Early Rifling Machine

[smokinbuck]

Looking at the rifling machine in another post I thought you might like to see mine. It came out of George Brammer's shop in Lawrence County, Ohio. Grammar worked in West Virginia as well as Ohio and transitioned from muzzle loading guns to cartridge guns. I believe this machine came from his shop but I think it was put aside, due to age, before Brammer ever used it.


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[Avlrc]

Wonderful.   You have a lot of reamers with it.  Thnkas for sharing.

[smokinbuck]

As a package, I also have a chunk gun made by Brammer while he was in West Virginia. As said, I doubt this machine was used by Brammer.

[Shreckmeister]

What period did Brammer work in?

[Avlrc]

What period did Brammer work in?

late 1888 to 1941..
https://www.aolrc.com/upload/files/February%202008.pdf

[Angus]

How many grooves and what twist?
What bit is used in the rifling heads, saw or file or ?? ?

I think I see a OTL sighter in the background. Pin sight?

Curious to see the Brammer chunk gun too.

[Daryl]

Thanks Mark- excellent "find" & score. Those lead over wooden rifling heads are quite interesting.

[Bob Roller]

Bill Large had a big drawer full of wooden rifling heads and I think Brammer made some barrels later than 1940 but I can't be sure.It could be he only rerifled some old ones in later years.There were others in this area like Wynn Woods and Claude Turner and Jack Weichold who I think was in or near Cincinnati.I'd  like to roll the clock back but that is the wish of many old men.Dave Taylor was another man in this area who either made or rerifled old barrels.

Bob Roller

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

The many small rods are most likely freshing rods.  I believe that I can see that the lead sections have the grooves from the barrels that were freshed.  the Fry brothers of Ligonier Pa also had very many freshing rods, kept for the next time the customer brought the rifle in for a freshing.  I would be interested to know what is written on what appears to be paper tape - these may refer to a particular rifle.

Jim

[smokinbuck]

Jim is correct, the heads are freshing heads a saw tooth design. As an aside, I have two original OTL guns by Elisha McCraner of Dark County one of which was lined by Weichold and Dave Taylor's personal .38 half stock. All of these are in 100% condition and shoot as well as when they were new. Bob, you are correct about Brammer working until, 1944. Before that he had transitioned into cartridge guns. I'll try to post better pics of the Brammer rifle.

[smokinbuck]

Brammer chunk gun, rear sight turned to expose signature. This rifle goes with the early rifling machine shown earlier. Note the adjustable front sight with screw pushers.