Underhammer build finished

[kruzer1]

Hello everyone- I've been off this forum for awhile. Life has been busy and losing my mentor (Tinker2 or William Alexander) kind of got me out of builds for awhile. But the last few months I had the bug again and finished an underhammer. I've built this less to be Historically correct and more for utility for me. That being said I tried to keep most of the build appropriate for the late 1800's.

.54 Cal green mountain barrel (36"), underhammer action. Spalted maple wood and underrib I carved myself. Finised with aqua fortis, dragons blood stain and boiled linseed oil. Ebony tip. This was the first time I ever browned a rifle as I usually slow rust blue. But now I am seeing why browning is so popular. I'm already off to start the next project- a 16th century

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Always heard good things about those guns, though I never acquired one. An inline that isn't.

 

[kruzer1]

I'm not sure if they would be considered an inline. It has a hammer coming up from the bottom so it is a more direct ignition. I figure they are superior to a modern inline as there are fewer moving parts. The trigger guard is the main spring. I built an underhammer before with a .62 cal forsythe barrel but that required charges of 180-200 grains to be accurate. A bit much for me so I built another with a normal barrel that would be more pleasant to shoot.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

I'm not sure if they would be considered an inline. It has a hammer coming up from the bottom so it is a more direct ignition. I figure they are superior to a modern inline as there are fewer moving parts. The trigger guard is the main spring. I built an underhammer before with a .62 cal forsythe barrel but that required charges of 180-200 grains to be accurate. A bit much for me so I built another with a normal barrel that would be more pleasant to shoot.

Agreed. I own one inline and don't want another one. An underhammer does have a direct route to the main powder charge like an inline, which makes for very reliable ignition.

Where did you get the action? I thought those were made of unobtainium.

 

[WyomingWhitetail]

How timely of a post. I've never really looked into underhammers until yesterday. But I've been researching them since last night and kinda want one now. Is this the action sold by pecatonica?

 

[kruzer1]

Yes- I got the action from pectonica about two years ago. I ordered everything but wood from them. The wood I carved myself as I picked up a box of spalted maple shotgun stocks and other assorted pieces of spalted maple a few years ago and thought I would try them. Here is the rifle right before I started finish work a few weeks ago. I also carved some cast off in it and sized it for me. Some of the metal parts such as the butt plate came off a busted mauser stock from the same time period that a friend was going to throw away. I did go with a wooden under rib and pinned everything together.

 

[kruzer1]

How timely of a post. I've never really looked into underhammers until yesterday. But I've been researching them since last night and kinda want one now. Is this the action sold by pecatonica?

Yes- the H&A from them. Ordered two years ago. Did my own wood though

 

[WyomingWhitetail]

Did you think the action was of good qaulity and construction? Do you have pictures of the action disassembled or can you explain how it goes together? Trying to understand the design a little better.

 

[Sean E Bug]

that is some lovely work. how difficult is it to add the ebony nose cap?

 

[tjiann]

Wow. Beautiful.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Did you think the action was of good qaulity and construction? Do you have pictures of the action disassembled or can you explain how it goes together? Trying to understand the design a little better.

The H&A underhammer is one of the most reliable ml actions you will ever find. They are usually only considered hunting rifles. But I used to sell them and tuned the triggers on some for competition by my family very successfully. However the trigger pull was too light on those to be safely used in the field. BTW, very nice job. Enjoy.

 

[kruzer1]

Did you think the action was of good qaulity and construction? Do you have pictures of the action disassembled or can you explain how it goes together? Trying to understand the design a little better.

I don't have time to strip mine but they are extremely simple- so simple the trigger guard is the spring for the action. If you google "underhammer disassembly" there are a few good pictures and videos.

 

[kruzer1]

that is some lovely work. how difficult is it to add the ebony nose cap?

Not bad. Ebony is about impossible to find now but a relative had some sitting around. I just had wooden dowels that I glued into that and the forestock and glued the whole thing so it was bonded well. Actually during carving it came apart so I cheated and used epoxy the second time. Not as period but I was getting annoyed and no one can tell by looking

 

[sheriff john]

Been shooting H&A Underhammers over 60 years. Good, simple, accurate rifles. Wear long sleeve shirt. Nice rifle, by the way.