Harmonica rifle

[abunaitoo]

Anyone know if someone has made one?????
Kind of interested in it.
I'm guessing it's considered a black powder muzzle loader.

[Kraschenbirn]

Actually, one of Johnathon Browning's early projects was a percussion 'harmonica rifle' (circa 1853) at least one example of which still exists. Also, there are still some original examples Porter Turret Rifle from around the same period. However, I'm not aware of anyone building a modern reproduction of either.

Bill

[KCSO]

Any bio of John Browning will have a photo of his dad's harmonica rifle. An interesting design but clumsy in the hand. About like to old Hall rifle for leaking at the breech.

[waksupi]

246669

Not a harmonica, but interesting.

[robg]

didn't yul Brynner use one in the bounty hunter?

[Winger Ed.]

didn't yul Brynner use one in the bounty hunter?

There's a couple of Hollywood ones.
They had a few in the old Joules Vern movie I think was called "Mysterious Island".
About some guys in the Civil War escaping a POW camp in a Balloon, and ending up on a island with Capt. Nemo & the Nautilous.

[Froogal]

I had to do a search because I had never heard of such a thing. It is a very interesting concept.

[abunaitoo]

I wonder how hard it would be to make one????
Looks simple enough.

[country gent]

From the one I just looked at on line I don't think it would be to hard to make. No indexing and a coned barrel and block provide alignment between block and barrel. The bib thing would be the hammer and lock parts. Its a simple design with manual indexing. The lock and is mortise would need to be held square and parallel to the bore so it didn't cock the chamber block in relation to barrel. The rest would be simple tolerances and the right materials. On a one of home build. the length of the charge bullet any wads would need to be found. Then the action machined and the block recess cut. Then the chamber block cut to fit. It could be fitted together as built. I believe a small press for loading the block would be very handy. Also would want to consider a wad or grease as chain fires might occur like in cap and ball revolvers

[waksupi]

From the one I just looked at on line I don't think it would be to hard to make. No indexing and a coned barrel and block provide alignment between block and barrel. The bib thing would be the hammer and lock parts. Its a simple design with manual indexing. The lock and is mortise would need to be held square and parallel to the bore so it didn't cock the chamber block in relation to barrel. The rest would be simple tolerances and the right materials. On a one of home build. the length of the charge bullet any wads would need to be found. Then the action machined and the block recess cut. Then the chamber block cut to fit. It could be fitted together as built. I believe a small press for loading the block would be very handy. Also would want to consider a wad or grease as chain fires might occur like in cap and ball revolvers

There must be some sort of indexing for proper chamber/bore alignment I would think .

[country gent]

From the one I saw on line being operated it was hand indexed the male cone and leade in barrels breech aligned it with the female cone in chamber block by hand and the eccentric clamp bar locked it in place. This was on RIAs site. While even with hand indexing the mating cones and square clamp would make for very accurate indexing and breech sealing. This rifle had a chamber block with 5 chambers spaced along it.

It is an interesting design concept anf the one I seen was made By JM Browning SR father to John Moses Browning

[abunaitoo]

Yes. Only indexing is the cone/seal between the block and the barrel.
Not made for fast shooting.
But there are reports of some being used during the Civil War.

[country gent]

I think it would be an interesting project and be a lot of fun to play with. One thing I would add is a set of spring detents not for indexing but to keep the block from falling out when released. Would be neat in 36 or 38 caliber. Might not make a legal Ohio deer muzzle loader though.