I know what you're thinking. "But weren't you making a Wind Trike?" I put that on hold because getting Bicycle parts has turned out to be harder than I thought and not worth the time to get considering the end product (At least to me).
Before anyone asks, yes this will be a real gun, it will fire real lead balls propelled by real gunpowder, this will not be a toy or a wallhanger. My musket will have a 46" (117 cm) long barrel with a .75 (19mm) caliber smoothbore.
I started this the other day after finishing the design for the lock in 3D to ensure it would work, you can see an animation of the mechanism in action below.
[img]http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq291/RR_Raptor65/Matchlock/MatchlockAnim.gif[/img]
Matchlocks date back to the 15th century and were used up into the 18th century. Basically they were the AK47 of the time, and like the AK47, they were simple in design and manufacture, and quite popular with Pirates as surplus Matchlocks were sold off by armies using newer Dog Lock or Flint Lock muskets.
Unlike a Flintlock mechanism, the Matchlock is not spring loaded, the movement of the Serpentine depends on the movement of the Trigger. Like it's name suggests, the Matchlock uses a slow burning rope to ignite the powder held in the musket's pan rather than a spark from a flint.
Here's a video montage of all the pictures I took as I made the gun, and firing it for the first time:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuyTCsSaRBs[/media]
Look pretty complex but good luck
Can I have your forge?
I've always wanted one...
This is badass though, can't wait to see the finished result.
[QUOTE=Ohforf;17149716]I've never understood the concept about the firing mechanism of a musket.
A fuse is burning... Then you pull a trigger? :confused:[/QUOTE]
The fuse strikes down on a pan jutting out from the barrel, the pan is filled with gunpowder which leads the fire into the barrel where the gasses from the combusting gunpowder quickly expand, sending the ball/bullet flying.
wait a minute the picture or animation w/e is showing if you pull the trigger backwards it fires, shouldnt it be the other way around?
[QUOTE=zach1193;17150158]wait a minute the picture or animation w/e is showing if you pull the trigger backwards it fires, shouldnt it be the other way around?[/QUOTE]
It should be.
Hope you have fun, it's amasing firing a matchlock.
[QUOTE=zach1193;17150158]wait a minute the picture or animation w/e is showing if you pull the trigger backwards it fires, shouldnt it be the other way around?[/QUOTE]
look again...
when the trigger is pulled back, the uhh... "hammer" thing goes down. It would be holding the burning rope, which would touch down into the powder. also look at how the spring is straight when the trigger is pulled back... it's just confusing when it is looped.
Yes, the Serpentine is lowered when you pull the trigger, the Sear Spring raises the Serpentine when you release the trigger.
Hey OP where do you live?
[QUOTE=Perfumly;17156926]Hey OP where do you live?[/QUOTE]
Idaho.
I just got back in from working on the Sear, got one of the lugs rounded off and worked on the Tumbler a little bit. I think I need a more efficient way of rounding off the Trigger lug on the Sear though, it's much longer and thicker than the lug that connects with the Tumbler.
Come to colorado and illegally make suppressors for me. Lol
Finally, the lugs fit...
[img]http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq291/RR_Raptor65/Matchlock/Picture001.jpg[/img]
However I have to wait until Tuesday to finish fitting the Trigger and Tumbler to the Sear. I have to go buy a small square file to fit into the Tumber's square hole to finish cutting that, and a small round file to fit into the 3/16" (About 5mm) holes of the Trigger and Tumbler for the Sear lugs to slide along but my favorite tool supplier is closed today (Sunday) and tomorrow, which is Labor Day. In the meantime, I'll be cutting out and forming the Serpentine later, and probably retempering that damn Sear Spring so it'll hold it's shape when being flexed.
Very nice work man, but I am just wondering at the legality of this? Do you need a permit to build such thing?
This is actually a fairly common hobby where I live, and perfectly legal. There are several guys who build muskets and sell them at our annual Gunshow, but they all make Flintlocks from unfinished cast steel parts, while I am making this from complete scratch (Except the Barrel, which I will be buying).
Every different part you see in the picture was a piece of sheet steel or a solid steel bar until a few days ago. Even the Sear spring is from a leftover piece of the Khukri's leaf spring.
I haven't detailed this build as closely as the Khukri because it consists mainly of me sawing and filing for hours on end, so it's just easier to post updates as parts are completed and such. The Sear alone has taken three days to make, it's a piece of solid quarter inch steel with 3/16" lugs which were filed, not ground or sanded from the ends of the Sear after it was bent to a 90 degree angle.
The Trigger was made in much the same way. I took the same quarter inch steel bar and cut the rough shape of the trigger out and then ground it down with a hand held angle grinder and filed it into shape, the front of the trigger has also been rounded by hand with a course, half round file and then finished smooth with a smaller fine toothed file.
The Lock plate was made the same as above, only it is made of 12 gauge steel, this is heavy enough to stop a shot from my 1911.
The Tumbler is also made of 12 gauge steel, but it is tiny, about the size of the fingernail on your index finger. In fact, the picture I last posted is almost exactly 1:1 scale with the lock in person.
Yes, a new project.
I am quite sad to see the trike being put on hold though.
You're planning to use the good ol' black gunpowder?
Quick update, I'm gonna wait till Tuesday to continue work. I broke the Sear Spring, but I only half expected it to work. I'll just find some spring steel and do it proper. I also decided that the piece of steel I selected for the Serpentine was too thick to really bother with so I set it aside, I'll get some quarter inch on Tuesday as long as I can find the size I want.
[QUOTE=Joxalot;17164425]You're planning to use the good ol' black gunpowder?[/QUOTE]
Well yeah, it's a smoothbore musket.
[QUOTE=RichyZ;17163962]Looks pretty badass, keep up the good work.
Wait a minute... you also made that kukri? Are you planning to arm a militia to take over a small nation?[/QUOTE]
[img]http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq291/RR_Raptor65/Matchlock/Gunsafe.jpg[/img]
[quote=rr_raptor65;17165192][img]http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq291/rr_raptor65/matchlock/gunsafe.jpg[/img][/quote]
There is no image macro for what i'm feeling right now!
Turns out a local mercantile was open today, and they had not only the quarter inch plate I needed, but fingernail clippers and a small round file (In a package of two no less).
Why fingernail clippers? They're made of spring steel, very very good spring steel, and they're thick and wide, not only that but I can get a total of three springs out of these if need be.
I also brought my min-vise inside and am working on the tumbler and trigger at my keyboard here.
I love your projects.
Daaayyyuuuuummmmm.
[QUOTE=RR_Raptor65;17165192]
[img]http://i457.photobucket.c/Matchlock/Gunsafe.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
psht i have more :p
So do I, they don't all fit in there.
[QUOTE=RR_Raptor65;17183838]So do I, they don't all fit in there.[/QUOTE]
Needs maor safes
[url]http://filesmelt.com/downloader/Safeshurrdurr.png[/url]
Start what you finish, a job half done is damage done
Oh trust me, this one is going to be finished.
[img]http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq291/RR_Raptor65/Matchlock/Picture003.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq291/RR_Raptor65/Matchlock/Picture002.jpg[/img]
The mechanism now functions smoothly and the Serpentine is now cut. I still have to cut the slot for the match and I plan on doing some detail work on the Serpentine to make it look better. I'm also waiting on a shipment of rivets for the Trigger and Serpentine.
Finished the Serpentine.
[img]http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq291/RR_Raptor65/Matchlock/Picture006.jpg[/img]
I ordered the Musket barrel, so now it's just a waiting game for that and the rivets to get here.
The barrel just arrived, 46" long (117cm), just short of four feet (1.2 meters).
[img]http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq291/RR_Raptor65/Picture009.jpg[/img]
RR_Raptor65, are you the same guy that made the machete and catapult? If so, awesome. Love your shit.
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