Rifle Shoppe "Scottish Musket" and "James II Musket"

[Auldjin]

The canon is now at Edinburgh Castle its called' Mons Meg' minus a chunk that blew off and hit the king .It was a breach loader cant trust them breech loaders ! To be fair I expect they loaded from the muzzle but its made with two sections ,I think its 21" bore & smaller than the Dardanelles gun. That's at the Tower of London again a breach loader if perhaps just to transport it . Both fired stone balls .Don't try That at home !.
Re James 11probally much like Wm the third Iv'e made them . No idea what TRS offer now my last catalogue is1999 edition . All interesting
Regards Rudyard

I may be wrong, but I understood that the bombard had belonged to James II but it was damaged when firing a salute for the Duke of Albany who was to become James VII and II. Since the cannoneer was English, foul play was suggested because the English had nothing as big. It was regarded as a bad omen for the future king, his reign certainly did not end well for him as he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution.

 

[Rudyard]

I may be wrong, but I understood that the bombard had belonged to James II but it was damaged when firing a salute for the Duke of Albany who was to become James VII and II. Since the cannoneer was English, foul play was suggested because the English had nothing as big. It was regarded as a bad omen for the future king, his reign certainly did not end well for him as he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution.

Mons Meg would be pretty old by then I think the king in question well pre dates the connection but I could be quite wrong I've seen it , know it was carted up & down a bit Somewhere in the mix is' Mad Margery' a similar gun but it didn't reach England . James 11 had to go he was pushing for Catholic France in 1688 we get Mary & Wm the 111.and a Constitution most politicians choose to ignore.
Regards Rudyard

 

[RobertT]

Whose barrel did you use? I am planning a long term similar project and other than having a smith who can do milled in bands what other options could there be for ornate barrel rings?

It came with a Colerain barrel I believe the makers mark is very faint, it's a 20 gauge and seems to be of the average geometry you tend to see on modern reporductions. As for barrel bands I would imagine the only way to get proper fitting ones would be to make them your self or inlet the barrel and have someone make some for you. I hope that answers your questions. I will have more pictures soon

 

[Rudyard]

Apparently it was made in Flanders.

As in' Mons Meg ' not sure but think 'Mad Margery' is from that region but think it hasn't survived . But we do have one of the Dardanelles canons two part in Cast Bronze .Now at the Tower of London .along with a few stone balls .Some souvenir of Istanbul or Constantinople .Likely one of the ones cast on site and used to bring down the walls of Constantinople & gets its named changed to Istanbul. Fascinating city I passed though once had to get a new passport so stayed in a flop house near the Blue Mosque wasn't on funds to get a flash hotel ,Got there in one lift from just out of Belgrade with an Austrian Stamp dealer( who last went through in a tank ). This was 1966 hitching through Turkey was hard going but once in Persia I took cheap busses .good busses ,poor roads all the way to Nokundi Baluchistan (didn't have the 10 $ to get a Afghan visa )
However I digress. Rudyard

 

[Rudyard]

It came with a Colerain barrel I believe the makers mark is very faint, it's a 20 gauge and seems to be of the average geometry you tend to see on modern reporductions. As for barrel bands I would imagine the only way to get proper fitting ones would be to make them your self or inlet the barrel and have someone make some for you. I hope that answers your questions. I will have more pictures soon

Having made some I don't think its that critical I have made them with thistle muzzles & silver inlets but most any barrel to suit your fancy will serve well enough oct to round with a taper or swamp or taper oct. The clever stuff is the stocking and the weird locks. We tend to think Snaphance but variant "English lock"& ones just got a dog no other half cock provision again we only have what survives & they often got re modeled We really don't know what they all looked like so few survived .The fluted stocks I think are perhaps a Guild thing where the makers of harps used the fluted decorative forms .The range of styles likley hinged on the date they where made The view that very few where made and would at best be old guns by the times of The revolts concerned .Of course like folks today use Crags & o three ? Springfields nobody would freak out , So some might be a such as Collodon . I knocked up a Scotts re stock of a Venetian snap matchlock such as Henry the Eights soldiers had at Ancrum moor all flutted but totally un documentable just plausable & I went mad & later knocked up a common matchlock of Herron butt styleing NON survive but are recoded as 'Lunt Werk .viz' matchlocks ' No pics no nothing. But who can say me nay ? .Lets not get into what 'Rowet Werk' looks like (Wheellocks ) but they are mentioned in documents . Re barrel bands I made one with them( barrel a bit thin) . But what has survived are just pins in loops per any ML of ML times .(I have a PHD stands for 'Pilled high & deep !) No that bits not true .
.Regards Rudyard

 

[Rudyard]

Some fairly large casting flaws. It's an advanced project for sure

The only musket classed by Blaire & Savage in their priceless if cheap booklet 'Scottish Firearms 'put out by Goodings ' Museum Restoration service 'show a conventual enough late gun Sans any Fluting but has the late style Lock .presumably the one offered by TRS . Non can say its wrong ,Too few to be so bold . If I stuck to the definite early to mid 17th styles surviving .
Other than the' pure guess 'conjectural pieces' I knocked out claiming nothing of sound provenance . I cant nor don't claim these odd bods are correct just possible in the absence of better examples .I cant say other but who can say me Nay? . Ime all ears Well I've got the usual set most heads have .
Regards Rudyard

.I was tempted but didn't go up the Nahanni River in the Yukon also known as the' Headless river' due to strange doings in the rivers history . R

 

[RobertT]

 

[RobertT]

So not much progress, found an older picture with these chevron cuts and thought that was different so I went for it. I will need the lock I believe to finish up but all and all I like it.

 

[Philip Chua]

Doesn’t look like to did a tremendous amount of drop for the buttstock. I love how that looks.

 

[Rudyard]

Some pics of pieces I made in the heron butt Scots style .Rudyard

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Beautiful arms there Rudyard!

 

[Rudyard]

Beautiful arms there Rudyard!

The bottom pic isn't Scots its early flint "After Felix Werder of Zurich c 1650 style the feathers are vent plugs for damp hunting days the others are snaphance Scots in style I seem to like diverse stock styles . Regards Rudyard

 

[Philip Chua]

Some pics of pieces I made in the heron butt Scots style .Rudyard



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Some pics of pieces I made in the heron butt Scots style .Rudyard



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My goodness what work! Did you scratch build the Snaphaunce locks? Are the lock plates brass?

 

[Rudyard]

My goodness what work! Did you scratch build the Snaphaunce locks? Are the lock plates brass?

Yes the plates are sandcast of yellow brass the rest made up to suit , no TRS just suitable tools .Not that there is any fault with TRS , I just roll my own, the' Felix' is a 45 the longer Snaphance is a 50 cal both rifled , both used as hunting rifles The shorter ones 50 cal smooth destined for the RA in Leeds .Thankyou for the feed back ,
Regards Rudyard

 

[FlinterNick]

So not much progress, found an older picture with these chevron cuts and thought that was different so I went for it. I will need the lock I believe to finish up but all and all I like it.

Some updates on the Scottish musket lock build

A tricky lock, as the cock is bolted through the tumbler.

I made a custom nut that is countered to the cock so that it’s secured better, also experimenting with left hand threads, as the throw is to the right, the left threaded bolt with tighten.

Then the lateral sear spring that came with the kit is somewhat delicate with a poorly done dovetail. I’m going to customize the spring with a larger square lug that will be broached through the lock plate for a more secure fit.

Per my discussion with Jess Melot, these locks were kind of hammered / bratted together, as the parts were designed based on the quality of the metal available at the time. I was instructed to by Jess to be cautious of the witness marks in the castings as the originals were bratted and bent for a better fit.

 

[RobertT]

Thanks Nick the lock is looking super great !!!

 

[RobertT]

Some pics of pieces I made in the heron butt Scots style .Rudyard



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Those are super cool great job !!!

 

[RobertT]

Those are super cool great job !!!

I'm going to building up a steel murdoch pistol from. The Rifle Shoppe as well let me know if everyone would rather it be in a post or keep the Scottish firearm thread alive

 

[FlinterNick]

Lock is done ! A generous sparker

 

[FlinterNick]

Lock is done ! A generous sparker