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Hand-made rifles today
There are still some gunsmiths that still use hand tools to make firearms. Although they are expensive, they are very well made and custom fit the individual owners. You can still see this process in Colonial Williamsburg at the Gunsmith's shop. Some gunsmiths use a few factory-made parts that are critical (example: barrels) or to reduce labor cost, and use hand-made parts just on the exterior. See Page 5 for sources and links to more information. Click here to listen to an interview with the Gunsmith of Colonial Williamsburg (3MB). You can buy or rent the video Gunsmith of Williamsburg (ISBN 0-80430-022-4, check Amazon.com — Williamsburg — BuyIndies.com — more), or to see one in person visit Colonial Williamsburg. Consider an online search for local 18th century re-enactment groups, or muzzleloading interest groups. Please bear in mind that hand-making a firearm is a slow and tedious process, so most of the cost is labor. To make a true hand-made firearm, gunsmiths will spend most of their time filing. On the right is an example of intricate woodwork found on hand-made rifles. Most black powder firearms are factory made, and represent an excellent bargain. Black powder firearms are often called "muzzleloaders" since they load from the front, or muzzle. Most ordinary factory-made muzzloading rifles vary between $200-$500. Generally the more authentic the model, the more expensive they become. Muzzloading pistols range between $100-$300, depending on features and detailing.
An original rifle made in early Pennsylvania was entirely hand made, and took much longer than today's factory-made rifles. It took a skilled gunsmith anywhere from 2 to 4 months to make a rifle. Rifles made after the US Revolutionary War (1776-83) were a little more decorated than most of the earlier examples. It's also important to remember that each firearm was a unique example. With today's automation, that process is a little as 1 - 3 days and sell between approximately $200-$500. Some gunsmiths use pre-made barrels, locks and minor parts. This produces the effect of a hand-made rifle without the major expense. These mid-technology examples cost more than factory-made rifles, but less than completely hand-made rifles.
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Today, flintlock rifles and muskets are prized collector items, and replicas are popular with both collectors and re-enactment groups. A good quality reproduction musket costs nearly as much as an original. Caliber and bore gauging systems"Caliber" is an old term used to describe the barrel opening size. Caliber is simply the barrel inside diameter expressed in hundredths of an inch. So, a "fifty caliber" (also ".50 cal") is 50/100ths of an inch, or half an inch in diameter. Likewise, a British 75 caliber musket is 75/100ths or 3/4 inches in diameter. So, as the bore size increases, so does the caliber size.
Another measurement system inherited from England is the bore gauge system. This was used mostly for fowling pieces, or shotguns. This system described the bore size by the number of tight-fitting lead balls to equal one pound of weight. So, if a particular barrel held 12 tight-fitting balls that added up to one pound, it was called a "12 bore", or "12 gauge". This barrel will be very close to 0.730" in inside diameter, or about 3/4 inch. Barrels that are smaller require more balls to arrive at the one pound requirement, so this is why smaller shotgun bores have higher gauge numbers. As the bore size increases, does the gauge size decreases. An example: a 10-gauge barrel is larger than a 16-gauge barrel. We still use this system today with shotgun bore sizes, with one exception, the .410. The .410 is actually it's caliber. Also, the powder (propellant) was called "black powder", which doesn't make as much pressure as today's nitrocellulose powders. So, early firearms needed larger diameter bullets to get enough "push". The larger bullets of the older firearms don't fly as well, so this reduces their range slightly.The caliber system was adequate when most firearms used a simple round ball. When cartridge-loading firearms appeared, the caliber system's weaknesses became apparent. Traces of early life in today's speech Firearms were so common in everyday life that expressions arose from them. A few examples: |
