Shuler Guns

[musketman]

There were scores of gunmakers in Pennsylvania during the Golden Era of the 1800's. Some of the of the finest gunmakers were the Shulers from Liverpool. Shuler guns were stamped with the Shuler name and Liverpool.
Their most popular guns were the flintlock and the double barrel swivel guns.

Shuler guns were said to be used in Indian wars in California by the Modos Indian tribe. Famous mountain man Jim Bridger was said to own only Shuler rifles for his personal use.

 

[Zonie]

Whats em stripes a goin aroun that thar wiping stick? Must a been got holt of by some amature. At least at is what some say 'bout tha guns what Ah've made.
Wouldn't suprise me none iffen some amature did put um on thar, but Ah kinda likes em anyway. At's what Ah says.

Used ta be several swivle guns made back in the '70s (1970s) by some o the black powder gun companies. Ah keeps a lookin fer one at the gun shows but never seen one fer sale.
Probably just as well as ye can't hunt with um har in Arizony during the Black powder season.

 

Most common method was schorching or by using nitric acid for deep staining. I've browned barrels using nitric- does a good job - kinda toxic and the fingers burn for many days afterwards. Knda throb, really. Should have used rubber gloves, eh? Weren't never any right handy, I guess. Nice ruch finish, deep as you desire, but, like I said, kinda toxic. Early days of learning were kinda dangerous- nowadyas, they're chemicals less severe for that kinda thing.
Daryl

 

[Deadeye]

I was working on an Issac Haines rifle stock yesterday and a customer came in and asked if I was going to wrap a rope around it and burn it to give it stripes. He thought that was the way stocks got the stripes.

 

Old Sam and J. Whooters still think that way, at least in the 80's they did. They both wrote about that very subject in BP Digests, so no wonder there are so many misinformed people around. I really do wish people would research their material BEFORE writing books. Sure- there were some striped that way, but to show a fine original I. Haines or M. Fordney and then say all of the gun makers burned all their stocks to get the stripes is pure ignorance of the subject matter, along with the supposition that cloth patches can't keep the flame and pressure BEHIND the ball. We all know it's a combination of obturation and ball/patch fit. An RB, due to it's shortness and lack of mass for it's dia. still obturate, but not much. You still have to have a tight combo to make it work. Maybe that's their problem.
Daryl

 

Double-barreled,(O/U or S X S & fixed or swivel) and even triple barreled swivel rifles were VERY common in California in the mid 1800's. As each barrel in the swivels had it's own set of sights, problems of adverse vibration and touching recoil didn't cause to much trouble. Really quite interesting firearms, both here and abroad.
Daryl

 

[Stumpkiller]

Whats em stripes a goin aroun that thar wiping stick? Must a been got holt of by some amature. At least at is what some say 'bout tha guns what Ah've made.
Wouldn't suprise me none iffen some amature did put um on thar, but Ah kinda likes em anyway. At's what Ah say

I think it was in one o'Sam Fadalaladala's books that you could wrap a ramrod loosly with masking tape and burn the spiral pattern in with a propane torch. Yeah, un huh. Just like you can play the piano by simply pushing the keys. I ended up with a burnt, bubbly, gooey horror that wound up as a couple short starters. Good thing T/C sold replacements. Who knew they infused the hickory wood with something, and that masking tape chars unevenly.

If anybody asks just tell them you're recreating a colonial barber's rifle.

 

HAHAHAHAHAAAaaaaaaaa! Nuts! I guess when you get paid by the word, you use as many as possible.
: Oh yeah- masking tape makes an incredible sight blackener. Just double a strip, and light it, holding it under the front and rear sights. The carbon will rub off, so be carefull when loading. it makes them blacker than dull black. We used to do that with their .38's for PPC competition before sight blackeners came out, however some guys never stopped using the masking tape.
Daryl