Underhammer Project

[Boz330]

Started this project last winter and just finished it up. Since my eyes are old I put an aperture sight on it. Originally I was going to fabricate one but when I saw this one from ML builders supply I jumped on it. I was really pleased with the Laurel Mountain browning solution, easy to use and spectacular results. A true brown.
The first hits were high but on the paper at 25yd. Had some ignition problems so never quite got it sighted in.

Bob

[Reg]

Very nice !!

[John Taylor]

Well done!

[BPJONES]

Very nice. What caliber? I keep toying with the idea of building an under hammer.

[oldracer]

Wow, that looks really nice. I have a H&A 58 caliber and it fires okay using a #11 nipple and magnum caps. I have one I made, a 45 caliber that had some ignition issues, not sure why, maybe because of wiping between each shot with a wet and a dry patch? I started using a Mag Spark adapter with 209 primers and no more issues. It also keeps the blow by off my arm and hand when shooting off hand.

[JavelinaBlanco]

Love a good ole browned ML, nice job

[waksupi]

Sweet!

[Boz330]

Thanks! I think the issue was cleaning between shots. It is a 50Cal. It came from Deer Creek back when the old man had it. I built one of the buggy rifles years ago and loved it other than the short barrel. It shot well though. I think they still sell some of the parts but not the kits.

Bob

[oldracer]

I took Miss Rosie to the range today and wanted to move the target out to 200 yards. This is the 45 caliber under hammer I mentioned above and was looking at it carefully and noticed that the hole for the nipple was nearly an inch forward of the rear of the barrel. I took the cleaning rod and bottomed it out and then put beside the barreland the hole was actually 1/2 inch from the bottom of the inside. Soooooo this means the spark is hitting the black powder load almost in the middle and why the Mag Spark seems to work better.

I would suggest measuring to see where the fire hole is on your barrel and maybe using two dry patches after a wet one when cleaning.

[Boz330]

Mine comes in right at the bottom of the powder chamber. I think some moisture was caught in the nipple recess where the dry patch didn't get it. I do use CCI Magnum 11s but the 2nd patch might be a good idea.
I was using some old Gerhart Owens powder and the 2nd shot was difficult to load which is why I was wiping between shots. The next time out I'll try some old Eynsford. I was pushing dark when I test fired last week and didn't have time to be real careful. That gotta shoot the new gun thing, you know. Next outing I'll set up the bench and be more careful.

Bob

[Lead pot]

Bob, that is a nice under hammer, good work. I had .45 caliber set up as a slug gun and it shot well but it kept burning my shirt sleeves to a point I had more short sleeve then long sleeve :)
Having the ignition in the center of the powder charge is not a bad place to be.
I'm going to have to get some of that browning for a rifle I started back in the 80's and not finished yet LOL. That looks more like a plumb brown but I cant get a good look at it. It looks better then a sweat box.....Kurt

[Whitesmoke]

I love the style and elegance of the under hammers but have people tell me( in Australia) that they are not in the "spirit" of the rendezvous style.
How are they seen by rendezvous-ers on your side of the pond?

[Boz330]

Lead pot, I know what you mean. After the Underhammer I started on a Martini project that I started 10 years ago and should get it done early next week. And there are several projects on the back burner as well. Procrastination is one of my better talents. This is the slow time of year for me and I decided to try and knock some of these projects out.

I just finished another barrel with the Laurel Mountain solution and it didn't come out near as Brown looking as the underhammer. It is a modern barrel and the only thing I can figure is the metal in the barrels is different and affects how the solution works. It looks more black than brown and I did the same number of coats. I really wanted that brown color on this barrel.

White smoke, I'm not a re-en-actor so don't know for sure but I believe that the underhammers came along pretty late in the ML period so wouldn't technically be period correct for the fur trade period. Having said that there were probably underhammers and inlines that were made by some custom smiths for target shooters early in the percussion period. What I like about the underhammers is there pure simplicity. There are 2 moving parts, the trigger and the hammer. The trigger guard is the spring for the hammer and there is an internal trigger return spring. And the fire from the nipple goes straight into the powder charge, no 90* turns to make.

Bob

[oldracer]

In Major Roberts book he talks about underhammers and also shooters who started using primers instead of the percussion caps.

[Dbtk44]

There's good evidence that Fordyce Ruggles ( the father of the percussion underhammer ) got a patent on his underhammer design on November 24, 1826, and the original German flintlock design predates that..so definitely within the time period of the fur trade era.

VERY nice rifle Boz!