[YoungSurplusNut]

Greetings all,

I looking for drawing and info on some of more uncommon weapons of the black powder era.

I've built a few BP kits, but really hate the high cost of kits for actual replica weapons.

I have a lathe, and I'm hoping to get a mill soon. So I'm hoping to start building my own stuff.

I'm really interested in only a few weapons, the Ager "Coffee Mill" gun, the Confederate Williams gun, the Maynard, Smith, and Gallager carbines, and the Ferguson Rifle from the Revolutionary War.

I've seen working replicas of all of these weapons, so the information must exist.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Jud96]

I have an ERMA Gallager reproduction carbine if this will help, I can answer some questions for you.

 

[flens69]

What might be a good answer for you is the book "Breech-Loading Carbines of the United States Civil War Period" from John Pitman. Basically it is a reprint of an old drawing collection and includes most of the carbines including some of the exotics.

 

[TP]

The Rifle Shoppe sells plans (not detailed blueprints) of their Ferguson to assist in assembling their parts set which consists of castings of original parts. The others are not available. The "blueprints" from the period do not exist and never did in the modern sense. If you are looking for the detailed blueprints in making the modern factory versions of the above breech-loading carbines (some of the ones you mention have never been built other than maybe a one off by a skilled machinist) then they are not available unless you can get an agreement from the manufacturers to buy their spec drawings. They will be very expensive and I doubt seriously that they would even consider selling proprietary property that they spent a small fortune developing much less give it away.

The best bet will be for you to buy an original and create your own drawings, that will be less frustrating and certainly less expensive than trying to get someone else's work.

Young Surplus Nut, have you by any chance posted a similar question on another board?

 

[Southron Sr]

Gatling Gun Drawings and Gatling Gun Carriage Drawings....

Are available from Dixie Gun Works. They are half-scale but can be scaled to any size you want.

An acquaintance of mine, unfortunately now deceased, built a 45-70 Gatling Gun in his home basement machine shop and did a superb job.

Dixie also sells drawings of Hawken Rifles, Kentuckies, etc.

You can "Google" up their website but you might have to call their toll free number about their drawings. The search engine on their website is very poor.