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Early Virginia Longrifle Templates & Layout Guide
1775-1785 Augusta/Rockbridge Co. Virginia Longrifle Templates & Layout Guide This offering is my attempt to help the beginning gunmaker by making some of my layout tools available to them. As the title indicates, this drawing has templates for my interpretation of the 1775-1785 Augusta/Rockbridge Co. Virginia longrifles documented by Wallace Gusler in the Journal of […]
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Charcoal Blueing a Barrel
Today, I was fortunate enough to be present for the charcoal bluing of a longrifle barrel. Richard Frazier, a former journeyman at the gunshop at Colonial Williamsburg, was charcoal bluing the barrel for his latest rifle. He was sharing the process that they used for years, and still use to blue gun barrels at the […]
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Handmade Colonial English Flintlock
Handmade Tumbler Trouble In conjunction with some recent repair/restoration work, I have started working on an all handmade flintlock. That means one made of wrought iron in the same manner as an 18th century Virginia gun shop including making all the screws. I have completed a set of templates for the lock and have forged […]
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Metal Bow Drill
I just finished making a metal bow for my watchmakers type metal bow drill. The bow itself is very simple. Unlike the ones in the period catalogs, it doesn’t have a ratchet mechanism. I was given a old fencing foil with which to make a bow and there just wasn’t enough metal there to support […]
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Tools for Cutting Mouldings
On many longrifles, there are mouldings along the forearm (usually the upper forearm) and along toe of the buttstock. Most often these are simple raised moldings cut in with a knife or chisel and then relieved behind the cut with the chisel or knife. The moulding is usually cleaned up using a slim triangular file […]
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Wallace Gusler Muzzle Blasts Articles
Below is a list of the Muzzle Blasts articles by or about Wallace Gusler. Wallace Gusler is one of the foremost experts on southern longrifles, particularly Virginia longrifles. Many of the articles focus on rare iron mounted rifles. I am listing the issue, the title, and the first page. This may not be a complete […]
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18th Century Bow Drills for Drilling Retaining Pins in Gunstocks
I was getting ready to install pins in my most recent rifle and wondered how would this have been done in the 18th century. I normally use a couple twist drills (1/16″ and 5/64″) and my cordless electric drill. So, I asked that question on ALR, and after reading a number of the responses, I […]
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18th Century Gunsmithing Tools, Metal Cutting Brace Bits
Below are a couple of metal cutting drill bits for a brace, and the holes they bored in a 1/8″ thick brass plate. Also shown is an 18th century style countersink. I ground and sharpened the drill bits to form approximately 3/16″ and 1/4″ holes. The countersunk hole fits a #10 tang screw. The bits […]
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18th Century Gunsmithing Tools, Screw Plate & Circle Cutter
I just added a few more 18th century gunsmithing tools to my tool kit. One is a pristine early screw plate, probably from the late 18th century or early 19th century. I don’t think this thing has ever been used. It appears to still have the temper colors on it. At least it did, until […]
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The Best Cleaner/Degreaser
A lot of you probably already know this, but I thought that I would repeat the information for the un-informed. Dawn® dishwashing detergent is the best commonly available cleaner and degreaser there is. For those of you who still wash you pots, pans, dishes, and silverware (especially actual silver) by hand, you know that a […]