Flintlock pistol plans

[Martin WParticipant @martinw]

Buffer

That takes me back 50-60 years to the wilds of Wiltshire and bangers, bird scarers, on a rope. They certainly had a lot more thrutch than any legal firework you could get your hands on. Different times with different rules but we had a lot more fun it would seem and didn't harm anybody except maybe ourselves occasionally.

Thanks for the memory.

Martin

[BOB BLACKSHAW 1Participant @bobblackshaw1]

In answer to Vic's question about how I made the hammer. I made it in two parts and silver soldered them together. Done both parts like the photo and filed up. to shape.The original hammer shown.

Bob

[vic neweyParticipant @vicnewey60017]

Posted by BOB BLACKSHAW on 18/06/2021 17:14:20:

In answer to Vic's question about how I made the hammer. I made it in two parts and silver soldered them together. Done both parts like the photo and filed up. to shape.The original hammer shown.

Bob

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That's one way of doing it and a lot less work than cutting it out of a chunk of steel like I did.

Back then I lived in a cottage with an old Victorian needlemakers workshop in the back garden, the original 30ft long bench was still in there but the previous owner had removed all the grinding wheels and vices.

I made a little forge powered by an old vacuum cleaner and used part of an old galvanised wheelbarrow upturned and fixed above like a canopy with a flue pipe through the roof, I finally got a smallish anvil off a scrap man and I spent many happy hours in that old shed. The new owners demolished it

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Martin W on 18/06/2021 17:08:09:

Buffer

That takes me back 50-60 years to the wilds of Wiltshire and bangers, bird scarers, on a rope. They certainly had a lot more thrutch than any legal firework you could get your hands on. Different times with different rules but we had a lot more fun it would seem and didn't harm anybody except maybe ourselves occasionally.

Thanks for the memory.

Martin

That's probably true – I think rookies contain something more like flash powder, much faster-burning than black powder, and as a propellant I think they'd generate a fierce pressure spike at the very start of the projectile's progress down whatever it pleases the user to think of as a barrel … rather than a progressive accelerating push. Hence the prospect of self-harm.

Edited By Mick B1 on 18/06/2021 17:48:01

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Ropes of rook scarers are still available from any good agricultural merchants ! Then there's the rockets, THEIR REALLY GOOD ! Noel

[Martin WParticipant @martinw]

Noel

Probably a blessing that I wasn't aware of the existence of rocket rook scarers when I was younger as my digit count might not be the same as it is now, a full set.

Martin W

[BOB BLACKSHAW 1Participant @bobblackshaw1]

My original question was flintlock plans and we've digressing to bird scarers and beyond 🤔 which I find interesting and amusing. A set of plans for a Wheelock has been posted here, I am sure I will have go at the pistol if no plans for a Flintlock are posted.

Thanks for the input all, Bob.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by BOB BLACKSHAW on 19/06/2021 09:16:47:

My original question was flintlock plans and we've digressing to bird scarers and beyond 🤔 which I find interesting and amusing. A set of plans for a Wheelock has been posted here, I am sure I will have go at the pistol if no plans for a Flintlock are posted.

Thanks for the input all, Bob.

 

Ah. Well I was about to recount my childhood attempt to emulate in miniature the recoilless antitank guns of around 1960, using straight-ish bicycle handlebars, powder from 'Little Demon' bangers, a marble wrapped in Kleenex, Castrolease stolen from Daddy's garage and birdshot tipped out of a 12-bore cartridge.

But I think perhaps I'd better shurrup…

Edited By Mick B1 on 19/06/2021 10:06:15

[Martin WParticipant @martinw]

OOPS

Sorry for my digression from topic Bob but the memory flashback reminded me of the fun we had as kids. That said I am glad you were entertained by the diversion.

Mick B1 that just raises a lot more memories, but nuff said for now.

Martin W

[BOB BLACKSHAW 1Participant @bobblackshaw1]

Carry on I find this amusing, things we got at to when we were kids,don't see today's generation out and about, if you do they are on the mobile.

Bob

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by BOB BLACKSHAW on 19/06/2021 09:16:47:

My original question was flintlock plans and we've digressing to bird scarers and beyond 🤔 which I find interesting and amusing. A set of plans for a Wheelock has been posted here, I am sure I will have go at the pistol if no plans for a Flintlock are posted.

Thanks for the input all, Bob.

 

They do exist but not cheap postage : Link

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154491716184?hash=item23f86c8258:g:JqEAAOxymiVQ9hIQ

Cheaper but more work needed : Link

https://www.ebay.com/itm/293310307217?hash=item444aa81b91:g:7nsAAOSw241YVTxI

In conjunction with the assorted pics online and some CAD talent, there's probably enough info to build one since most parts are going to need fettling to final fit?

pgk

Edited By pgk pgk on 19/06/2021 10:51:37

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Martin W on 19/06/2021 10:15:44:

OOPS

Sorry for my digression from topic Bob but the memory flashback reminded me of the fun we had as kids. That said I am glad you were entertained by the diversion.

Mick B1 that just raises a lot more memories, but nuff said for now.

Martin W

Well, I can remember having trouble getting the banger fuze to flash the powder through the grease and birdshot. When it finally went I very nearly got my hand out the way in time – it got a burn that hurt like the devil for more than a week, but parents mustn't know, so stiff upper lip. Can't've been very serious because not very visible. But they might've wondered where the tube of Acriflex went.

Gawd knows where the marble went.

Later experiments were a bit less ramshackle, and more successful.

[WearyParticipant @weary]

A quick search on abebooks turned up quite a few likely contenders, including a copy in the UK of "The Modern Kentucky Rifle, how to build your own", R H McRory, which (apparently) includes "the two original fold-out plans, one for a flintlock pistol and one of the Kentucky rifle". £25 including shipping.  Vendor is Hall of Books.

A bit of imaginative searching will probably turn-up plenty of others.

(My experience of buying books etc., from USA is that it often pays to enquire directly with the vendor about shipping costs as they will often ship by a cheaper, albeit slower, method on request . But watch-out for taxes etc., upon import!)

Regards,

Phil

 

Edited By Weary on 19/06/2021 12:04:18

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by BOB BLACKSHAW on 19/06/2021 09:16:47:

[…]

. A set of plans for a Wheelock has been posted here, I am sure I will have go at the pistol if no plans for a Flintlock are posted.

[…]

.

I do hope you followed the second link that I posted, Bob … and read all the way to the bottom of the page.

MichaelG.

[RobinParticipant @robin]

If it was wheel locks then you would go for Bolek Maciaszczyk and his Facebook page Matchlock and Wheellock Guns. He was offering a course on making a wheel lock, maybe still does. He is very much into geometry, the workmanship is top notch.

[BOB BLACKSHAW 1Participant @bobblackshaw1]

I found a vendor in America that has the plans I would like, but as Phill has said the postage is the problem, almost the price of the plans.

I've used Survivor Library on line in the past, there is a good selection of old books on guns and all other subjects. I'm about to have a look through to see whats available, Its free and no need to register.

Bob

[WearyParticipant @weary]

Bob,

If you are simply purchasing plans from the US will the vendor perhaps photograph the plans for you and email the pics – if this would suit your purposes and total price is an issue, or even take them to a 'print-shop' and get them professionally scanned and then email the scan to you?

This is a 'ruse' I have used to get info' from abroad, of course one has to pay an agreed price, but there is a saving for you as purchaser and the vendor retains the original document! No good for a whole book of course!

Just floating as a suggestion in case you have not considered it as an option.

Phil.

[vic neweyParticipant @vicnewey60017]

Bob, is it important for you to need plans in order to copy an old gun? I only ask because most books on guns for e.g usually give the overall dimensions, from that you can then scale up the lock size and barrel length. Using plans means you will not get to make a unique replica design as I did.

Before I made the Nuremburg pistol I also made another Wheelock pistol in the style of Brescia in Italy, they are inlaid with incredibly fine steel tracery, a daunting task that was way beyond me so I was daft to even try it.

The barrel was fluted on my little 1961 Unimat lathe set up for milling but the other barrel & lock ornamentation I did by hand with jewellers chisels etc, I started this in the early 1970's, the Walnut stock has carving but this gun never got finished, no trigger either and was up in my loft looking a bit rusty

[BOB BLACKSHAW 1Participant @bobblackshaw1]

Thats another amazing pistol Vic, that looks original to me, I think the slight rust has given it that antique look. ,the steel tracery took some doing, brilliant.

I have read the last section of the second link Micheal,breach loading files to down load, thanks.

Bob.

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

Hi there Bob. You have a PM.

[Author]

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