Miquelet blunderbus build

[curator]

I thought some on here would be interested in my 1650 Catalan miquelet blunderbus I have been working on over the past few years. It is slowly coming together. It is .77 caliber and about 30 inches over all.

 

[NorthCoastBigBore]

Looking great, I can't get enough of these blunderbusses for whatever reason. It'll be a while before I build one myself (too many other competing projects & priorities on my time) but I sure enjoy seeing what other folks are doing with them.

 

[voltigeur]

it's cool,I'like your miquelete lock.

 

[Tinker2]

I like it too.





Tinker2

 

[frogwalking]

where did you get the lock? Did you make it? How well does it spark. It looks great.

 

[MSW]

way cool!

 

[Razor62]

where did you get the lock? Did you make it? How well does it spark. It looks great.

X2!!!

 

[curator]

I built the lock from The Rifle Shoppe #505 cast parts over about a year of fussing, filing, and fitting. Not to mention spring tempering, screw-making, tapping and threading. This was my second miquelet project, and now that I am officially retired it is making good progress. I have built at least 20 other locks from rough castings the miquelet is no more difficult than regular flintlocks, maybe a tad easier.

In general, miquelets are good sparkers if the frizzen is correctly hardened. The Rifle Shoppe's frizzens are the perfect alloy to harden correctly. I use recycled flints in my miquelet and Jacobian locks because I am cheap, and they work fine. With this one, I added a roller on the cock-toe because it was a bit "lazy."

Having become a genuine Floridian, and a historian, I have been aware of the Spanish influence on my State's history. Unfortunately, the period correct miquelet muskets and escopeta of the two Spanish colonial periods are not available as reproductions. So, I built my own.

I am down to ramrod pipes and stock finishing. Would you like me to post pictures of my progress or the finished blunderbuss?

 

[Tinker2]

"Would you like me to post pictures of my progress or the finished blunderbuss? "

YES :slap:


William Alexander

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Very nice! :thumbsup:

 

[curator]

Here it is semi-finished. I am considering browning the barrel. I realize the originals had no metal finish whatsoever but the barrel is way to shiny for my taste. What do you think?

 

[Tinker2]

I think I would like it any way you finish it.

Shot it yet?


William Alexander

 

[kruzer1]

Personally I wonder if these guns were finished more often than we think.

I was readong Lavan (author of history of spanish firearms) and he states that early guns were "blackened" but goes onto state he thought this meant shiny. I just don't take it especially when most armor was blued (fired or rust).

I debate this myself with some of my projects in this era and am leaning toward rust bluing.

 

[frogwalking]

I have been using Pinkerton's Classic American rust blue for years. Brownells has just shipped me another bottle. To use it, you must properly degrease the parts, and use gloves to handle, but it does not have the problems some experience with LMF rust brown/blue.

 

[Gypsybladesmith]

One of these is definitely on my bucket list. Were any done with underhammers?

 

[BruceHH]

Curator, not sure where you are at here in Florida, but there is a builder in the Lake City area who does a lot with the Escopeta's and Miquelete builds. Look up Deep Creek Dale here on this site.

 

[rickystl]

Hi Curator

Nice job. I've always liked the Catalan style guns. It's amazing how long the blunderbuss remained popular in Spain as a personal protection weapon. Up to the mid-1800's from what I've read and examined specimens.

And speaking of miquelet locks, I'm still trying to get a local guy near me - that already makes a regular mainspring vise - to make me a proto-type vise for use with miquelet locks. Haven't been able to get him to start for a year and a half now. Think I'll try one more time and then move on.

Again. nice job. Should be fun to shoot.

Rick