doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Boxlock And Sidelock Specs

Hi. I'm looking for all and any boxlock, or sidelock blueprints that I can get my hands on. I can't build one now, but sometime in the future I would like to build myself a nice double.....or two.....or three, and I'd like to find the plans now before I don't have the time to spend on forums looking for them. Blueprints would be a godsend, but anything with some form of scale, or with the parts proportional to each other would be great. Not to sound like an &$$ but unless you have something beneficial please don't bother commenting, I posted something similar on another forum, and received a few comments that were sarcastic, and borderline arrogant. Of all the companies who produce doubles, all the people who have made their own, and for the sheer length of time they've been around I don't think that asking for these plans is as optimistic as asking for 1'000'000 dollars as one distinguished individual on the other forum compared it to. Thanks.

Look at Dewey Vicknairs web site and postings here. He has built a few guns from scratch and his experience could save you a lot of miss-steps. Most makers in the trade started with rough castings or semi shaped parts to save time and machining. You might be able to start with a block of steel but there's a lot of work involved in getting it into just a rough semi finished part. Good luck with your project.

Welcome to the site on your first posting.

Good on ya ! Great dream if you have the talent, sweet!

http://vicknairrestorations.com/Vicknair_Restorations___Home.html

Mike

P.S. aren't there some L.C. Smith blueprints around??

http://www.alibris.com/Plans-specifications-of-the-L-C-Smith-shotgun-William-S-Brophy/book/5159077

There may be others that I am not aware of, but the one source that I do know is a book written by LTC William Brophy, Ret. that is titled "Plans and Specifications of the LC Smith Shotgun". The book was published in 1981, and is now out of print. Used copies are sometimes available, but expensive.
I believe that there is enough information and drawings in the book for a skilled machinist to build a copy of an LC Smith gun.

Thanks

There are many types/design of sidelock and boxlock and most companies would have had sets of drawings for each part/component .Any diagram of the complete assembled gun would only be of help in giving an overall picture of how it was supposed to go together and work .
I have for instance a drawing of a Webley 700 action but without the rest of the 50 or so other drawings it is all but useless.
Please also bear in mind that drawings are the ideal and many components will be made with the necessary allowances for filing up and fitting .
I wish you luck in you quest .

There are many types/design of sidelock and boxlock and most companies would have had sets of drawings for each part/component .Any diagram of the complete assembled gun would only be of help in giving an overall picture of how it was supposed to go together and work .
I have for instance a drawing of a Webley 700 action but without the rest of the 50 or so other drawings it is all but useless.
Please also bear in mind that drawings are the ideal and many components will be made with the necessary allowances for filing up and fitting .
I wish you luck in you quest .

If you have the skills and tools to build one from scratch, then it might be more prudent to buy something like an inexpensive Spanish beater and reverse engineer it with superior materials and fitment.

I am not quite sure what your dream is: I have had some pretty crazy ideas over the years but fortunately time and opportunity have always been missing until I woke up and realised the error of my ways!
I think Replacement's suggestion is a good one.
As Gunman says, a drawing is only as good as your knowledge of all the other interrelating factors: nice guns were not principle machine made, they were roughed out by machine and then brought together by hand.
If you take any reasonably well made, mainstream Birmingham boxlock or Spanish sidelock, you will have the 'blueprint' in 3D in your hands. (I suggest the above as they are relatively cheap, not because they are the pinnacle of perfection.)
Shoot either for a month and you will know what can be improved and what simply works.
Then just make a better one!
Have fun.

I don't think there is a whole lot that someone can improve upon a Birmingham boxlock, duplicate yes, improve no.