Tanegashima Brass Springs

[spitfire]

I am curious about how the Teppo's(Japanese matchlock) Brass springs are made.Are they cold bent or hot forged into shape.How about tempering or heat treating?My former training @ PCC Gunsmithing school(2 Year Program)only covered steel springs.Any information would be very helpful. :hmm:

 

[benvenuto]

bend either hot or cold, hammer to make them springy. of course brass will not have anything near the sringyness of even mild steel

heating and then quenching brass will anneal it, the opposite of steel

 

[spitfire]

Thanks that sounds correct for Brass.This calls for some experimenting. :v

 

[magnus wiberg]

I just finished restoring another Tanegashima or Teppo, and I can tell you that the action of this kind of snapping matchlock doesn´t require a tough spring at all. In fact it should almost be as soft as possible.
The falling of the match into the pan should be very, very soft and weak, although not slow, so as not to just crush the glowing matchcord and make for a missfire.
In all the japs Tanegashima I´ve handled, I found no one that had a strong brass spring.
I´d say you should hotbend it. Gives you a more controlled bend and a nicer looking result.
And you need not hammer that brass spring after forming it. The movement of the match arm on a Tanegashima is very short, so there will be not much strain on that flat spring, and the tension will be more than enough, without hardening it.
If you´d like I send you some pictures on the gun I just restored.Had to build the complete lock mecanism and the pan and cover, since this gun was turned into a percussion arm, with a crude, old Enfield lock.
But since I dont know how to add a picture here, you have to send me your ordinary E-mail adress.

Best from Sweden
Magnus Wiberg

 

[spitfire]

Thank You very much for the Info I will post a e-mail address in Private Topics.

 

[robinghewitt]

Heck Magnus, I can post a pic for you :thumbsup:

 

[spitfire]

Sweet :grin: and thanks guys.Maybe Photo Essay for later posting(would especially love to see the Lockwork inards)... nice work Magnus! :thumbsup:I have a few guestions.How did Magnus install the Pan?What grade of Brass did you use.How does it shoot! :applause:

 

[robinghewitt]

If you want to see the miracle Magnus has worked, here is a link to the "before" thread :thumbsup:

Click here for the link

 

[spitfire]

Thanks for the Link.I remember the "Weird"gun.Looks like Magnus restored it to Health! :thumbsup:

 

[magnus wiberg]

Thanks Robin!
but now tell me , how the hell do I go about to add a pic to my mail here.
I looked at the instructions, but I didn´t manage

 

[magnus wiberg]

Originally the pan was an integral part of the barrel. It was heat forged to the side of the barrel. I never saw any pans brass- or copper soldered to the barrel.
In Robin´s gun ,when I removed the bolster and nippel carefully, there were the remnants of the original pan beyond, and this stump indicated the lenght, and the site of the old pan.
I carefully gas welded the new pan into position.

Brass that I used was, for the pan cover, commersially bought stock. To restore the broad rear barrel band I used century old sheet brass of the same guage as band.
Match cord arm ,I dont remember wheter I used old or new commercial brass.
If I get to learn how to add a pic, I can remove the lock and take som pics of the interior.
To make the interior few parts work smooth, I made a couple of "dummies", so I could se how the sear worked together with the trigger.