Blunderbuss?

[Smokey Plainsman]

Smokey,

You might have to wait a while, but Ed Rayl makes these barrels in both steel and brass.  I know he makes them in both 10 gage (.775 bore) and 4 gage.  He can probably do an 11 bore for you as well.  The pictures of the blunderbusses I made above are both Ed's barrels.  Ed makes them with just a simple flair at the muzzle.  The cannon muzzle type rings on these barrels I added myself.  The following link will show you what I do to install the rings:

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=6671.msg63033#msg63033

I think 100 grains would be a great load in a 10 bore.

That is EXTREMELY cool!!! The cannon ring barrel is an absolute gem. Personally, I would slaughter and devour my newborn baby if I could get ahold of one of those straight flared Rayl barrels in steel, 10 bore.

Can one get ahold of Mr. Rayl and possibly work some magic and exchange favors with him to have one made??

[Mike from OK]

Hungry Horse and I have sparred about this topic before.  Recently he said,

My question is what in the world could you use it for. No good for target shooting, worthless for trap, or hunting. But, it is an dingbat magnet, if you get one every dingbat in camp will be in your camp fondling your blunderbuss. Been there, done that, never again.

  Hungry Horse

I have built several blunderbusses in the past many years.  One for myself and all the rest for others.  I get what Hungry Horse is saying about one being a "dingbat magnet".....But then, I have seen all sorts of firearms being used by dingbats.  And dingbats don't just limit themselves to firearms.  I have seem them perform all sorts of stupid stunts with water skis, go carts, chain saws, fireworks, cars, tractors, gasoline & matches (always a perennial favorite), crossbows, etc., etc*....and it goes without saying that the more lubricated the dingbats are with alcohol, the more....how should I put this......"creative" the stunts are......

I wrote an article about this gun for Muzzle Blasts magazine several years ago explaining how and why I built it.  For space reasons, the article got hacked way down and the thread of the story line was lost.  (I can post my original unedited text, if anyone is that interested).  The bottom line was that I had always wanted a blunderbuss, couldn’t afford one, so I built one.  I built it just for me and, as a contemporary builder, was not particularly concerned with making it look like any particular original in all details.  This was the start of the article........

"Have you ever really been fascinated with owning something for which you had no earthly use? 

One day, minding my own business, I was paging through a copy of Muzzle Blasts when I saw something that made me jump.  The Vernon C. Davis Company was advertising a blunderbuss barrel, made by Ed Rayl out of brass and in four gauge!  I almost fell out of my chair.

Now, my reaction to this simple line in an advertisement might seem a bit over the edge, but for whatever reason, I had always been fascinated by the unique shape of a blunderbuss.  If you are reading this magazine, chances are that you understand the aesthetic attraction of the slender, graceful lines of a long rifle.  Comparatively, a blunderbuss is about as elegant as a mud fence; yet its stocky lines, the flare of the muzzle, and most impressively, the size of the bore appeal to me. 

Thankfully, as with so many other things that have caught my eye over the years, there were initially no blunderbusses to be had.  So my fascination had always been limited to picking up a few small books on the subject and cogitating on how I might build one for myself – someday - if I had any free time.  At a gun show, I came across a Pedersoli Brown Bess lock.  It was beautifully made and I liked the size of it.  I had no use for it (notice the familiar recurring theme here) but bought it with the justification that if and when I ever built the blunderbuss (which I also had no use for), it would be perfect.  A few years later I bought a huge, three-inch-thick plank of beautifully figured walnut for the same reason.  And so the lock and the plank sat collecting dust for over twenty years.

From time to time I would think about making the barrel, but it was a fairly involved undertaking and one of those tasks that I really never quite had the time to start.  So there, except for the occasional perusal of the books or playing with the lock, the project stalled.  However, building a blunderbuss was not on anyone's required actions list and it had given me many hours of pleasant mental exercise over the years.  And that's when I saw the ad.  And that's why I jumped and was hurled lock, stock, and now barrel, right out of my blunderbuss building lethargy.

When the barrel came, I was thrilled.  It was just the right length and at four gauge, the bore was just over an inch.  This certainly was not going to be any sort of a wimpy firearm.  After looking at the barrel for a few days, I thought perhaps I should be designing a gun carriage for it rather than a stock.   My suspicions were confirmed when a friend who saw the barrel sitting on my work bench asked incredulously, "What are you going to do with that ?"  "

The article went on to explain how I built the blunderbuss and how I decided what to engrave on it.  Referring back to the original question of  "What are you going to do with that ?", I will answer with the last paragraphs of my original MB article (which, I believe, were deleted for political correctness reasons):

“We had great fun that day and shot away a considerable amount of powder and lead with the blunderbuss and a half a dozen other guns.  As I watched the others shoot, I had to reassess my earlier thoughts about building something I really didn't need.  The blunderbuss itself was just so much brass and wood, flint and steel, but what it represented to me now was something I do need, something I cherish.  On the side plate I had been inspired to engrave the word "LIBERTY".  It was not very original and my engraving of the letters was more than a little shaky.  But as I watched the gun roar out again and again, I reflected that we all still enjoy the liberty to build or own or do something we don't need.  Like our forefathers, we still don't have to seek permission from some higher authority to do many of the things we want to do whether we have a reason or not.  We can follow our hearts and our abilities and our opportunities wherever they may lead us.  In the most recent film version of Last of the Mohicans, Hawkeye is explaining to Cora why a slain frontier family would have chosen to live so far from civilization.  He tells her that to be free and "not livin' by another's leave" was worth everything to them.

But with each exuberant thundering of the blunderbuss, there echoed a distant warning.  Much of the freedom our predecessors held dear has already slipped away.  Throughout human history, liberty, like glory, has been fleeting.  We, as Americans, have enjoyed more of it for a longer period of time than any nation on earth.  But, as the saying goes, eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.

For those who enjoy muzzleloading arms, we re-create, we re-enact, we re-live a time long since past, and, in so doing, we remember and honor the lives and courage of those who preceded us.  Each time I do something I enjoy - shouldering one of my guns, teaching a young person how to shoot - I give thanks to Providence for being born in this land.  And every time I hear a politician, or another of my countrymen, tell me I don't "need" one thing or another and, therefore, have no right to it, I bristle.  Thanks for your input, but I can decide for myself if I need an SUV, a semiautomatic .22 rifle, a cigarette, or a greasy fried hamburger….or perhaps, even a blunderbuss.  So, I hope that the answer to my friend's rhetorical question, "What are you going to do with that?" always remains, "Whatever I please."

Eternal vigilance, my friends.  Eternal vigilance.”

David Crisalli

* Just look up "sitting on an air bag" on YouTube.

LIBERTY

All the reason a man needs.

Mike

[davec2]

Mike and Craig Wilcox,

Thanks.....and I agree....LIBERTY

All the reason a man needs.

Smokey,

Contact him at      W.E. Rayl, Box 91, Gassaway, W.V. 26624        Ph 304-364-8269 (good man to deal with).  If he doesn't answer, try at the end of the work day West Virginia time.  He is often running machines in the shop and can't answer the phone.  I'm sure he can make you a barrel.  He has made 5 for me. 

Dave C

[Smokey Plainsman]

Mike and Craig Wilcox,

Thanks.....and I agree....LIBERTY

All the reason a man needs.

Smokey,

Contact him at      W.E. Rayl, Box 91, Gassaway, W.V. 26624        Ph 304-364-8269 (good man to deal with).  If he doesn't answer, try at the end of the work day West Virginia time.  He is often running machines in the shop and can't answer the phone.  I'm sure he can make you a barrel.  He has made 5 for me. 

Dave C

Awesome! It seems from my research, most original blunderbarrels were shorter than 20”. I love the profile of Mr. Rayl’s barrels, and desire one in 10 bore quite badly. But, I wonder if he can make one a bit shorter, say in the 16-18” range?

I’ll ring him come Monday and see if I can get ahold of him. I’ll let you all know. Thanks gang!!

[Mike Brooks]

I'm sure he'll make one as short as you want.

[davec2]

Smokey,

The blunderbuss in the series of pictures I posted above has an 18 inch barrel that Ed made at my request.  I had to wait several months for it as he is usually very busy.  Besides adding the muzzle rings, I did re-machine the inside of the bore flair at the muzzle.  As it came from Ed, the flair on the ID was more abrupt than the flair contour on the OD which left the wall too thick, in my opinion.  So I set the barrel up in the lathe and matched the ID to the OD muzzle contour more closely resulting in a thinner wall at the muzzle and it made the finished gun a little less nose heavy.

[Smokey Plainsman]

Smokey,

The blunderbuss in the series of pictures I posted above has an 18 inch barrel that Ed made at my request.  I had to wait several months for it as he is usually very busy.  Besides adding the muzzle rings, I did re-machine the inside of the bore flair at the muzzle.  As it came from Ed, the flair on the ID was more abrupt than the flair contour on the OD which left the wall too thick, in my opinion.  So I set the barrel up in the lathe and matched the ID to the OD muzzle contour more closely resulting in a thinner wall at the muzzle and it made the finished gun a little less nose heavy.

Interesting, I see. That 4 bore... my god! Does it have a strong kickback?? I think I’ll stick with a 10 gauge. Should be plenty. This begs the question. I wonder what performance I’d be getting with a 16” barrel 10 gauge? Considering the flare, there would only be I’m guessing around 13” of actual barrel bore to build pressure?

This requires further meditation. I do know, that this thread is absolutely fascinating and I’m “as the sponge”, absorbing all information on the Blunderbuss as I can. One thing is for certain about the Blunderbuss, and I’ve know it for years:

I want one!

[davec2]

Smokey,

The 4 bore blunderbuss is fairly heavy, so with 180 grains of powder and a handful of shot / round ball, it is comfortable to shoot.  If you start pushing 275 grains of powder, it lets you know when it goes off.  I don't think the 10 bore would be too much to handle.  You can always load lighter.

Here is another thread on a commission blunderbuss that I am woefully late in completing......4 gage, steel, Ed Rayl barrel with added muzzle rings....

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=42185.0

By the way, I really do prefer building longrifles.....I just built one of these darn things for myself for fun and things sort of got out of hand....   Perhaps Hungry Horse is correct and it's just the "dingbat" coming out in me.   

[Smokey Plainsman]

Oh! We’re original blunderbusses available in such a large bore?

[Mike Brooks]

Oh! We’re original blunderbusses available in such a large bore?

Yep.

[Smokey Plainsman]

Oh! We’re original blunderbusses available in such a large bore?

Yep.

Interesting. That begs the question, would a 10 gauge be too SMALL for a true blunderbuss??

[Mike Brooks]

I have seen them as small as 20 bore and flare to over an inch at the muzzle.

[Smokey Plainsman]

I have seen them as small as 20 bore and flare to over an inch at the muzzle.

Awesome, gang, thanks be to you all.

I’ll be calling Mr. Rayl tomorrow. Hoping to get a barrel on order. Pretty torn between a 16” and 17” one, in 10 gauge.

[Mike Brooks]

Don't expect just because it's short that it's going to be cheap.

[Smokey Plainsman]

Don't expect just because it's short that it's going to be cheap.

No problem, just looking for the right blunderbarrel. I’ll see if he can even do a full round barrel or reduce the length of then “square” rear section of the barrel as I think it’ll look better.

[Elnathan]

Don't expect just because it's short that it's going to be cheap.

No problem, just looking for the right blunderbarrel. I’ll see if he can even do a full round barrel or reduce the length of then “square” rear section of the barrel as I think it’ll look better.

Might want to get a book or two to look through and see if you can't find an original to base yours off of before ordering, if you think that you are going to want it to be period correct. Not to be rude, but you do seem to have a tendency to order first, and then start worrying about whether you ordered correctly....

Also, while it seems unlikely that you will need to eat an infant to order, be aware that said infant will probably be buzzing around the house on two legs and possibly talking before the barrel is delivered. Rayl barrels are not an instant gratification item....

[Smokey Plainsman]

Don't expect just because it's short that it's going to be cheap.

No problem, just looking for the right blunderbarrel. I’ll see if he can even do a full round barrel or reduce the length of then “square” rear section of the barrel as I think it’ll look better.

Might want to get a book or two to look through and see if you can't find an original to base yours off of before ordering, if you think that you are going to want it to be period correct. Not to be rude, but you do seem to have a tendency to order first, and then start worrying about whether you ordered correctly....

Also, while it seems unlikely that you will need to eat an infant to order, be aware that said infant will probably be buzzing around the house on two legs and possibly talking before the barrel is delivered. Rayl barrels are not an instant gratification item....

Thank you, Elnatan. I’ve scoured the net for the style that appeals to me, and this one is absolutely incredible:



Maybe a bit less length is what I’d want, thinking now 16” should be perfect based on looking at various barrels lengths. I’d like a more or less straight tapered fully round 10 gauge barrel.

[Mike Brooks]

Never seen an original with a straight taper....back to the books for you.

[Smokey Plainsman]

Never seen an original with a straight taper....back to the books for you.

Thanks, Mike. I shouldn’t a said that, I more or less meant one without a super abrupt flare. Poorly worded on my part, I apologize.

[Mike Brooks]

I'd call Hoyt and rayle and the barrel Nazi and see what they have for original patterns.

[Pukka Bundook]

Smokey,

Many original early pieces hadn't got the steep flare or muzzle rings.
Most had short barrels as well, not like the military musketoon.

[Smokey Plainsman]

Smokey,

Many original early pieces hadn't got the steep flare or muzzle rings.
Most had short barrels as well, not like the military musketoon.

Thank you, P. B.

What would be an appropriate barrel’s length? I’m think 17”. Is that too long for a true blunderbuss?

[bob in the woods]

For those interested, Tennessee Valley Manufacturing sells a .75 cal   14 in long blunderbuss barrel.
I know of a fellow who uses one for partridge hunting ,with some success.

[James Rogers]

Smokey,

Many original early pieces hadn't got the steep flare or muzzle rings.
Most had short barrels as well, not like the military musketoon.

Thank you, P. B.

What would be an appropriate barrel’s length? I’m think 17”. Is that too long for a true blunderbuss?

Not at all

[Smokey Plainsman]

For those interested, Tennessee Valley Manufacturing sells a .75 cal   14 in long blunderbuss barrel.
I know of a fellow who uses one for partridge hunting ,with some success.

I am aware and am not too crazy about the profile on that one, but it does seem like a great option.