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So here is the situation.

I got a character who is a trained modern gunsmith and he finds himself thrown into a setting where the most advance firearm is the flintlock. I know some of the most advance guns are going to be out of reach because of the lack of machine tools and such, but I assume he be able to make something like a revolver or pistol with a bit of hard work.

I want the scene and steps to ring true, what do I need to keep it real?

MrDracoSpirit
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  • He'll probably want to figure out how to make percussion cap rounds. – Kit Z. Fox Jun 02 '15 at 13:00
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    You might want to post this question on the Worldbuilding StackExchange site. I can post it for you, if you want, but then you wouldn't get automatic notifications of responses. Let me know. – dmm Jun 02 '15 at 13:04
  • Example of Worldbuilding comment: Your character might be better off starting with rifling of the barrel. More bang for the buck. Also lets him outrange his enemies, which is safer than outfiring them. (Also, historical note: there WERE flintlock pistols.) – dmm Jun 02 '15 at 13:09
  • I'll put it on there, still need to get hang of were it's best to put questions on here. – MrDracoSpirit Jun 02 '15 at 14:42
  • Agreed this is a better fit on worldbuilding. I'd close this and migrate it, but it seems it's already been asked there, so there's no need. Closed this as "too broad" even though that's not the real reason. If you'd like to edit this to be more about the writing than the research, please go ahead and we can re-open it as a variant question. – Goodbye Stack Exchange Jun 02 '15 at 18:13

3 Answers3

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Let's ignore the details and and focus on the methods of research and proofreading. You need three gun nuts, and two of them should be antique gun nuts. In the general case you need experts, and you need at least two or better three or four, specifically during the research phase you need someone who knows the subject well enough to answer all your questions, and even better if you have two experts with different backgrounds so you can get multiple views. you may find such folk at worldbuilding.se, the 1632 forum at baen's bar (or reading the grantville gazette), or the local shooting ranges and gun shops (maybe a texas antique store). Then for the second group you need some early readers (before you show it to your editor) who are knowledgeable enough in the field to be able to tell you when you put your foot in it.

hildred
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I would use the natural evolution of the firearm as the starting point. As a gunsmith he might be tempted to try to engineer a modern rifle. But in an army of flintlocks a springfield rifle would be devastating.

So his first area might be to find some brass type material, that could be used to construct a percussion cap. So that a modern esque breech loading system could be developed. Each of the steps in developing that could be a part of the story

The best way for the steps to ring true, is to use the steps that actually took place in bringing gun technology to where it is now.

Although it could be interesting to follow the path of him discovering that, so maybe initially he does attempt to construct something modern, but realises it is just impossible (after a few abortive attempts - that could result in a few dangerous explosions)

Michael B
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The biggest problem that I can see is making the bullets. These have to be very precisely made for them to work effectively. Also, I would imagine that making the primer would not be a trivial task.

If you have every tried reloading bullets, you would know that you have to be very precise and use accurate instruments, and that is when you are using already manufactured casings, projectiles, etc.

If I was in your gunsmith's position, I would first look at ways of speeding up loading by doing what was actually done -- pre-packaging the gunpowder so it could be loaded more quickly and accurately.

S. Mitchell
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