slug gun, underhammer

[plastikosmd]

Dont know how familar you are with blackpowder slug guns.  They are for the most part 'benchrest' blackpowder gun.  These heavy guns..aka chunk or stump guns weigh in anywhere from the 20's for the 30 cal up 100lbs for the 69 caliber.  Many are quite old, pre 1800, early 1900 when you search for them.  More modern ones were made and still being shot today. There is a small group of people that still like to shoot them. The guns are all custom, as far as I know, made by many makers.  Mine was built in the 1950-60 by a (per report) machinist RL Morris (bob morris).  Mine is a 3 barrel set (also have a pistol, will show later).  The slug barrel is the shortest in length. The caliber is .485 it shoots a 6-700 grain or so slug.  The other 2 barrels are round ball, one 45 the other 60 caliber. As not to repost all of the hobby, I will point you to this site for some reading.

http://www.blackpowdermag.com/featured-articles/blackpowder-slug-guns-precision-paper-punching-machinery.php
and the big mitchell gun
http://www.blackpowdermag.com/featured-articles/blackpowder-slug-guns-the-mitchell-gun.php

It makes for a heavy trip to the range. Just the barrels (2 1/8" dia, 1" across flats)

.45 38" long (w/o false muzzle) 50 lbs
.485 26" long (w/o false muzzle)= 35lbs
.60 36" long (w/o false muzzle)= 45 lbs

add some lead, ramrods, the stock/action, cleaning equipt, loading tools and equipt, target and shooting equipt...it is a hobby with a workout


The slugs are made in 2 parts, the nose is lead/tin for holding it's form, the base is pure lead, it expands to seal once fired.  The slugs are cast in 2 parts then hand swaged together. 

From a machinist standpoint, the builder was amazing.  The fit of the muzzle to false muzzles, action to barrel is so tight, It must have been lapped to fit.  Pictures dont do it justice.

Like benchrest shooting there are many variables, with this sport , it seems there are even more.  I am quite new, and just getting into it, but I thought I would share

The set and some tools, note the mechanical loader in the back


A couple of slug profiles, 22 cal 50g, 357 168g, 45 250g for size


swages/mould


slug in its 2 parts prior to swage

[plastikosmd]

a bit more

The gun is an underhammer, meaning the hammer is on the bottom.  This is nice for several reasons. First optics mounting is easier. Second it is a very strong design. Third, safety, the charges are very high.  For some of the 60 cal loads, people are using 250+ grains of blackpowder.  Nipple burnout etc happens. This keeps it further from your face.  In addition, this is a sealed ignition.  A black powder cap is place over the nipple and the firing mechanism, which has 1/2 threads is dropped in. 1/4 turn and you are locked, note the firing pin.  Beautiful work
ready to prime


locked


barrel ends, one with false on, one partial on so you can see pins and the breech end that locks into action


cross paper patch (slug gun end)

[plastikosmd]

The slug gun will have an unertl on it, the 2 round ball barrels are set up for custom redfield olympic sights


mounted, also you can see the underhammer better



hope you enjoyed

[Forestclimber]

I did enjoy reading your post.  There is quite a difference between chunk shooting and bench slug shooting.

[Semisane]

Interesting post plastikosmd.  That's a fantastic piece of equipment.  It must take a lot of dedication to get that thing shooting up to its potential.

[plastikosmd]

thanks, it is a load of fun

[Nobade]

Thanks for posting this. I have been interested in this type of rifle for a long time, and it is good to see somebody else has one to shoot. Not that many of those out there any more, you are in an elite minority. If some of those modern rifle guys could see what a rifle like yours is capable of they wouldn't believe it.

[plastikosmd]

yep, cant wait to get it up to speed, lot of experimenting ahead

[plastikosmd]

well got the final piece of the RL Morris set, 41 cal pistol, seems to be 1:20 twist..should i shoot RB or conicals I wonder.  Cool rear sight DRGM ? or something,
will start a separate post under cap/ball as is OT for this group but same maker as slug gun

[plastikosmd]

As noted above, the  RL Morris set build for Dr. L.E. Stephenson.  By all accounts he was quite a shooter back in the day.  From what people have told me on this board, he was such a great shooter and wasnt shy about it.  From what I understand this rubbed some the wrong way and the club that he was in was dissovled around him, restarted without him included in the membership!.  Anyway this first set included a rifle with 3 barrels (.451/.600 RB and .485 slug) along with a 41 caliber pistol, all percussion.  As part of that original set was a .515 RB flintlock.  I am happy to report after a good deal of searching along with posts on the net the owner of the flintlock surfaced and sold me the piece after a good deal of horse-trading.  (I had aquired a second mitchell scope, 27x but smaller 1.5" objective not the 2" in this thread, it was traded away.) Like all of Mr. Morris's work, it is a beauty. It is a takedown rifle just like the percussion, all the tooling is interchangeable, sights are his customized redfields. Weight is around 50lbs
the lock,

lock installed,

entire rifle

[plastikosmd]

lock and sight, note set trigger in front

false muzzle, front rest, front sight

the 4 barrels in their storage boxes , smallest box is the 26" slug barrel, all others are 36" or so

[Victor3]

Wow. Beautiful set. Bet that cost upwards of a hunnert bucks.

Get much muzzle flip? 

[plastikosmd]

Lol! Ya, 100 may buy the box. No flip, but hernia is a real concern! here are some pics of the slug gun, underhammer that launches a (700 + grain projectile, with it's mitchell scope)

[coyotejoe]

Very Interesting indeed, that is some fine hardware. I would of course like to shoot them but can appreciate the fine craftsmanship even from the photos, Thanks for posting.

[plastikosmd]

you are welcome!

R. Morris was an artist as far as I am concerned.  Beautiful workmanship. I had no knowledge of this type of system/rifle before stumbling across it on the net.  Figured I would do my part pass along the the sport