The Newell .45 cal front loader

Bruce Bump

Bruce Bump

Forum Owner-Moderator
Here is where some of my time has been lately. Its a .45 caliber muzzle loading pistol. Its the first gun I've ever made that didnt have a blade on it. This one will however have a bowie thats included as a gun and knife set.

I turned down a cut off section from a new rifle barrel that was too long and bored and threaded it for a 9/16"x 18 bolt. I special ordered the bolt as its a uncommon size. The frame is my own design and was watercut from Great Lakes Water Jet from1" thick solid 1018 steel. I had him make 2 just in case I screw up one. I used the milling machine to drill and thread it to accept the barrel and mill the other surfaces flat.
I showing allot of pictures and let them tell the thousand words but if you have questions please ask. Here we go.

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ddavelarsen said:
:D

Imagine my excitement!

:D
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That makes two of us Dave. :bud:

Sorry for the out of sequence pictures. I wasnt really planning to do a tutorial but will just post pics as it goes along. Please come back and see if there is progress. This one will take some head scratching before the mechanisms work right. The frame needs to go on a diet next. and then cut some slots for the hammer and trigger.
 
I remember you suggesting that I try a gun and knife separate some time and I've been planning that now for a while. I've been looking for suitable barrels at the gun shows but I really don't know what I'm looking for.

What's a good BP caliber for a 'gambler' kind of gun, derringer sized? Not to side track your thread, sorry. My mind gets racing when I look at your stuff... I have so many irons in the fire now I'm spinning around like that dog in your post. :D And not getting much of anything done...
 
:eek:Holy Crap!! Amazing Bruce!! I can already imagine how incredible this is going to look knowing your work2thumbs
 
Nice tool and cutter grinder Bruce and your new build is over the top as always.2thumbs
Gordon
 
GSC said:
Nice tool and cutter grinder Bruce and your new build is over the top as always.2thumbs
Gordon
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Thanks guys!

Gordon this cutter/grinder is an old Cinncinatti manual with a universal head on it. It was refurbished at Boeing in 1977. Its the biggest piece of equipment I own. It will surface a 36" long knife. I also use it to put the nail nick in my slip joint blades :D
 
ddavelarsen said:
I remember you suggesting that I try a gun and knife separate some time and I've been planning that now for a while. I've been looking for suitable barrels at the gun shows but I really don't know what I'm looking for.

What's a good BP caliber for a 'gambler' kind of gun, derringer sized? Not to side track your thread, sorry. My mind gets racing when I look at your stuff... I have so many irons in the fire now I'm spinning around like that dog in your post. :D And not getting much of anything done...
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Check your local muzzle loading gun shop for barrel cutoffs. I've used .22, 33,36,38 and 45 calibers. You can use a modern cartridge barrel too but may have trouble finding lead balls for it and have to make a bullet mould. My first one is a cut down Sears .22 barrel but North American Arms sells .22 lead bullets for their little muzzle loading revolver. They also sell the nipples that have allen bolts. Tiny little #11
 
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Thanks Bruce. I thought about picking up the Dixie Gun Works catalog at the last show but passed it by. I expect they will have whatever I'll need though. I'll get it next time. I don't think there's anything but big stores locally that have only finished guns; no one seems to have much interest in BP around here. I will get this going one day soon though. Winter is coming, it'll be much easier to spend the weekends in my shop than the yard. ;)

Meanwhile I'll be picking your brain all through this project! It's going to be fantastic.
 
:eek: Oh My, Oh my, Oh my!!! :eek:

Here we go again!! This is going to be sweet!!! As I know I have said before "Bruce You Never Cease To Amaze Me!!"
 
I have always known you are a genius.....But this.....:eek: VERY cool Bruce. Cant wait to see the end results....consider this a TAG2thumbs

C
 
Very cool, sir. As for one poster's comment about muzzleloader barrels, the one thing that I have noticed is that a lot of them are made from 12L14 (?) "leaded steel" unlike modern barrels which are made from 4140. I have been told that is because it is easier to file and sand. I'm usre tha it is "safe" but I don't like the look of the stuff on paper and I have had a couple of guys tell me that is can have some ugly inclusions. Kind of a leaded version of A36 by some accounts. Rumour has it that the shop that Keith Kilby works in may start selling traditional barrels with the correct rifling in 4140 at some point in the future.
 
jmforge said:
Very cool, sir. As for one poster's comment about muzzleloader barrels, the one thing that I have noticed is that a lot of them are made from 12L14 (?) "leaded steel" unlike modern barrels which are made from 4140. I have been told that is because it is easier to file and sand. I'm usre tha it is "safe" but I don't like the look of the stuff on paper and I have had a couple of guys tell me that is can have some ugly inclusions. Kind of a leaded version of A36 by some accounts. Rumour has it that the shop that Keith Kilby works in may start selling traditional barrels with the correct rifling in 4140 at some point in the future.
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I really dont know what this cutoff is. It sparks like 4140 on the surface grinder. I've made an entire gun from 4140 before and Jere Davidson engraved it. He called and asked me what kind of steel it was because he said it rips along the inlay channels. He said I should have annealed it first but I couldnt tell it was hard because it drilled and tapped fine. I really liked how clean I could make the surface compared to 1018 and the blueing came out beautiful.

This one is entirely 4140 steel except for the 0-1 hammer and trigger also the .22 cal. rifled barrel liner.
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This one is all 1018. The bolsters are color case hardened.
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