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And another variation!
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RG&G Gatling gun builders?
- Thread starter BGHansen
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2014
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- 2,636
Been a long time since I've updated photos. Here's where we're at now. Everything for the basic gun is done, just need to reassemble and troubleshoot.
One issue to work out is the feeding of rounds is inconsistent. Reminds me of an old toy; 2 foot dowel with a wooden ring/spring/woodpecker. You'd pull the bird to the top and he'd stay. Pull back and he'd peck at the dowel and work his way down.
The rounds are held for just 0.203" at the back so the center of mass is way ahead of where they're held. They need a little vibration (more that the weight above) to work them down. There's usually enough bouncing anyhow, but I'm looking at a new mag design in a banana style. My thought is the gravity feed rounds should want to fall out of the bottom of the mag, not need some shaking to work their way down. The issue isn't mine alone, guys on the RG&G forum have the same issue, so it's probably design and not the machinist (says the guys who would like to blame someone else for his problem!). By the way, the first shot is of my son Steven doing some work on my Clausing lathe.
Bruce
One issue to work out is the feeding of rounds is inconsistent. Reminds me of an old toy; 2 foot dowel with a wooden ring/spring/woodpecker. You'd pull the bird to the top and he'd stay. Pull back and he'd peck at the dowel and work his way down.
The rounds are held for just 0.203" at the back so the center of mass is way ahead of where they're held. They need a little vibration (more that the weight above) to work them down. There's usually enough bouncing anyhow, but I'm looking at a new mag design in a banana style. My thought is the gravity feed rounds should want to fall out of the bottom of the mag, not need some shaking to work their way down. The issue isn't mine alone, guys on the RG&G forum have the same issue, so it's probably design and not the machinist (says the guys who would like to blame someone else for his problem!). By the way, the first shot is of my son Steven doing some work on my Clausing lathe.
Bruce
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2012
- Messages
- 958
Brownells sells 10/22 barrels.
I have ben building one for a couple of years now. Progress has been a little slow partly because I only work on it part of the year. The other months we are at the seashore. Also at my age I don't have the stamina to spend more that 2-3 hours at a time in the shop.You are a little ahead of where I am. Neither am I interested in a true replica. I'm almost ready to test fire, at least a single barrel at a time. I have encountered all the problems that others have because of drawing errors and ambiguity. In my state the maximum allowable mag. capacity is ten rounds. A big disappointment but I'll live with it. I made the barrels as per print and had no significant problems. I don't plan on building the "spray" version. Also slowing things down is some special tooling that I built like jigs and fixtures and also a cylindrical grinding attachment for my surface grinder which I used to OD grind the bolts. I know it wasn't absolutely necessary but it was just something I wanted to do.
i did not notch the barrels for the extractors like the prints showed but cut a straight bevel across the back. Across the back I'm sure you know that others are turning a chamfer all the way around the back of the barrels. That seems interesting but I already had mine done by the time I heard about that method. I also changed the lead angle on the extractors to 45 degrees and seems to work OK so far. I just never liked the 15 degree angle on the prints. I'm sure you are aware of the Gatling gun forum on line
that is a good source of information especially on workarounds because of drawing errors.
Ron
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i did not notch the barrels for the extractors like the prints showed but cut a straight bevel across the back. Across the back I'm sure you know that others are turning a chamfer all the way around the back of the barrels. That seems interesting but I already had mine done by the time I heard about that method. I also changed the lead angle on the extractors to 45 degrees and seems to work OK so far. I just never liked the 15 degree angle on the prints. I'm sure you are aware of the Gatling gun forum on line
that is a good source of information especially on workarounds because of drawing errors.
Ron
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I bought the barrels from a gentleman named Dave Burnett. He is fairly active on the forum page on the www.gatlingguns.net site. They are used Ruger 10-22 barrels that Dave saws to roughly 13" long and turns to around 0.565" diameter. The plans call for 12" x 0.500" diameter barrels. I paid around $165 for them including shipping.
The plans (RG&G gun design, available on the same web site) call for barrel liners from Brownells and 1/2" OD x 5/16" ID tubing. You either Loctite or silver solder the tubing and liners together. I went with the solid steel barrel instead.
Bruce
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- Nov 23, 2014
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Hi Ron,
Oh yeah, lots and lots of drawing errors. I went with a 45 deg. angle on my extractors also. I read a nice quote from someone else on this forum that I can't take credit for, "a wise man learns from his own mistakes, a wiser man learns from other peoples' mistakes." I started by downloading the forum comments and read over all of the issues. Figured if one guy had a problem it's probably him, if multiples have problems, it's the design. Guys have problems with firing pins sticking; yes another drawing error. The countersunk hole at the rear of the bolt needs to be machined 0.065" deeper than the drawing or the head of the firing pin will wedge between the side wall of the bolt and the recoil pin. Just one of the probably 25 errors I've found. Still, overall Paul Moore (gun designer) did a very nice job on the package.
I plan on posting a thread stepping through my build when it's completed detailing all of the mistakes on the drawing. Maybe some helpful tips (at least they were to me) too. For example, the cocking switch: Paul recommends cutting apart sections of the cocking ring and silver soldering them to the 1/4" square shaft. No way, no how I'd be able to hold those two pieces of steel about the size of your pinky fingernail square and in position properly, especially with the inside edges being machined on a curve mating to a flat surface (sorry for the detail - I know it's lost on those without drawings). Instead, I cut the 15 deg (or whatever it is) section, milled a 1/4" wide notch in the subassembly for the cocking rod, pinned and silver soldered that, then cut away the extra. Result is the part is dead on.
Good luck with your build! I'm in the same boat you are, too many projects, too little time! I have many fixtures too; 3 or 4 just for the bolts and the hammer shaft. By the way, I went with drill rod for the hammer shaft instead of CRS with a flat head screw on the end hitting the firing pin. Just turned it to look like an engine valve and threaded the opposite end for the catch screw (per print there). Another case of learning from other guys problems; flat head screws loosening up and/or snapping off the heads. No way that drill rod will break.
Big plus on the whole project is it's been a great learning experience for our son. He's in that rush rush rush generation; I think he's learning that it's either right, or it's a POS. No "oh, it'll be OK" in my shop. Means I've/we've made a lot of things twice or three times, but it's all about the discipline.
Best regards, Bruce
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