Burnside carbine build

Peacons

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So here's the start of my Burnside carbine build.
Acquired a receiver and barrel so the hardest parts are already done.
Bore needs a bit of a cleaning but in general looks very good considering its age.

Attachment is just the breechblock so far, not yet dimensioned but full sized.
Will probably have to break up the drawing into several separate sheets of different views since there are so many details to dimension.
 

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  • breech block (no dims).pdf
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I did a replica Starr carbine ,but cheated a bit as I already had a original lock ,hammer etc,as sold by Dixie some years ago.No net then,and I scaled pictures from books ,and got some detail wrong ......works ok though.
 
I'll probably use Sharps lock parts from Dixie as well as the Sharps lock is very similar to the Burnside's. There are a few fiddly parts that could be made the innards will not be seen and I'm not going for an absolute reproduction.
 
I think the d bit would be the way to go to form the chamber in the breech block. I have a drawing of one that Brian Rupnow designed that looks adaptable.
Also mulling the idea of casting the breech block in silicon bronze as well as the lever components.
Not exactly authentic, but I'm only going for a replica shooter anyway.
I think casting these parts and finishing them would be simpler than machining entirely from bar stock.
 
Still working on the drawings.

Have most of them finished, doing custom screws now. Need those for the existing holes in the receiver which are oddball threads, close to SAE but a tad looser.



Also researching casting as I'm thinking of casting the lever parts, trigger and breech block parts from silicon bronze. Should be plenty strong since this is a black powder gun.

Probably try lost wax investment casting as I've done lost foam aluminum casting in the past.
 
Perhaps my question to all would be what would be the best material to use for the castings?
The lever and some other small parts are not highly stressed, only the breech block.
Black powder only produces pressures on the neighborhood of 25k psi, much lower than smokeless.
Had an offer for some manganese bronze. Better or worse than silicon bronze or aluminum bronze?
No steel suggestions to cast as I don't have the facilities for that, just the aluminium and brass region.;)
 
Have some magnesium bronze scrap bars for the castings. Thinking of having one of the art casting places in the area so the actual casting with my raw materials and patterns.
Probably easier than making a casting setup (and cheaper).
 
Progress has been a bit slow so far.
Have the lock plate fabricated and the lockworks functioning.
Need to contour the plate now to at least resemble the lines of the original from the recess on the receiver. that will entail a bit of file work
crazy.gif
 
Looks quite similar to the Starr lock......the Starr has some good ideas,like all flat .slab sided profiles ,so the outside is also flat,and the round front of the lock fits a semicircular recess in the reciever ,and located very solidly......The Starr isnt a good design ,and like all 1850s breechloaders ,had a mass of existing patents to get around......Starr were pretty well made ,but didnt work too well ,and seeing as a misfire was deadly in action,there was masses of complaints about them.......however the Starr stockholders were well connected ,politically ,and complaints dismissed......Starr would have been a good gun with a simple falling breechblock in the cartridge gun,but Sharps patent stopped them untill 1865,by then the war was over ,and Starr finished.
 
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