So a bunch of years ago, I bought a neat miniature gun... a 1/3rd scale replica of the Martin Aiken rifle that was presented to him and his boy soldiers after the Battle of Plattsburg. It's a Hall Rifle, which was America's first Breechloader. Also the first produced with gauge blocks and totally interchangeable parts.
Above is my miniature. And below is the stock plate on the miniature. This is the replica of the gun in the Battle Museum at Plattsburgh, NY.
For those not familiar with the story, a wonderful little book called "Nine Days a Soldier" tells the story of the boys who helped stop the British at Plattsburgh during the War of 1812. Baltimore and the burning of the White House were the distraction. The British sent 14,000 troops against 1000 militia at Plattsburgh with the intent of taking Lake Champlain and cleaving New England off of the United States to put everything from Montreal to New York City back under British Control.
They lost. A handful of militia, for lack of a better term, tore them to shreds in the woods of upstate New York. About 1200 Vermont militia rowed across the lake to back up the New Yorkers. Outnumbered 5 to 1, the Americans sent the British packing once and for all. A group of schoolboys, too young to enlist, formed a volunteer militia and, over 9 days, distinguished themselves to such a degree that the Commanding United States general promised to give them rifles as rewards for their heroism. It took almost 20 years go get Congress to cough up the rifles. But they were duly awarded. To each boy (now man) with a plaque attached.
I decided I need to make a full-size replica. The Rifle Shoppe makes a castings kit. So... I ordered that. Two years later, it finally arrived. And I started building the rifle a few weeks ago.
Here is the Breech casting. I'll need to get it engraved again. But I have the info.
^^^ This is a drawing of a Hall Conversion (caplock). I am building the original flintlock. But this shows a bit about how the mechanism works.
Here is a good picture of an original. I don't have a heck of a lot to go on.... prints are not available and there is only one set of gauge blocks that survives at Harpers Ferry Arsenal. And they won't loan them to me. Sadly.
Here's another picture of the mechanism.
Here's my metalwork, finally 'almost' closing on its own. I just silver soldered in the breech stop. And will finish lapping and filing the breech mechanism tomorrow.
These actually have somewhat of a 'snipery' history as these were issued to 'elite' units. Foragers. Rangers. Marksmen, etc. I think about 20,000 were made starting about 1819. And some (caplocks) were in use up to the Civil War. A lot in the Mexican War still in flintlock form. They are neat rifles and reflect how advanced the US Army really was in the early 1800's when the American System of Manufacturing was taking off.
Apparently some British officers who visited the Springfield Armory in the 1830's and saw American Manufacturing techniques were utterly terrified by the efficiency and capability. They went back to London and made such an impression that the British Government ordered a complete set of machine tools from... the USA.
Anyway, I'll post more as the progress continues. It's going to be a fun one to finish up! Though I won't do the stocking. I can't do compound curves to save my life.
Cheers,
Sirhr
Above is my miniature. And below is the stock plate on the miniature. This is the replica of the gun in the Battle Museum at Plattsburgh, NY.
For those not familiar with the story, a wonderful little book called "Nine Days a Soldier" tells the story of the boys who helped stop the British at Plattsburgh during the War of 1812. Baltimore and the burning of the White House were the distraction. The British sent 14,000 troops against 1000 militia at Plattsburgh with the intent of taking Lake Champlain and cleaving New England off of the United States to put everything from Montreal to New York City back under British Control.
They lost. A handful of militia, for lack of a better term, tore them to shreds in the woods of upstate New York. About 1200 Vermont militia rowed across the lake to back up the New Yorkers. Outnumbered 5 to 1, the Americans sent the British packing once and for all. A group of schoolboys, too young to enlist, formed a volunteer militia and, over 9 days, distinguished themselves to such a degree that the Commanding United States general promised to give them rifles as rewards for their heroism. It took almost 20 years go get Congress to cough up the rifles. But they were duly awarded. To each boy (now man) with a plaque attached.
I decided I need to make a full-size replica. The Rifle Shoppe makes a castings kit. So... I ordered that. Two years later, it finally arrived. And I started building the rifle a few weeks ago.
Here is the Breech casting. I'll need to get it engraved again. But I have the info.
^^^ This is a drawing of a Hall Conversion (caplock). I am building the original flintlock. But this shows a bit about how the mechanism works.
Here is a good picture of an original. I don't have a heck of a lot to go on.... prints are not available and there is only one set of gauge blocks that survives at Harpers Ferry Arsenal. And they won't loan them to me. Sadly.
Here's another picture of the mechanism.
Here's my metalwork, finally 'almost' closing on its own. I just silver soldered in the breech stop. And will finish lapping and filing the breech mechanism tomorrow.
These actually have somewhat of a 'snipery' history as these were issued to 'elite' units. Foragers. Rangers. Marksmen, etc. I think about 20,000 were made starting about 1819. And some (caplocks) were in use up to the Civil War. A lot in the Mexican War still in flintlock form. They are neat rifles and reflect how advanced the US Army really was in the early 1800's when the American System of Manufacturing was taking off.
Apparently some British officers who visited the Springfield Armory in the 1830's and saw American Manufacturing techniques were utterly terrified by the efficiency and capability. They went back to London and made such an impression that the British Government ordered a complete set of machine tools from... the USA.
Anyway, I'll post more as the progress continues. It's going to be a fun one to finish up! Though I won't do the stocking. I can't do compound curves to save my life.
Cheers,
Sirhr
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. Holland & Holland got a lead on other gunmakers by building brand new premises in the late 19th century and fitting out the workshops with the best machine tools they could obtain. They stayed there until early this century and reportedly only took one old machine with them to the new location, where they installed a number of CNC machines.
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