Barrel Coning Tool - Maybe?

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys, 

Here is an original tool used by the Fry family gunsmiths of Ligonier, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the mid 19th c.  It appears to me to be a barrel coning tool that would be used on large bores.  The maximum diameter is about 0.8 inch.  What do you think?

An alternative use is for a nose picker.

Jim Everett

[Glenn]

I have to agree that is does look like a barrel coning tool.  Very interesting find Jim.

[heinz]

Maybe, but maybe a tapered reamer for small wheel bearings, like spinning reels.

[Pete G.]

I would say too coarse for barrel coning. The teeth would snag on the rifling.

[dannybb55]

Cone first, rifle second?

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

The place that I use a tool like this is to give a tapered lead in at the breech end of a barrel that is to be rifled.  The rifling head cutter requires some sort of a funnel shaped lead in to start the cutter.  You really cannot start the cutter on the square edge of the gun bore.  I am sure that you can envision the need for this.  After the rifling is completed, this tapered lead in is cut away to put in the breech threads.

As observed, this one would be too coarse for precision barrel coning, at least when compared to the modern type of lapping tools used for barrel coning today.   Maybe it was used somehow for a smoothbore fowling piece barrel muzzle treatment.  Any other educated guesses out there?  Remember that, just like today, old time gunsmiths were certainly called upon to make any type of small metal parts for their neighbors.  So this tool may have had nothing at all to do with the gunsmith trade.  Who knows?

Jim Everett

[Jim Kibler]

That's an awful fast taper for a cone.  If the barrel were relieved by typical amounts, the cone depth woudl be quite shallow.

[T*O*F]

Any other educated guesses out there?

Jim,
Being such a student of early gunmaking methods, I defy you to show us a reference that mentions coning.  That term just irritates the heck out of me.  Gun barrels, smooth or rifled,  were either "choked" or "freed" and not always at the muzzle end.

[kutter]

Looks like a peg hole taper cutter for wood work.
Attaching boards together w/wooden  pegs (dowels). The outside attachment secured w/a split head & wedged peg in a tapered hole.
Just a guess of course,,not everything in my shop is gunsmith related either.

Looks kind of coarse for bbl work to me.

[Lucky R A]

Probably used in chair making where the legs, stretchers etc. were attached as Kutter describes.  It seems to me that there may be one of those in an old box of tools that I got from my grandfather...

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

By concensus we all seem to feel that this tool is not for rifle barrel coning.  At least it would have made a very poor one.  I feel it is for metal cutting as it is very hard, a file glances off it.  Another less spectacular possibility is a reamer to put a taper for female pipe threads in an iron pipe.  The Frys worked as gunsmiths into the late 19th c, so this may be a possibility, also.  I know it is really a heartbreaker to think about a master gunsmith having to degrade himself with plumbing work to make money for the family.  Even at one time I was employed!  Maybe it is a nose picker after all.

Jim Everett

[dannybb55]

That would make a nice pipe reamer, I have a couple of factory made reamers that fit my larger braces, just the thing to smooth the sharp edges after the saw is through.

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

Maybe we can cooperate on some research here.  Among the Fry gunsmith tool collection and my collection there are several - maybe about 10 - tools like this one that are true head scratchers.  What in the world did they use this one for?  How about if I post photos of some of these tools and we can start a discussion and maybe determine their use.  We have already done a couple of these - the "barrel coning tool" and the "flashpan grinder" of an earlier topic.  Or maybe they are just pipe reamers, earwax removers and nose pickers.  Let me know if you guys are willing to give your knowledgeable input (or best guess) on some of these.  Perhaps we will all learn something new.

 Jim Everett

[coutios]

   Today I had the opportunity to look at a spinning wheel made by Ohio Gunsmith John Vincent dated 1862. It has a poured babbit bearing that has been reamed with a tapered reamer. Like was mentioned before, not every thing in a gunsmiths shop in gun related. ..

Just more food for thought
Regards
Dave

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Guys,

Maybe we can cooperate on some research here.  Among the Fry gunsmith tool collection and my collection there are several - maybe about 10 - tools like this one that are true head scratchers.  What in the world did they use this one for?  How about if I post photos of some of these tools and we can start a discussion and maybe determine their use.  We have already done a couple of these - the "barrel coning tool" and the "flashpan grinder" of an earlier topic.  Or maybe they are just pipe reamers, earwax removers and nose pickers.  Let me know if you guys are willing to give your knowledgeable input (or best guess) on some of these.  Perhaps we will all learn something new.

 Jim Everett

Sounds like fun!  I get to learn more!!