Underhammer Pistols

[wszumera]

I am reading "Underhammer Guns" by Herchel C. Logan that my local library borrowed for me from a library in another State.

There are a lot of underhammer pistols in this book.

I'm thinking that I'd like to build one. Most likely a smoothbore since we run 12L14 at my shop and the bar end drops would be long enough for a barrel and I can use a lathe in the tool room during lunch.

Anyone here built a underhammer pistol that would like to post a picture of theirs? I'd like to do as much from scratch as possible. Seems to me to be a perfect first build a muzzleloader project.

Clutch

 

[John Taylor]

I have made several over the years, only have one picture. There are many ways to make one.

 

[amccall]

I have a question to tack on to this post. Besides finding out how to make one, my question is how accurate are they. Most people that shoot serious blackpoweder pistol shoot an inline type of pistol and I have rarely seen an underhammer at these competitions. Even though the picture of the pistol that you have looks like it would be very accurate. I would like to build one too but, except for one company, I have not found anyone that I could get the parts or kit for. :hmm:

 

[John Taylor]

I have never shot againts any inline pistols so don't know how well they shoot. I did enter a muzzle loader againts wheel guns and autos once and was beat out by a S&W target 22 auto, I took secound. If you round up pictures of old UHs you can see some of them had a seperate sear from the trigger. This allows it to be made with a set trigger. After that it all comes down to bore, patch and ball and load then your ability to shoot strait. Even without a set trigger they can do better than most people can see or hold.
While I use a lathe and mill to make most of my parts, a good pistol can be made by hand tools.

 

[faw3]

Both my boot H+As out shoot all my other ML hand guns the Walker the only one comeing even close to them, I would belive a made for comp shooting in...(dirty word) would have the edge, but Ive seen a old 45 T/C get real close too, seems the shooter has a lot to do with how good they shoot :hmm: Right John? Fred :hatsoff:

 

[John Taylor]

I have run into some shooters that think they are doing good to put all the balls in the black, but then I worked for a guy that used the little NRA circle in the upper corner of a target to sight his gun on. He put 3 shots through that little 1/2" circle with a 458 mag at 100 yards just before a compatition shoot. They asked him to leave.
Some do good with almost any gun and others can't hit the big side of a barn from the inside.

 

[amccall]

I guess in my gun club I am lucky. A number of people that I shoot against shoot at Friendship and other national shoots. If you got rid of people in my club that could shoot we would not have a club. The benifit to this is you learn from the best and if you even place you did something. I was just wondering about the underhammer pistol because I have not seen many and they look like they could be a good pistol.
Right now I am shooting a Traditions trapper and I have superised many in my club by the way it shoots. :v

 

[MRW]

Here is mine which is not exactly a pistol but more of a buggy rifle style or call it a long barreled pistol with a detachable stock, it is a .43 caliber that Metalshaper and I rifled on our shopmade rifling machine the rest is scrap from around the shop

 

[John Taylor]

Nice. How do it shoot?

 

[MRW]

I don't know yet I haven't made up that tube sight for it nor have i got around to finding some.42-.43 caliber round balls yet. metalshaper and I are a bit curious how well the barrel will shoot since it is our first completed attempt at rifling I do know that a tight fitting cleaning patch on a rod will definitly rotate as you push it through so "theroetically" it should work.