Author Topic: Blog bellygun today  (Read 3884 times)

Offline Kermit

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Blog bellygun today
« on: November 01, 2010, 06:40:17 PM »
If you haven't seen it, stop and look now! I'd purely love to have such a piece.

"Tiny screw barrel pocket pistol w/ French styling, possibly English or French origin.. circa1685"

I'm trying to wrap my head around making such a thing with 1685 technology. Clocks and watches do the same thing to me.
"Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly." Mae West

Offline Jim Kibler

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Re: Blog bellygun today
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2010, 07:08:11 PM »
I am enthralled with 17th century work.  This is a nice pistol.  One thing to note...  The wood is burl maple.  It's commonly refered to as "root wood", but this is not accurate.  Wallace Gusler presented an article in Decorated Firearms that discusses this issue.  In my mind, one of the most difficult aspects of building a pistol with such a design is forming the breech / lockplate / frame.  This is all one forging with this design and I can only imagine the difficulty of making the inside corner of formed by the lockplate breech and frame.  Seems they must have been using some substantial dies in this process.  A neat gun for sure.

Offline Larry Pletcher

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Re: Blog bellygun today
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2010, 07:30:06 PM »
I think these are really cool.  Notice the frizzen spring and its attachment point. 

Regards,
Pletch
Regards,
Pletch
blackpowdermag@gmail.com

He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what can never be taken away.

Kayla Mueller - I didn't come here of my own accord, and I can't leave that way.  Whoever brought me here, will have to take me home.

Offline Jim Kibler

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Re: Blog bellygun today
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2010, 08:48:49 PM »
It's interesting you bring up the frizzen spring.  I had my hands on a Dolep screw barrel pistol for a period of time and it had a standard style frizzen spring.  With this being the case, it extended a little past the front of the frame.  At some point, the standard became a spring arrangement like this pistol has.  I would hazzard a guess that this pistol is a little later than the Dolep mentioned previously.  My guess would be 1695 or later for this pistol, but I guess it's kind of splitting hairs.

Offline Larry Pletcher

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Re: Blog bellygun today
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2010, 09:16:20 PM »
In the book Great British Gunmakers 1740-1790 by Neal and Back there are a number of pics with the frizzen spring mounted this way.  Plate 128 shows one with an exterior main spring as well. 
Regards,
Pletch
Regards,
Pletch
blackpowdermag@gmail.com

He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what can never be taken away.

Kayla Mueller - I didn't come here of my own accord, and I can't leave that way.  Whoever brought me here, will have to take me home.

Offline Jim Kibler

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Re: Blog bellygun today
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2010, 10:56:27 PM »
Like I mentioned, this frizzen spring arrangement became the standard likely by the start of the 18th century at the latest.

Offline JCKelly

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Re: Blog bellygun today
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2010, 12:44:56 AM »
OK all you Modern Computer Literate types, how does a Common Geezer get to see a photo of this "Blog Bellygun"
I suppose the term "Blog" has some important 21st century meaning?


Grouchy Old Man Kelly

Offline art riser

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Re: Blog bellygun today
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2010, 01:17:05 AM »