Muzzle loader builder supply (underhammer )

[F.G. Ford]

Have any of you people seen or worked on the underhammer action sold by this firm?
Is it any good?

Hey "FW "you should know something about this?
Best Regards

Old Ford

 

[jh45gun]

I never ordered from them, But I checked out their site and I did not see an underhammer there Must have been looking in the wrong place as I just did not see one??

 

[John Taylor]

It's designed for a very large barrel, 1.5 inch. The parts are cast and will need to be fitted together and holes drilled and tapped. Also the hammer and sear will need to be case hardened. Main spring will need to be hardened and it does not come with a trigger spring. The hole for the barrel breach plug is as cast and will need to be reamed out for a 3/4" plug. On the one I put together for Fred I lowered the top tang about 3/16" so the tang mounted sight would be a little closer to the barrel. There is no safety notch. It can be put together with hand tools but it goes much better if you have a machine shop.
To find it on their web page, go to catalog and type in underhammer in the surch.

 

[BillinOregon]

Old Ford: Log Cabin Shop also sells this action, although I purchased mine from MBS. I have one on hand that I hope eventually to turn over to John T. I first learned of this lock from a BP shooter in West Virginia. He reworks the lower tang and fits it to a Billinghurst-style butt stock, then fits a heavy .458 barrel from Bill Moody that comes with a false muzzle and starter. With pinhead front and lollypop tang rear sight, he has a very accurate replica of a 40-rod gun from the golden era of percussion target shooting.

 

[wbyman]

Hello John,

I have one of these actions and just wondered why the hammer and sear need to be case hardened and why the main spring need to be hardened ? Will the gun or shooter be damaged if those steps are not taken ? Also how do you do the case hardening and the hardening ? Thanks

 

[John Taylor]

The case hadening of the sear and hammer where they make contact is to keep them from waring out, also makes the parts slide without draging for a better trigger pull. The spring as is has some tension but may not hold it over a long time because it has not been hardened and tempered. To case harden the hammer and sear I use casinite. This is a powder that comes in a can. Just heat the part to red and dip it in the powder. It will build up a crust around the part. Take it out and heat again, the longer the heat is on with the crust the deeper the case will be. after heating for a while dip it in water. The crust will fall off and the part will be hard. I only harden the area of contact. The spring should be heated till red and dipped in oil then polish and heat again till it is blue. You might want to read some books on this and try on some scrap spring stock. If you don't draw the temper enough the spring will break, to much and the spring will not be hard enough.