Scrap Bin Underhammer

Through the years of writing this blog I have always tried to encourage you readers to design and build your own underhammer arms. While many of you may feel that you just don’t have the skill or machinery or ideas to build, some of you have risen to the challenge and have made some rather interesting underhammers which you have been so kind to share with me. Some of them were rather crude and not well thought out before starting the work, while others were better examples of careful planning before starting the building process.

I would like to share with you some work from one of our readers, Robert Bradley. Unlike some builders who start with a ready made underhammer action, Robert decided to build an action of his own design. He’s a machinist who enjoys tinkering with guns and states that it was pictures of underhammer guns in books at the library that inspired him to try his hand at building one of his own.

The Bradley Boot Pistol

 Although he is a machinist, Robert does not have access to much machine shop equipment. So, his design had to be simple enough for him to build without the advantage of the precision machinery that many people believe is necessary in order to fabricate an underhammer. He did most of the work with hand tools.

Top and side plates have been removed to reveal the heart of the action.

 

Robert claims that the design just sort of evolved as he started putting pieces of scrap material together. In fact, the ¼-inch flat bar that forms the one side of the "receiver" and the hammer, along with the sheet metal side panels, he retrieved from the scrap bin at work. 

Close-up of the hammer and nipple.

While Robert did contour his barrel, one would not have to do so if you didn’t have the machinery available. For that matter, you could take your seamless tube to a machine shop and have it turned to your favored contour if you really wanted a tapered barrel.

While studying the photos of Roberts boot pistol, you will appreciate his design more in understanding that his trigger is not of the typical form which pivots on a pin. Robert’s trigger actually slides fore and aft on a track. The front edge of the trigger body, or the “sear” as we might call it, slips into a slot in the hammer to captivate it in the cocked position. It’s a very simple and effective design which requires less precise angles than a typical hammer/trigger arrangement.

Bottom view reveals the trigger and its pusher spring to the rear of it.

The top-strap also serves as the rear sight.

 

Now that he’s proven the design with this prototype, I’m sure he will now refine it – like replacing the round-head screws with countersunk flat-head screws which will provide cleaner lines and sleeker appearance.He mentioned, too, that he wants to fit a stronger hammer spring. One thing I would strongly recommend is the addition of a flash guard over the nipple as this design is likely to spit cap fragments everywhere - especially into the trigger finger and his pals.

What’s up next on Robert’s design board? He mentions, “I work at a shop that stamps brass and other metals. I also got some 5/8" round stock today and think I'm going to make a pair of .36 caliber derringers out of it. I want something really compact, so, I'm probably going to go with a ring trigger and spring underhammer to keep them small.”

So, take a look at Robert’s boot pistol and see if it doesn’t spark an idea for you, too.

Thanks, again, Robert, for sharing your scrap bin boot pistol with us and good luck with the derringers. We'd like the see them when you're finished.

Cheers!

All photos copyright by Robert C. Bradley

New GOEX Blackpowder!

This just in off the wireless...

Media Release

GOEX® sets a new standard of precision with match grade black powder

 

Olde Eynsford 

 

Minden, Louisiana – November 2012- 

Goex® Powder Inc., for over 200 years the manufacturer of the only American made authentic black powder, sets a new standard of precision with the introduction of Olde Eynsford. 

 

This new gunpowder is painstakingly crafted with only select grade materials and precision refined processes. Its uniformly tight grain size ensures consistent shot to shot performance. In response to competitive demand, higher velocities are attained with Olde Eynsford. 

 

“ Olde Eynsford is ideal for cartridge and round ball competitors who demand precise shot placement at long distances” said Tim Vaitekunas, Chief Operating Officer of GOEX Powder, Inc. “We believe this is the finest powder we’ve ever made in consistency and increased velocity.” 

 

Look for Olde Eynsford in the plastic 1lb cans at GOEX® dealers everywhere in early 2013. For a complete listing of distributors visit www.goexpowder.com, call 913-362-9455, or write to GOEX ®Powder Inc, 6430 Vista Drive, Shawnee, Kansas 66218.

GOEX®, the Tradition Continues 

As one who prefers REAL blackpowder, I am eager to try this new offering from GOEX.

Cheers!

Adios to our friend, Wade Ingrham

Wade Ingrham

Wade Ingrham returned home

 I first met Wade back in 2006 when I had heard about his underhammer rifles. I looked him up and he informed me that he was retired and had locked up his shop. I encouraged him to get back in his shop and do what he loved to do - make more of his wonderful rifles. And so he did.

Recently, however, I received the following information from one of our readers, Barry Cook, who was kind enough to share this saddening news about our friend, Wade Ingrham. 

Mr. Renner,  I regret to inform you that Wade passed away on Saturday Sept 15, 2012.  I grew up with the Ingrhams and was (and still am) close friends with his sons. Wade and Irmalee were like my second parents to me as I was growing up in Midland, Texas. 

Anyway I had seen the post about Wade on The Underhammer Society blog a few years back and thought that this community would like to know about Wade's passing if not already.  I am blessed to have 2 of his underhammers (rifle & pistol) and have been in his shop many times over the past 50 years.

Wade was a true craftsman, fun to be with, lover of animals, tinkerer, Christian and a good friend.  I learned a lot about firearms from Wade and I'm thankful that I was able to see and visit him in July of this year.

Thank you, Barry, for sharing your experiences with us.

Here's a bit of Wade's story take from his obituary in the Midland Reporter Telegram:

Wade Ingrham, of Midland, was born on April 19, 1922, and left this earth on Saturday, September 15, 2012. He grew up in Peoria, Illinois, where he graduated from high school. 

Wade had a talent for machinery and he graduated from an extensive training school for professional machinists. He moved to California and acquired work as a machinist in 1941. At the outbreak of hostilities between the United States and Imperial Japan, Wade returned to Peoria and enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. Wade served during the war at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas. 

While in Del Rio, Wade met the love of his life, Irmalee Newton and they were married December 14, 1943. After being honorably discharged from the Army Air Corps, Wade moved to Midland, where he found work repairing office equipment. In 1947, Wade started his own office equipment business and retired from that industry in 1987. His many clients and customers remember him for his attention to detail and getting the right equipment for the job of his client, then maintaining it efficiently and cost effectively. 

Wade and his wife, Irmalee had been living in retirement since that time. Wade continued to enjoy his talent for fabricating implements and devices for his family and friends. His exceptional abilities extended to wood and metal working of many types. Wade is known across the nation for his unique and functional designs. 

Wade was extremely fond of the many dogs and cats he kept as companions for the family. Many of them were rescue animals. Also, Wade was a born-again Christian of the Baptist denomination and lived a life that was a testimony of his faith. 

You may recall my posts about Wade and his underhammer rifles. He was seriously addicted to underhammers of all sorts including underhammer flintlocks. Seen below is Wade firing his underhammer flintlock pistol, which worked flawlessly and according to Wade, had as fast an ignition as any cap-fired rifle.

Wade was a consummate experimenter and was also fond of underhammer harmonica rifles. The link below will take you to my earlier post where you can see Wade firing five aimed shots in less than 25 seconds from his harmonica rifle.

http://underhammers.blogspot.com/2009/07/wades-at-it-again-ingrhams-underhammer.html

The last time I talked with Wade we were brainstorming a three-shot 20-gauge harmonica shotgun. Now that would have been really interesting, but I guess we won't be seeing that one.

I am honored to have known Wade and to have been able to brainstorm with him over underhammer designs and to philosophize with him about this grand and beautiful journey - Life. Our sincere condolences to his family. He will surely be missed.

Here is another link to another earlier post on Wade's work. Take a look and I think you will agree that the man was a great talent.

http://underhammers.blogspot.com/2008/07/wade-ingrhams-underhammers.html

Via con Dios, mi amigo.

Underhammer Bolt Action Rifles? This is a joke - right?

Greene Breechloading Underhammer Rifle
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Clicking on the photos will enlarge them for closer viewing. Clicking the White X in the upper right corner will return you to the text.

When gun talk gets around to bolt-action rifles, the question might arise as to which one was the first U.S. military bolt action. Some might point to the Krag or perhaps the Winchester Hotchkiss or maybe the Remington Keene (don’t think those last two were ever really accepted by the Army). While all these designs were spawned in the late 1800s, there was one that preceded the earliest of them by at least a decade.

Those rifles mentioned were, of course, cartridge arms and this site is dedicated to muzzleloading arms and specifically those of underhammer design. So why in blazes are we talking about bolt action rifles!?

Well, prior to the War Between the States, there was an ingenious Army Colonel who apparently couldn’t sleep nights as he was obsessed with an idea for a new rifle for the Army. He must have reasoned that a rifle action based upon the bolt that held the outhouse door secure might work. His diligence brought us The First U.S. bolt action rifle – and it’s an underhammer at that! Yup, an underhammer bolt action.

Action with bolt in closed and locked position.

Patented on November 17, 1857, Greene's Breechloading Rifle, with its underhammer design and unusual .53 caliber oval-shaped bore, was the brainchild  of U.S. Army Lt. Col. J. Durrell Greene. Interestingly, Greene purchased the machinery for producing his oval-bored barrels from Charles Lancaster of London, England. Production of Greene's rifles began in 1859 and on through the early 1860s. Yes, that’s Civil War production.

Patented in 1857!

Greene’s rifles were manufactured by A. H. Waters of Millbury, Massachusetts with approximately 1,500 Greene Rifles being produced for sale in the United States. An additional 3,000 were made for the Russian government. Although the Greene was the first U.S. military bolt-action rifle, only 900 were actually purchased by the U.S. Army. But purchased they were and having had actual use in the war that gives the Greene the distinction of being the very first U.S. military bolt action rifle, according to the NRA Firearms Museum, www.NRAmuseum.com. 

As mentioned, the bore was .53 caliber with a barrel measuring 35" and an overall rifle length of 53.5". The design also included a bayonet and a buttstock compartment with trapped buttplate for holding cleaning accoutrements.

Action with bolt retracted for loading.

Unlike other percussion arms, these rifles required the percussion cap to be placed on a coned nipple that was located under the barrel. However, when the hammer was cocked there was nothing to hold the cap in place.  The result was that the cap could – and did - frequently fall off, often at rather inopportune moments.

(Of course, today we have solved that problem of the cap falling off the nipple in underhammer rifles with a very subtle redesign of the musket cap nipple - www.rjrenner.blogspot.com.)

Now here's where it gets really interesting. The Greene system required loading two bullets per shot. One of the bullets served as a projectile and one served as a gas seal. In the initial loading sequence, a bullet was inserted into the chamber, followed by a powder charge, then a second bullet was inserted behind the powder charge. No doubt the powder charge was contained in a combustible nitrated-paper cartridge. Don’t know that for certain, but just a logical guess. At least, that’s the way I would have done it.

The first bullet left the muzzle when the rifle was discharged, while the second remained in the breech to prevent propellant gasses from escaping past the bolt, thus sealing the chamber and breech. When the rifle was re-loaded, the former rear bullet was pushed forward into the bore, followed by another powder charge and a new "gas seal" bullet. The process would be continually repeated. Thus each bullet saw dual use - both as a breech gas seal, and as the projectile of the subsequent shot.

Clicking on this bottom view will allow you to see the striations on the nipple which helped secure the cap on the nipple.

We can imagine that the rifle would have been fast to load and fire (except when that pesky cap falls off the nipple - now where did that little bugger go?). The oval bore provided sufficient accuracy and it shot very clean without conventional rifling lands to catch the powder residue. What little bore-cleaning that was needed was done in a snap!  Aside from an occasionally dropped percussion cap, it seems that the rifle could sustain quite a formidable continuation of fire.

Quite ingenious really.

As to why the Greene didn't become famous for its role in the war as did all manner of other rifle designs, both good and bad, I can only surmise that it must have been politics - the bane of so many good ideas.

My thanks go to Ms. Caroline Simms at the NRA Firearms Museum for kindly arranging permission for us to share the photos of their prize with you readers. You can visit their site: www.NRAmuseum.com to see all the other amazing firearms in their fascinating collection.

BTW, if you come upon any other rare, weird, or otherwise interesting underhammers, please send me an e-mail with the link and we’ll see about sharing it with the readership.

As a little side note about underhammers, here’s a little quiz for you more scholarly types. Do any of you readers know what modern breechloading cartridge rifle is an underhammer action? If you think you know, click on the Comments link below and send your answer to me. I will post all the comments and see if anyone has figure it out.  Who knows, perhaps you know of some which I hadn’t yet considered.

We'll see.

Cheers!

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Underhammer history - a short version

While few modern shooters are aware of the underhammer system, those few who are familiar with it seem to know little or nothing about its origins. Contrary to popular belief, it did not begin with Hopkins & Allen. In fact, the original Hopkins & Allen company never made underhammer arms. But I’m getting ahead of the story…

As strange as it may seem, the underhammer principle has 18th century Germanic roots and was developed to improve flintlock ignition! At first thought that may seem rather ridiculous as anyone who has ever studied or fired a flintlock knows that the priming powder would simply fall out of a pan and frizzen mounted on the bottom of a rifle. And it is just that fact that resulted in instantaneous ignition in the new mechanism. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense…

At the moment that a bottom-mounted frizzen is opened by the upward swinging flint cock, the priming powder falls freely and becomes dispersed into a sort of little cloud in the immediate proximity of the meeting of flint and frizzen – and it is just at that exact moment that it is showered with sparks from the flint. The resulting upward flash is just fractions of an inch from the flashhole and ignition is virtually instantaneous – at least in comparison to the traditional method. Unfortunately, anything that deviated from the norm at that time in history was usually considered with suspicion as being inspired by the devil and best left alone. However, once percussion caps made the scene all that seemed to change.

"Traditional" sidelocks are rather complex mechanisms and require considerable skill in design and building. In fact, most locks were trade items imported from Europe as few American gunsmiths had the skill or machinery to manufacture gun locks. This set the stage for the development of the percussion underhammer system.

In the early 1820s Reverend Forsyth's percussion cap made its debut on this side of the pond and underhammer development  in the newly formed united States of America began with the issuing of the very first firearms patent for a production gun to Fordyce Ruggles on November 24, 1826. Due to a fire some patent files were destroyed. However there is good evidence and it is believed and accepted that the patent was for his underhammer pistol design which became the basis of so many copy cat designs of the following two decades. Unfortunately it was the copycats who gained greater fame than did Ruggles. But it all began with Fordyce Ruggles - the father of the American underhammer. Fordyce and his brother, Adin, set up shop in Hardwick, Massachusetts in December of 1825 and the rest, as they say, is history.

Interestingly, and unfortunately, there are many otherwise knowledgeable gun folks who seem to have a certain prejudice toward underhammer arms in general. Many claim that they're just not "traditional" like flintlocks and caplock guns. Well, it should be abundantly clear that underhammers are as traditionally American as is the lever action repeating rifle. The flintlock technology referenced as being "traditional" is not American-born and bred like Ruggles' underhammer design. Those inferior antiquated designs came over on the boat! What Ruggles offered was something completely unique and new.

With few moving parts, Ruggle's simple underhammer mechanism could be made by the frontier gunsmith or local blacksmith and with the addition of a piece of barrel, a serviceable firearm could be made rather quickly and inexpensively.

Our mate from down under, Terry, has written a nice piece about the Ruggles pistol which you may wish to check out here: http://underhammers.blogspot.com/2010/11/father-of-american-underhammer-system.html .

During that westward expansion there was a plethora of underhammer makers producing both singleshot and even a few repeating underhammer pistols throughout the settled East.

While underhammer pistols seem to have dominated the trade, there were a number of makers of rifles as well. Some displaying great care and skill in workmanship as seen in the example of one of Billinghurst's fine rifles, below. Many of these higher grade arms were very accurate target rifles and some were even used as sniper rifles in the War Between the States.


While many underhammers were simple, both in function and adornment, some designs were mechanically quite unique while others were downright gaudy. The one below displays both characteristics and is from an unknown maker. An interesting feature of this rifle is that the flip side bears decoration that is an exact mirror image of this side - including the patchbox lid!


Meanwhile, European gunsmiths were likewise discovering the virtues of the simple, rugged, and reliable underhammer action and also contributed much to its development.

Interestingly, virtually anyone who was anyone in the arms industry prior to 1860 seemed to have either an open or closet fascination with the simplicity and innate ruggedness of the underhammer mechanism. In fact, Jonathon Browning’s first commercial firearm was an underhammer!

Contrary to what many assume, not all underhammers were simple mechanisms. In fact, some designs, such as the Demeritt, were so complex and/or frail that one has to wonder, "What was he thinking?!"

Now I know that some of you are still waiting to hear about Hopkins & Allen and how they figure into all of this. During the 1950s and ‘60s interest in muzzleloading arms really picked up. Enter George Numrich of Numrich Arms. George had an idea that there would be a market for a simple, inexpensive muzzleloading rifle – and indeed there was. After studying some of the designs of the early underhammer makers, he decided to offer a version which combined features of some of the better aspects of those early designs along with a few twists of his own.

Having acquired the remaining assets of the old Hopkins & Allen manufacturing business - including the name - he graced his new offering with the old name and has confused shooters ever since.

For many years Numrich Arms was the only (visible) maker offering an underhammer rifle – and, yes, a pistol, too – and because so little was known of underhammers outside of collectors circles it was generally assumed that Hopkins & Allen, or Numrich Arms, invented them.

Despite the unintentional confusion generated by his application of the old H&A moniker to his own underhammer design, George made a tremendous contribution to the muzzleloading revival by providing a reasonably-priced, reasonably accurate, muzzleloading rifle which served to introduce tens of thousands of shooters to our sport.

His clever lockwork design was also one of the very few that incorporated a half-cock notch for safely carrying the piece afield. By and large, most underhammer designs of the past did not incorporate a safety notch in the hammer. Boy, would today's attorneys have a field day with that one, or what?

So now you have the story – or at least another page of it. The rest, as they say, is history. No pun intended.

For more underhammer history and trivia that is sure to make you the life of any party, you may wish to track down Herschel C. Logan's great book, THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE UNDERHAMMER GUN. It has been out of print for decades, but a good book locator may be able to track down a copy or you can try Amazon: www.amazon.com.

And for those of you who really need all the details on early underhammers, you will be pleased to learn of a new book by Nicholas Chandler, EARLY AMERICAN UNDERHAMMER FIREARMS. You can learn more about Nick's fine book here: http://underhammers.blogspot.com/2010/12/early-american-underhammer-firearms.html

Cheers!

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Allen Underhammer "Pocket Rifle"

We're back!

Probably one of the most recognized names in the field of muzzleloading arms is that of Ethan Allen. BTW, he is not the same Ethan Allen of the American Revolution fame. Our man was born in Massachusetts in 1806 – long after the guns of the revolution had cooled off.

While he initially worked under his own name, he formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, and together they formed the firm of Allen and Thurber and made several types of firearms. You may have seen the Allen and Thurber boxlock rifle in the form which was made and marketed as the Mowrey muzzleloading rifle. Allen later partnered up with Thomas Wheelock and together they made the Allen and Wheelock single action revolvers.

Ethan was also noted for his pepperbox revolvers, the precursor to the revolving cylinder single action as made prominent by Samuel Colt. He was also famous for his underhammer arms. Needless to say, Ethan Allen was a very busy man and prolific arms designer and maker.

Recently we discovered on the website of Collectors Firearms, www.collectorsfirearms.com , a very unusual and unique underhammer carbine which appears to be a First Model Allen “Pocket Rifle.”  We appreciate the permission of Collectors Firearms in being able to share this wonderful little rifle with you.

This pocket rifle features essentially the same mechanism as used on Allen's underhammer pistols and fitted with a buttstock. Most likely this combination was offered as a “buggy rifle”  being short and handy and quick to get into action. I'm sure the wood stock's added bulk may have given the little rifle much more presence and perhaps increased it's intimidation value toward unsavory types that one might meet on the road.

Following is the description of this nifty little pocket rifle as found on Collectors Firearms site: 

34 caliber rifle. Unusual, appears to be an Allen 1st Model Pocket Rifle except for the integral rifle stock. Gun has no markings except for "8.0" on bottom of barrel. Barrel is 8" overall length. Metal is very fine. No rust, stains or pits. Stock is very good plus with a small toe repair at butt plate. This is a most unusual Underhammer and beautifully made! $1,575.00 Item# AL3243.

If you are interested in acquiring this really unique underhammer firearm contact Collectors Firearms at: www.collectorsfirearms.com and be sure to tell them that you saw the Allen First Model Pocket Rifle (or so we all believe it to be) here on The Underhammer Society blog site. 

Now, on another note about Ethan Allen...
 

After all these decades there still is considerable confusion and ongoing misinformation regarding Ethan Allen’s underhammer arms and those recent models of underhammer arms that were made and marketed by Numrich Arms as “Hopkins and Allen” underhammers. The fact is that they are not even remotely related. 

The original Hopkins and Allen Arms Company was an arms manufactory based in Norwich, Connecticut and founded in 1868 by Charles W. Allen, (not Ethan Allen) Charles A. Converse, Horace Briggs, Samuel S. Hopkins and Charles W. Hopkins. Hopkins and Allen never made percussion underhammer firearms of any kind.

After much financial turmoil the company went bankrupt in 1916 and Marlin/Rockwell purchased its machinery, inventory and designs in 1917. Later, Numrich Arms gained control of the company name, Hopkins and Allen, which marked the beginning of one of the most confusing chapters in modern firearms history regarding underhammer arms.

During the muzzleloading revival of the 1950s, 60s and 70’s George Numrich of Numrich Arms/Gun Parts Corporation fame, determined that there would be a sizable market for an inexpensive and simple muzzleloading rifle. So they made one. It was a simple, rugged, and accurate underhammer design that looked promising. However, they felt that they needed a recognizable name to go with this new rifle and having the rights to the old Hopkins and Allen Arms Company trademark they applied the moniker to their new wonder. The result was that they have managed to confuse muzzleloaders ever since – even some otherwise knowledgeable shooters. I even heard of one person who was selling a Numrich H&A underhammer rifle who advertized that his rifle could be traced all the way back to Ethan Allen himself! Talk about creating provenance!

So, in conclusion here’s the straight skinny:

While Ethan Allen made underhammers, he never made furniture nor Hopkins and Allen underhammers. Furthermore, Ethan Allen had nothing to do with Hopkins and Allen and Hopkins and Allen never made underhammers. Numrich Arms made underhammers, but they were never really Hopkins and Allen and they never made Ethan Allen nor Hopkins and Allen firearms. And none of this has anything to do with Allen and Wheelock.

Now that should perfectly clear up the confusion. Right?

If you have any other questions, please refer to Nick Chandlers book, Early American Underhammer Firearms, which I have plugged further down the page  http://underhammers.blogspot.com/2010/12/early-american-underhammer-firearms.html and in the archives on this blog. Go to the lower right bottom of this page to access the Older Posts.

Cheers!

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Underhammers and alligators

Dear readers,

Sorry for the lapse in coverage of late. There have been many recent events that have required my full and undivided attention and The Underhammer Society has been left unattended. To put it mildly, I've been up to my armpits in alligators.

In addition to all the really important things that needed tending, I have also been working on some of the refinements to my beloved Faeton underhammer rifles. These are new design features that have finally made the transition from my doodling pad to 3D models ready for the mold-making process. This is an exciting part of the creation process for me and almost as much fun as building the further refined Faetons that I've been planning for my clientele. I do have some of the changes already displayed on my site if you care to take a look: www.rjrenner.blogspot.com

I do expect to have some new posts for you in the near future. However, there is still a lot of material here for many of you to peruse if you click on the Older Posts link at the bottom right of the page. You will find 5 years of posting in the archives for your underhammer reading pleasure. That's right - The Underhammer Society is now 5 years old and some of you have been faithfully following since my first post waaay back when. Thanks for your continued interest.

So, stick around - don't wander off too far and we should have some new and exciting material in the near future when things settle down a bit around here. Which reminds me to remind you readers to send in your photos of your underhammer projects so I can share them with our other readers. If you have a story that goes with the photos so much the better. Contrary to what many think about us underhammer guys, most of us are capable of reading, too. So, a story would be greatly appreciated although not mandatory.  Don't be bashful, just send them in and we'll go from there.


Cheers!

RJ Renner

Allan Foundry Late Percussion Sling Hooks Kit

Here's a little something that, while not strictly underhammer in nature, is rather useful an item which I now include as standard equipment on my 12-bore underhammer Carabine de Chasse dangerous game rifles. 

While hunting we would normally have our favorite muzzleloader in hand and at the ready for that moment when the perfect shot presents itself. Once the shot has been taken and the deed been done, suddenly our favorite rifle becomes just so much dead, awkward weight during the ordeal of getting our prize back to camp.

Of course modern rifles wear slings that make the job of toting it and freeing up your hands a piece of cake. Not so with muzzleloading rifles - unless, of course, you hunt with martial arms which normally would have a sling. However, sporting arms of the flint and percussion period usually didn't wear slings and finding attachment hardware is really a challenge if you want it to look at least somewhat right and be functional.

Allan Foundry & Manufacturing (you probably remember them from our Annual Underhammer Action Round-up - now in the Archives) now offers a complete kit to outfit your favorite underhammer rifle or other muzzleloader with sling rings and hooks.

The kits consists of two 3/8" "double wedding band" ramrod ferrules with integral hook rings, two sling hooks and a stock screw with the hook ring. While the photo shows the hooks polished and heat blued, the pieces are sold "as cast" and must be filed, polished and finished (heat-blued hooks look great) before installation.

Obviously, you file the sling hook ring off of one of the two ramrod ferrules. This provides you with two matching ferrules.  While intended for half-stock designs where the ferrule can be dovetailed into the rib, the dovetail could act as a tab that could be drilled through in the same manner as any other ferrule would be and the ferrule then pinned into a full-stock rifle as well.

The hooks are cast of spring steel and once you have them "pinched" so that they are a tight fit when slipping into the loops, they will not fall off the gun. The real beauty of these hooks is their quick attachment feature which allows you to carry the rifle without the sling attached while hunting. The sling can be rolled up and carried in your coat pocket. Once you've downed the game, just attach the sling and you can sling the rifle across your back leaving your hands free.

While intended for later percussion sporting rifles, these hooks are also appropriate for cartridge guns all the way up to the early 1900s and in fact look very similar to the old and now rare Winchester sling hooks. 

The kit is a real bargain at $34.95 postpaid and is available by sending a check or postal money order to Allan Foundry & Manufacturing, 2784 Highway 23, Brook Park, Minnesota 55007. Allow lots of time for delivery as Pete is usually up to his armpits in alligators in trying to fill orders.

Be sure to tell him that you read about it on The Underhammer Society site.

Cheers!


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Bump Underhammer Pistol/Knife

Multi-function gadgets catch my attention when properly done. It seems that we all have a certain fascination with things that emulate the utilitarian efficiency of the famous Swiss Army Knife.

Occasionally someone gets a bright idea to combine an eggbeater with a vacuum cleaner and a ceiling fan and we all wonder, What the hell was he thinking?!”  However, once in a while there are some wonderful ideas that come down the pike that combine the right elements in the right form to provide the right function and we instantly recognize them as being ingenius.

The Bump Pistol/Knife is just such an item. Made by Bruce Bump, Master bladesmith with the American BladeSmith Society, these pistol/knives are exquisite pieces of functional art. 

Pistol knives are not anything new. They've been around since the earliest days of firearms when cannoneers mounted shorter barrels on a short pike to create " handgones." Mounting a bayonet on the piece seemed logical and so the first pistol/knives were born. That may be an oversimplification of the history and I do apologize to our history buffs if the facts aren't quite sterling, but you get the point.

Be that as it may,  rarely do we see pistol/knives constructed with an underhammer lock. Most designs utilize a top-mounted hammer in a boxlock mechanism or the typical sidehammer on a conventional lock. But Bruce must have been afflicted with underhammeritis when he created these beauties.

Once you get past the initial awe of overwhelm, closer study of his lockwork components reveals that Bruce uses a two-piece hammer wherein the “head” of the hammer is a separate piece which appears to be pinned to the body of the hammer. This is a great idea as one can cut the flat hammer body from steel plate and then fashion the hammer head of any size or of most any form you wish. Once it’s to your liking, you simply attach it to the hammer body.

Even after studying these photos for considerable time while putting this feature together, I must admit that I’m still compelled  to ogle them for greater detail. Bruce’s execution is flawless. I guess that’s why he is rated as a Master Bladesmith.

Bruce writes, “I have a touch of underhammeritis, too, (I thought so!) and really glad I'm not alone. Most all my information is from a book I found at our local used book store entitled "THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE UNDER-HAMMER GUN" by Herschel C. Logan. I tried my best to use the Cook design with one of my guns. I'm a MasterSmith with the American BladeSmith Society and love knives as well and have made only 10 guns total with 4 using the underhammer firing mechanism although they also house a damascus folding knife blade.”

Wouldn't it be swell if Santa brought each of us one of these!!!

Here is an exploded view of some of the components that comprise Bruce's artistry.

I want to also draw your attention to the other artists who are featured here. That is the photographers, Jim Cooper, of SharpByCoop Photography,  www.SharpByCoop.com who was so gracious in allowing us to use his first-class photos for this feature and Eric Eggly of Point Seven Gallery. Without their sharp eye and professional skill with a camera, we couldn't fully appreciate the talent of Bruce Bump. Our thanks to both of these men for sharing their amazing talents with us.

So, dear readers, I bid you all Happy Holidays as I now sign off for this bizarre year of 2011 and leave you with this fond reminder of more simple and innocent days gone by. 

Enjoy, but, please be careful or...

you'll shoot your eye out!

Cheers!

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New Google Picture Format

Dear friends,

Thank you for your interest in The Underhammer Society.

In the past few years that I have been writing and publishing this blog the format as provided by Google and Blogger has remained the same in regard to viewing the pictures featured with each post. In the past you could click on the photo and it would enlarge in a separate window for closer viewing. To return to the text you would simply click the Back arrow at the upper left corner of your screen.

Unfortunately Google has now decided to change the format in which pictures are presented. And, oh by the way, they didn't bother to notify me of this change. So now when you click on the photo you will be rewarded with the enlarged view, but you must click the WHITE X in the upper right corner of the screen to return to the text.

If you click the Back arrow as you did in the past you may be taken on a wild trip outside of this blog and you will have to find your way back again. This has happened to several of our readers who became frustrated when they were kicked out after having enjoyed the enhanced version of some of the photos. 

If by some chance you do click the Back arrow and are taken somewhere else, your computer might allow you to come back if your click the Forward arrow in the upper left of your screen - at least if does so with Firefox.

As you read some of the older posts you will be reminded of the OLD WAY to return to the text. Please disregard those instructions and follow the new instructions posted above. There are just so many references to the old method that I can't go back and edit them all.  Sorry, but that's the way it is.

Other than for that glitch, I hope you are enjoying this blog. Please stay tuned as I have new material on the way. Lately I've been up to my armpits in alligators and just have not had the time to focus on the blog. So those of you who need your underhammer fix for the month will have to hang on just a little bit longer.

I know it's going to be tough, but I'll leave you in the capable care of our official underhammer society nurse who may help you find comfort during the wait.

Cheers!

RJ Renner

PS:

While we're all here, let's practice the new way of enlarging the pics and returning to the text.

Please click on the photo of Nurse Bambi to enlarge her to her full potential. Now, notice in the upper right corner of the black picture-viewing screen there is a WHITE X. Just click on the X and you will be returned to the text.

See how simple that was?! Nothing to it.

Now let's see if you can remember to do that all the time as you revisit some of the those older posts, which BTW, you can get to the archives by going to the bottom of the page where on the right side there is a link to Older Posts. Click it and enjoy.


Yes, we're finished now and you can go back and enlarge Nurse Bambi and tell her all about your underhammeritis symptoms. If you're not sure if you have underhammeritis, there is a feature further down the page where Nurse Bambi is shown full size. You don't even need to click on her for full enjoyment.

I know you'll be just fine until I get the next story posted.

Cheers!

PPS:  Also a reminder that if you have an underhammer story or photos of your underhammer project, or a link to an interesting underhammer arm, I would happy to share them with our readers. Just drop me a line at:
underhammers@safe-mail.net and we can discuss it.

Forsyth Rifling - Forgotten Magic

Well, it’s about time again for my annual plug for Forsyth rifling. For those of you who are new to this blog, with your continued reading you will learn that I am a devout prophet of the Forsyth system of rifling gun barrels, having proven its advantages in the course of building over 200 Forsyth rifles of various calibres.

Lately there seems to be a bunch more hub-bub about Forsyth rifling as muzzleloaders everywhere begin to discover the truth about big-bore round balls and their superiority over other projectiles for taking down big game - dead - with one clean shot.

There’s also a lot of misunderstanding as to what Forsyth rifling is, does, and how it works. For those of you who are not yet familiar with the brainchild of Lieut. James Forsyth and wishing to learn more, just send me an e-mail request - underhammers@safe-mail.net - and I will be very happy to e-mail to you a pdf version of his wonderful book, The Sporting Rifle and Its Projectiles.

Lest I steal his thunder and your enjoyment of his book, let me just touch on the subject of his rifling methods.

Hey, slow down!

In a nutshell Forsyth rifling features very narrow lands and wide, shallow grooves cut at a very slow pitch of 1 turn in 100 to 144 inches – the exact twist being the result of considering certain other factors. There are some barrel makers who offer slower twist rifling, but slow twist alone does not a Forsyth barrel make.

In coming to an understanding of this concept one simple truth must be clearly understood - that is the round ball, being a perfect geometric form, requires very little spin to stabilize its flight. And, the larger the diameter of that round ball even less spin is required. While a 48-inch twist works in .36 or .45 calibre, it limits the full potential of a larger round ball. Again, the larger the ball, the slower the spin needed to keep it on a straight path. However, there are certain limitations with Forsyth rifling, too.

Clicking on the photo will enlarge it for a closeup view of the rifling.
Clicking the Back arrow will return you to the text.

To really appreciate the significance of our re-discovery of Forsyth’s research it must be understood that he postulated those wonderful concepts about the optimum rifling for muzzleloading hunting rifles way back in the mid-1800’s. Yes, it’s been around that long. Unfortunately, the first edition of his book was printed in 1863 in England and by the time his revolutionary concepts made it across the pond and to the far flung game fields of the world, cartridges had made their debut and no one cared much anymore about muzzleloading performance. His work and his book were lost in history.

The fact is that Forsyth had overcome all of our modern day objections and complaints about muzzleloading rifles over 150 years ago!

Forsyth is for hunters

It should be understood that the advantages of Forsyth rifling are intended for the big game hunter in the field where shooting over unknown distances may be the norm. We burn lots of powder in our big bore hunting rifles which is not an objective of the competitive muzzleloading crowd.

Could you accurately guesstimate the range of this deer within 10 yards? 

A mistake of a mere 10 yards at this distance with most muzzleloaders 
can mean mortally wounding and losing the animal.

Because of the very slow twist that is used in properly made Forsyth barrels, there is very little fouling of the bore – hence, easy reloading and clean up. And, by virtue of those very narrow lands, loading a proper-sized ball and patch is easily accomplished with thumb pressure alone; then seated on the powder with an easy stroke of the loading rod. In my own experience, a ball that is .020" smaller than the bore diameter, wrapped in a Wonder Lubed patch of .010" - .012" and using a Wonder Wad over the powder provides the best results.

If extreme accuracy is required you can increase the ball diameter, or better yet, the patch thickness, as a thicker patch holds more lube. However, the tighter the fit of the ball and patch in the bore, the more difficulty you'll encounter in seating the ball into the muzzle. For me, I'm rather lazy and I like to keep things simple and would sacrifice an inch of accuracy at 100 yards for the convenience of loading a quick follow up shot without any extra gadgets - like a short starter. But that's just me.

The question frequently comes up as to how small a ball will still work. In my own experience in building and testing Forsyth rifles of various large calibers, I have determined that the smallest diameter ball that will still provide the advantages of Forsyth rifling is .58 calibre. At 270 grains, the round ball has just enough weight and mass to travel straight and true at high velocity with as little spin as 1 turn in 100 inches of rifling twist.

Now, some will argue that you don’t need extreme velocity - translate as “power” - for hunting most game when using a large round ball. And while that is true in many cases, it is not extreme power that we are seeking. Bullet drop is a function of time. So, the quicker we get the ball to the target, the less time gravity has to act upon it. The advantage of high velocity that we are seeking is a flat trajectory. Extreme knockdown power is just an incidental benefit.

The bullet path on the chart above illustrates that the .62 Faeton with 
Genuine Forsyth Rifling shoots very flat to 120 yards.

Many muzzleloading rifles produce such curved trajectories due to the limitations on velocity based upon their faster rifling twist that any shot much beyond 80 yards requires very accurate range estimation and proper holdover if you are going to deliver that small diameter ball into the vitals of a game animal. Not so critical with a properly loaded Forsyth rifle. With some typical muzzleloaders a miscalculation of 15 yards out there past the 75-yard mark can mean the difference between delicious venison chops and a long and grueling search for a wounded animal. 

There are those of the in-line crowd who claim that their sub-caliber high velocity bullets shoot pretty flat to 200 yards. While that may be true, remember that with each foot of distance their bullet travels from the muzzle, the more energy they are losing. That is the same energy needed for the proper expansion of their elongated bullet. Ipso facto, the further from the muzzle their bullet gets the less its potential to expand.

Not so with a big round ball. Yes, the further the round ball gets from the muzzle the more velocity it loses, too. However, the big difference is that the big round ball will always be at least its own diameter regardless of distance from the muzzle. Bottom line is that my big round ball starts out larger than their elongated bullet can even hope to expand to under ideal conditions. This is definitely a case where less in NOT more.

When hunting bigger game the greater energy that results from the higher velocity of our big round ball really puts big game down like it was struck by the hammer of Thor. If you’ve never hunted with a big round ball pushed at high velocity, you just can’t imagine the effectiveness.

It’s also important to understand that the effectiveness of that one shot is the result of shooting for bone. Many smaller-caliber hunters realize that the balls or bullets they shoot don’t have the mass and weight to break big and heavy structural bones and have been taught to shoot soft tissue instead. But, the fact is that shooting the shoulder will generally put the animal down on the spot and allow you time to reload a coup-de-grace for the final dispatch - if even needed. And, shooting the shoulder with a big round ball does not destroy a lot of meat as is believed based upon the same shot taken with a high intensity centre-fire rifle. Besides, who of you is so destitute that you can’t sacrifice a few pounds of meat for the sake of a clean and humane kill? Think about it.

 

The reason for such effectiveness is that the large ball not only transmits tremendous shock by virtue of its large frontal surface, but also breaks the large bones of the shoulder joint into secondary missiles which then penetrate the heart and lungs. This, by the way, is the same shot one should take at dangerous game - the idea being to immediately disable the animal rendering it less likely to get to you before you can reload.

BTW, another little known advantage of Forsyth barrels is that they will shoot hard lead balls with the same fine accuracy as dead-soft lead. That’s right. Because of that slow twist, we don’t need a hammer-tight fit of ball and patch in the bore to the point where the weave of the patch imprints into the ball.

When you are up against bigger and tougher game, balls cast of wheel weights work well in breaking big bones. I have even shot straight linotype balls with great accuracy. However, it is always better to use a temper of lead that will still allow expansion in game. After all, we want every advantage we can muster when it comes to quickly and humanely dispatching the animal.

Are you really going to eat that?

The idea of that one shot kill - dead in its tracks - is very important if you plan to serve that animal at the table. There is nothing worse (in my humble opinion) than adrenaline-soaked meat. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found any German venison gravy or French sauce recipe that will effectively mask a seriously funked piece of venison.

When I was a boy I had the good fortune of growing up on my grandparent’s cattle ranch.  At an early age I learned that when you are getting a steer or hog ready for butchering, you don’t run it around the corral and get it all heated up before plugging it. If it did get spooked and panicky, you walked away and came back later when it was calm again and then did the deed.  

The same applies to game. If you don’t use enough force to put the animal down dead with that first shot, and it takes off into the next zip code, you won’t want to eat it - if you manage to recover it.

Hal Sharon - Pioneer of modern Forsyth rifling

My first introduction to Forsyth rifling was from that grand old man of muzzleloading, Mr. Hal Sharon. Some of you old timers will remember Sharon Rifle Barrel Company of Kalispell, Montana. I met Hal and his lovely bride, Annie, at an NRA Show back in the mid 1980s.  He became my mentor in this muzzleloading game and I miss him greatly.

He shared then with me the fact that he had been experimenting over the past 20 years with a forgotten type of rifling that made muzzleloading rifles safely shoot like a magnum. He didn’t explain it in detail until 10 years later in 1995 when I told him that I was starting Pacific Rifle Company to build custom underhammer rifles.

Hal asked what calibers I would offer and I told him that I wanted to provide “big-bore” hunting calibres, such as .50 and .54 to my customers. He then told me to find a copy of Forsyth’s book, The Sporting Rifle and Its Projectiles and to study it before I made my decision about calibres. Hall suggested that I start with .62 calibre and go up from there!

After reading the book I was both stunned and excited at what I had learned! It violated all the conformant wisdom that I had acquired up to that point about muzzleloading rifles. Could it really be so?  I mean, seriously, if this was such a good idea, how come the mainstream gun manufacturers and muzzleloading barrel makers weren’t offering guns and barrels that would provide such amazing performance?

Hall insisted that Forsyth rifling really did work and he had proven it himself many times. So, based upon his assurance, I decided that my prototype rifle would have a Forsyth barrel. Problem was, Hal was no longer making barrels and the barrel makers that I contacted responded as though I was totally whacked.

One prominent barrel maker of the time told me flat out that he knew such a concept was nonsense and he wouldn’t waste his time making barrels that he knew wouldn’t work. While another well-known maker claimed that he was aware of Forsyth rifling; however he railed at me saying, “you don’t need 200 grains of powder to kill game with a .62 calibre rifle”, adding that “80 grains of powder in a .62 will kill anything on this continent.”

He wouldn’t fill my order, either.

Thankfully, I was informed about a new barrel maker in Missouri who might be willing to work with me.  I called Bill Moody and explained the concept and after a bit of thought he immediately tracked down a copy of Forsyth’s book and started studying this seemingly crazy notion.

I told him that I wanted a .620" bore, .630" across the grooves, 8 lands at 1:5 ratio with a twist of 144 inches.
After a bit of collaboration on the specs, he agreed to make a prototype barrel for me. My resulting Zephyr performed EXACTLY as Forsyth and Hal said it would – flat shooting, hard hitting, yet mild of recoil, easy loading, easy cleaning, and accurate!

Due to the very slow twist of a properly made Forsyth barrel, there is very little fouling of the bore – hence, easy clean up. And because of the very narrow lands, loading a proper-size ball and patch is easily accomplished with thumb pressure alone; then seated on the powder with an easy stroke of the loading rod. No short starter or any other gadgets needed.

No magic, just simple science and good engineering. Eventually we quickened the twist to 1:104" to accommodate less than full power loads with greater accuracy and went on to successfully make underhammer Forsyth rifles of .58, (24-bore), .62, (20-bore), .72 (12-bore) and .82 (8-bore) which covered the full spectrum of hunting needs for anything on the planet. The rest, as they say, is history.

 The Zephyr was the first production rifle in history to offer Genuine Forsyth Rifling as a standard feature.

Today, there are more Forsyth rifles in the form of the Zephyr, and now, the new Faeton, 
than any other rifles in the world.

 

How about a Forsyth shot gun?

As a little side line, another handy feature of Forsyth rifled barrels is that you CAN shoot shot from them. The extremely slow twist does not seem to adversely affect the pattern too much and delivers about cylinder-bore patterns out to 20-25 yards. However, load that shot into a turkey ranger wad with a tuned droge as made by Stuart Emery and you can deliver a pretty tight pattern waaay beyond what anyone would believe possible from a rifled bore.

 Yes, it does look somewhat obscene, but it works like a charm!

Of course you’re not going to use your Forsyth rifle as your primary shotgun – unless, of course, you do set it up for turkey hunting with the turkey ranger wads and the droge. But, while on the hunt it will put a fool hen into the camp stewpot while you’re out after bigger game. (see my PS below for more info on the wads.)

Now back to the story…

Unfortunately, after 12 years of supplying me, one day Mr. Moody just locked the door of his shop and went fishing never to make barrels again. I was in a real pickle.

Since then I have worked with another company who has produced several Forsyth barrels to my specs for my new Faetons. Unfortunately, they are too busy making normal barrels and don’t have time to fuss with a few Forsyth barrels for cantankerous old crackpots like me.

Rice Barrel Company to the rescue!

A bit over a year ago I was discussing my dilemma with Jason Schneider of Rice Barrel Company, www.ricebarrels.com, and sent him a copy of Forsyth’s book. While he was interested and intrigued by the concept, he explained his production schedule did not allow him time to venture off in a new direction. However, he did continue thinking about it.

In a recent conversation with Jason, he informed me that Rice Barrel Company will soon be producing a limited run of Forsyth barrels. The new tube will be .62 calibre with the following specs:

Internal

Bore:……………...... .621"

Groove to groove...... ..631" - .633"

8 grooves @ 5:1 ratio

Twist 1:104”

External

Swamped barrel:

31" long

Breech ................1 1/8"

waist.................... .890”

Muzzle..................1.020”

Tapered barrel

Length ................32"  - 34"

Breech ...............1 1/8"

Muzzle................1"

The cost of these high quality barrels is estimated at $250.00 - $275.00 plus an additional $20 or so for shipping and handling. Believe me, that's a bargain.

If you are considering building a true Forsyth rifle, I know you won’t go wrong with a Rice Forsyth Barrel. While the Forsyth tube is not yet listed on their website you can place your order directly with Jason by calling him at: (336) 492-2614  or e-mailing him at:  blackpowder@ricebarrels.com.

This will be a one-time run for now and the expected delivery is sometime in January of 2012, so don’t wait and think about it too long before you get in line.

BTW, tell Jason that you learned about it from The Underhammer Society.

Cheers!

PS: Turkey Ranger Wads - Since first publishing this post I have had several inquiries regarding the turkey ranger wads mentioned above and where they can be purchased. The technical name is: DST-20 wad and they are available from Ballistic Products - www.ballisticproducts.com/CSD-20ga-Steel-wad-UNslit-250_bag/productinfo/0207020/     

Ballistic Products also offers several shotgun slugs that should also work well with Forsyth rifled barrels. I put the bug in their ear to send me some and I'll report back to you my results if their PTB agree to the scheme.

If you contact Ballistic Products be sure to tell them that you read about it on The Underhammer Society site.

Additional information on Genuine Forsyth Rifling can be found at: http://rjrenner.blogspot.com/p/forsyth-rifling.html.

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