rr spike gun

[pip]

I have been forging for 3 years now. I have made lots of stuff tomahawks, bowie knifes, spoons, and arrowheads just to name sum. I have never made a gun so i was wondering if a rr spike would do. I under stand that the metal needs to be soft. RR spikes are soft. I under stand this is more dangerous than any thing i have ever made. I do not want to blow my hand off . so I would like some advise on steel and tools. I live in a small Mississippi town so i do not have many tools just a lot of steel. I have round bar stock of many sizes, will that do the job of forming a rough bore? thank you for all responses and have a nice fall !

[Marksnagel]

Not to hurt your feelings but, do you have a good rescue squad and hospital near you?

I would consult a professional gunsmith prior to even attempting a gun out of a RR spike. But if you insist, then I wish you all the luck.

You'll be in my prayers tonite

Mark<><

[jimmy seale]

most of the "modern" weapons barrels are 4140 and have a rc harness of 36-38 if i remember right.but don't hold me to this it was read in passing some where, best of luck and do be careful. jmmy

[MetalMuncher]

Forging a barrel is tough stuff...best of luck to ya.

Cheers

[Frosty]

Sounds to me like you don't know enough about fire arms to try making one. Sure, I made a working .22 zip gun from 1/4" steel brakeline when I was maybe 12 and didn't get hurt but I was 12. Even so I fired it from behind a large boulder just in case.

Making fire arms isn't something to be taken lightly but if you must please notify your next of kin and EMS. I'll say a word for you with higher. Seriously.

Frosty the Lucky.

[edge9001]

I would find a gunsmithing forum and check wiht them before continueing with this project. Although I am very interested in this idea, even if the barrel is not forged, Please post pics when and if you get done. good luck and be safe

[ThomasPowers]

Always try to dangerous things as SAFELY as possible!

I once built a small cannon from heavy oilfield pipe, (2" bore): I checked with a friendly gunsmith on the suitability, had the machine work done by knowledgeable people and had input from some folks at Fort Sill on the proof testing and care and feeding of it. It still resides with me 30 years later and still gets a firing every now and then.

[don't tread on me]

talk to Galgatha Forge and Anvil, he is a gunsmith he would probly help you.

[Rcrew]

I have been gunsmithing for 30 years and blacksmith for 8. I would not advise doing this. If you do I would suggest using black powder the pressure from smokeless powder will blow your spike gun into orbit. From one Mississippi boy to another don't do it.

[dkunkler]

As everyone told Ralphie, you'll shoot your eye out. But seriously, I don't think it's a good idea.

[dablacksmith]

actually ime interested in what type of gun your going to make? i suppose you could drill a rr spike to accept a cartridge tho why? it sounds kinda crazy to me ...it takes a lot of skills to make any type of gun ... and the barrel while inportant is one area thats fairly straight forward in function its not a piece you want to take a chance on .and when it comes to makeing a gun isnt the hard part.. a lock and or reciever and action are usually the hard to make parts and require the skill ...

[Braedon]

I see nothing but bad things comming from that idea. Just sayin

[MattBower]

If you have to ask this question, you don't know nearly enough to even think about attempting it. Wake up.

[Dragons lair]

As everyone told Ralphie, you'll shoot your eye out. But seriously, I don't think it's a good idea.

The whole post is serious.Back in the 60s a friend and I played with cannons and rusty froze up sat nite specials.
Buddy found a rusty 44 bulldog in of all places RR tracks. oiled sanded and scraped that thing. Finally tied it to a tree and pulled the cord. bang then again bang. Cool untied it aimed at a can and BOOM. Most of his right hand and right eye went with the gun. Do ya really want to start out with a rusty spike? On another note yes ya can blow up a blackpowder barrel. Try forging with no depth perception holding hammer with thumb and pinky. I only had to wear a patch for a week and its a bi h. Just saying be careful cause ya may be like my buddy and me(bullet proof) atleast back then. Don't ask a blacksmith gun questions or a gunsmith forging questions

[southernforge]

Sounds like the making of a gruesome UTube video. .... Bang, ouch, ouch, ouch!

[Mainely,Bob]

I read this post 3 days ago and I`m still shaking my head in disbelief.
See you on the Darwin awards!

[bajajoaquin]

So there was this guy, and he and his dad were really good friends when he was a little kid. Like inseparable. The problem was that his father died when he was only 10. He became obsessed with the idea that he could go back in time and bring him back. So he read HG Wells's The Time Machine and looked for answers. He realized that there were no instructions on how to build a time machine in there.

But he didn't give up.

He looked into how time worked. He studied math. He studied physics. He got a PhD in physics, and he became a recognized authority in the field. He never gave up the idea that he could go back in time and see his dad again. As he worked on his "regular" research, he never stopped working on his time machine in secret. Finally, at one professional conference, he went out on a limb and presented his plans to make a time machine that would theoretically work, and transport a small object back in time. He didn't think anyone took him seriously, but after his presentation, another physicist, the leader in the field of time theory, came up to him and told him, "Your theory is sound, but it will never transport anything back past the point in time that the machine was created."

So there he was. He had figured out how to make a time machine. But it was a lot more work, and didn't turn out quite how he expected.

That's how this RR spike gun can be a success: accept that there's a lot more to it than forging a barrel, take the time to understand what you're really trying to accomplish, and work towards the goal.

Pilots have a saying: you start out with an empty bag of experience and a full bag of luck. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck. They, too, do something that can kill you.

And by the way, that is a true story.

[pkrankow]

Maybe making a look alike out of appropriate metals?

Phil

[Ulric]

....far on a limb, perhaps a grape shooter. Ie: Think potato gun/cannon, but just use air pressure
instead of flamable materials.

[Marksnagel]

Bajajoaquin,

Good story.

But as I remember it, The Time Machine was fiction. I don't believe that there is much of a danger in attempting to go back in time.

Pilots go through very thorough training (I hope) before they are allowed to solo.

Let me remind you of what Dragons Lair posted about his friend: "Most of his right hand and right eye went with the gun".

I would never want to quench anyones dreams or aspirations in life but I would also never encourage anyone to do anything that I thought was a danger to themselves or others. ie, home made gun from a RR spike.

Anything that is inherently dangerous should only be done under strict supervision and training by an experienced professional.

When I was young I wanted to fly without the aid of wings just like Superman. Well when I wrecked my motorcycle I did manage to fly just like Superman. But he had mastered that whole landing thing where I had not.

Just the thoughts of an old fart who has gone through many of lifes trials and failures and lived through them only through the grace of God.

Mark<><

PS. There are old heroes and bold heroes but there are no old bold heroes.

[pip]

thanks for all your comments i use black powder. i have made guns from pipes before. I know how to test them safely. I do not use as muck powder as i could. would spring steel work better, and i promise that if i make it i would show you the pics.

where can i find him

i am going to make a pistol. i decided to make it as a display piece. i might strap it to a tree ind fire it 300 feet away down into a dried up pond. Probably not but it depends on how it comes out. it is going to be flint or match lock. flint if i can find some.

[MattBower]

Stick with the display piece idea.

Sorry to be so down on your idea, but things just aren't adding up. Gunsmithing -- especially the kind that involves making muzzle loading firearms from scratch -- is an extremely highly skilled activity. It takes years of serious study and practice to develop those sorts of skills. I just have a very hard time believing that someone who balks at buying a box of borax for flux -- and who doesn't already know some possible substitutes off the top of his head -- or who has to "find" flint before he'll consider making a flintlock (you've never heard of Dixie Gunworks?), has anywhere close to the skill or knowledge to safely make black powder guns starting from raw steel. As far as I'm concerned, based on what little I know so far, you're far more likely to make a pipe bomb than a functional firearm.

[Dragons lair]

Bajajoaquin,

Good story.

But as I remember it, The Time Machine was fiction. I don't believe that there is much of a danger in attempting to go back in time.

Pilots go through very thorough training (I hope) before they are allowed to solo.

Let me remind you of what Dragons Lair posted about his friend: "Most of his right hand and right eye went with the gun".

I would never want to quench anyones dreams or aspirations in life but I would also never encourage anyone to do anything that I thought was a danger to themselves or others. ie, home made gun from a RR spike.

Anything that is inherently dangerous should only be done under strict supervision and training by an experienced professional.

When I was young I wanted to fly without the aid of wings just like Superman. Well when I wrecked my motorcycle I did manage to fly just like Superman. But he had mastered that whole landing thing where I had not.

Just the thoughts of an old fart who has gone through many of lifes trials and failures and lived through them only through the grace of God.

Mark<><

PS. There are old heroes and bold heroes but there are no old bold heroes.

Been ther done that(not the flying just the crash) After about 8 yrs the $18000 leg quit limping( still scooting at
65) First heard it as old bikers then as old fools. Dang son ya sound like far east and I is far western Mtns.Might hear the rumble on the coast one day. Or ya might come to see Georges big house.
Ken.

[pip]

i can buy borax. my skill is not the main limiting factor. its the fact that i do not have all the tools. i can find flint but a good piece for striking a spark, well they are few and far between. it sound like you don under stand what properties the flint needs to have to strike a spark hot enough to ignite black powder. sure my skill is not that of a master smith. I knew that before a stated this post. I do know some substitutes for borax but they all are not as good. I was going to use borax for the pistol. I did not want to spend as much for the Damascus steel broad heads.Matt Bower can a black smith find out info for more than one thing at a time. I mean is it ok with you if not i wont i mean just tell me. if its not ok with you i will stop.is it a new law declaring that all blacksmith shall find out info for only one thing at a time or thou heads shall be chopped of. PS: just because my status on this website says newbie does not mean its true. i fond out about this site last week. the computer thinks that is when i started blacksmithing.Well its not true.'

[MattBower]

The types of questions you're asking are not the types of questions I would expect from someone with the skill and experience to safely do what you want to do. I'm saying what I'm saying because, in good conscience, I feel I have to. Based on your posts, I would guess that you're maybe sixteen years old and don't know enough to realize what you don't know. I could be wrong, but I'm not going to chance it. And if I hurt your feelings I really don't care, if there's a chance it'll save your hands or your eyes.

My point about the flint was just that if you're setting out to make a flintlock, finding suitable flint is just about the easiest part. The fact that you don't realize this suggests to me, once again, that you're way out of your depth.

Good luck.