Indian Smoothbore Skill and "Gunsmithing"

[Capt. Jas.]

“Our Indian having this Day kill’d good store of Provision with his Gun, he always shot with a single Ball, missing but two shoots in above forty; they being curious Artists in managing a Gun, to make it carry either Ball, or Shot true. When they have bought a Piece, and find it to shoot any Ways crooked, they take the Barrel out of the Stock, cutting a Notch in a Tree, wherein the set it straight, sometimes-shooting away above 100 Loads of Ammunition. Before they bring the Gun to shot according to their Mind.”

John Lawson, Gent. Surveyor-General of North Carolina, “A New Voyage to Carolina” January, 1701

 

[dlpowell]

Well, that was easy to understand :shocked2:

 

[Frank/Pa]

This is scary. It made perfect sense to me.

 

[Mike Brooks]

I've been telling you guys bending barrels is the way to go. :winking:

 

I had a bent barrel, UPS did it. 32 cal 48in and it took 10 tries to bring it back, as when we tried it ,it walked bsck. finally one of the guys cut it back to 36 in and put the bend at the breech. shot fairly well. was finally named the phantom, cause no one knew where it would srike next. Bob

 

[faw3]

:rotf: ............and Frank/Pa ME too! :shake: Fred :hatsoff:

 

[TANSTAAFL]

I've been telling you guys bending barrels is the way to go. :winking:

U bend barrels can be dangerous to user, if taken to 180 degrees. :rotf:

 

[J.D.]

A trick I learned in blacksmithing is to strike a cold piece of metal, smartly, with a light hammer to force it to remain, either bent, or straight, when it wants to spring back to its original shape.

The part can be struck at any location along its length. A barrel can be struck on the breech, preferably with the plug installed.

As with all things, your mileage may vary.
J.D.

 

It ain't rocket science. Bending a barrel to shoot where ya look is as easy as falling off a bike for the first time. I made a jig out of a long thick piece of steel with a wood pad at each end. The jig and barrel go in the vise together with the breech plug out and ya put pressure on the barrel with the vise until you bend it in the direction ya want it to go. Looking down the bore so ya can see what you're doing. Easy as Pie.

 

[faw3]

Thanks for putting this up, Ive got really sick of reading about Indian's couldnt hit a barn because they couldnt do any shooting trying to save powder and ball. Again :bow: thanks FRED :hatsoff:

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

Well, I have a question that no one's answered yet. Whic way do you bend it? Say the barrel is shooting to the left, would you bend it farther left to move the front sight as you would with adjustable sights, or to the right?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Always bend the barrel in the direction you want the pattern to go. In your example, where the barrel is shooting left, you would bend it right.

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

Thanks, Paul. :bow:

 

[wulf]

I have thought about this barrel bending and got an idea...If you are standing there watering your
lawn with a coiled hose....does the water come out
in circle???? A very renound barrel maker "Pope' was questioned about his barrels being too
good..so he bent his barrel with a mallet and re-
zeroed it in and shot perfect groups..So I see this as a matter of having the sights looking good
on the barrel. Which I would prefer myself. The last nine inches of the barrel tell the difference