manufacture of gun parts

[Peter Bleed]

I am still picking at this teppo that needs a hibasami - eventho the overwhelming evidence suggests that not very many others in this fine community are finding this question at all interesting.

I have examined the locks on my other teppo (which is totally a 'lag deposit' of odds and ends) and I am not sure how hibasami were made. I have also assumed that they were basically cast and cleaned. But were they actually forged of malleable brass?

Here's a snap pf the guns.

P

[Bazza]

Oh, Peter, I've been following this with very great interest indeed.  I didn't know you had such a collection of teppo.  Nice photo.  The bottom gun is the one in question, desu ne?  The one for which you are looking for a hibasami?  I recently saw a teppo that had a homemade pan cover.  God it looked awful

 

The next two guns up on the rack are conversions to percussion and a bolt action?  Very interested to see a write up on the bolt action.  One reads that this was done, but I don't recall seeing one described on the Board.

 

Keep up the good work!!

 

BaZZa.

[Bugyotsuji]

Bazza, I think the one at the bottom is a different kettle of fish, and the one in question is yet another.

 

Typical for such a forum, you are getting hundreds of clicks, Peter, indicating interest for sure, but many must feel unwilling (or unable) to comment. I am surprised to see such a variety of Tanegashima in your hidden collection, with suggestions of more(?). Without going into any of them in detail, they are really interesting for different reasons. Thank you.

 

Oh, I forgot to mention that there is another fan of Japanese weaponry who is particularly interested in the manufacturing methods of matchlock parts, Arthur Goetz. I suspect that he may be able to answer your questions.

 

Yesterday I was shown some printed material indicating that Himeji Castle have been looking for genuine guns of that area for their armoury. (A friend has a fine example, but he would surely never part with it, and probably more problematically for Himeji, it is of late Edo construct.) It seems that they have ordered two early Inatomi-Ryu copies/replicas. Presumably no vents will be drilled, making them 無可動 mukado, 'unworkable', 'unviable', or drill dummies.

[cju777]

Hi Peter,

 

I’ve only started checking the teppo section since some of the threads on your recent piece caught my attention. So please keep documenting your adventure with the new ‘problem’ piece if you can. Very interesting way to jump into to learning about these. 

 

Making it hard to resist the urge the expand my collecting laterally from swords to an example or two of these!

 

Cheers

 

 

[Peter Bleed]

14 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Bazza, I think the one at the bottom is a different kettle of fish, and the one in question is yet another.

 

 

Indeed, Piers is correct, Bazz. The bottom one is a Dixie Gun Works Repro that I bought some years back in case I got a chance to do some shooting. So far this is still "unfired..." The fittings of this "Made In Japan" gun convince me that somebody over they is making good(enough) stuff.

I'm pretty interested in the ways that "old" weapons were "modernized" at the end of the 19th century which is why I acquired the reworked guns.

Thanks for the comments

P