Anyone disassembled a Borchardt?

[Wilhelm]

Somebody needs to do a photo essay on one of these like I did on the Jager. I think it would be invaluable to people doing research. Hint....hint.

[TennBill2]

Heck yes, the first chance I get! I suspect at this point, the value of an original is such, no one would want to chance breaking a part. The design is really pretty straight forward though. I have only fired primered shells (30Mauser) to check head space/firing pin. Not sure of the right mainspring tension just yet, so will start with very soft loads. I think it actually feels better in the carbine roll than as a pistol......just my opinion. And, it would be great to see 'photo essay', these will be lost to history. Though this has been very time consuming, it's less complicated than the first wheellock I built. I'll bet a assembled, disassembled, filed, remade parts a hundred times! The first time it fired, I just stood there....it taking several seconds to realize what had happened.

[TennBill2]

I found the only way to do this was to 'mill' out a recess inside the frame. How they originally machined this is beyond me! My cover rotates about 90 degrees throught the 'slot'. The 'T' is flush to the inside, in the recess, so that the rollers swing by. I turned the 'T' in 2 parts on the lathe and ground the sides, then silver soldered the 'T' lug. I have still to bend the lip and make/drill the retaining pin. Still the buffer spring to be figured out.

[tomaustin]

...tom