Plans for the scale model Gatling Gun

[Get-The-Lead-Out]

My dad has been a machinist for nearly 40 years at the Timet Corp where they produce titanium. He's now getting ready to retire and will need a project to keep him from becoming a couch potato and since I am a very loving son, I thought what better way to do that than for him to make the scale version of the 1874 Colt Gatling Gun for his son I have found 2 sites that offer the schematics http://www.modelgatlinggunplans.com/index.html ...and... http://www.gatlingguns.net My dad already has the machinery to make the parts and so my question is has anyone here made this gatling gun themselves and is there anything we should know before buying the plans and materials to make this gatling gun.

[dbosman]

Can you scale it to fire some standard reloadable cartridge?

[M-Tecs]

The only ones I have seen are 22LR. A 9mm or 45 ACP would be fun.

[Loudenboomer]

Very nice. It would be interesting to know if you will need a rimed cartridge. 38 special comes to mind. What is the scale?

[labradigger1]

Awesome!
Have him make it 100% scale with 45/70. GET SOME!

[Get-The-Lead-Out]

Can you scale it to fire some standard reloadable cartridge?

All I have seen is the .22LR and .22 Short rim fire for these 2 particular Gatling guns. I have sent both sellers a message asking if they have the plans for 9mm since I might want a little more fire power than just the .22 cal but a couple weeks later and I still haven't received a reply. Most likely the main reason these were made with the .22 cal in mind was to make shooting 100's of rounds per minute budget friendlier than shooting 100's of rounds per minute using 9mm or other size rounds

[Get-The-Lead-Out]

Very nice. It would be interesting to know if you will need a rimed cartridge. 38 special comes to mind. What is the scale?

Quoted from their website "Purchase highly detailed CAD drawings on prints or CD-ROM (.pdf format) that contain rendered isometric or 3-D views of all parts, to build a historically detailed 1/3 scale model of a Colt 1874 Gatling Gun."

[country gent]

I would think a 32 S&W would be doable. Might take some trial and error on some parts

[Get-The-Lead-Out]

I would think a 32 S&W would be doable. Might take some trial and error on some parts

Yep, any caliber is definitely doable but the problem with attempting to make a different caliber than what the schematics are based on will be a costly and time consuming task considering the cost of brass and other materials that have gone out of this world. So if we undercut a particular part, it wouldn't be a problem since we could go back and machine it to the correct size, but if we overcut a part then we have to start all over by purchasing more stock and then the work of machining it.

[John Taylor]

A couple years back I ordered a set of plans and never received them. Can't remember where I ordered them but the price was $75.

[scarry scarney]

I ordered the plans from one of the websites. Yes, I received the CD. Have never built the gun. Not sure if I have that kind of talent, much less the equipment to make the gun. At the time, I recall that some parts were available, but too costly for me.

Every now and then, I pull out the CD and dream......

[JWT]

The only ones I have seen are 22LR. A 9mm or 45 ACP would be fun.

Mechanism is really designed for a rimmed cartridge. 38 or 44 would be interesting.

[M-Tecs]

Mechanism is really designed for a rimmed cartridge. 38 or 44 would be interesting.

The mechanism of the Gatling gun was originally designed for .58 caliber Springfield Rifle-Musket's PAPER cartridges. The paper cartridges were inserted into primed steel case/chamber. http://www.victorianshipmodels.com/a...tling1862.html

The Gatling gun design does not care if it's rimmed or not as shown by the M134 Minigun and auto-cannons like the GAU-8 used in the USAF's A-10.

I helped a friend build a 22LR version and I made a bunch of the steel chambers for a 1862. Unlike the original that used percussion caps these used 209 primers.



The US Gatling gun cartridges are below:

The Gatling gun cartridge family is very interesting. This doesn't include the self contained chamber for the 1862 or the 577/450 for the Brits or the 7x57mm Mauser, 10.75x58R Russian, 11.15x58R (.43) Spanish Remington and the 11.15x60R Mauser for various foreign sales.

1. 58-caliber rimfire conical ball-Model 1865. Post Civil War.

2. 1" rimfire conical ball-Model 1866. PCW.

3. 50-70 caliber 1866 to 1871. PCW.

4. 45-70 caliber 1874 to 1892. PCW.

5. 30-40 caliber 1893 to 1900. PCW

6. 30-03 caliber 1903. PCW.

7. 30-06 caliber 1903 to 1906. PCW

[sharpshooter3040]

I built one of these it fires 22 short. Has some issues it is a cool model though but the bearings where it attaches to the breech casing is thin and will break from the firing pin spring pressure. Also the extractor is intrgal to the bolt and is a pna to make reliable. As far as authentic goes it's a very Fun project and was very challenging . As far as function goes not so good. The "RG" model is more functional and easier to acquire parts for. It was a good learning experience for me. Now I'm gathering parts to build a I'll scale bulldog model chambered in 45 long colt or 45 acp that's cheaper to shoot than a 45/70


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Get-The-Lead-Out]

I ordered the plans from one of the websites. Yes, I received the CD. Have never built the gun. Not sure if I have that kind of talent, much less the equipment to make the gun. At the time, I recall that some parts were available, but too costly for me.

Every now and then, I pull out the CD and dream......

Thanks for the reply Would you consider making a copy of the cd for me... before I spend any money of buying the plans on paper I wanted to view the diagrams with my dad and see if this particular model is the one we will be spending 2-3 years of our time to gather materials and machining the parts.

[kywoodwrkr]

I currently have a block of aluminum rolling about in front of rear car seat.
Have copies of plans and documentation in PDF form so I can access when creating machining drawings.
Plans call for brass carrier block, we are going to use aluminum first, and then brass or steel.
This project is so far back in line I can't even see its little 'to-it' flag.
Barrels are made by using 22 barrel liners inside steel tubing. 10 barrels, can use 5 liners.
There are 'known' problems with some dimensions etc from original drawings.
Have not been able to obtain a definitive list of these.
Forum on the RG model speak of a list, couldn't get response as to where it was, or how to get consolidated documentation of inaccuracies.
Don't know if they are show stoppers or not. Evidently not as they do get finished.
From prices observed for finished gun, I'd say folks are very proud of their item.
And now you've done it!
I'll probably spend today bringing this back up temporarily to front of 'to-it' line!
Then, when I can't get machine time, it will fade again.
These are not public domain so plans and instructions are copyrighted.

[johnson1942]

they used to be sold in 30/40 krag and 45/70 and i cant for the life of me remember who built them or sold them. the cost was 40 thousands dollars. its possible that buffalo arms sold them but not for sure. the suggestion of 38 special sure sounded like a good cal. going to cost a bundle in money for ammo. one thing for sure, if your father builds it as good as a machine like that can be built it will be worth some money and he could turn a good dollar as a retirement business making them. there are always guys with money to spend on something like that.

[Texas by God]

Not to hijack but back when Cheaper Than Dirt got started they had a working shop made Gatlinesque gun made from 8 SKS barreled actions fitted with 30 rd AK type mags. As you cranked the handle each gun rotated to the top and got its trigger pulled. It was cool as all get out- just the timing must have taken forever to get right. The firing gun was upside down when it fired.
Best, Thomas.

[Wayne Smith]

A couple of years ago Colt sold them. I saw the ad. 45/70 and yes, I think about $40,000.

[Chill Wills]

This is what greets you when you come in the front door! It is full scale.
It is a homemade gun from castings and plans. 45-70. A thrill to crank a ten round burst!
In the picture is my son 4 years ago and the man who built it. It took him a few years to complete. He got drilled barrel blanks and rifled them. Some of the first outings to test fire were not all that satisfying. He said it took a lot of re-engineering to make the gun reliable.
Perseverance!

One of the 22rf scale plan sellers was a shooting friend.... sorta. He lived just north of Raton, NM. I would see him at the Whittington Center BPCR matches 15+ years ago. (not the man in the picture) I heard ETOH ended his life early and I do not know what became of his plan selling business.