Mallika Sherawat

Bipasha Basu

                                   

Underhammeritis - living with the affliction.

In over thirty years of building underhammer guns I have come to notice that there seems to be two kinds of people when it comes to underhammer arms. Those who instantly recognize and embrace the logic and simplicity of the mechanism and those others who view it - may comment that it is interesting - but, ultimately, go back to their “ traditional” flint or conventional caplock guns. But, that’s okay as it takes all kinds to make a horse race.

However, those who do get it really seem to get it. It’s as if a veil has been lifted from their eyes. Some of them that I have known have actually abandoned their other flint and caplock rifles in favor of a fine, custom-made underhammer. They are the ones that I like to say are truly afflicted with “underhammeritis.”

Over the years of writing this blog, you have heard me mention underhammeritis occasionally and some have asked for more information about it and how they might recognize the symptoms. Here is what my research has revealed about this strange malady.

UNDERHAMMERITIS - A fairly common condition in its milder forms that seems to develop among muzzleloading shooters. It is believed by some to be a mental affliction in which the sufferer of said malady is deluded and sincerely believes that there is great merit in simplified percussion firearms actions having as a major element of their design a bottom-mounted, upward-swinging hammer.

There is considerable debate over the causes of this strange condition as some cases seem to start out slowly with only a mild fascination with underhammer arms, which, with more exposure to them, advances in varying degrees of speed.

While in other reported cases, the afflicted seems to be overwhelmed with fascination after just one exposure to a well-designed and crafted underhammer firearm. The final stages of full-blown underhammeritis seem to be complete obsession and there is no known cure. One can only live with the affliction and hope for the best.

In my own experience I am familiar with some extreme cases in which the afflicted shooter completely abandoned - and in one case actually sold – all the other firearms in their collections in favor of their custom-built underhammer rifle.

Granted, that is extreme and it is rare. Nevertheless, it must be realized that such a degree of affliction with underhammeritis is a possibility under certain ideal conditions.

So, what is it about these supposedly unconventional firearms that get those of us who are afflicted so excited? I guess it’s the same appreciation for simplicity that causes us to marvel at Henry’s Model T. So simple and yet so wonderfully functional.

It was the tremendously distracting flash of the typical flinchlock, as seen above, which lead to the original development of the underhammer mechanism in 1750s Europe. Consider that you are supposed to be focusing on sight alignment, trigger squeeze and controlled breathing at this exact moment. Yeah, right. BTW, clicking on any of the photos will enlarge them for closer viewing. Clicking the Back arrow will return you to the text.

Probably more than any other feature, it is that simplicity of design - despite a variety of underhammer mechanisms – that captures our imagination. When you think about it, there has been more diversity of development in underhammer mechanisms than virtually any other muzzleloading firearms design.

All the flint and cap lock mechanisms found on the rifles and smoothbores that are considered to be “traditional” are based on the same design that came over on the boat. Yes, the variations of stock designs may have been inspired on this side of the pond, but the basic sidelock technology is European-based and changed very little in 300 years. The caplock underhammer action, on the other hand, is American-born and bred and is truly as traditionally American as a lever action rifle.

There seems to be some unfounded belief that there is certain nobleness in the complexity of the typical side hammer lock. Many marvel at the mechanical advancements that mark the evolution from the match lock to the finest English caplocks of the late percussion period.

Yes, granted, prior to the introduction of the percussion pill (pill lock) and shortly thereafter, the percussion cap, that complex, antiquated flintlock mechanism was a necessary evil of gun design. But, once Ruggles was granted a patent for his underhammer design in 1826, it’s this scribe’s opinion that the typical gunlock of the time should have become history.

However, that didn't happen and we’re not likely to change the mind of most of those traditionalists so let’s move along.

It’s obvious that one of the major advantages of the underhammer system is its ambidextrous design, being equally well-suited for both left and right-hand shooting. However, there are other advantages that are not immediately apparent to those who have never shot an underhammer or studied the concept.

Our modern traditional rifle was born in the antiquity of arms design and development being the result of an evolutionary process that began with the crossbow. Consider that the typical muzzleloading gun design begins with a long piece of wood into which a channel is cut which will securely hold the barrel. Then more wood is removed to accommodate a complex lockplate and its protuberances. Yet more wood is removed from this frail arrangement to accept a trigger mechanism. And let’s not forget all the screws that hold this Rube Goldberg contraption together.

It can readily be deduced that the result is a stock that is weakest at that most important point of where all the major components intersect. And, all that fuss to do nothing more than simply ignite blackpowder.

Both types of actions do the same thing, that is, ignite blackpowder. Which one makes more sense?

Most underhammer actions, on the other hand, employ some type of “receiver” which acts to contain the hammer and trigger in their proper relation to each other and the nipple and to which the buttstock is mounted. This not only simplifies the design, but the construction, too. In a good underhammer design the result is a rifle with less of a tendency to break at the critical point where all the action takes place.

If one thinks one does not really require a long forearm, then there is considerably less work involved in finishing such a rifle, although, personally, I believe that a forearm of half-stock design is not only functional, but aesthetically pleasing as well.

Looking at the typical flint or caplock action it is immediately apparent that the hammer protrudes significantly above the top of the rifle, as seen above. This is necessary to allow quick and easy cocking of the mechanism. Aesthetically, the hammer or the flintcock is wonderful eye candy that us artistic types are always fiddling with to create something with even greater eye appeal. However, that upward protruding hammer provides Murphy (of Murphy’s Law fame) with untold opportunities to screw up your weekend – and perhaps your life.

Accordingly, if the rifle should by chance fall from your grasp or from leaning against the tree while you answered the call of Nature, Murphy’s Law dictates that it should land on the hammer and either fire the gun or break the hammer, or both.

With the hammer mounted below the barrel, however, the geometry of the stock places the hammer in a very secure and protected location as a rifle almost never would fall and hit the trigger area directly due to the angle of the belly of the buttstock and the length of the barrel. That is, unless, you’ve got some huge hammer that hangs way down below your trigger guard when the hammer is at half cock.

Also consider that the bottom-mounted hammer provides a clear, unobstructed view of both the sights and the target - no hammer protruding into your sight picture. Placing the hammer below the barrel also provides much greater protection to the shooter’s face from cap shrapnel. Be that as it may, many shooters of underhammer guns frequently complain about the cap shrapnel that peppers the wrist and forearm of their left hand – assuming a right-handed shooter – which causes them to flinch. That is so unfortunate because it’s a problem that could have been easily remedied by fitting the rifle with a musket nipple and using musket caps.

I have been a devotee of this simple solution for about 30 years and it still amazes me that shooters will whine back at me that musket caps are so expensive. They’ll buy and burn expensive Swiss powder, but they can’t afford musket caps. Go figure.

Few shooters realize that #11 percussion caps are designed to be frangible. That is, they’re intended to come apart like a grenade when detonated. That feature is most desirable in a revolver where the spent cap can fall free of the revolving cylinder as the hammer is cocked for the next shot. They’re also small and easily fumbled and lost while capping the rifle. (Learn a lesson from military arms - use musket caps.) While essential to the continued functioning of the cap and ball revolver, frangible caps are a pain in the bu… well, actually, they’re a pain in the wrist when spit by most underhammer arms.

Another solution to the cap spitting problem is to design your rifle to utilize a nipple pocket, as seen above, in which the nipple is completely enclosed, or as much so, by the hammer skirt and the nipple pocket. A nipple skirt can also be helpful. The nipple pocket is a feature of more advanced design underhammers of the past, such as the Billinghurst, Churchill and contemporary designs such as the Faeton.

In all fairness, I must say that the Allan Foundry Underhammer Action also provides great protection from cap spitting. BTW, if you take a look at our Underhammer Action Round-up feature of last year, you can read more about the Allan Underhammer Action and why I give it high marks.

If you hunt with an underhammer you will readily recognize that the bottom mounted hammer also provides superior protection over the typical side-hammer percussion when it comes to protecting the percussion cap from inclement weather as well as being inadvertently flicked off the nipple by passing through brush.

And speaking of moving through brush… Of worse consequence is having the typical side-mounted hammer pushed back from the half-cock into the full-cock position as you’re passing through brush. Been there, done that and had the gun go off unexpectedly. Luckily no one was injured, but Murphy had a grand time with me that day.

While I’m sure that other underhammer shooters might be able to add to the list of advantages of the underhammer rifle, those are the basics.

If you’re considering an underhammer just one bit of advice – buy the best quality you can afford. Many shooters begin a new venture looking for a bargain gun just in case they don’t like that type of shooting. However, that is not a fair manner of testing a new concept and creating your opinion. Bargain basement guns generally provide bargain basement results. I have talked with shooters who had at a time shot a low-end underhammer and they were underwhelmed. However, after letting them shoot a well-designed and crafted underhammer, they were truly impressed. One even placed an order for one of my Faeton rifles right there at the range.

By going cheap, you’re only cheating yourself out of what could be a new love affair with underhammers. Or, as some would insist, another outbreak of underhammeritis.

In closing let me remind you that there is no known cure for underhammeritis, there is only treatment which consists of more shooting with your favorite underhammer.

No one said that treatment would be easy, but it’s better than the alternative - that being suffering from underhammeritis and not having an underhammer at all.

Now that would be bad.

Cheers!

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Underhammer Identity - Making Your Mark

Over the past few years of writing The Underhammer Society blog, I have received a number of photos from you readers asking for help in identifying some sort of unusual or unique underhammer firearm. It is so unfortunate that those inspired makers of old did not take the time to mark their work.

Today we see the same situation – underhammer (and other) makers who don’t mark their work. The simple rule should be that if your idea is worthy of the expense of money and labor to make it, it’s certainly worth marking it as yours.

However, doing so in a professional looking manner is generally not considered an easy task. Many of us have seen otherwise beautiful custom-made muzzleloading arms that were marked with poorly aligned lettering stamps or worse yet, marked with a “signature” on the top flat of the barrel that appeared to have been engraved by a dull screwdriver being driven by a 5 lb. sledge. The mark became a witch’s wart on the nose of a bathing beauty.

For years I have used an electro-acid etching system that does provide a very crisp and professional looking trademark. This is an industry standard metal marking process in which a stencil is used along with an electrolyte solution and a marking pad that is connected to a low voltage power source to deep etch metal parts. My marking results can be seen below.

We’ve all seen the results of this process as trademarks on such things as knives, firearms, feeler gauges, drill bits, milling cutters, saw blades, ball bearing races, carbide cutters and thousands of other types of metal tools, parts or instruments.

The problem with most pro-grade systems is that they can set you back up to a $1000. I bought rather used pro-grade equipment way back in ’96 and it cost me over $500 then - definitely out of range for the hobby builder and even some full time professional gunmakers.

The ETCH-O-MATIC comes complete with all you need to achieve professional marking results

Well, I’ve got some good news! Produced by Martronics Corporation, the ETCH-O-MATIC™ is a nifty, professional-grade, compact etching device that provides perfect marking, is quick and simple to use and costs less than $100 to get started.

No, that’s not a typo – it is less than $100. In fact, right now it's only about 80 bucks.

I could go into all the gory details of how the electro-etch process works, but the folks at Martronics had the good marketing sense to include several videos right on their website: http://www.etch-o-matic.com/eom.htm that clearly demonstrate just how quick and simple it is to use their system. Click on the link and take a look for yourself.

The ETCH-O-MATIC™ can be used for marking most any kind of metal including carbon and stainless steels, aluminum, brass, copper, bronze and carbide. It will even mark through black oxide on steel. Several types of marks can be obtained in addition to the simple black mark including the deep etch, a black deep etch and a frosty etch.

We have all seen the ETCH-O-MATIC marks on knives, tools and instruments of all kinds.

In the regular mode, a crisp black mark is left on the metal surface. For those who will be applying their own blue, brown or plating finish over the metal, there is a deep-etch adapter which will provide a mark with depth and will be readily recognized once you’ve finished the metal with your preferred finishing process.

Martronics’ ETCH-O-MATIC™ starter kit contains the ETCH-O-MATIC™ marker with the standard size marking head of ⁷/₈" x 1³/₄", an electrical cord, ground plate, 2 oz. electrolyte solution in a plastic bottle, 10 special stencils, a neutralizer, deep etching adapter clip and complete instructions. Very simple and thorough instructions, I might add.

But, if that wasn’t enough, they also offer free technical help. Yes, you can actually call and talk with one of their live-person technical people who can help you get the optimum results from your ETCH-O-MATIC.

Martroncis claims that each kit will make approximately 1,000 marks before refill supplies are needed. Doing the quick math, you can see that each of your professional looking trademarks cost but pennies to apply and lends a look of professionalism that puts your work into the category of the big guys.

The ETCH-O-MATIC Starter Kit includes 10 sheets of a special stencil material which can be placed into an ordinary typewriter to make some quick stencils that will provide a good, legible mark. However, for the very best marking quality I recommend using their Dura-Film Stencils.

Martronics also offers a stencil making system that will allow you to make your own high-quality stencils from your own artwork on your home computer. If you’re interested, more information on their Stencil Maker Kit is available on their website.

For those of you who may not use very many stencils, Martronics will even make stencils for you – at a very reasonable price - if you send them your artwork. Talk about a full service company - I really like the way these people think.

Take a look at the website: http://www.etch-o-matic.com/eom.htm and see if you don’t agree that this is the best way to achieve a professional looking trademark on your fine firearms, or putting a good identifying mark on your tools and other valuable metal items as well.

So, that’s the story for the press and I’m sure you all now feel warm and fuzzy about it.

However, the real question on my mind is, “Will this eighty-dollar wonder work as well as my really pricey “professional” marking system?” We shall see.

I prepared a piece of flat bar steel by cleaning and lightly polishing the surface. I have to say that the folks at Martronics also provided us with a sample of their stencil material for comparison to the high priced “professional” stencils that I have been using for almost 20 years.

While Martronics indicates that you can hold the stencil in place, I have found that if you really want a crisp mark, its best to use some scotch or masking tape to secure the stencil to the work surface. This will also help assure that your alignment and position is correct before you start.

Clicking on the photo will provide a close up view, then click the Back button to return to the text.

The top mark in the photo above is the regular black etch while the bottom mark is the result of the deep etching process. Both were produced from the same blue Dura Film Stencil seen above the sample.

While we’re here I must admit that the quality of their stencil is first rate. I was really impressed with the durability of it and can see that you could easily get dozens of crisp, clear etchings from each stencil. The really good news is the price for their stencil making service. The company that I used in the past recently quoted their minimum charge is now over $70. Then there are graphics charges and plate charges, etc, etc…

That’s a lot of money for a small sheet of stencils. Especially if you only mark a few guns per year.

The folks at Martronics quoted $19.60 to make a 4” X 5” sheet – and that even includes the one-time $10.00 plate charge! If you plan and lay out your artwork carefully you can get quite a few stencils from that one sheet, They also offer larger formats all the way up to 8” X 11” if you need it, the price of which is only $54.50!

Now, back to the test.

I taped the stencil in place on the steel sample, plugged in the unit and wet the marking head pad with the included electrolyte solution according to the directions. Then I attached the ground wire to the steel sample plate and touched the ETCH-O-MATIC pad to the steel. Holding the unit on the steel for about 5 seconds produced the crisp black mark you see in the photo.

Martronics claims that their basic unit is also capable of deep etching which is necessary when you are planning to blue or brown or plate the finished metal.

For the deep etch, Martronics includes another special alligator clip that provides the DC current needed for the deep etch process. I simply connected that to the metal plate then attached the regular ground clip to it.

BTW, stencils can get “plugged” with the steel oxides that are created during the etching process, so it’s a good idea to keep the stencil clean with a bit of electrolyte or even soap and water between etchings.

To achieve the deep etch, it took about three applications of about 6 – 7 seconds each and the mark looks perfect. Just like I (used to) get from the high priced gadget with its cords and clips and plugs.

This Martronics ETCH-O-MATIC is just dirt simple and the results are certainly “professional” quality.

Check out their website: http://www.etch-o-matic.com/eom.htm because I believe you will find the ETCH-O-MATIC to be a most valuable addition to your shop for marking more than just your firearms.


Cheers!

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An underhammer punt gun???

Clicking the pics will enlarge them for closeup viewing. Clicking the Back button will return you to the text.

Over the past few years we have seen some interesting underhammer firearms that our readers have shared with us. However, this one surely takes the prize in the curiosa category.

It is a punt gun, and while punt guns are rather scarce these days, an underhammer punt gun is a real prize – if you collect really big shotguns, that is.

The owner of this monster bore, Jim Marsh, does collect really big shotguns and relates,

“This punt gun is from the 1870s and was said to be used for many years at an old Shooting Club (Duck Hunting Club). It weights about 100 pounds, is 6ft., 4 inches long and has a bore size of 1-1/2 inches. Also the gun has a rubber mount painted gray as seen in the picture below. 

The gun does not have any markings on it at all – nothing. I am an antique shotgun collector of big-bore shotgun and punt guns and anything about old time duck hunting. Although I have had this gun for many years, I have never found out anything about it. I hope The Underhammer Society readers can help identify it.”

 Regards,

 Jim Marsh

For those of you who are not familiar with punt guns, here’s a bit more info below from Wikipedia that will help in understanding these monster shotguns. 

                   

A punt gun is a type of extremely large shotgun used in the 19th and early 20th centuries for shooting large numbers of waterfowl for commercial harvesting operations and private sport. Punt guns were usually custom-designed and so varied widely, but could have bore diameters exceeding 2 inches (51 mm) and fire over a pound (0.5 kilos) of shot at a time.^[1]

 
A single shot could kill over 50 waterfowl resting on the water's surface. They were too big to hold and the recoil so large that they were mounted directly on the punts used for hunting, hence their name. Hunters would maneuver their punts quietly into line and range of the flock using poles or oars to avoid startling them.

Generally the gun was fixed to the punt; thus the hunter would maneuver the entire boat in order to aim the gun. The guns were sufficiently powerful, and the punts themselves sufficiently small, that firing the gun often propelled the punt backwards several inches or more. To improve efficiency, hunters could work in fleets of up to around ten punts.

In the United States, this practice depleted stocks of wild waterfowl and by the 1860s most states had banned the practice. The Lacey Act of 1900 banned the transport of wild game across state lines, and the practice of market hunting was outlawed by a series of federal laws in 1918. In the United Kingdom, a 1995 survey showed fewer than 50 active punt guns still in use. UK law limits punt guns to a bore diameter of 1.75 inches (44 mm) (1 1/8 pounder).^[2]

I have to admit that I have never seen an underhammer punt gun before and have no idea who could have made it. If any of you readers can identify it, please Post a Comment below to share your info with all of us.

Thanks, Jim, for sharing your unique and unusual prize with us.

It should be remembered that those of days of old who used these methods were not sportsman as we consider ourselves. They were market hunters and cared little about the balance of nature and no concept of conserving the resource. It was an attitude that prevailed at the time and resulted in the near extinction of many animals including our beloved bison.

A note in passing: it was Teddy Roosevelt who understood the dangers of this type of market slaughter and warned of the follies of such practices and worked diligently to stop market hunting. In that respect, he was one of the vanguard conservationists to whom we modern hunters owe a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Cheers!


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We're taking another poll...

Well, it's time, once again, for another survey.

As you seasoned readers may recall, we conducted a simple survey a while back which provided some interesting information about you, our readers.

For instance, we learned that most of you are target shooters. However, we also have a strong following of hunters and a few collectors as revealed in the chart below.

Target shooters..........................................27  (67%)
Hunters.......................................................21  (52%)
Collectors.....................................................6  (15%)

All the above…………....……………..........10  (25%)

You can see that the actual number of participants was rather low considering how many of you actually come by to read this stuff. It's apparent from the hit counter at the bottom of the page that we do get a lot of visitors here. In fact, we hold the Number 1 spot on all the major search engines when it comes to underhammers. That’s because you readers have put us there and we thank you for your on-going dedicated interest.

So, we’re asking for a bit more participation this time around. Sorry that we had to resort to threats from Voldemort this time to encourage your participation. From the low turnout as indicated by the chart above, it seems that our use of blatant sex last time around did not arouse as much participation as we thought it would. Go figure…

This time we would like to know a bit about your firearms choices. Specifically, how many of you are died-in-the-wool underhammer aficionados compared to cross-overs, that is, those of you who also shoot other cap guns, flint guns or cartridge guns.

We would also like to know what kind of muzzleloading arms you are most interested in purchasing – off the shelf production stuff, or custom-made arms.

Please scroll on down to the bottom of this page and take the survey. Just tick the box(s) that apply to you. What could be more simple?

THE POLLS ARE NOW CLOSED.  THE RESULTS ARE POSTED BELOW,

We would really appreciate your participation!

Questions of comments may be directed to: underhammers@safe-mail.net.

Cheers!


THE SURVEY RESULTS ARE IN!


First of all, I would like to thank every one of our readers who took the time to participate in the survey. There was a total of 76 respondents and the results are quite interesting to consider. Not surprisingly, there are really only a very few of you folks who are dyed in the wool underhammer shooters. I did suspect that there was a considerable crossover element, but I had no idea just how many of our readers are also of the cartridge crowd. Well over half of you shoot all manner of firearms. Great to have your interest.

Also quite surprising is the number of you readers who are also builders of your own firearms. That was most pleasing to see - a whopping 60%! With that in mind, in the future we will consider more information geared toward your interests in crafting your own arms.


The question of the survey was:

My shooting interests involve:

Underhammers only	3 (3%)
Underhammers and other muzzleloading percussion cap arms	13 (17%)
Underhammers and other percussion and flint ignition arms	17 (22%)
Underhammers, cap, flint, and cartrdge arms	52 (68%)
I prefer to buy completed off-the-shelf firearms	22 (28%)
I prefer to buy custom firearms made to my order	8 (10%)
I build my own firearms from kits or from scratch	46 (60%)
None of the above - I'm just visiting	4 (5%)

Again, thanks for your participation.

Cheers!



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Underhammer chunkin'

One of the oldest games around is chunk gun shooting. It is also one of the simplest, although not easy to win. Here is a report from one of our long-time readers, Jeff Bibb, about his recently finished chunk gun and a nifty "chunk" shooting bench that he now offers.

Just a reminder that clicking on any of the photos will enlarge them for more detailed viewing. Clicking the "Back" button at the top left of your browser will return you to the text.

Hello Roger:

Hope all is well with you these days. I keep reading the blog and enjoying the content. Folks seem to be building some really great pieces.

I thought you might be interested in my underhammer rifle. We talked about it briefly last year, but I have been very slow getting something together on it. This is a .54 caliber chunk gun made by Ed Rayl and Charles Bowers. To Ed's knowledge, it is the only all-stainless one in existence. 

For those not familiar with chunk gun shooting, this is a form of muzzle loading target shooting that has been going on in the Southern mountains for a long, long time. Basically, one shoots from a prone position over a log (or chunk) at an "X" target 60 yards away. The person who gets closest to the center of the X over a string of shots wins. These days, folks shoot flintlocks, percussion guns, and yes... underhammers. The competition is fierce, and a match may be won by a few thousandths difference.

This gun is a bit of a horse. It measures 71" long overall, and weighs just over 30 lbs. The barrel is 54" long, and 1.5" wide across the flats. It is entirely stainless steel, as is the action. 

The lock is a Charles Bowers and made from stainless. The trigger is light and has a crisp release. There is a half-cock notch. The action is fitted to a nice walnut, monte carlo stock with a steel buttplate. Length of pull is a bit over 14". 

Loads for the gun are very tight to produce the best accuracy. In this .54 rifle, a good starting place is a .530 or .535 ball with at least a .015 patch, and 100 to 110 grains of 2F. A custom made stainless range rod with a bore guide makes loading a bit easier. A step stool is also suggested. 

This rifle is quite accurate in capable hands (not necessarily mine), and has competed several times at the Alvin York Memorial Shoot in eastern Tennessee. Since that event is approaching this month I thought it might be appropriate to share the gun with you and your readers. Hope you all enjoy it.

As a full time artisan in the muzzle loading world, a surprising number of my customers are also chunk gun shooters. It is an addicting past time. As a result, last year I started making and selling a fully adjustable chunk or bench rest. 

All the best,

Jeff Bibb

All photos copyrighted by Jeff Bibb

Thanks, Jeff, for sharing your new rifle with us. As you shoot some winning targets maybe we can add them to the story.

If you would like more info on Jeff's shooting bench and other fine products, take a look at his site: 

http://www.jeffbibbpouchesandhorns.com/


Cheers!


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