Great Trails part 2

[BLAHMAN]

Here are some more pics about Great Trails, however, they concern the rifling demonstration we provide every year.

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That's Hank in WV admiring a small smattering of handmade guns on the wall.

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Hank, looking over the rifling machine used by Tom Oakes. That machine is set up to rifle a gain twist and that particular lead was set up to do a 1 turn in 94' to a 1 turn in 64".

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Tom working the machine.

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That's the index. The barrel is clamped in a tube and that whole tube is then turned so as to cut the next groove in sequence. That tube rotates from one groove to the next.

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That's Tom getting ready to rotate the barrel so he can start cutting the next groove. This particular barrel is a 50 caliber item that is 36" long and tapered. The breech is 15/16", while the muzzle is 3/4".


This machine (we call them rifling benches) was made by none other than Olie.

 

[ewan]

great pics. i've never seen this before..
how does that work?
does the barrel have to end up in the exact centre of the tube each time it is adjusted to cut a new line of rifling?
i see that that barrel is tapered so does tension ensure that the centre of the barrel is the same as the last time?
or, does it not matter as the twist rate is the same for each line and it doesn't matter if they are not exactly x degrees apart.?

 

[BLAHMAN]

Because we are rifling by hand, we cannot get the bore perfectly centered. That's OK, because the cutter, in the 'float' (which is actually a piece of hickory) has a tendancy to center itself in the barrel.

The barrel is reamed, so the inside is parralel, and the 'float' rides on the parralel surfaces.

It is by all means far from perfect, however, there is nothing compared to shooting a gun with a hand rifled barrel and hiting the target.

Olie is the true expert in this area and I know he can answer those questions much better than I can.

 

Looks like a great time, will mark the calendar for next year, thanks for the pic's

:front:

TheGunCellar

 

[fho]

Ewan:
The barrel is put in the barrel holder as close to the center as can be done by eye. This is close enough as the rifling head rides in the bore of the barrel with a close tolerance. The index on the barrel holder is done with a index head and should be very accurate. All the land should be parallel and uniform as possible. I do not believe in perfect but they are made as good as we can do with our hands. The old timers made barrel that shot very good and they didn't have modern equipment like we have today.

You can ask Blahman how the barrels shoot and he will tell that thay shoot very good. Some shoot better than others. I just wish that I as a machinist so I could do a better job.

Olie

P.S. The setscrews that hold the barrel in the barrel holder are tightened just so tight or you will put dimples in the bore. This has happened.

 

[ewan]

fascinating stuff, i love the entire set up and thanks for the replies.

 

[bshultz]

Really cool pics!!!! :thumbsup:

 

[Thamaz]

Blahman,
Real nice pic

 

:applause: WOW Thanks again, now these are real great pics... Atta go big guy....
Thanks again Loyalist Dawg :hatsoff: