Tools Of The Trade UPDATE.

I have updated my equipment of late, I removed the pewter bolster from my hunting knife & fitted a new handle. This one as you can see is antler. Also shown is my fairly new clasp knife.

Keith.

Gun Cleaning. A personal Point Of View.

This post has been prompted by several posts on forums concerning the problems people are having with gun cleaning. Principally the cleaning of the barrel.

All of the problems I have read about to date, to my thinking, seems to come from the use of modern cleaning agents & solvents. I fail to see why anyone would bother to try & fix something that is not broken! A method that has been working for over 300 years, but it seems that muzzle-loader users are getting lazy; they don't want to use the old tried & true methods because it seems too arduous & time consuming. So they turn to simpler quicker methods.

Some facts: When you oil the bore of your gun, pistol or rifle, the barrel absorbs some of that oil. If you use a modern solvent or cleaning product it will remove that oil from your barrel. Then you will have to purchase some other modern product that promises to stop your barrel rusting after you have cleaned it!

The best method is the oldest method, clean your barrel & lock with boiling water, dry the barrel with cloth or some other natural plant fibre. If I have a fire going I usually let the barrel stand where it will warm but not get too hot. Next, using a natural plant fibre again I oil the barrel & lock with sweet oil or neetsfoot oil. Job done. If you are seeing signs of black on your cleaning cloth, then you have not washed the barrel sufficiently. DO IT AGAIN! If you are getting signs of rust on your cleaning material, it can be because the wash water was not hot enough, or you did not dry the bore sufficiently. Keep running oiled material down the bore with your ramrod or cleaning rod until the bore is clean.

There is such a product as water soluble engineers oil, my Father called it "Pigeon's milk"! This product is what my Father told me to use when cleaning the barrels on my guns, this is what he used on his guns. The same method was used as in these videos, but the water soluble oil was added to the wash water, just a small amount. I have not used this oil since I was a lad, but it worked well back then. If it is the right oil, it will turn white in contact with the water.
Take care out there.
Keith.

Fitting a Gun Flint to A Lock.

My Flintlock Won't Fire. Problem Solving.

Smoothbore flintlock with a leather hammer cap/boot/stall in place for extra safety. At the back of the pan you can see the vent in the breech of the barrel.

My Flintlock Won’t Fire!

My hammer/steel is not sparking.

Checks: Has your gun flint got a sharp edge?

Is the flint held securely in the jaws of the cock with either leather or sheet lead?

 Is your gun flint striking the hammer/steel about two thirds of the way up the steel? If it is striking too high or too low on the face of the steel, then try turning the flint over.

Other possible causes of not sparking are: A weak mainspring or a weak feather spring. The steel may be too soft or too hard. The rear lock retaining screw may be too long and; putting pressure on the cock.

Solutions: Replace the spring. Replace the steel/hammer. You could try a file on the edge of your hammer/steel to see if it is hard or soft. If it files easily then it is too soft and needs to be replaced or re hardened. To re harden, heat to cherry red and quench in room temperature water.

If the steel/hammer is too hard, then it needs annealing (made softer). To do this, heat to cherry red and cool slowly. When it is cool you can try it and; see if it will spark. The steel may now be too soft to spark. If it will not spark, repeat the process by heating to cherry red & then quench in room temperature water. Slacken off the rear lock plate retaining screw and see if the hammer moves more freely. If it does, remove the screw, screw on a correct sized nut, file a little from the length of the screw. Take off the nut & try the screw in the lock plate. Repeat if the screw is still too long.

My flintlock is sparking, but it is shattering gun flints.

Checks: Your mainspring may be too strong, or the feather spring may be too strong. Make sure your steel/hammer tail moves freely on the feather spring and is (a) not tight on its pivot screw, and (b) has no lumps or rough spots on the tail where it moves over the feather spring.

Solutions: Replace springs. Free up the hammer/steel on the pivot screw if it is too tight. Use a whet stone to smooth rough or lumpy areas on the tail where it moves over the feather spring.

The priming is igniting but not firing the main charge.

Checks: None ignition; The vent in the barrel has been drilled into the breech plug, or the breech plug is covering the vent.

Solution: Check with a thin wire to find the direction in which the vent has been drilled & to see if it goes right through into the barrel. On my fusil I found that the vent was partially blocked by the breech plug. To remedy this I drilled through the vent with a slightly larger drill bit at an angle away from the breech plug. Then I used a countersink bit in the entrance of the vent. I suggest that you do not use a drill bit any larger than 1/8^th”.

Slow ignition: 1) Check above solution 2) the vent hole may be too small 3) the vent hole may be filling with gunpowder 4) the vent hole may have been drilled too high. The vent should be level with the top of the pan.

Solution: 1) check the solutions above 2) try using a countersink bit to widen the vent entrance 3) you may need to drill out the vent with a slightly larger drill bit 4) you can use a vent quill when loading to keep the vent clear 5) you can clear the vent with your pricker before priming 6) don’t use too much priming, you only need a small amount in the pan.7) if the vent has been drilled too high, you can either tap the vent and screw a plug in and then drill a new vent hole, or you could try just widening the entrance with a countersink bit. The other alternative is to take it to a gunsmith and have him install a vent liner.

Vent Liner.

Tips for good ignition:

1.      After firing and before reloading, brush out the burnt residue from the pan if you plan to be leaving your gun loaded for a while.

2.    Use your pricker to clear the vent before priming, or, place a vent quill in the vent before loading.

3.    Make sure your gun flint has a sharp edge. If the edge is dull, either knap it or change the flint for a new one.

4.   Each time you discharge your gun, give the hammer/steel face a quick wipe to keep it clean.

5.    In damp weather use a cow’s knee leather lock cover.

6.   If it is raining, grease the edges of the pan to keep the wet out & grease between hammer/steel & barrel. Use a greased leather lock cover.

7.    Don’t overfill the pan when priming, only a small amount of gunpowder is required.

A- Lock plate

B- Feather of Hammer spring

C- Hammer spring screw

D-Mainspring retainer stud

E- Hammer spring

F- Tail of Hammer

G- Hammer pivot screw

H- Hammer

I-Face of Hammer

J- Pan

K- Flash guard

L- Cock

M- Lower Cock jaw

N- Upper Cock jaw

O- Cock jaw screw

P- Sear spring screw tip

Q- Tail of lock plate

R- Sear pivot screw tip

S- Tumbler screw.

A-Upper limb of mainspring

B- Lower limb of mainspring

C- Mainspring retainer hook

D- Tumbler hook of mainspring

E- Cup of tumbler

F- Tail of Hammer

G- Tumbler axle/pivot

H- Hammer

I- Face of Hammer

J- Pan

K- Flash guard

L- Cock

M- Lower Cock jaw

N- Upper Cock jaw

O- Cock screw

P- Bridle

Q- Sear pivot screw



Please Note: If the gun is loaded, make sure it is pointed in a safe direction before attempting to knap the gun flint. It is highly unlikely to cause a spark and fire the gun, but better safe than sorry.
Keith.

Blades & Gun Update.

A subscriber to my video channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEOMSZJETfj3GnoyONuvCQ?view_as=public) said they would like a closer look at my knife, so I decided it was easier for me to post images of the blades & guns I carry here on my blog so it is there for future reference.

My .62 caliber/20 gauge flintlock fusil. 42 inch smoothbore barrel with a steel ramrod.

My .70 caliber smoothbore flintlock pistol.

My axe/tomahawk.

Hunting knife.

Legging knife.

Stag handle friction clasp knife.

Guns & Ammunition. The Old Bailey Records.

Guns & Ammunition. The Old Bailey Records.

 he caused a Ladder to be fetched, and a Blunderbuss charged with Peas, being Fired in at the Grate under the Arch, the dread of a further Harm, induced them to more calmness. However, they continued to declare, they would rather dye in the place, than be Executed at Tyburn,

Ordinary's Account, 15th July 1689.

And upon that, did (that is, one of them) shoot him with a Brass-Piece or Blunderbuss, and lodged seven or eight Bullets in his Body. 

Ordinary's Account, 7th February 1705.

 and purchas'd 2 Pistols and a half Blunderbuss, which was all the Arms he ever used on the High way, although Jo-s carried along with him (also) a sharp Knife, and sometimes a Dagger. 

Ordinary's Account, 26th July 1731.

 a Guard thereto, as soon as the Passengers had been plundered, discharged a Blunderbuss, and shot W - in the Hip with a Slug, and graz'd him under the Eye with another; upon which Fluellin set Spurs to his Horse, and riding up to him, shot him Dead upon the spot, and then gallopp'd off.

Ordinary's Account, 8th November 1738.

The Cleaning & Maintenance Of A Muzzle-Loading Gun. VIDEOS.

The Cleaning Of A Muzzle-Loading Gun-Documentation.

 "The Care and Cleaning of Firelocks in the 18th Century: A Discussion of Period Methods and Their Present Day Applications."

George Edie, A Treatise on English Shooting (London 1772) (7-8) "When a person is master of a good Piece, the keeping it in proper order is a main article in the doing execution with it: it is necessary the inside of the barrel, the touch-hole, and the lock, be kept clean; and the springs and moving parts of the lock properly oiled. The barrel should be washed at least after every eighteen or twenty fires, where the best sort of powder is used; but if the gun-powder is an inferior sort, then the barrel will require oftener washing. The best method of washing a barrel is, by taking out the britchpin; but as this can seldom be conveniently done, take the barrel out of the stock, and put the britch- end in to a pail of warm water, leaving the touch-hole open; then, with an iron rod, with tow or a bit of linen rag at the end, draw up and down in the syringe manner, till it is quite clean; changing the water, and rinsing the inside, as the foulness requires: when this is done, it will be proper to put in a red-hot iron, of six or eight inches in length (which any blacksmith will furnish), and move it up and down to dry any remaining damp: the outside of the barrel should be well dried, and a little oil rubbed over every time of cleaning." ________________

Thomas Simes, The Regulator: or Instructions to Form the Officer and Complete the Soldier (London, 1780) “How to clean the Barrel. After every firing day the barrel is to be washed, by taking it out of the stock, and putting the breeching into water, leaving the touch hole open: then with an iron ram-rod and worm, with a piece of tow or rag, draw up and down the barrel till it becomes quite clean; when dry, rub it out with another piece of dry rag, and the outside of the barrel with buff leather. The lock not to be taken to pieces but when necessity requires it – and that is, when the trigger or hammer goes stiff, or sounds unpleasant to the ear.”

https://www.scribd.com/doc/292985859/The-Care-and-Cleaning-of-Firelocks-in-the-18th-Century-A-Discussion-of-Period-Methods-and-Their-Present-Day-Applications

Flintlock Candle Lighter Pistol.

 "Mid-18th century. 3" barrel, 7" overall. European walnut stock. This is a variation of the more commonly known "tinder lighter." The pan is loaded with a small amount of black powder, the cock is cocked, the hammer is set, and then the gun would be fired. However, in this case, no tinder is ignited, but the top half of the barrel flips up, and a pre-installed miniature candle whose wick was in the powder pan will come up lighted".

http://www.cowanauctions.com/auctions/item.aspx?id=79933

A New Ramrod For My Pistol.

I have made a video on making ramrods this afternoon. Not one that shows the actual making, but a description of the process & a talk on ramrods in general. Right now Part One is still loading, & I have Part Two to edit. But while you are waiting, here are some stills from the video.
Keith.

Ramrod with an antler tip.

Why Firearms Restrictions?

Why Firearms Restrictions?

·      Terrorism

·      Crime

·      Suicides

Do restrictions on law abiding licensed firearms owners do anything to stop the above problems/threats? Answer: No

Why No? Because law abiding citizens are not criminals or terrorists & if they want to commit suicide they have other gentler means of killing themselves without blowing their brains out.

How do restrictions to muzzle-loading long arms & pistols effect the above? They don’t is the easy answer. No criminal will choose a muzzle-loading firearm over a modern breach loading firearm to use in committing a crime.

Why are restrictions placed on muzzle-loading firearms by the Australian government if by doing so it has no effects on crime, terrorism or suicide? Good question, & if we could actually ask the government this question & get an answer, it would be very interesting to hear but probably complete & utter bullshit.

Firearms restrictions are based on the premise that they keep the public safe, but to date that has never been proven to be the case, in fact, there is some question as to whether being able to carry a side arm in public may not actually be a deterrent to crime & terrorism.

Let us take a look at the rules in NSW concerning muzzle-loading firearms:

·      Antique muzzle-loading guns do not require a permit to purchase, registration, or a firearms licence. But you are not legally allowed to fire an antique gun.

·      Replica muzzle-loading guns are exactly the same as antique muzzle-loading guns, exactly the same in all respects. The loading procedure, the firing procedure, & the ignition method. All are the same. Replica muzzle-loaders are just that, they are replicated copies of originals. Not breach loaders, not smokeless gunpowder, not fast loading, not high powered. But still they require registration, permit to purchase, & a firearms licence. In the case of a flintlock, matchlock, tinderlock or wheel lock pistol, they require a Pistol Licence, & to get a pistol licence you have to join a pistol club, & to maintain membership you have to attend regular meetings, & the membership is expensive. On top of this you are not allowed to use this muzzle-loading pistol anywhere except on an approved firing range.

Anyone wanting to make a crude muzzle-loading gun can do so in about 30 minutes using a piece of gas pipe. It would be illegal to do so, but it could easily be done. Yet the above restrictions on these primitive guns are supposed to be keeping the public safe from harm. If it were not so serious, if it did not seriously affect people’s rights to recreation through Living History & Historical Re-enacting, it would be laughable. The legislators who pen these laws may well be looked on as a joke, but the restrictions they place on law abiding citizens is no joke.

I respect other people’s points of view, I understand why some people are frightened by guns. I understand & respect their wish not to own or use a gun, even in the defence of their loved ones & themselves. But I simply can not understand why they are unable to look at the situation & understand that law abiding citizens are not the enemy, we are not a part of the problem, and we are not criminals. Treating us as such is unforgivable & an offence against human rights.

Disagreeing with someone is a human right, but spreading misinformation & lies is something else. The Greens, the government & other anti-gun lobby groups are guilty of spreading misinformation, lies & fear mongering in order to achieve further restrictions on firearms & ammunition just to satisfy their own need to control people, to gain some sort of power. It makes them feel good. What then does this say for these sorts of people?

We, the law abiding gun owner are not totally blameless in the restrictions that we suffer. Self-serving organisations such as the S.S.A.A. (Sporting Shooters Association Of Australia) could be doing a lot more for Australian gun owners, but instead it seems to me that they are more interested in not rocking the boat & at the same time lining their own pockets. Individuals are divided, muzzle-loading shooters have always readily backed modern gun shooters, but modern firearms owners are often guilty of hanging us black powder enthusiasts out to dry! I don’t see that anyone is dividing us, we seem to have divided ourselves. When we finally have so many restrictions & possibly even confiscations, then we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
Keith H. Burgess.

All The very Best For Xmas Everyone.

My Projects This Week.

I made a hammer boot/cap for my pistol, & I made a loop stitched to the inside of my waist belt to better secure the short barrel on my pistol. I have not copied this from any period source, but it seemed a reasonable thing to do to solve the problem of my pistol falling out of the belt.
I oiled my waist belt, belt bag, fire-bag & moccasins, all were well overdue. I was amazed at how much the leather had dried out since its last greasing.

The Left Hand Lock Pistol.

I have had requests to show my left hand pistol in more detail. The lock plate is brass, & the cannon barrel is brass (possibly bronze) & .70 caliber. This is an antique, but it came with no history & no maker's marks. More than likely French going by the cock design, stock & cannon barrel.  Not all makers would mark their guns.
But searching further, I came across some French pistols made by Duval a Nantes made in the mid 18th century. I think there is a very good chance that my pistol is an earlier Nantes. If it is a Nantes, why didn't he mark it? Possibly because it was one of his first guns? Did he make this whilst in an apprenticeship working for another gun maker? Or could it have something to do with it being left handed? We/I may never know.
There is also the possibility that this was made by someone else copying the Nantes. Any thoughts? 

Made By French pistol maker Duval a Nantes.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/8140205_flintlock-brass-barrel-pistol-cassaignard-a-nantes;

Flintlock Safety, Loading A Flintlock Gun By Keith H Burgess

Now I have all I need.

Brass or bronze barrel of .70 caliber, left hand brass lock flintlock. Designed to be carried on the right side so the lock faces outward away from the body.

WANTED. Finder's Fee Applies. Australia Only.

WANTED.

Antique smoothbore Flintlock Pistol. 20 gauge/.62 caliber (or close to).Early to mid 18th century.
Finder's Fee Applies; Name your price.
Keith.

New Gunpowder Legislation/Laws In West Australia.

Firearms Lawyer

In WA gun powder storage laws have just been changed.

You may have no more than 2 kg of gun powder in any one container.
On the outside of the container there must be a clearly visible sign saying “Explosives”.
The container must be made of, or lined with, a material other than a ferrous metal. 
You have to be able to close and lock it.
When closed, it must protect the explosive from the weather and contamination and sources of ignition; and not allow the powder to escape or leak from it.
When locked, the container must prevent removal of or access to the powder by unauthorised people.
The container must be kept closed and locked except when it needs to be opened to deal with the powder in it. Only someone with a firearms licence is to have access to the means of unlocking the container.
You may store at a place no more than 15kg “net explosive quantity” of any ammunition propellant (excluding any ammunition propellant in ammunition) but not more than 4 kg of black powder at that place.
These rules are set out in the Dangerous Goods Safety (Explosives) Regulations 2007.

Visit www.firearmslawyer.net.au
Add Hunter Law as a friend
Add my number to your phone: Ross Williamson 0407 426 796
I defend all types of criminal charges, not just firearms.

Firearm Legislation For NSW Australia. A Quick Run-Down or Legislation In Brief.

Firearms in Australia are used for hunting & target shooting. Farmers & landholders have a responsibility to eradicate feral animals on their land. Feral animals include: goats, wild boar, rabbits, foxes, feral cats & feral dogs. The wild boar here can grow to the size of a small family sedan & can be extremely dangerous. Feral dogs usually exist in packs & can also be very dangerous.

Hand guns can not legally be used for a back-up in hunting, you have to belong to a pistol club in order to own a handgun, & this gun can only be used on a registered pistol club range. Membership is usually expensive.

Semi-auto firearms & pump actions are banned.Legal reasons for owning any other firearm are: Membership to a gun club, permission to hunt on private land, or a collector. Without proof of these you can not get a licence.

Muzzle-loading guns are treated the same as breach-loading firearms & are subject to licensing, permit to purchase, & registration. If you intend to use a muzzle-loading arm for re-enactment, then you need a special permit on top of your licence.

Antique muzzle-loading guns including pistols can be purchased & owned without a licence, permit to purchase, or registration, but you are NOT allowed to shoot them.

All firearms are subject to safe keeping, i.e. must be kept in an approved type of gun safe at all times when not in use. Hand guns must be secured in a pistol safe. This also applies to antique guns.

Legal gun owners are subject to regular checks in their homes by police officers. Many if not most of these officers know very little about any firearms other than their own service weapons. This can & does cause problems as I have experienced myself. Even after explaining & demonstrating to a police sergeant the difference between a muzzle-loader & a breach-loader, & showing the difference between antiques & reproductions, I was still required to spend time & money getting a registered gunsmith to identify my firearms.

Basically here in Australia the legal licensed firearms owner is penalised through firearms registration. We are seen as being the problem where gun crime & violence is concerned. Black market firearms from overseas are payed little attention compared to the lengths they will go to make it hard for honest citizens to acquire & keep their guns.

Firearms legislation is not uniform Australia wide, each state having it’s own regulations. This makes it very difficult for legal gun owners to interact with interstate group shoots & difficult for interstate hunters. What is legal in one state, may not be legal in another state.

In Australia we have two factions whose agenda is to remove all firearms from law abiding citizens; the Australian police service & the anti-gun lobby. The latter are very strong in Australia & include, but are not restricted to, animal rights groups, & the Greens political party.

 We have only one major firearms association in Australia, the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (S.S.A.A.). This association could do a lot more for it’s members, but it is too deep in self-interest & hand kissing the government. Basically the S.S.A.A is, in my opinion, in it for itself.
Keith.

http://psm.du.edu/media/documents/national_regulations/countries/asia_pacific/australia/australia_firearms_act_of_new_south_wales_1996-english.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Australia

http://nsw.greens.org.au/news/nsw/sydney-siege-shows-tougher-gun-laws-needed-now

Interesting Stock Shape & Place of Find !

Flintlock pistol discovered on the Melbourne Beach Site, bearing the name of the gunsmith “Ramires” and the date “1709.” Ramires, or Ramirez, is known to have worked as a gunsmith in Mexico City during the first quarter of the 18th-century. A similar pistol, also signed “Ramires” has previously been found on a proven 1715 shipwreck.

http://seafarercorp.com/author/parick/;

My sincere thanks to my friend Kit Carson for the following update information.

Kit Carson "Ramirez" es un apellido tipicamente español ("hijo de Ramiro"), así que bien puede ser una pistola de origen español pero fabricada en Méjico, pues a principios del siglo XVIII lo que ahora es Méjico era parte del Virreinato de Nueva España, siendo todo ello España.

 Saludos. Ramirez " " is a last name typically Spanish (" Son of Ramiro "), So it may well be a gun of Spanish but manufactured in Mexico, because at the beginning of the eighteenth century what is now Mexico was part of the vice royalty of New Spain, being all this Spain. Greetings.