Building your own black powder pistol

[Ovenpaa]

Moving on from building a 'nearly a firearm' idea I rang my FEO today to discuss the legality of making a black powder pistol. If I am only making it for myself and have no plans to build multiple units I can carry on. I asked him to make a note on the system as to my intentions as I would hate to be the subject of a dawn raid and once I have decided on what I am building I can apply for a variation.

So design criteria, I want to build a single shot black powder pistol, initially smooth bore but with the option to put a rifled barrel on at a later date. I would also like it to be relatively accurate and possible include some more contemporary features so it would not be a flintlock! Anyway I have some questions for the FB collective.

I am thinking of a swing out chamber, think of a six shot but with the single chamber, has anyone seen such a design before?

Percussion cap ignition immediately springs to mind but I would prefer something different, I was musing over the idea of using pistol primers in blocks that were pushed into the breech from the load end, so I could have a dozen blocks pre primed, stick one in followed by the powder and projectile and close and lock the breech however this does make for some serious safety issues as I would hate to have the primed block exit out of the back instead of the projectile going forward.

Calibre, I am thinking of something smallish, maybe in the .32 area, does anyone have any views on this?

Finally I would possible move to the BP equivalents to make it more range friendly and reduce the need for frequent cleaning, is this worth looking at?

What other features would be worth looking at or including?

[Tower75]

There are/were numerous swing-out chambers, mainly in the capping-breachloading days. I can get some pics for you if you like when I'm at home.

The idea of "capped blocks" is interesting. So is the idea to have a "magazine" of capped blocks that can be brought to battery upon loading and locking the swing-out chamber?

If so, I would agree that the safety issue would be one to look at, but saying that, you're the engineer, my friend, not me

What mechanism are you looking at to cycle the action? Lever action maybe?

.32 would be a good calibre, but if it was me, I would go for something bigger, maybe .69 but you would need to get a mould for a .32, as that wasn't really a common pistol/musket ball calibre - the only other thing I can think of is, if you design it so that you can swap barrels from smoothbore to rifled, you would probably need two authorities on your FAC, correct?

[dromia]

Regarding actions history has a plethora of tried approaches for you pick from with documented strengths and weaknesses. There is rarely anything new thought about in shooting.

Calibre I would suggest .36", readily available moulds, wads and such like. Also my experience of black powder is that a long thin column of powder doesn't burn as efficiently as a shorter thicker column.

If you want a black powder pistol then design it for black powder, I don't know of any BP "substitute", there are no BP equivalents, that works as well as BP. at best they work differently.

[froggy]

Salut,

First it was a knife, now a BP pistol ...
Are you after a Blue-Peter badge or dont you think you are taking this survival mode thingy a bit far OvenPaa ??
:lol:

What about that one ?

[Ovenpaa]

The knife has been agreed and will be for Christel, this is going to be for me :shakeshout:

[froggy]

Re-,

You'r are making a knife for Christel ??
My wife would tell me where to go if she'd find one on valentine's day but it that must be one of the more romantic and full of attention pressie !!

Nice one

[Ovenpaa]

Imagine a breech block that takes a brass cartridge case complete with primer that is say one inch long and filled with black powder only plus a cookie or plug at the end.

The cartridge is pushed down into the breech and a bullet placed on top, the block is then swung into place and locked, the hammer pulled back and when released a pin strikes the primer, bang etc...

Because the cartridge is merely a means of holding powder and primer and the bullet is not part of it do you have a view in where this falls legally? Yes it is a separate cartridge but it has to be inserted head first into the block....

Any views on this Dromia, anyone?

[Ovenpaa]

What about that one ?

I can understand how it works but what is it and what does it fire?

[froggy]

re-
no idea - it's a "home-made" stuff seized in Chechenya

[dromia]

Breech seating the bullet and then loading the primed case filled with powder is common practice with Schutzen shooters, it is no different from any other section 1 firearm, when the components are assembled in the chamber you have a live round.