Don King Underhammer

[Dphariss]

This is an Billinghurst style underhammer pistol Don King built for a friend to shoot competition with. Complete with a Micro rear sight.
Don had it returned to him recently since the friend's eyes have deteriorated to the point he can no longer compete.
He also returned a Colt Navy copy Don had relined and put a rib on for sights.








Hard part is the hammer. Think Don said it only took 2-3 days to complete.
The "link" between the mainspring and hammer is simply a flat piece of steel.


Dan

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

That's a great pistol Dan, and thanks for posting pictures of it.  It's a good design, if hitting the target is important to you.  Are you reading this "Frizzen"?
I recognize the action from a book on underhammers in my library.  He did a great job in its manufacture, didn't he?  The hammer is quite exquisite.
Do I see only a full cock position on the hammer?  And no guard!  I like it!!

[Frizzen]

Why of course I'm reading this. Great pistol. I have some by Yazel, Lewis and Brakeage.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I knew you would - this is right up your ally.  I agree its a lovely pistol.

[Dphariss]

That's a great pistol Dan, and thanks for posting pictures of it.  It's a good design, if hitting the target is important to you.  Are you reading this "Frizzen"?
I recognize the action from a book on underhammers in my library.  He did a great job in its manufacture, didn't he?  The hammer is quite exquisite.
Do I see only a full cock position on the hammer?  And no guard!  I like it!!

If I can get a chance I will photo the underhammer, swivel breech pistol he made. I think he made several, but the only one I know of is quite some distance away.

Dan

[AeroE]

Is the mainspring link fixed to the hammer or the spring?

I found a sketch of an unhammer lock with the same feature; it looks odd in a shear view with no added information.

[Dphariss]

Is the mainspring link fixed to the hammer or the spring?

I found a sketch of an unhammer lock with the same feature; it looks odd in a shear view with no added information.

Not fixed except its captured in a groove in the spring and a groove in the hammer.

Dan

[AeroE]

Is the mainspring link fixed to the hammer or the spring?

I found a sketch of an unhammer lock with the same feature; it looks odd in a shear view with no added information.

Not fixed except its captured in a groove in the spring and a groove in the hammer.

Dan

Thanks, that's what I understood from the drawing.  This is a detail that surely seems like it's asking for unnecessary aggravation unless both grooves are fairly deep to contain the connector through the full range of motion.

[dannybb55]

I bet if you put a blob of iron on the rear of the trigger, sort of an S curve to it all, you could leave off the trigger spring. Have the trigger bear on the hammer spring???
 Also, could you build the whole thing into a trigger plate, sort of a super set trigger and pin the nose of it to a slot in the base of the tang? or mount the tang upside down and.........? etc? What about a flint mech?

[Dphariss]

Is the mainspring link fixed to the hammer or the spring?

I found a sketch of an unhammer lock with the same feature; it looks odd in a shear view with no added information.

Not fixed except its captured in a groove in the spring and a groove in the hammer.

Dan

Thanks, that's what I understood from the drawing.  This is a detail that surely seems like it's asking for unnecessary aggravation unless both grooves are fairly deep to contain the connector through the full range of motion.

Its been working since the 1960s.
It makes the linkup frictionless or nearly so.

Dan

[Dphariss]

I bet if you put a blob of iron on the rear of the trigger, sort of an S curve to it all, you could leave off the trigger spring. Have the trigger bear on the hammer spring???
 Also, could you build the whole thing into a trigger plate, sort of a super set trigger and pin the nose of it to a slot in the base of the tang? or mount the tang upside down and.........? etc? What about a flint mech?

On the swivel breech underhammer pistol he used his Hawken set trigger as the base lock work. The hammer was the extended (obviously) rear trigger and when cocked it set the trigger. It looped around the front trigger so the hammer was also a trigger guard.

The action shown is about as simple as it can be made.  It has engagement and over travel adjustment too as I recall.
Dan

[Dphariss]

Two more pics of the Don King underhammer.
Someone asked.
This is all the detail I can supply right now. Talked with Don today but this was not on the agenda.





Dan

[Acer Saccharum]

DP, it looks like trigger engagement and overtravel is adjusted by two screws in the tang. They can be seen in the top barrel flat view of the pistol, the second photo in your first posting.

[Dphariss]

DP, it looks like trigger engagement and overtravel is adjusted by two screws in the tang. They can be seen in the top barrel flat view of the pistol, the second photo in your first posting.

I am sure that is the case.


This was the only time I looked at it and visits with Don often see the conversation jump around a lot.

Shroud of Turin, swivel breeches and a few other things yesterday.

He was thinking about this modification while I was looking at the pistol but I don't think its been done.


Dan

[44-henry]

I purchased an antique Hilliard underhammer from TOW last spring that has an almost identical action. Apparently our ancestors weren't all that concerned about having a halfcock notch, but than again it probably wasn't all that necessary before the days of frivolous lawsuites.

[Dphariss]

I purchased an antique Hilliard underhammer from TOW last spring that has an almost identical action. Apparently our ancestors weren't all that concerned about having a halfcock notch, but than again it probably wasn't all that necessary before the days of frivolous lawsuites.

Percussion guns with no 1/2 cock are not uncommon.

The funny part is that its illegal to use a Hilliard design in some matches. Why I do not know. But UH are required to have the TG as a mainspring by some rules.
Apparently all UHs are illegal in the NMLRA state matches in WY.
Silliness.
Dan