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Blow tubes, black powder, moose milk, and other related ramblings
Modern guns are pretty awesome. What’s not to like ? With modern smokeless powders and non corrosive primers, you can shoot your favorite...

muleequestrian
Jun 18, 20253 min read


Loading Antique 10 Gauge Shells
I like to turkey hunt with my old Colt 10 gauge double. It ’s the perfect thing for Fall gobblers in Maine. But it’s truly difficult to...

muleequestrian
Jun 18, 20254 min read


Powder Coating Bullets Made Easy
Cast lead bullets are a cheaper way of shooting. You get the satisfaction of controlling every aspect of making your own ammo. However,...

muleequestrian
Jun 8, 20252 min read


Making .442 Webley and .450 Adams
In today’s world of “plastic fantastic” cookie cutter guns, it’s no secret that I like older antique firearms. There’s nothing wrong with...

muleequestrian
Jun 8, 20253 min read


An Unusual Gun Stock Finish
I had a nice piece of curly maple I carved into a gun stock. I knew it would be full of tiger striping, and I wanted a finish that would...

muleequestrian
May 29, 20252 min read


A Simple Crossdraw Holster
The way I make my patterns is to trace around the lower profile of the gun I’m making the holster for. Then I can lay the outlines around...

muleequestrian
May 28, 20252 min read


Snubnose Carved Holster
I start off with stiff paper and design the holster. I can wrap this around the gun itself to see how it will fit, and I can make changes...

muleequestrian
May 28, 20252 min read


Lightening Bolt Rifle
A customer had an unusual request. He had seen a picture of the Lichtenberg burning process and wanted to see if it could be replicated...

muleequestrian
May 24, 20252 min read


Lichtenberg Burning a Gunstock
In this short video, I’m demonstrating the Lichtenberg burning process on a piece of broken gun stock for practice. By wiring a...

muleequestrian
May 24, 20251 min read


Forging a Handmade Bolt Knob for a Custom Rifle
I start off with a piece of round bar stock that I keep on hand. Square bar stock is fine too. Doesn't matter because I'm practically a...

muleequestrian
May 23, 20251 min read


Ammunition for a .69 Dutch Snider
The Dutch had .69 caliber rifle muskets hanging around their armories since 1848. By 1867, they were doing what the rest of Europe was...

muleequestrian
May 23, 20252 min read


First Test Run of the Foundry Furnace
Although I didn’t have anyone to operate the camera when I cast my first gun part, I did have someone handy to film the first test run of...

muleequestrian
May 22, 20251 min read


Heat Treating a New Cast Hammer
In an earlier blog series, I outlined how I built a foundry furnace and cast a replacement hammer for a broken antique shotgun. This is...

muleequestrian
May 22, 20252 min read


Melting and Pouring Steel
Unfortunately for this part of casting I was alone. I didn’t have anyone present to operate the camera while I was pouring the part. But...

muleequestrian
May 21, 20252 min read


Putting Together a Foundry Furnace
This may seem to be an oversimplification, but I built a small wooden cart to roll around the furnace outside where I’d be casting my gun...

muleequestrian
May 21, 20251 min read


Building a Foundry Furnace Blower
This is NOT a a step by step tutorial for building your blower, but to show you how I did it and what worked for me. I started off with...

muleequestrian
May 21, 20252 min read


Building a Steel Casting Furnace
I decided that I needed to start making some obsolete gun parts that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Sometimes you get an older antique...

muleequestrian
May 21, 20252 min read


Building a Custom 1911 from 80% Parts
This is a Commander length slide and ramped barrel fitted to a full size government frame built from 80% parts.

muleequestrian
May 17, 20252 min read


Belgian Pinfire Ammunition
This is making Ammunition for a 7mm pinfire double action revolver.

muleequestrian
May 17, 20252 min read


Remington 8 and 81 Barrel Jacket Mysteries
This the disassembly of the barrel jacket on the Remington 8 and 81

muleequestrian
May 17, 20252 min read
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