Class Roundup: Period Gunsmithing

​This past weekend (June 1, 2019) Jim Everett hosted a hands-on class demonstrating his use of period tools in historic firearms construction.

​The tools he uses all are typical of the pre-1800 period in America. Many tools are original but some are reproductions and he keeps very close to original tools as much as possible. Any "tweaks" are to allow the larger tools to be disassembled and transported in the back of a Dodge Caravan - a maximum length of 7 ft. 1 in. with legs that detach.

To bore a barrel, it takes about four hours per boring cutter; however, sometimes to complete the boring it requires the use of two cutters to do the job.

It takes between 700 to 1000 pull strokes of the rifling machine to cut the rifle grooves - that’s about 6 -7 hours time. It’s not something he does all at one time (sometimes he teaches a class so students can do it for him!).