gun shops are bad?! You should see some of the food processing plants!!!!

The right spices will cover up just about anything.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
These workers are phenomenal and we owe them respect. However, contrary to what some have posted who do not know any better, they are not making the muskets as they did in the 18th century. The quality of their work does not even come close and the skilled division of labor used in the British ordnance system enabled a level of quality and precision way above what these India-made guns show. Anyone arguing for some equivalency is either ignorant or deluded.

dave

 

[bpd303]

They are great artisans, and I ponder what they could do with modern equipment.

Seems to me someone posted that India has some of the finest machining equipment in the world. The pictures sort of refutes that. Those are some true craftsmen if I do say so. A true craftsman can make something out of nothing.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

Hi,
These workers are phenomenal and we owe them respect. However, contrary to what some have posted who do not know any better, they are not making the muskets as they did in the 18th century. The quality of their work does not even come close and the skilled division of labor used in the British ordnance system enabled a level of quality and precision way above what these India-made guns show. Anyone arguing for some equivalency is either ignorant or deluded.

dave

It was a Joke Dave. Some of ya'll have the sense of humor of a rock. This hobby is supposed to be FUN, can't we laugh and joke around, like guys do? Some of ya'll are where fun goes to die.

 

[Philip Chua]

Seems to me someone posted that India has some of the finest machining equipment in the world. The pictures sort of refutes that. Those are some true craftsmen if I do say so. A true craftsman can make something out of nothing.

In some factories they probably do but not this particular one! But I remain impressed with the hustle.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

(seriously) The manufacturing style isn't much different than the Khyber pass guns. Those videos always amaze me. Where there is a need and a will, there is a way. They prove that for sure.

 

[tenngun]

Makes you go hmmm

 

[Relic shooter]

I always told my customers to consider guns made in India as kit guns.

My usual work aside from custom building was repairing & restoring original guns from the flint & perc. era & Italian replicas.
fit & finish on locks of the India guns were similar to what I encountered with locks made by our colonial era backwoods
blacksmith/gunmakers produced.

In past years when India produced guns came into my ML store customers wanted me to drill the touch hole
& rework the locks geometry & springs to improve performance & trigger pull. Other than the above issues, India made unique replicas of English
& French designed guns looked & performed as well or better any other off the shelf replica guns & generally cost less..

As Dave Person states, they are not up to British or French ordnance standards, few of any of today's replicas if available can meet those standards.