Commodore Swab

I took a look at a friends percussion yesterday and what I could see was simple using a coil spring. I found this which looks like whatim looking for, however it has a flat spring. Which would you use?

This particular miscast piece was a howitzer/mortar so the barrel length is around 5 inches with a 1.75 bore

Aye thar just be them thar tourists ready ta be plundered

I be searching for a diagram of the internal mechanism for a flintlock pistol that has the lock mounted in the middle. For example :

What's your idea of relativly cheap?

Iffn we make port and the weather be good and we leave on the tide I be thinkin we nay be home by then. Now if we get a ride and take an iron horse down and an iron horse back then you are most welcome. Now come to think of things that might not be such a bad idea, Sunday night get rendezvous at the house here and plunder Key Largo . . .

For those of you wondering the Viceroy is now here, he just created an account. You have refered to him in a few of your posts about "the man in FL" And yes the cannon I was selling for 1200 (not the one mentioned above) is one that we cast together

Viceroy, you be here now to add you wisdom?

I've always wanted a reliable flintlock and have been learning more and more as I work towards my goal. Everything done with $ in mind. My first attemt was purchasing a lock off ebay as well as the remains of a kit. All told this set me back about $70, once I got it all together I found that while I was able to get it to fire once in a while it definatly went click most every time. Since I've let it get old and weathered such that many have thought it was original A little while backI was with the viceroy at the marine flea market and found a flintlock there. His story (viceroy) was that the lock was original, one of many that had been found in a wharehouse and then the pistol was built (it looks ok to an untrained eye). Mentioning he had 2 of them (which is why he knew the story) he assured me the lock would work great and it was good . . . After getting home and ordering flints I was anxious to try,just to at least spark to make sure it worked. Im sure you can guess what happened NO SPARK We got out one of his pistols (same pistol, same lock) and sure enough his sparked good, the main differences being the tension on the frizzen and how it moved. Replacing frizzen springs accomplished nothing. Once we put his frizzen on mine though, sparks. Obviously I need to get some compound here and harden the frizzen. Most likely this is all that would need to be done on the other lock as well. When comparing guns and doing some reading I have figured that it is also important to allow the frizzen ride smoothly on the spring. If both are polished this works best so I have polished them and this is how I do it. Take a dremel or similar tool and use the bit that has the threaded screw for holding grinding discs etc. Take an old (or new if you dont have an old one) sanding belt from a belt sander (use a finer grain). Take the screw from your bit and push it thru the sanding belt. Now take a buffing pad (the larger soft one not the sewn one) and push the screw thru it. Take an old pair of scissors and using the buffing pad as a pattern cut the sand paper into a disc. Take this piece now (screw, sandpaper and buffing pad) and screw into the bit on your dremel. The belt sander paper holds up the best and the buffing pad gives it strength and flexibility. Now you are ready to go, work on a lower speed and keep the sanding moving at all times. Using this you can smooth out casting marks, grooves, or anything else you might want. When you get it done (you will need to replace the sandpaper from time to time) do the same thing using 220 or 320 wetordry paper. You have to be more careful working with this though as the paper is not nearly as stong as the belt sander paper. I have dont this to both of my locks and whenyou finish you can have a beautifully smooth lock ready for your weathering. Polishing the top of the frizzen spring and bottom of the frizzen will make the action so much smoother without harming the spring.

I agree completly, I just thought that there might be some rewording warranted in there to make the distinction

Imangine that as an assault craft towed seward of one of the schooners and released when they make their pass at the fort . . .

If I read this correctly this would mean if you have say a flintlock with a frizzen that isnt hard enough you obvioulsy can't fire it but then you also can't even wear it as a non-operational gun as part of a costume?

I supose it might be helpful if you specified if the gun you were cleaning was bronze, iron, bronze with an iron liner, or something else

We are located here in Key Largo, if any of you would like to use out house as a sort of meeting place to group up before driving down to KW that would be fine. It might give you some more options on travel or just make the trip down nicerif you break it into 2 days and save the cost of a motel.

I assume you are refering to the small one

what do you need? details man give me details. Hmm how about a piece with about a 30 inch barrel, flintlock, no truniuns? How about another picture of that small grenade launcher, you know the one? I would love to see what the ram, trigger, stock look like and the one picture doesn't show them

As I mentioned earlier, I am more interested in the lower picture. This does not appear to be a grenade launcher but more a hand held cannon/howitzer.

Ill take it if you still have it

Would that be the remake or the original?

Then welcome to the crew of the Mercury! Shall I list you as Commodore Swab and wife? Until I come up with a decent name for her

Preferable we can join someone and pawn the hag off on someone else

I might be able to help with that

I know you can list myself, Commodore Swab I will be assisting "The Viceroy" with the guns and will bring my wife (If she has her visa by that time which is a very very good chance). The "Old Hag" may come as well, if she does we will drive down in her iron horse. If she doesn't come my wife and I will sail down. Currently we are independent yet Im thinking the Hag would have a better time in the camps and my wife and I in the fort

Opening another can of worms . . . I missed PiP in '08 (I was in Thailand with my wife) but had some thoughts last year when we did a pirate fest here in Key Largo. Why not assault a beach with some small boats armed with cannon? The boats you are talking about are perfect size and it may be possible to get some small naval guns (22 inch) on carriages that could be mounted in the boats or possible swivels. I know right now I can lay my hands on 2 bronze cannons ready to go which would arm 2 boats. . .

The top picture is a grenade launcher, the lower picture is the one I am more interested in. Can anyone help with some information about it?