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  1. W

    Why swamped barrels?

    Another reason for increasing the thickness of a tapered barrel at the muzzle - swamping it - is, as Zonie talked about, strength. And that includes protecting the muzzle from dents. Early barrels (1600s, early 1700s) were often thin at the muzzle, and many got dented, as any collector of such...
  2. W

    Lead find

    It's not a hazard to worry about, but if you don't know what the lead was used for, it might be interesting to get a Geiger counter (they're pretty inexpensive these days). Lead shielding for x-rays is not a problem, but if it's from someplace that put out neutrons (like a reactor), any...
  3. W

    Modern vs. Period Black Powder

    Here's a photo of a powder tester from around 1730. It's unusual for being good-looking (there's a pointer and a scale on the other side of the wheel); most were ungainly, cobbled-together affairs. If you're interested, there's a good book: "Eprouvettes", by TRW Kempers. - Bill
  4. W

    Bandsaw...will it work?

    My two cents, since nobody else brought it up - if you think you might get into making locks (or any metal work), get a bandsaw that will go really slow as well as fast. A sharp blade in a well set up bandsaw will make it easier to cut springs and such out of tool/spring steel. I started with a...
  5. W

    Amusing/Ridiculous Muzzleloading Misconceptions...

    The book is "English Guns and Rifles" by John Nigel George, 1947. A lot has been learned since 1947, and there are some errors in the book, but the spirit of the book is totally honest, and J.N. George put in lots of fascinating anecdotes which make it a great read and well worth having in your...
  6. W

    Buffalo Skull

    As Rifleman1776 said, humans weren't the only reason for the demise of the bison. Commercial hunting would have driven them extinct eventually, but the highest estimates of the number killed by humans is less than the lowest estimates of their total numbers. The main reason they died off seems...
  7. W

    Tuning a Miquelet lock

    An interesting thing about it is that the front of the base of the cock lands on the mainspring - it's a rebounding cock design. Whoever made it was familiar with the rebounding hammer design which I think showed up in the 2nd quarter of the 1800s and is still used today. Spanish Miquelets...
  8. W

    Tuning a Miquelet lock

    Quite so; not intended to be fired. But I have this thing about making them spark. Often never dirty them up with black powder, sometimes let them be (cracks or other weak-looking spots, or too pricey to mess with), but usually bring them back to life. I've wondered about pyrites in Miquelets...
  9. W

    Tuning a Miquelet lock

    I did grind away the back of the frizzen toe and polished the contact area. Now I think I've identified the problem: the frizzen face is a little soft. I have flintlocks with softer frizzens and because they scrape instead of smash they work great, but apparently because of the angles this...
  10. W

    Tuning a Miquelet lock

    How does one get good sparks from a Miquelet? Should the springs be balanced like a flintlock - about 3 times as much force to cock as to flip the frizzen? I've read that they were meant to use pyrites but that flint works as well. Since pyrite is practically unobtanium, will ferrocerium work...
  11. W

    Spanish Miquelet Lock - New Addition

    Another choice to protect the work from the tool besides leather is copper. Hi coefficient of friction, more durable. A pair of vice grips with copper wrapped around the jaws is one of my most-used tools. - Bill
  12. W

    Spanish Miquelet Lock - New Addition

    Worked fine . Thank you very much for that, Rick. A printout now resides in my copy of Lavin's "A History..." - Bill
  13. W

    Cimarron Original Finiish

    The Forgotten Weapons videos, especially his Rock Island Auction shows, have lots of views of originals, showing authentically aged finishes. Here's one on the Colt Dragoons, including the Walker, showing real aging, including patches of blue remaining. Artificially aging is an art, and some...
  14. W

    Pistol Stock Carving

    Thanks, Dave - I've found photos of work by Charles Warren, John Dafte, Ermendinger, and Ellis that may have that feature (Bedford collection), but the photo quality is too poor to tell for sure. The three you name would certainly be likely candidates, but I haven't found photos of such yet...
  15. W

    Pistol Stock Carving

    Has anyone seen a pistol stock fore-end carved like this? There is a raised bead along the ramrod groove, which is often seen, but this one continues right to the end and turns up to reach the barrel channel. It would strengthen the fragile end without using a separate cap. This one is on a...
  16. W

    17th Century Holster Pistol

    I love your Dolep pistol, Dave. Do you have any more like that? - Bill
  17. W

    Me Gaggle of Home-grown British Beauties

    You are right up there with the best of the best of the 18th century masters. Bravo!
  18. W

    What is this?

    Fun stuff. That pistol was my first flintlock, a gift from my wife. It was shortly followed by others (over 100 now) and has been at the bottom of a pile in a safe for years. Now I've dug it out. I case hardened the frizzen when I got it, but the springs were OK. The only real problem with...
  19. W

    What is this?

    Thanks, BEP and hawkeye2 - It's good to hear that they are not known to come apart. Now I'm wondering how that plug is actually fastened. I don't see any sign of threads on mine, but the sign may be hidden under the weld. Perhaps they skipped the procedure of making the 'head' of the plug...
  20. W

    What is this?

    Be aware that at least some of these (including the one I own) has a breech plug that is simply tack welded in place (no threads). A proof test would be advised.
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