D&E gun builder roll-call

[Sparky_NY]

I got this idea chatting with Dave (the forum administrator) following the new forum software.

 

There have been various people that have come and gone that were in various phases of building a D&E based gun.    Some of these people had some great ideas of mods and methods for the D&E gun and then the threads just ended without further input.

 

So.....   Who is in the process of building a D&E gun?       Who has built one complete?     Who started and quit?     

 

You get the idea.     How about a roll-call response in this thread to update who is out there and what they are up to?

[Sparky_NY]

Ok, my idea so I will respond first.

 

 

I have a D&E gun, about 80% complete.  (mostly remaining are the bolts and cocking parts).   I stopped upon learning of the various operational problems with the gun.   This forum had some great ideas of fixes for the various design problems which I took great interest in and plan to implement some when completing the gun.

 

Almost 2 years ago I moved from New York state to South Carolina and put the gun project on hold as well as selling my machine tools before the move.   I have now gotten new machine tools and a shop setup.   I am in the process of retrofitting a RF45 mill to cnc which is coming along nicely.

 

I hope to restart the D&E gun before too long and in the meantime have been a daily visitor to the forum here.    I have a real interest in seeing a extractor finger mod for the gun perfected.    If no body does that mod before, I will be attacking that when I resume building.

 

George

[Roller]

Hi everyone!

 

Roller checking in, glad to see the site back up and running again.

 

Frank

[Pmercer]

I\'m probably about 80% done as well. I need to get back on with it!

[SUPERVEE]

Completed the gun and the full carriage in 2006.

Definitely some issues with reliable firing and jamming.

Other\'s have outlined some solutions to some of the issues.

However, at some point , I moved on to other projects.

The look\'s alone made the project worthwhile.

[Roller]

The D&E gun is the best looking and that is why I chose that design to build.

 

Frank

[Lsystems]

I started building the D&E design about four months ago.  I have a number of parts made and will post some pictures soon.  

[Timcor123]

I bought my D&E plans from Douglas a year or two before he passed away.  Met him and his wife at the Cabin Fever Expo in York, Pa.  I\'m not sure but I guess it was 2006 or so.  My build is 90% complete.  I have been following the forum for years and finally decide to join.  Great info and seems like lots of talent way above my pay scale.  I hade a successful test firing of one barrel.  Right now I am working on an extractor idea that worked in my test fire.  The forum was instrumental in my abandoning the original extractor design.  I expect to have all the bolts fitted and headspaced by next week, then on to the extractors.  My goal is to have a firing piece by spring to show my WW2 uncle who made the casting pattern for the yoke.


Tim

[Sparky_NY]

I bought my D&E plans from Douglas a year or two before he passed away. Met him and his wife at the Cabin Fever Expo in York, Pa. I\'m not sure but I guess it was 2006 or so. My build is 90% complete. I have been following the forum for years and finally decide to join. Great info and seems like lots of talent way above my pay scale. I hade a successful test firing of one barrel. Right now I am working on an extractor idea that worked in my test fire. The forum was instrumental in my abandoning the original extractor design. I expect to have all the bolts fitted and headspaced by next week, then on to the extractors. My goal is to have a firing piece by spring to show my WW2 uncle who made the casting pattern for the yoke.


Tim

I would sure like to see any extractor ideas !    Maybe you would consider posting a separate thread showing some of your ideas?    The extractors are probably the single worst designed piece in the DE gun.

[Cutter]

This reminded me of a D&E builder

[Sparky_NY]

 

This reminded me of a D&E builder

 

I think that one would be easier to debug and get working.

[Roller]

Sparky,

 

How is your build going?  You haven\'t been working on your tractor have you?

 

Frank

[Sparky_NY]

Hiya Frank !

 

 

Good guess !     Since moving to SC a couple years ago, I am still getting settled in.    I got my case garden tractor all set recently, the front end loader working nicely.   

Next project is a new pole barn, planned at 32x50.   I plan on starting that very soon.   

 

The gat gun has taken back seat for a while BUT I stay very interested in completing it.     I met a local fellow, through the forum here.   SuperVee showed me his D&E gun which he completed and has operational.   He did a fine job and another working D&E always helps one keep a optimistic outlook.

 

The forum here has been very quiet the last couple weeks.       Cutter, Cutter, where art thou Cutter?    LOL      

[7farmer7]

Hello all,

I started building off of these plans a couple of winters ago. I farm so do not have time to work on it in the spring, summer months. I am scaling everything up 1.5 to 1 and chambered for 32 h & r. Found a bunch of cheap .303 British barrels which caused this caliber selection. Kind of slid to a stop when I realised that these plans were not true to the original. I was worried about no recoil plate but did not realize extractor did not work till I found this site....bummer. I am ready to build bolts....everything else is up and functioning.

[Roller]

Being a centerfire cartridge the .32 round should give you a lot of options for an extractor.  I would also be concerned with recoil backup.  It will be interesting to see your  redesign.

 

Frank

[7farmer7]

Hello Frank,


It has in fact been an interesting experience. Lots of things I struggled to figure out....like no apparent way to adjust headspace. I put roller thrust bearings where the shaft drives with spacer washers so I could remove spacers to adjust headspace. Would have to take it apart to get it done though. The bearings did make it run very smooth. I am thinking of rebuilding the feed trough and getting rid of all the angles to tip the cartridge up under the extractor. Maybe just feed them straight and make a spring loaded extractor. I already have the extractor groove machined into the barrel cluster...dang. Not sure about recoil plate. I will machine lugs on bolts so they are solid and I can load down cartridges to very low pressure & get by if I have to. Wish I would have found this site sooner. I thought I was building a copy of an original...but as I got further into it I realised that something was not quite right. Which brought me to this site...although a little late....I have really enjoyed reading & learning here.


Garry

[Roller]

Interesting!  Do you have any photos?  I have been toying with the idea of building a larger caliber Gatling.  What is the diameter of your bolt carrier?  How long are your barrels going to be?

 

Frank

[7farmer7]

I will take some photos tomorrow and see if I can figure out how to post them. The barrels are 18\" long I believe. All dimensions are off of the plans but sized up 1.5 times on everything. The only place I deviated from that was the cams and the bolt carrier length as 1.5 times a 22 short was not long enough to accommodate the 32 h&r. Had to make the stroke a little longer. Magazine is also a little deeper.


Garry

[Dave]

If you want to start your own thread on it, go ahead. For now, it may be easier on you to upload one picture at a time until the server gets the connection issue fixed.

[7farmer7]

Will start new thread when I get caught up!


Thanks