Recreating the Double Barrel Muzzle-Loading Shotgun, 2nd Edition

By William R. Brockway

198 pages, softcover: $40 plus S&H

Reviewed by Peter A. Alexander for MUZZLELOADER. Published in May/June 2004 issue.

First published in 1985, this second edition is essentially the same, but with a few updates. It is the most complete how-to book on making your own double-barrel muzzleloading shotgun that has ever been published. I can’t see how it could ever be replaced.

I really appreciate the clear drawings done by the author—they really put my own artwork to shame. There are over 60 pages of illustrations, all well placed for reference when studying the text. In addition, to help the reader understand the final goal—what a fine looking shotgun should look like—the author presents over 50 pages of clear photographs of both original and contemporary muzzleloading shotguns. The detail shots, presented with reference to the text, are valuable.

Brockway’s illustrations and photographs enhance his very clear prose style. He expresses his techniques simply and unmistakably. It is easy to understand how to recreate a flint or percussion double barrel shotgun by following the text.

The updates in this edition mainly concern the new availability of parts, such as butt plates, trigger guards and locks. Naturally, this is incomplete, since no writing can keep up with the emergence of new products. However, the author’s illustrations and photographs show you the historically correct parts for any gun that you might wish to recreate, and if you can’t buy the exact correct part, he shows you how to modify a bought one or make your own.

Naturally, I have a few quibbles. One is his method of making the touch-holes for a double flint shotgun, described on pages 41 to 43.  I don’t really like the idea of drilling right through the plug with a No. 36 drill. Then the touch-hole side of the plug is opened up with a 7/32-inch bit and threaded 1/4–28 for a lathed and threaded touch-hole insert. From the back side, he opens up the insert with a No. 36 drill. He then taps this back side hole 6–32 and fills it with a piece of threaded rod. Both rod and touch-hole insert are epoxied, and after the job is done, the barrels are proofed, so this technique is a safe one, but a great deal of work. Instead I would use 5/16-inch White Lightning touch-hole liners, which are available from Jim Chambers.

Another quibble is that he shapes the butt stock before inletting his butt plate. I don’t know why he does this, nor does he tell the reader, but I always inlet the butt plate after I profile the butt stock. That way I can shape the butt in terms of the butt plate. Talking about inletting the butt plate, I am concerned about the finial of the butt plate extension. On some shotgun butt plates, this extension, being rather long and narrow is held in the comb by either an underside lug and transverse pin or a small wood screw. If neither of these is used, the finial may be filed to a reverse bevel and the front of the mortise undercut, which the author fails to mention.

The author describes shaping the stock between the sides of the patent breech tang and the tops of the lock panels to a concave profile, and his illustration shows this. This bothered me, so I studied the photographs, both of original guns and contemporary ones by the author, and could see that these areas were filed flat, just like on a rifle. The only concavity that I could possibly see came right at the back ends of the panels, which makes them stand above the wrist.

And finally, I don’t understand why Mr. Brockway tapers his ramrod from 3/8 inch at the muzzle end to 1/4 inch at the rear end. He has described how to effect a 3/8-inch groove for the rod under the barrels. It would seem to me that tapering the rod would allow it to rattle in the pipes, would make it weaker and would make it tougher to provide the rear end with a tip for a cleaning jag. However this technique may be historically correct, and a cased gun would have a separate, sturdy cleaning rod.

However, even if you don’t want to create your own double barrel shotgun, you should buy this book. There are enough neat general gunsmithing techniques to make it worth the price of admission. For example, Mr. Brockway burns his key slots after drilling some 3/32-inch guide holes. He heats up a 3/32-inch steel key blank red hot and presses it into the stock. After several repetitions, the slot is done. I wonder whether the same technique could be used for a 1/16-inch-thick barrel key? And as far as the key slot in the scutcheon, the author inlets one scutcheon without the slot and then drills through the scutcheon from the other side of the stock. The two holes are then chiseled into a slot, and the opposing scutcheon inletted, again without a slot, and the process repeated. Sounds simple and a lot easier than my present technique.

We both agree that cold browning and bluing solutions are not very durable. I am a little leery though of mixing up and applying the chemicals he describes, but since the author is still alive and well, I think it is probably safe enough, given care. What I didn’t know is the subsequent steps of using a browning solution to create a blue. I did know that if you boiled a browned barrel in water, you would have a black surface, which I don’t want.  I didn’t know that if you carded the surface and repeated the process, the surface would turn to a lovely blue color. Aha.

As an added bonus, the author advises the reader to purchase the three video tapes by Lynton McKenzie on engraving. The late Lynton McKenzie was probably one of the finest firearms engravers, especially on re-creations or restorations of fine 18th and 19th century guns. I didn’t know that he had made videotapes. Apparently they’ve never been advertised in MUZZLELOADER. You can buy the three tapes from Brownells (1-800-741-0015): Beginning Engraving with Lynton McKenzie (1 hr. 58 mins.), Intermediate Engraving with Lynton McKenzie (1 hr. 40 mins.), and Advanced Engraving with Lynton McKenzie ( 1 hr. 12 mins.). Each tape costs $49.95, or you can have all three for $149.85. I know what I’m buying . . .

However, Recreating the Double Barrel Muzzle-Loading Shotgun is the title of this book. I had a few copies when I handled George and Dorothy Shumway’s booth at Friendship last fall, and they sure sold quickly. One fellow told me that he wanted to build a shotgun, but barrels were hard to find. On the other hand, at Canadian gun shows, at least, I have seen wrecked shotguns with low prices sitting on tables. A few weeks ago, I was putting stuff away for the winter in our drive shed and literally stumbled over a pair of percussion shotgun barrels that I bought from Bruce Jackson at Massena, New York, back in 1986. I have moved them into my shop.

Recreating the Double Barrel Muzzle-Loading Shotgun is $40.00 plus $5.00 shipping. To order, write George Shumway, Publisher, 3900 Deep Run Lane, York PA 17402. Or you may call toll free 1-888-748-6929. Foreign orders may fax 717-755-1196.