Gunsmithing projects for Sherline tools

(Click on any photo to see a larger image.)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Gun is a model 88 Mauser hunting rifle built by Haenel of Germany in the 1930's. The rifle and scope were purchased together but the claw mount rings on the scope were removed and missing. The claw mount bases were on the rifle. The two new claw mount rings for the scope were machined from bar stock and soldered to the steel scope tube with high temperature (650°) soft solder. This solder is sold by Brownell`s Gunsmith supply for this purpose so it can be used with hot bluing salts. Of course, the scope's lens system was removed for soldering and re-bluing. This was Jerry's first project on a Sherline mill and he says there was "a lot of swearing and head banging" to figure out the alignment of the rings before it was complete. The size of the rings pushed the upper limit of the mill's working range but the ability to accurately remove small amounts of metal around the claw areas saved a lot of hand work. Claw mounts must be fit with very close tolerances to function properly.

Jerry was selected as the 1997 winner of the Joe Martin Foundation's "Metalworking Craftsman of the Year" award. You can see more of Roger's work at www.CraftsmanshipMuseum.com/Kieffer.htm.

This beautifully finished Gatling gun fires #7-1/2 birdshot about 20 feet. The carriage features hand made wooden wheels  and details like a screw elevation adjustment. For size reference, the wooden display base is about 14" long. The vertical gravity feed clip holds 60 shots.

This gun has six barrels and measures about 26" from end to end when assembled. It fires .25 caliber plastic shot. It is hand cranked and fires using spring pistons.

This pneumatic gun fires .177 B-B's. Powered by compressed air at 85 to 130 PSI, it fires 800 to 1000 rounds per minute. The gravity-fed drum magazine holds about 3000 rounds. At 125 PSI it has an effective range of 100 feet where it is capable of holding a very tight grouping.

Note: US Quarter Dollar Coin used for size reference. (Diameter = 15/16" or 3.4 mm)

Engraver Roger Ronnie was tasked with restoring the engraving and delicate silver inlay work on a very rare 1896 German pistol. While he had it apart he decided to make a 1/2 size working model (3.25 mm), complete down to the smallest detail. All parts except the rifling of the barrel and the checkering of the grips were made on Sherline tools including turning some of the special milling cutters and the reamer for the chamber. Now completed, the model has been engraved by Roger and silver inlaid just like the original presentation pistol but in 1/2 size. The serial number is the same but with the addition of "1/2" at the end. The two together--original and model--make quite a pair. The last two photos show the completed model.

Roger was selected as the 2004 winner of the Joe Martin Foundation's "Metalworking Craftsman of the Year" award. To learn more about Roger and to see more of his engraving, clockmaking tools and model engines see www.CraftsmanshipMuseum.com/Ronnie.htm.

Roger's second miniature gun project was also done using Sherline tools with the exception of the barrel which was a little too long. The model represents a very rare presentation gun that Roger photographed years ago and was made completely from reference to the photos. The shotgun is now complete and Roger is in the process of engraving it. Keep in mind the original gun was engraved in the finest detail by the best engraver Lefever could find at the time, and Roger is reproducing the patterns at 1/2 size. This will be quite a gun when completed!

The first two photos show the completed gun assembled but before engraving and bluing. A detail shows the ejector mechanism and the last photo shows the various machined parts laid out for display before assembly. A US Quarter near the center of the photo shows how small some of the parts are. When the gun is completely engraved and blued we will show final photos of the completed project.