I forgot I had one, a Matchlock Key Gun

[earlwb]

I ran across this recently. I had forgotten about it. I need to finish it up soon.

It is a key gun that uses a match fuse to ignite the powder charge. I bought it many years ago from Dixie Gun Works. it is in kit form. But there isn't a lot to do to it per se. Bore a hole for the barrel and drill and tap a hole for the matchlock serpentine arm. Maybe smooth and polish it up some.

They aren't really practical in a sense. You can't just go around all day with the match lit and smoldering. So you have to give it some thought when you are ready to shoot it. It reminds me of some movies where you see the guy using a flint and striker to ignite some flammable material to get a match burning for shooting. But a jailer could just simply light the match using a torch or lantern inside the jail or prison though.

 

[hawkeye2]

I had wanted one since my first Dixie catalog over 45 years ago and finally got one quite a number of years back. Like yours it's laying around in the as received condition. It looks like a brass bomb and I had often thought of drilling it out and putting in a section of gun barrel. The thing that has held me back is I can't figure out how to hold it to drill it accurately including doing it in a lathe. The trigger/match holder looks like it would make good scrap brass and I would probably make up a new one that might actually work. Most likely it'll end up getting thrown in a box of odds 'n ends that'll bring $2.00 at my estate sale.

 

[earlwb]

They might still be selling them too.
ref http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=934

They say to use a 3/8 inch drill bit to drill the bore. A 3/32 inch drill bit for the touch hole. That drill would result in about a .38 caliber bore (.375"). But I was thinking that it is too much though. A .31 caliber bore might be better and more safe. Obviously maybe a 10 to 15 grain or so powder charge behind the bullet too.

Drilling it or boring it is tricky. I was going to fabricate a jig or fixture to hold the key upright to drill it out using a drill press (vertical mill). I have also thought about chucking it up in a lathe and bore it out that way too. Of course one needs to measure several times and make sure it is going to work before they actually start removing metal. One of the self centering pilot drill bits may be the way to go too. But of course I am still in the thinking about what to do to bore the barrel out still.

 

[earlwb]

I found some pictures of some other Matchlock key guns too.

Now they have a website up with a article about the old key guns here too: http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/2013/09/unusual-firearms-key-guns.html

Here is a pic from a old auction that ended a few years ago:

 

[hawkeye2]

Am I the only on that has ever noticed that the trigger is backwards unless it's mounted on the left? :idunno: :grin: The problems with boring it out are that it is brass, not bronze, and it is cast so besides being of questionable strength it could have a bad grain structure and voids or porosity. I wouldn't trust it without a steel liner which could be made from an old section of barrel.

Key guns are a little more common than one might guess though they are still rare. I question how practical they would be and wonder if they were meant more for a badge of office for a turnkey than actual use. Might be handy if you caught someone peeking through your keyhole though.

 

[earlwb]

No you are not the only one to notice that the trigger seems to be backwards. Hard to say though, they are odd curiosity kind of things. Looking at the pics of various key guns, the trigger and arm tends to be pretty odd on them all.

Yeah I was concerned about how strong the metal is too.

I looked it up again and brass appears to be stronger than bronze. But you are correct in that since it is cast, then there could be voids or granular areas in the casting. A barrel liner is a good way to go.
ref http://www.copper.org/resources/properties/144_8/

 

[earlwb]

This sort of cracks me up somewhat. It sure looks like a DGW matchlock key gun that someone made functional, but they bored it out to a larger caliber though. But the seller thinks it is a antique. Which is where I find it humorous. Asking $800 for it too, which could make one fall out of their chair if they aren't careful.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-ea...975790?hash=item3ac3f8f46e:g:pgcAAOSwAYtWQZUQ