Pitchfork Gun

[flinttim]

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Well, I did not use a pitchfork tine but found a hay rake tine at TSC that filled the bill. It had the hook on the end and just needed some trimming to work. That way no heating and bending and no heat treating.She ain't even close to being described as pretty but was not intended that way. Just a test on how little one could make do and still have a performing gun. Something maybe a backwoodsman could conjure up. The basic design of course is robbed from Ron Griffie with some minor tweaking to allow me to use what I had. The lock design is close to his but with some minor stuff I tried.
The barrel I had left from an old rifle I had stripped parts from. Green Mt .45 barrel. The wood I picked out of Pecatonica's reject bin at F/ship. Very plain and ugly. I beat out something that barely resembles a trigger guard and then washed all the metal with Clorox to get the rusting started. I was out of Browning stuff. Potassium Permanganate for the stain and then one or two coats of linseed. A very, very , very plain ugly gun but very functional.
I added a sort of "safety" on the side. Close it and the hammer cannot hit the nipple and cap.I found out the hard way to not file a flat spot on the piece of spring steel for the cap. It goes off much better with the rod left round.All I shoot is flintlock and the few caps I have are about 20 yrs old so that may have something to do with it too. Anyway, for your entertainment.........
[url] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/Flinttim/Bows and stuff/dfe8b0e5.jpg[/url]
[url] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/Flinttim/Bows and stuff/a9e55fca.jpg[/url]
[url] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/Flinttim/Bows and stuff/4df9170a.jpg[/url]

 

[Berk]

I was reading this and thought this sounds like someting Tim would do. I then looked at the name and had to chuckle. Are going to bring it to the shoot Sunday?

Berk

 

[Stumpkiller]

Well, ye got me. Here I though this was going to be about frog jiggin with a muzzleloading harpoon gun. :rotf:

:thumbsup:

Nice side-slapper.

 

[flinttim]

Sorta reeled you in, heh, Stump? LOL. Thanks. It's different for sure.

 

[lanedh]

Jist shows to go yah, it ain't necessary to dig under the mattress to get usable parts.

NB: beauty is in the eyes of the beholder....

v/r, Bluejacket
"Compliments of the Season to ALL"

 

[loojack]

Flinttim, This has caught my interest, Is the striker rod attached to the barrel or stock? How? I've got an old muzzleloading shotgun barrel and a chunk of wood for a stock. I've gone to the TSC store and bought a hay rake tine plus two long nuts used to reinforce fence gates. Slowpoke was kind enough to repost his pictures, and a pitchfork gun looks like it may be my next project!
Anyway, I'd appreciate any info, pictures or tips you'd care to share! Thanks, .....loojack

 

:hmm: Lets see if we can convert it into a flinter. Maybe a zippo and a half catrige and ....

 

[flinttim]

The stock would never hold up to it, the hammer is in the barrel. Two blocks, dovetailed into the barrel just like sights are dovetailed. Holes drilled in them to hold the hammer. Last block is drilled only 3/4 way thru and also acts as a stop to locate the hammer. Small hole drilled down thru that block, thru the hammer, and small pin dropped in to lock the whole thing up.
I thought of a shotgun barrel too, but there is not likely enough metal to dovetail the two blocks. Someone with excellent brazing/welding/soldering skills might be bale to attach the blocks that way.

 

[loojack]

Thanks, Tim. I'm in the process of trying to find bargan parts, I already have and old 13/16 40 cal barrel that I'll probably use. Thanks again, ...loojack

 

[broken arrow]

On a related note... In the book "Improvised Modified Firearms/Deadly Homemade Weapons" by J. David Truby and John Minnery on page 50 (in the second half of the book) they show a line illustration of a rifle close to this design. The picture is credited to The Museum of the Revolution, Moscow. And the caption reads... An improvised side-hammer weapon used by the Communist forces in the Revolution, USSR, 1917.
It just goes to show that when people feel desperate enough they will come up with a self-defense weapon of some sort.