Defarbing musket

[Haversack62]

O.K. I am going to buy a Springfield Model 1842 smoothbore musket. I was wondering if anyone knows who can defarb it.
Thank's

 

[Tin cup]

Todd Watts
[email protected]

Lodgewood MFG.
http://www.lodgewood.com/

John Zimmerman
http://www.edsmart.com/jz/
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Depending on your home equipment and skills with metal and wood...
If you are handy with a El Reno hand-mill (a file) and emery paper, you can carefully take off the non-correct markings yourself. The serial number can be a sticky proposition to have removed, some laws may be involved!
The hammer shape on top is a bit "humped" more than it needs to be, it can be CAREFULLY polished down to a shape that comes close to what an original looks like.
The ramrod usually needs to be reshaped, the ramming end can be way too thick, needing reshaped to match originals.
I'm NOT sure if the one you will get would have an oil finish stock, or a plastic type finish, an oil finish you may be able to do yourself.
The thing one has to remember is it's easy to take metal off, but too much taken off can be a bear to replace, working as a welder, I know!
If you are in doubt about your skills, contact someone listed above, you will like the results.

Kevin Dally
The pictures show the work I did on one myself, with another repro 42 not reworked yet...
The hammer on the one on top is how it would come from the factory, the bottom one shows the "hump" much less pronounced.
This picture shows the top ramrod as it came, the bottom is after it was re-shaped. Note: I was able to cut the front sight blade off, and braze a brass one (unfinished at time of photo taken) on in it's place as per an original. A nice touch to get, as the repro's have a incorrect steel blade. A note on the ramrod, they come in 2 pieces, soldered together, and they can come apart! I have welded all of my repro ramrods together to make them one-piece. I'm not sure if the folk who professionally de-farb would do this.

The 42 as it come from the factory is a pretty good reproduction, but it still has issues, just not as many as some of the other models made.
Kevin Dally

 

[Craig L Barry]

Agree with everything Kevin posted. Let me add: Todd Watts is on sabbatical for a brief period of time, Zimmerman likes to stamp everything HARPERS FERRY but the letters are hand stamped and can "migrate" a little. Lodgewood Mfg would be your best bet right now. To my knowledge, none of the above welds the ramrod into one piece but Dixie Gun Works sells a one piece replacement ramrod which is more accurately shaped (not perfect but better) and it is only about $25. Once it is cut to the length you want, it has to be threaded on the end. Which brings up another point...ask for, or install yourself...a ramrod stop. Armi Sport mortises the stock (under the trigger guard) for one but they don't put the stop in it. It is a small piece of metal that keeps your ramrod from wearing through the gun stock from repeatedly seating it. You often see ramrods on more heavily used repros that appear a little short relative to the tip of the muzzle, it is because the stock has no ramrod stop and it has worn through the wood until the base hits the trigger guard. Originals are seldom encountered without one in place, but I think Pedersoli is the only manufacturer that remembers to actually put the part on thier reproductions. Armi Sport never does, I know that much.

You can "shape" the factory ramrod to original specs (which are included in the book "The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy" 2nd Edition...not the 1st). Nobody will do that part for you, to my knowledge. That said, the only part of the process that takes more than "average" skill, material or basic tools is the brass front sight blade.

 

[Tin cup]

"You can "shape" the factory ramrod to original specs (which are included in the book "The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy" 2nd Edition...not the 1st). Nobody will do that part for you, to my knowledge. "

An Electric Drill, 2x4's, and a file, and you are all set up to make a home-made lathe. The pictures show one I made of the same materials listed. I do all my ramrod re-shaping with this set up.

Kevin Dally

 

[Bob Owen]

I like your lathe, Kevin! I may have to copy it.

 

[Tin cup]

I like your lathe, Kevin! I may have to copy it.

Well, I haven't applied for a patent on it, so go for it!

Kevin Dally
PS. A El Reno Hand Mill comes from a supervisor we had in machine shop...He used to live in El Reno, Oklahoma, and always bragged about it. One day his lead man was running a new computer NC Lathe, the supervisor walks up, bragging he could run it, ran one in the Navy, knew ALL about that type of equipment! Well, the lead man says: "well, here, you run it, I gotta go take a pi$$!
He walks off, and the supervisor panics, and has to get someone else to turn the lathe off!
So, we figured the only thing the supervisor ran was a file! So from then on I call em a "El Reno Hand Mill"!
PS. The supervisor actually became a pretty good guy to work for, just had to be taken down a notch!

 

[18thmississippi]

the master himself in hapersferry