SHow me your under hammer

[357maximum]

Gettig the bad lusties for an underhammer...cannot afford one right now...so can I see yours?:violin::violin:

I like the Hopkins and Allen style and hope to build/finish one someday. Nice 50cal roundball gun would do just fiiiiiiiine.:bigsmyl2:

[northmn]

Muzzle Loading Builders Supply has an underhammer action for about $75.00 part #36530 listed under triggers. While it looks like it would take a little work you could kind of take your time getting parts and build from there. At one time a lot of X stix shooters liked custom underhammers as they felt the direct ignition was quicker. You can still get the special nipples that match barrel thickness. I really do not think stocking one would be all that difficult. Good luck on your wishes. Some itches need to be scratched.

Northmn

[Boz330]

How's this. It has 1 whitetail to it's credit.

Bob

[357maximum]

Thanks Fellas


Sometime not even I understand the things I want. [smilie=b: But it is a scratch I intend to itch.;-)

[Boz330]

They are simple as dirt and as reliable as the sun comming up.

Bob

[jackley]

Try BLUE GROUSE BLACK POWDER. They have kits starting at $240. From 36 to 50 cal. Will make any cal for more change. Shot one the other day 3 shot group offhand 50 yards at just over 2"

[357maximum]

Try BLUE GROUSE BLACK POWDER. They have kits starting at $240. From 36 to 50 cal. Will make any cal for more change. Shot one the other day 3 shot group offhand 50 yards at just over 2"

Is the fella still around and taking orders? I have read alot of reports of him being AWOL and not sending orders or simply sending checks back to the orderee.

[jackley]

Is the fella still around and taking orders? I have read alot of reports of him being AWOL and not sending orders or simply sending checks back to the orderee.

That I don't know I just heard of them a friend bought his a few years ago. On the website there's a phone number give him a call.

Jerry

Here it is. 253 884 7625

[357maximum]

The phone does not get answered that is why I thought/hoped that maybe he was back in bidness when I saw your post. There was a thread on another forum and they figured the webspace was paid for longer than his apparent licensing troubles with the BATF and now just sits there on the web because the bandwidth is paid for. Kinda sounds like he found himself up a famous creek without a paddle.

[Charlie Sometimes]

I had an H&A Underhammer back in the late 70's- 45 caliber (it shot a 433 RB).
I shot it so much I had to put a new barrel (when you could still get H&A parts from Numrich) on it because I wore the rifling out of it.
Loved that gun- then I let someone trade me out of it for a brand new 50 cal Renegade.
The Renegade shot good too, but as the years go by, I've missed that rifle.
I've passed up a 58 and a 50 here and there- shoulda got'em.
I think I'm gonna look up that web site and see about building me one!
I've been hankering for a 45, this is a good way to do it.

I've got some walnut and cherry stock blanks that might have an underhammer in them somewhere..........

Thanks for the idea! :drinks:

[stuffy25thia]

I'm new here, have been setting in the background just reading. But I thought I would show a couple of pictures of my underhammer. It's in .40 cal. with a 31 in. barrel. Sorry for the poor pictures.

[Charlie Sometimes]

I looked at that Blue Grouse website- interesting stuff. :-D
I know a fella that lives near there, so I've asked him to check on their status for me.
I don't want to get my hopes up, and then get busted between the eyes- know what I mean?
I think ya do.

I'll keep ya posted. :drinks:

[Boz330]

Deer Creek Products, Waldron IN. (765)525-6181
He had the roofs blown off of his manufacturing buildings last spring and then had a bunch of rain on his tooling before the roof problem was fixed. When I talked to him back in Nov he still wasn't up and running yet. You might give them a call and ask though. If they get enough calls it might be incentive to get them running again.
The last kit I got was $259 and they will shoot right out of the box, and shoot well. Good luck.

Bob

[Charlie Sometimes]

Found another place that has H&A kits.
Looks like some good stuff, especially if you're looking for an H&A underhammer.
Check the following link-

http://www.fire-iron.biz

Goes by FL-Flinter here on the CastBoolits site.

[Old Ironsights]

It would be fun to have one of these... but in 12" Stainless...

http://www.underhammers.com/_images/canoegun0d.jpg

Too bad Blue Grouse isn't around any more.

[HighCountryGuide]

Call Deer Creek. I got another barrel for mine this winter, now it's .36 and .50 interchangeably. Barrel, forend, sights, two thimbles, nipple and flash guard ran around $160. I took first in our club shoot shootoff yesterday with the .50. Can't beat them underhammers!

[Old Ironsights]

They are back up and running? I'll have to drive down there.

I need another 50# of 2F...

[Boz330]

They are back up and running? I'll have to drive down there.

I need another 50# of 2F...

Outstanding! OI they didn't happen to say whether they were building their Mowery Rifles again by any chance did they? I'm thinking one of those in a 32 would be a hoot.:Fire:

Bob

[Boz330]

Call Deer Creek. I got another barrel for mine this winter, now it's .36 and .50 interchangeably. Barrel, forend, sights, two thimbles, nipple and flash guard ran around $160. I took first in our club shoot shootoff yesterday with the .50. Can't beat them underhammers!


I thought that the underhammers were only available in 50, or used to be. I had asked about a 62 smoothy conversion at one time. He basicly said they had thought about that but there weren't enough hours in the day.
These are quality guns for the bucks. I didn't really get the accuracy from mine till it was really stoked, 100gr 3F.

Bob

[Old Ironsights]

I don't know if Deer Creek is back up again... I hope they are. I'm certainly going to check.

I don't know why an underhammer couldn't be in any caliber... it would actually seem to be easier to rebarrel an Underhammer than a sidelock... but I dunno.

[HighCountryGuide]

They're back up and running, but are limited on some items. I don't believe they are making the Mowreys at this time.

Boz330, Deer Creek made the UH in .36, .45, and .50 as in-the-white kits. The breech plug is 5/8-18, so any barrel with this threading can be made up to fit the H&A action. I'd like to make a .58 up for it next, to complete the set. Or maybe a .62 smoothbore, if I can find one already threaded 5/8-18.

[Boz330]

They're back up and running, but are limited on some items. I don't believe they are making the Mowreys at this time.

Boz330, Deer Creek made the UH in .36, .45, and .50 as in-the-white kits. The breech plug is 5/8-18, so any barrel with this threading can be made up to fit the H&A action. I'd like to make a .58 up for it next, to complete the set. Or maybe a .62 smoothbore, if I can find one already threaded 5/8-18.

They made the Mowery's in all those calbers, but the only thing listed when I got my H&A was the 50.
58 in that light set up will get your attention.
Tip Curtis at the Frontier Shop has some .62 smoothys, because I was looking at that route for a turkey gun while at Friendship one year. The octagon to round wedding ring barrel looked pretty inviting. I decided I need a nice trade gun instead so I have been saving my pennies toward that goal. Tip has some nice ones, but they ain't cheap. Too many hobbies, not enough scratch, especialy with this economy. Wish I had a couple black rifles to sell.
OI, Deer Creek has been open for powder sales for quite a while. It was the manufacturing buildings that took the big hit.

Bob

[HighCountryGuide]

Yep, .58 and bigger will rock your world using the normal stock. However, a wider stock with a fowler or shotgun buttplate spreads it out a bit. I'd like to come up with a Mowrey myself, .54 in browned iron. Between muzzleloaders, longbows, and bamboo fly rods taking all my money, I never seem to have enough extra when I see one for sale.

[John Taylor]

A little squirrel rifle I made a while back, 32 cal with brass frame. Dale Woody did the engraving. http://www.gunfancy.com/
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/johnptaylor/brassUHafterblue.jpg

[Bret4207]

Oooooh!!! John, I'm drooling big time!!! That's just what I want, and a boot pistol to go with it!

(You can tell I'm excited when every sentence ends with an exclamation point!!!)

[Boz330]

That is way cute, really like the tang peep sight.

Bob

[badgeredd]

A little squirrel rifle I made a while back, 32 cal with brass frame. Dale Woody did the engraving. http://www.gunfancy.com/
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/johnptaylor/brassUHafterblue.jpg

That's one purty rifle John!

Questions: Did you make the brass recever? Was it a "kit" or did you scratch build it?

375maximun has got me interested (again) in building a UH, but I can't seem to find any good info on the reciver dimensions to build one.

Edd

[Underclocked]

John, I "borrowed" your picture of the action and some of the guys over at DWBs want to see a pic of the entire rifle - if you please.

Thanks.

[Hanshi]

Back around 1966 or so I bought an H&A "Heritage" under hammer in .45. Back then NA only had .36 Nd .45s. The bore's tight and needs a .433 - .435 ball. I got by famously with a .445 and later a .440 mold. The barrels are heavy and well rifled and extremely accurate. Five shots in an inch at 50 yards is easy with them. I fired mine a lot & hunted with it a lot. I killed deer, bobcats, squirrel and lots of tin cans & such with it and still have the gun though I don't shoot it much any more. I shoot mostly flintlocks, now.

Under hammers are simple, reliable and accurate. It's best to wear a long sleeve shirt if you're shooting heavy loads as the cap & blast from the nipple an sometimes escape through the nipple. I think they look way cool, as well. You can't go wrong with one. I'd think building one, especially from a kit, would be easy. :Fire:

[jh45gun]

Mine are not very pretty some may call them crude but they work well with a supprisingly nice trigger on both for a home made lock system. (Yea I know the Hammers are Ruger Single action ones I bought at a gun show for 50 cents a piece. LOL I have both a rifle in 54 cal fast twist 1 in 28 Green Mountain Barrel and a matching 12 guage with a Reminton Turkey Choke. Story is I bought two Inline Barrels from Gander Mountain on a close out for the Knight M86 interchangeable barrel inline for 60 bucks total. Stocks I bought from a friend who I think bought up a bunch of cut out stocks but not inletted yet the channel was finished which I had to round out to fit a round barrel instead of an octagon one. I got these for ten dollars apiece. Put together with odds and ends I have 90 dollars in both guns. Trying to fit a lock into a fullstock is kinda tough not enough room so that is why the lock is mounted on a side plate. I fugure hey they may be different but they work and work well. The rifle now wears a peep sight. In the picture I had a red dot on it but I figured a peep would look better on it. I went with this underhammer style as lack of funds and I wanted a cheap way to use those barrels I got cheap. I figured I would contact knight and buy the reciever from them when I bought the barrels but they laughed and said they had no more and the gun was discontinued. I suspect their switch barrel idea did not work as intended or not as well as they intended. SO I had the barrels tapped for the nipple on the bottoms and went from there a bit here and a bit there until I got them finished. With out a shop that took some doing too. Disreguard that leather butt cuff on the gun I thought that might be good idea but I did not like the looks so I took it off.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/CNXT0004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0061.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0066.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0065.jpg

[Old Ironsights]

A little squirrel rifle I made a while back, 32 cal with brass frame. Dale Woody did the engraving. http://www.gunfancy.com/
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/johnptaylor/brassUHafterblue.jpg

I just thought of somthing...

Why couldn't a VERY slight mod be made to that reciever/breech to make it an interrupted screw breech so you could breechload a paper cartridge?

1/2-cock the hammer, 1/4 turn the reciever, seperate reciever from barrel, drop in paper cartridge, reseat & 1/4 turn reciever into barrel, cap, cock, fire... no rod needed... [smilie=1:

[John Taylor]

Thanks for all the kind words. The frame was made from an old pump shaft. The barrel was one ordered for another job many years back and never got used till now. The hammer and trigger are H&A. The wood is some of the cheap stuff from Gun Parts Corp. The rear sight was fun to make, 1/2 turn equals about 1.3" at 100 yards according to the math. The eye piece will screw in from both sides and the thumb screw on the side of the frame keeps it from turning.http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/johnptaylor/brassframeunderhammer.jpg
Steel butt plate, made from scratch
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/johnptaylor/buttplate.jpg

[HighCountryGuide]

That's great, I love the look of the brass and the engraving. Makes my plain-jane H&A's look shabby by comparison.

[John Taylor]

More info on under hammers http://underhammers.blogspot.com/

[Old Ironsights]

More info on under hammers http://underhammers.blogspot.com/

Oh my. Thank you for that link!

[tommag]

I have an underhammer I bought from Blue Grouse several years ago. I bought it with a .36 bbl and had a fella in Mo. (can't remember his name) make a .72 cal bbl and breech-plug for it that fit the underhammer frame. It DOES get your attention with 170 -200 grs. in it. I am such a wuss that I put a recoil pad on it.

[Boz330]

I have an underhammer I bought from Blue Grouse several years ago. I bought it with a .36 bbl and had a fella in Mo. (can't remember his name) make a .72 cal bbl and breech-plug for it that fit the underhammer frame. It DOES get your attention with 170 -200 grs. in it. I am such a wuss that I put a recoil pad on it.


170-200grs, I thought Mastadons were extinct. Ouch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob

[John Taylor]

I do have an old H&A kit that I put a 62 cal barrel on. I never tried to load it up for hunting so recoil hasn't been a problem. It seems to like 80 grains and I use to do fairly good at the range with it. My old eyes prefer a scope now.
Next project in the under hammer works is a harmonica rifle. It will be a five or six shooter. Just got to do something different.

[Underclocked]

Thanks for the additional pictures, John... they have been shared with the DWBs. :)

[Hanshi]

Very nice pictures of some very nice under hammers. My much used H&A is a bit ratty, now, but not abused and the good has never worn off.

[John Taylor]

This is a brass action for a customer getting the sides machined down, just for the look.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/johnptaylor/UHmachinesides.jpg

[Old Ironsights]

Would an interupted thread/breach-loader be a workable mod?

[Bret4207]

This is a brass action for a customer getting the sides machined down, just for the look.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/johnptaylor/UHmachinesides.jpg

John, what size stock is that and is it cast or do you bend it?

[John Taylor]

Stock is 1.250 and is bent in a press. The ends are bored first, barrel end to 5/8", stock end 1/2" course thread for stock bolt. A plug is inserted in both ends before binding to about 15 degrees. Stock end is counter bored about 1/8" deep to help keep the stock from splitting. A piece of steel is added to each end to give more leverage for bending.http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/johnptaylor/UHbend.jpg

[chief3]

John Taylor's action is a truly a thing of beauty. Makes me want to build another under hammer.
My first one was built back in 1970. I had very little money but wanted a muzzle loader.
I bought a Numrich barrel ( bored off center) for $15 , a piece of annealed spring stock for $2, and a butt plate which had a casting flaw for $1 . The maple for the stock was salvaged from a fire wood pile .
I had a drill press , a hack saw , and some files. I borrowed some taps & dies for the breech plug and screws.
Total cost under $20. Never won any matches with it but did place a couple of times . Also killed two deer with it.
My son has it hanging on his wall now. Not a thing of beauty but lots of good memories .

[Charlie Sometimes]

Man, I am going to have to work on saving up for an under hammer now. I thought I could put it off a while, but not now. This thread is killing me after seeing the brass versions. Great photos and ideas!

Keep the posts coming guys- my motivation is building one!

[357maximum]

I am about 2/3 into finishing my 50 cal RB twister ..pics will show up here in the near future....I have some wood/metal finishing to do. I got my H&A style parts from Fl-Flinter and am quite tickled with them.

Barrel length gave me some concern, and I had a bit of anguish going. In the the end I went with 28 inches to stick with the light agile "BANG STICK" idea and am tickled with my choice. A 15/16" 50 CAL in any longer length would have been not so right.

I will have to post credits with the pics because this project would be less far along without the help of a few good (and talented) men.

[John Taylor]

I have built more than a few under hammers but this is a sideline for me. I make my living repairing or making barrels for old guns and lately , with our new president, I have been quite busy. I'm not sure what's going on but the buying frenzy has got people pulling lots of old stuff out of the attic and having it made into shooting condition again.
I'm always happy to see the rifles that others have built and sometimes get new ideas from them that I try myself. I have a 45 in the works that has been sitting on the shelf for a few years. The latest is a harmonica rifle and I hope to post some pictures of the progress soon. In the mean time here is a hammer for the 45 that Dale woody helped me work out.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/johnptaylor/UHdogshead.jpg

[bobk]

I don't have an underhammer, but reading this thread has given me an idea for one. You get a barrel and a breech plug. Thin the rear of the plug until it is just a bit thicker than your hammer and trigger. Use two plates of steel to form the action. Weld a spacer at the back the width of the thinned breech plug, and drill and tap it for a through-bolt stock attachment. Drill for hammer and trigger pivot points. Drill and tap the rear block for the hammer spring anchor.Work out ramrod holders and stock per taste. Drill and tap for nipple. This looks like an easy project.

Bob K