Of barrels and breech plugs

[Nick D]

I've been blacksmithing for several years now, and I've always toyed with the idea of making a gun from scratch, but was putting it off until I had enough experiance and enough wrought iron to make a barrel. Well, I think I've got enough experiance at working iron now to try, I've built a gun from a kit, and I got an unexpected suprise by being gifted with a kit gun that my dad bought years ago and never built, so I have a useable barrel, stock blank, and some other parts.

The barrel seems to be in good shape, but its walls are really, really thick, and it's pretty long (48") so it's really heavy. I think I'm going to cut it down to save on weight. The kit came with all the parts to build a percussion rifle, but they're all just blanks; most of the screws aren't threaded, etc. So the barrel isn't tapped, no touch hole, and the breech plug is also unthreaded (though in the manufacturing proccess it has rudimentary threads.)

I'm going to build a matchlock, but I want to be sure of all my details before I put chisel to stock or iron to anvil. I've seen pictures of breeches where the touch hole is behind the foreward end of the breechplug, and the plug itself has a depression in it going back to the touch hole. Is this neccessary, can the touch hole be in front of the plug? I'm interested in whatever is historically correct, even though this gun will have a number of inaccuracies, being my first foray into building a gun more or less from scratch.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[Patrick Hemken]

No DON'T Cut it down!

I breech guns, with breech plugs from Track of the Wolf. The flinter type breeches are what you want to use. They have a threaded body that is about 1/2-3/4 inch long. I drill the touch hole about 1/8 from the face of the breach. My thinking being if there is any crud in the barrel, have it filled that area so not to block the flash getting to the powder.

If you want to get some of that weight off the barrel, have it turned down so that it is octigon to round, most correct for most time periods. You can also file it down. Barrels were long most of the time.

Anyways hope this helps, just getting over the shock of someone thinking about cutting down a barrel!

Love that you are thinking about a matchlock!

Pat

 

[Teleoceras]

Nick:

Just wondering what is the caliber of the barrel?

BTW, I think a Matchlock is a great choice! :grin:

Slowmatch Forever!
Teleoceras

 

[Nick D]

It's a .50 cal barrel.

Patrick, the idea to cut down the barrel sprang from an idea I had to use the 8" for a pistol, which I also want to build. I may end up not cutting the 8" off, I've got a couple weeks before I even begin the project and I just got a good bar of wrought that may become the pistol barrel.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[Patrick Hemken]

Look at Numrich Arms, can buy short sections of octigon barrels cheep. As you can see, I'm pro long barrels!

Pat

 

[Henry]

Just try to find a 50 " barrel !
Every inche over 42 " is worth it .

Better than cutting it , sell it or trade it.

 

[Bookie]

Nick, the breech plug that has the "depression" in it as you describe is very, very easy to make. Don't sweat it. I've been blacksmithing for several years making gun furniture and barrels, besides running a gunsmithy. If you need help, drop me a line. One other thing: DON'T YOU DARE CUT THAT LONG BARREL! I'd rather have you trade it to me than hack it up. :grin: Cheers, Bookie