Making A Flashguard

[musketman]

If one wants to make thyself a flashguard, how doth one go abouts constructing it?

 

[rich pierce]

I'd use the same approach I use for making ramrod pipes, swaging buttplates, etc. Get flat brass stock bigger than you need and anneal it by heating to dull red in a dark room and quenching in water. I'd make a 90 degree bend for the tab in the vise. Then I'd make a "hollow" or "female" form of the right shape using a piece of hard wood or a block of lead. Place the brass sheet over it then pound or squeeze the brass down into the hollow using a convex shape of hardwood that just fits in the base form. I do the trimming afterwards as things do not always stay square.

When you are done, if you heat the flash guard to dull red and quench it in water, it will have a nice patina on it.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I made one from a 1" section of 3/4" copper pipe. I slit one side with a hacksaw, creased the opposite with a "poor man's cold chisel" (a railroad spike) and "unfolded" it into two sections along that crease, sawed down the crease 2/3 of the way, then nibbled an "ear" out of the excess on the right half with a pair of tin-shears. cut a curve along the top, and rounded the bottom with the same shears. I took a file and rounded off all the edges. Finally, I set it on a block of wood and drilled a hole in the ear big enough for my frizzen screw. Worked it into shape to clear the frizzen with two pairs of lineman's pliers and some trial fitting.

Looks like something the cat gacked up, but it served. Funny thing is, no one that ever saw it asked me to make one for them. :hmm:

 

[Okwaho]

Gee that sounds complicated, I just take a small rectangular piece of pewter,round off the corners,drill a hole for the frizzen screw,install,and then bend to fit.I generally make a half dozen at a time and keep them handy for my gun.It takes just a few minutes to make them and they blend into the lock.I also make the same type out of old copper for my son's Bess.I dearly hate those inverted tipis tyhat everybody sells and uses. The safety rules specify only "a pan shield" and that's what I make.I keep a spring vise and forged screwdriver for field installation.

While I'm on this subject I make frizzen stalls out of scrap leather by folding over and whip stitching the bottom and one side. I punch a hole for a scrap piece of buckskin thong to tie to the tricker guard.I make several of these at a time for spares.Once at Ft.Ti I saw one that came with a custom built Jaeger and the owner told us he paid $35.00 for a "custom made" stall and I must admit it was a thing of beauty with really great stitching and leather.
To each his own,I guess.
Tom Patton :thumbsup:

 

[Henry]

I made one with those rare earth super magnet,
steel scrap and poly glue , I will try it
at the may first event .

 

[sherpadoug]

A friend has a rifle he wants a flashguard for, but I haven't been able to think of a way to mount it. A rare earth magnet might be just the trick!
(sound of creaky old gears starting to move)

Thanks!