Queen Ann pistol kit

[mazo kid]

The good thing is that the stock is quite small. Going through the lock parts only enhances the performance.

[ssb73q]

Hi, the external parts of the lock have been nitre blued using a Lee 20lb lead pot. Narrowing of the springs comes next.

Regards,
Richard

[Miguel Loco]

Looking great Richard. I love that bluing process! I may have to try it one day.....

[Captainkirk]

Looking good, but I expected no less from you...

[ssb73q]

Hi Mick, niter bluing is an easy process to learn. You need a Lee lead pot for small parts and niter salts. If you find the Brownell's salts too expensive you can use stump remover:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GVYXKC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You will also need a lead thermometer:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TQ8Y6Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I found that 600 Deg F works best. When I first started doing nitre bluing I wore safety glasses, hat, gloves, and face shield. Now experienced I only use a hat and safety glasses. You need to keep water far away from the hot salts. I degrease with acetone and let dry thoroughly before bluing. Iron wire is used to support the parts. A little ball of steelwool held by a needlenose pliers is used to cart the parts. Don't nitre blue springs or other hardened parts like the frizzen since it tempers the part. You can also harden steel parts by dunking the part in water after removing from the salt bath. This is a good video showing the process:



Regards,
Richard

[Captainkirk]

Richard...does it ruin the lead pot for future casting? Or, inversely, does a used lead pot contaminate the nitre bluing process?

[mazo kid]

Richard, as you are narrowing springs, take off a bit on the lock side of them. This reduces friction, making them faster acting.

[ssb73q]

Richard...does it ruin the lead pot for future casting? Or, inversely, does a used lead pot contaminate the nitre bluing process?

Hi Kirk, you need a new pot dedicated to the nitre bluing. After the pot with salts cools down, a couple layers of saran wrap held on with a rubber band keeps the air moisture out of the hygroscopic salts between use.

Regards,
Richard

[ssb73q]

Hi, the Pedersoli Queen Ann Pistol lock has been completed. The mainspring, sear spring, and frizzen spring have all been ground down and the internal parts polished to where the lock is easy to operate and is as smooth as silk. I'll work on polishing the barrel next.

Regards,
Richard

[ssb73q]

Hi, the Queen Ann barrel has been polished. I took a 1/2" aluminum rod and mounted it in my minilathe. The diameter of the rod was slightly over 0.500", the bore of the barrel. The rod was filed down until it fit tightly in the barrel bore. The barrel was rotated at moderate speed and using narrow strips of #320 grit wet/dry sandpaper with machine oil and the barrel was polished. A high polish wasn't desired in that I have learned that a high polish isn't especially desired with doing nitre bluing. With too high a polish on large objects, nitre bluing tends to be blotchy. The barrel was then given a coat of Ballistol to protect against rusting. That will give me some time before requiring to do the nitre bluing.

Other than bluing the barrel, sanding the stock comes next, yuck.

Regards,
Richard

[mazo kid]

Looking good!

[ShotgunDave]

Looks good as usual Richard.

I have to ask a question. I was under the impression that a Queen Ann pistol had a screw on barrel. That the lock plate, trigger plate and breech were all cast as a single unit, and the barrel was screwed on to facilitate loading. That's why there isn't a ramrod. This pistol seems to have none of those features, except the missing ramrod.

So what makes it a "Queen Ann"?

[mazo kid]

Dave, the original Queen Anne pistols were screw barrel and the Pedersoli is a Queen Anne "type" pistol, their interpretation! So yeah, you need to have your own loading/ram rod.

[ShotgunDave]

Thanks Em! That's kinda what I figured, but I wasn't sure.

[ssb73q]

Hi, the Queen Ann barrel was nitre blued at 600 Deg F on my kitchen stovetop. The bluing came out real nice and will darken some more in 24 hours after putting on Ballistol to cure the bluing.

Regards,
Richard