Brass barrels

[Ezra]

So, we all know that brass barrels were used on original flintlocks historically.  My questions have to do with several aspects of their use.  Generally speaking, was the use of brass barrels on rifles and/or pistols characteristic to particular geographical regions?  And were they used, generally speaking again, during a specific, identifiable time frame?   The use of brass barrels in pistols was much more common in pistols than long guns.  But there were long guns with brass barrels.  They certainly were the exception and not the rule.  For the purposes of my question, I am more interested in learning more about the use of brass barrels in longarms than pistols, but not at the exclusion of historical tidbits about brass barreled pistols.  I look forward to learning from your comments.  And I am aware of the the brass barreled rifle on the late Gary Brumfeilds website, which is dated 1771.


Ez

[Acer Saccharum]

There are occasional examples of antique brass barreled long arms. There is a brass barreled fowler in the Schoharie Old Stone Fort museum.

But I wouldn't put my face or hands near a brass barreled gun, especially after it had been shot for a while. Brass embrittles with age.

Bronze is much stronger, but I'll stick with steel.

[Ezra]

True enough regards brass getting brittle.  But for todays day and age, Ed Rayle uses Naval bronze.

Ez

[Kermit]

Naval bronze is what you want. Too many folks think it's the same as brass. It sure as heck ain't.

[heinz]

Kermit is right. Although "brass" is ofen used in referring to small arms and cannon barrels, bronze is the material that should be used and was used on canons and the better small arms.  Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.  Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.  In the 18th century most brass was "calamine brass" made using copper and a zinc compound since pure zinc was difficult to obtain and very expensive at the time. Calamine brass is an inferior product in terms of strength. If the Brass Barrel Rifle was made from calamine brass it is no surprise it blew up at the muzzle.

[T*O*F]

Why do we assume these barrels are brass?  Have they been analyzed by someone?

The Bronze Age was long past and casting bronze was old technology.  Cannons were cast from bronze.  Can we assume that small arms barrels were also cast from similar materials?  Brass barrels probably originated as ship's guns.  Why would they cast them from brass instead of the more common naval bronze?

Too many unanswered questions and assumptions without documentation.  Who's got some?

[B Shipman]

In late 18th and earlyn19th century naval warfare the 9 pounder chaser in bronze by a good maker was prized. There is an account where a privateer (1812) had two prizes. one a large brig loaded with sugar and spices, and another small corvette loaded with mahogoney but with 10 Spanish bronze 9 pounders.  The Brig was burned.

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

Apparently, there was a "fad" in England, Circa. 1750, for a longer barrel, smaller bore blunderbuss type weapon called a "musquetoon".  Don't ask me why.  But here is a photo of one.  I made a copy of this several years ago using CDA 936 bronze.



Here is a coaching blunderbuss, 10 gauge.  Again CDA 936 bronze.  A real "YAHOO!" to fire.



Here is a pistol with a rifled 0.47 caliber barrel, CDA 936.  It took only 14 pulls of the rifling machine to cut all 7 grooved 0.012 deep! (As opposed to a bazillion for a wrought iron barrel).



Jim

[pushboater]

That's a fine looking pistol Jim. I have a .45 cal tapered brass (?) barrel that I'm looking to put to work. I really like the shape. Very pleasing.

Capt. David

[JCKelly]

Used to have access to an X-ray fluoroscope. They are afraid of guns now so can't walk in with anything long. Do have a Richards flint pistol which I analyzed - no harm to the metal.


Analysis is 69.4 copper, 27 zinc, 3.3% lead (for castability, not so great for strength), traces iron and nickel. Pretty close to today's cast "yellow brass". I have seen a number of other objects that are not so close to modern brass.

Sorry I did not get the Irish blunderbuss or cheaper English pistol analyzed.

Someone said brass gets brittle with age. Practically speaking, i cannot argue with that. The thing that does the most harm to brass is ammonia. Or, in practice, fumes from horses, kitty litter and not infrequently mice. Then there little rodents have made scrap out of some expensive brass items. Including some brass valves for Texas oil or gas usage. Stored in burlap bags, mice ran over the bags. Engineer did figure out why they cracked. I have some old .22rf ammo I was dumb enough to store in the same room as the kitty litter. The shoemakers' kid's are indeed the barefoot ones.