Commodore Swab

Looks like I have work to do, want to get the grenade launcher and wheellock finished before I go.

To myself the difference is noticable simply in the classification for mailing, solid propellent vs. explosive

You mean I was once liked, I feel so special. The tests are controled as much as possible, the number of shots without cleaning is more to determine if there are any reliability problems. Most guns with a new sharp flint will fire 5-10 in a row without a problem but after that the flint has usually worn down and would need another knapping or even replacing. My pendersoli now passes and to get it to pass I ended up building a new frizzen, cutting the cock rewelding it back together as well as working over all the springs. It would fire ok but with the strong frizzen spring and angle the flint would hit it the flint would be dull in no time at all. Now she throws pleanty of spark and the flint will retain its edge much much longer. I gave the snaphaunce piece from the rifle shoppe the test and while I did not need to knap the flint its results were less than promising at 20/57 or 37 misfires to get 20 shots.

Tests are typically done on the boat in the keys so the humidity does factor in.

After doing testing my tuned india piece passed with a 95% as did the original (untouched by myself) lock I have. My pendersoli harpers ferry (unmodified and still in excellent condition) failed with a 33% rating and required repriming cleaning the pan 3 times for a total of 4 fails (1 in percantage and 1 for each time I had to clean). Another piece (also italian made) that I'm working on I have managed to increase to 74% with 1 reprime and a slight knapping (2 fails). This one started out about where my harpers is now, I wont be returning it until it passes. Many if not all of the guns with provide a perfectly good spark if the flint is sharp and the frizzen is properly hardened, what my testing is proving is that they do not hold up for prolonged firing. Next test will by a snaphaunce made and tuned by the Rifle Shoppe . . .

35 grains is a good starting place for blank loads with no wadding, you can increase the load say 5 grains at a time until you get the bang you want. The nice bit about not using wadding is that if you have a misfire all you do is lower the barrel, the powder falls out and you have a safe gun.

Ive been working on a standard that I can use to measure the locks I tune to and here is what Ive come up with, perhaps some people have some better ideas or improvements. The primary problem I have been addressing is that of getting reliable ignition in the pan. Often you can spark a lock again and again but when it comes to igniting the pan is is less than reliable. I have been taking 20 shots in a row without cleaning anything, devide it by the number of trigger pulls and get a percantage that way. I.e. 20 shots but it clicked once 20/21 = .9523 =95%, anything less than 90% I fail, if I have to reprime the pan I also fail it. This should insure that any gun I have tuned can be taken to a line, a dozen shots or so can be fired rapidly without worrying about misfires or at the very least recocking and firing again. Then retired and cleaned making it ready for the next shoot.

Depends on how you are shooting, I only fire blanks here and dont use any wadding as I am only loading where I fire and have no need to carry the pistol barrel down.

I tear all my pieces down completly to work with just the wood when I build or work on one. This also gives me a chance to take care of the steel.

My guess is that the 1.7 was decided upon as it is what one would want when firing a golfball, I shudder at the thought of said gun firing much less firing a projectile.

A friend was a new murdoch that I went thru and fully tuned and blued, if you are interested in it I can ask him but with the work that has been invsted it will be higher priced then a new one.

So can we be expecting 2 items? This post reminds me so much of a slightly older posting . . . Posted 06 March 2011 - 12:26 PM At last I have something of merit to donate to the Dead Man's Chest Auction. Muhaha. Of course if the older posting is defunct I guess that means Im off the hook

Ever sell them?

A dram is easy enough to measure as it is a common measurement for black powder, one of my flasks is marked in drams and is adjustable from 2.25 to 3.5 if memory serves.

A simpletons view, if the parks ar for the people and paid for by the people I think that most people would rather see many reinactors dressed up and doing their best to demonstrate a battle than a single person standing in front of a crowd firing 1 gun. Just my $.02

I would recommend only using a seamless mech tubing with an adequate wall thickness or machining from a piece of solid stock. Without proper equipment this can be difficult and expensive, the next best solution for you may be to buy a barrel and try to flare the end.

This one was machined out of single piece of solid stock, if steel is 3x the strength of bronze then something with a bore of .75 cal should have a wall thickness of .25 making an OD of an 1.25. I would not build anything the way you are thinking of building.

You should see the barrel, its cut out.

General good rule of thumb is the wall thickness at the breech should be equal to the bore in bronze, this is what I use for a basis when working with small cannons and larger pieces. It makes a difference if you are building to fire a ball or shot as well. I would much rather err on the side of caution and have to lug a heavier piece around.

Could you email me some better pictures of the Miquelet (both sides)?

For those of you interested and who may be attending the Pirate Fest at Fishermans Village I will be attending and offering my services tuning locks.