Machine(s) Necessary for building Gatling Gun

Hi, all.  Complete newby here, getting ready to retire.  As a retirement project, I\'m wanting to build a Gatling Gun replica -- not an RGG .22 model (although I will probably purchase plans and photos to get the feel of assembly), but a full scale Model 1900 Gatling.  I plan to make only two alterations to the original specs -- I\'ll shorten the barrels from 32\" to 30\" (with corresponding shortening of the side rails) and will chamber it in 7.62X54R to take advantage of cheap surplus ammo.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I took a course in machine shop, but will mainly have to teach myself techniques from machining manuals.  My question is, how much machinery will be required to build all the gun parts?  Will a combo lathe/mill like this one http://www.grizzly.com/products/Combo-Lathe-Mill/G9729 do everything necessary?  I plan to have the carriage made by the Amish near my hometown.

Appreciate any assistance y\'all can provide.  Once I get the hang of this, perhaps I can support fellow enthusiasts with machined parts.

Yes,  Just barley.  If it were me I would invest in 2 separate machines each designed to do one job.  The machine you are looking at is going to be underpowered for the size of parts you are going to make.  I suggest you look on craigs list and find a used machine that is more substantial and comes with some tooling.  It is easy to get a lot of money rapped up in chucks, vices and tooling.  Any way I to would like to build a full size gatling gun where did you find plans?  Thanks, and good luck......

i agree with greenman, you would be better served with a lathe and mill I have a low opinion of the combo machines as i don\'t think they are strong enough. But that is my opinion. It really depends on how much money you have to spend.
I built my gun with a 4003 grizzly lathe and 3103 mill. You will need a rotory table so if you get a combo machine be sure a R/T will fit.

I would tend to agree with Roland and greenman with regard to combo machines. I have owned a couple of combos staring with a Unimat in 1971. While I would always take a machine of this type rather than do without, the combinantion of the mill and lathe results in a machine that has limitations.

I would also encourage you to look at used machines, the best lathe for the price that I ever owned was a South Bend Light 9. It came with two chucks, tooling and was in great shape. I paid a couple hundred bucks for it and wish now that I had never sold it. I am currently using an offshore 12X36 lathe, a 6x18 KO Lee surface grinder, a 7\" shaper and a CNC Rung Fu Mill Drill from MicroKinetics. I would like to add a 4th axis to the CNC Mill but this is rather pricey from MicroKinetics.

nitewatchman