Cavalry rail/ ring for blunderbuss

[Z. Buck]

just thought i would share a little project i have going on, friend of mine is having me put together one of Mike Lea's 4 bore blunderbuss kits and he has a cavalry persona so he wanted a cav rail on it, i whipped this up today, needs some file work, and im going to file a little finial on the bore end, can forgeweld for $#@* so i dont have a ring for it yet.
still needs a little tweaking to fit just right but i figure i got it pretty close roughed for my skill level ...im sure it would have only taken some of you guys 5 minutes rather than the twenty it took me, at least i got it right on the first time this time instead of ruining the first could like i normally do when i forge anything more complicated than a squirrel fork

[Z. Buck]

some more pictures, before filework (raw forge)


with some file work done

[E.vonAschwege]

Very cool project Zack!  I'd love to build a blunderbuss at some point.  Nice job with the cavalry rail.  You can get mild steel rings at Home Depot or Lowes in their hardware section.  They come with a zinc or chrome plate finish, but you can burn it off outside with a torch, then wirebrush it. 

Will you be at Dixon's this year?  I missed ya last time.  Be sure to post photos of the blunderbuss when you're done!
-Eric

[Z. Buck]

Hello Eric! how was school, i was so glad when i graduated becuase i never had time to work with me hands, which is what i do to de-stress and keep sane. yeah i was considering that sort of ring i knew i had seen them before at this little local hardware store but they closed, so thanks for the HD/ Lowes info. the only reason i get to make a blunderbuss at this point is because someone who for some reason perceives me as having skill wanted one built 
i am planning on coming to dixons this year hopw i can swing it, car troubles kept me away last year.

[Dphariss]

Its a cool thought and good job but as far as practicality its pretty suspect.

Slung ML carbines, loaded with issue paper cartridges would not stay loaded for more than a few miles horse back. This from complaints from a US cavalry officer in the early 19th Century. See "Firearms of The American West".
Basically the ML armed Cavalry had to ride around with empty long arms until action was imminent or wad with an "overshot" wad to hopefully hold the load in.
This was why the US Cavalry never had a Minie ball carbine, these unloaded almost immediately. Thus they tended to use Sharps, Spencers and other BL arms in the Civil War.

Dan

[Z. Buck]

Dan, i have played around with this rail and the balance of the blunderbuss and it will hang butt down of of its ring, which should alleviate the problem with unloading, but mostly my understanding is it was set up that way to facilitate having it hang muzzle up for ease of loading from horseback since putting the but on the ground isnt an option