Building the Coffee Mill Gun

[epps1919]

I made three hammer springs before I got it right! Had to order .093 spring flat steel. The .063 was not strong enough, now it fires the primers every time!

Here are some pics of the original and my gun. Still need to make the hopper and almost ready to test fire. Got the timing all up to snuff, that took awhile!!

 

[attachment=9672:25 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9673:26 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9674:27 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9675:28 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9676:29 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

More pics

 

[attachment=9677:122 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9678:123 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9679:124 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

A card board mock up of the hopper. I will start to make the hopper out of brass next. no more then 20 rds in Mary-land

 

[attachment=9680:125 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9681:126 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Making the hopper, all the parts are made from brass. cut all the parts out and silvered the main parts toghter. going to soft solder the trim on next and a lot of cleaning up and polishing.

 

[attachment=9682:127 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9683:128 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9684:129 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9685:130 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Dose it look like the original in the pic next to it? Now i need to make the Agitator that go\'s in the hopper. That\'s what the square hole in the bottom is for. It has a 1/4\" square rod that pushes up on a plate to agitate the chamber to keep form binding up.

 

[attachment=9686:131 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9687:132 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9688:133 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9689:134 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9690:135 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Some pic\'s of the Agitator in stalled it\'s a hinged plate that goes up and down to keep the cartridges from binding up. It has an arm that rides on top of the wedge that moves the

 

[attachment=9691:136 (Medium) - Copy.jpg]

 

[attachment=9692:137 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9693:138 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Cuting, facing off,drilling, reaming and counter sinking the 209 primer pockets . All made for 1\" round stock. This is for making the chambers or cartridges.

 

[attachment=9694:139 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9695:140 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9696:141 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9697:142 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

The barrel on the original gun was 1.25\" mine is 1\", so i got a 1.25\" od and 1\"id piece of DOM. tubing to make as a sleeve. turned off the flats to 1\" and JB Welded the sleeve over the barrel. Then i welded up the muzzle and turned the muzzle on the lathe so you can not see the seem. added the front site

 

[attachment=9698:143 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9699:144 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9700:145 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9701:146 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Cut the flat for the rear site and dove tailed the front site in. The front site truned out to be to short, I had to weld an extention to the front site to make it tall enough. I bore sited the gun at 25 yards so hopefully it will shoot close to the point of aim. I think I am ready for a test fire!

 

[attachment=9702:147 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9703:148 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9704:149 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Made the swivel pin 1.625 dia.X 3\" long. welded it on and painted the gun OD. green. the original gun I looked at had been painted black some time ago. Were the paint had chips in it you can see green paint.

 

 

[attachment=9705:150 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9706:151 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9707:152 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Ok, Here is a video of the first test fire, It went reel Good!!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw9UFaxpkRA

[epps1919]

The target on the left was the 5 shot group and on the right is the 25 shot group in the test fire video at 50 yrd\'s with the gun bouncing between shot.

 

 

[epps1919]

Here is an article about the Coffee Mill Guns. Scroll down it is the 7th story.

http://www.forgottenweapons.com/\'>http://www.forgottenweapons.com/

 

Another good one http://www.historynet.com/civil-war-guns\'>http://www.historynet.com/civil-war-guns

[epps1919]

I went to the New market VA. battlefield museum and got some pix of a coffee mill gun they have. It\'s hard to get good pix through a plexiglass box. And one of a model some body made.

 

[attachment=9709:159 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9710:160 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9711:161 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9712:162 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9713:163 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

I just got the swivel plate done for the gun. now need to start on the carriage.

 

[attachment=9714:171 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9715:172 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9716:173 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9717:174 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9718:175 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9719:176 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9720:177 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Working on the 42\" wheels. Made a full size drawing of the wheel and some templates of the parts.turned the hubs from 8x8 blocks.

 

[attachment=9721:178 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9722:179 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9723:180 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9724:181 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9725:182 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Making the fellows and spokes

 

[attachment=9726:183 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9727:184 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9728:185 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9729:186 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9730:187 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Spokes and banding the hubs

 

[attachment=9731:188 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9732:189 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9733:190 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9734:191 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Making the Axle out of 1.5\" angel iron welded together to make square tube. welded in 1.375\" round stock for the axles and cut it in the middle bent it and welded it up so it will have 2 degrees of camber at the wheels. Banded the ends of the wood.

 

[attachment=9735:192 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9736:193 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9737:194 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9738:195 (Medium).jpg]

[epps1919]

Rolling rings for the hubs and laminating white oak boards to make the trail and cheeks.

 

[attachment=9740:196 (Medium).jpg]

\\

[attachment=9740:196 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9741:197 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9742:198 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9743:199 (Medium).jpg]

 

[attachment=9739:200 (Medium).jpg]