Author Topic: Early 17th century matchlock musket (Read 25136 times)

Cory Joe Stewart · « **Reply #25 on:** November 25, 2012, 05:58:18 PM »

I want to echo Tom's thanks. This is a fun process to watch.

Coryjoe

clayton707 · « **Reply #26 on:** November 25, 2012, 10:57:48 PM »

Thanks!

Yes that is the bench that I haven't been using so much to build this gun. I just use it to set the parts on, and take pictures.

You should see my other bench!

The barrel inlet does take a lot of patience. Test fit the barrel, take it out, remove some wood, test fit the barrel, take it out, remove some wood...over and over and over...sometimes seems that it wont end!

Shouldn't be too long though and the stock will be completely carved, except for some small inletting jobs.

Cheers!
Clayton

clayton707 · « **Reply #27 on:** November 26, 2012, 01:51:11 AM »

And some more. The major carving and shaping on the stock is finished. Still have to do some inletting for small parts.

Now you can see my other workbench in the first pic below!

clayton707 · « **Reply #28 on:** November 28, 2012, 09:37:15 PM »

Some more of my progress.

I polished and installed the lock and buttplate.

I guess matchlocks rarely to never had sideplates, so at least for now I am not including one.

clayton707 · « **Reply #29 on:** November 30, 2012, 06:55:56 AM »

Some more of my progress. I dovetailed the pan into the barrel.

The pan cover and pan fence are also polished and installed..

clayton707 · « **Reply #30 on:** December 01, 2012, 11:17:39 PM »

Another of my progress. I made the nosecap out of a piece of 1/8" thick brass plate, and hammered on it until it took the right shape, then filed and sanded the dings out of it.

Based on some advice from the Vasa museum in Sweden, I also reshaped the comb on the back end of the stock to be more concave and come to more of a sharp point at the top, especially at the front end of it. Now that the sights are installed, I don't think I could have gotten them to line up while aiming if I hadn't done this.

PPatch · « **Reply #31 on:** December 02, 2012, 01:50:21 AM »

An interesting build Clayton, I am enjoying your updates as you progress. Thank you.

Dave

clayton707 · « **Reply #32 on:** December 02, 2012, 07:26:42 AM »

Thank you Dave. I am glad that you are enjoying this!

Looking forward to taking it out shooting.

clayton707 · « **Reply #33 on:** December 03, 2012, 07:44:06 PM »

And the stock is ready for finish....

clayton707 · « **Reply #34 on:** December 04, 2012, 05:42:28 AM »

Hopefully someone experienced with matchlocks can help with this one...

How do you go about reducing trigger pull?

I am thinking maybe filing down the bar that the spring comes into contact with, at the point of contact.

Or, was it acceptable for some matchlocks have very heavy pull?

Thanks!

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #35 on:** December 04, 2012, 08:40:10 AM »

The only one I've ever had in my hands had a tiller for a trigger, and the pull was quite acceptable. From the picture of your parts, it looks to me that you are stuck with a heavy pull, unless you build a set trigger arrangement. Yes, they even had them on crossbows, so it's hc.

tyro · « **Reply #36 on:** December 04, 2012, 10:52:00 AM »

Dont file your sear engagements use hard Arkansas or equivalent stone and polish them...U might also look at all pivot points for drag..or anyplace the triger mechanism can snag and any springs for excessive force. which method did U use for your dovetail? It came out nicely. The whole thing is coming out very nice.TY

tyro · « **Reply #37 on:** December 04, 2012, 11:06:02 AM »

Almost forgot, keep the angles true. A light pull is desired on all rifles as long as they fire when YOU want them to.You don't want them to push off or bump off . Pad your lock and slap stock from different angles and test with your thumb to be sure it wont bump or push off. TY

clayton707 · « **Reply #38 on:** December 04, 2012, 09:01:12 PM »

Thank you Taylor and Tyro. The idea that they had set triggers on crossbows is interesting, and I will polish some of my parts in there.

My dovetail was made by first cutting a channel a little narrower than the pan is thick with a dremel rotary tool fitted with a cutoff wheel. I used the thicker reinforced ones to cut the initial channel and then cleaned it up with a file. Then I fitted the tool with one of those thinner un-reinforced cutoff wheels and held the tool at an angle to the channel and undercut the dovetail into the barrel along the edges of the initial channel that way. Did the same basic thing on the pan to cut the opposite dovetail.

Works pretty well once you get the hang of it. If you try this route, you might want to practice on some scrap metal first.

I have used this method to dovetail many other things. Barrel lugs and sights..

Thanks!

clayton707 · « **Reply #39 on:** December 05, 2012, 12:08:29 AM »

And here are some pics of the basically finished gun. For it being only my second gun build, and considering it is partially scratch built, I don't think it turned out too bad.

tyro · « **Reply #40 on:** December 05, 2012, 02:38:02 PM »

Second build? Looks like the soldiers who carried these into battle would have profited if you had been their armorer. I've never fired one how is it to shoot?TY

tyro · « **Reply #41 on:** December 05, 2012, 03:39:52 PM »

Looking at your lock photos I noticed a slight drag mark on the plate...with the quality of your workmanship you have probably already polished those surfaces...does the trigger pull still seem excessive? That's an interesting linkage, does it cam over and snap down or does it push down like a locomotive driver?TY

clayton707 · « **Reply #42 on:** December 05, 2012, 05:47:17 PM »

Thanks! I haven't shot it yet, but intend on doing so today. I think that I should since my wife is pregnant and is scheduled for a c-section tomorrow. Life will be different, although I hope to still have time for shooting!

I have polished the plate, and the pull is still quite heavy. It might be that I am just used to feather light trigger pull on more modern weapons (like my Baker, M1, .357 and 9mm). This is the first matchlock I have ever handled.

I would say it pushes down like a steam locomotive driver. Never thought of it that way before, but it is actually mechanically quite similar to that.

Clayton

smart dog · « **Reply #43 on:** December 05, 2012, 08:47:46 PM »

Hi Clayton,
From your photos of the lock parts, it seems that you left the sear bar shaped like a broad flat lug. My impression from the photos is that the lug was actually mostly casting sprue and the sear should probably be bar shaped and narrow so that only a small area actually engages the trigger. That would help a lot with trigger pull. The other thing to do is grind the sear spring down a bit to weaken it.

dave

clayton707 · « **Reply #44 on:** December 05, 2012, 10:07:29 PM »

Thanks Dave! These things will probably help. Will let you know.

Clayton

clayton707 · « **Reply #45 on:** December 06, 2012, 12:05:24 AM »

I ground the spring down width wise, and it helped enormously!

Thank you Dave!

clayton707 · « **Reply #46 on:** December 06, 2012, 08:42:10 AM »

I took it out shooting today.

The scouring stick that the Rifle Shoppe supplied was very weak, and ended up breaking into about 4 pieces! I think there was some cross grain in that dowel. Going to have to make a new one out of studier wood.

Other than that and the fact that it fouls up quickly, it shoots very nicely, and seems to be decently accurate. The weather was horrible with high wind, so am looking forward to shooting it again under nicer conditions.

Clayton

clayton707 · « **Reply #47 on:** December 12, 2012, 08:06:52 PM »

And a video of me shooting my new matchlock...

Clayton

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Author Topic: Early 17th century matchlock musket (Read 25136 times)

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