Lodgewood Mfg. Rocks!

Model12Win · May 10, 2016, 10:40 PM

Hey guys!

As some of you might know, I bought an original 1849 dated M1842 Aston .54 caliber smoothbore martial pistol a couple of months ago. It was in solid shape, but the lockwork needed some work. It would slip off at full cock and with a trigger pull in the ounces, was unsafe to fire. Also, it has a crack in the stock that could have gotten worse if the gun was fired.

So, I decided to ship it off to Lodgewood Mfg. out of Wisconsin. This company specializes in original and reproduction U.S. Civil War firearms. They sell them, as well as repair and service them. The gunsmith there now is named David and he is an incredibly knowledgeable and nice guy. Before sending the gun to them, I called them up and David explained to me what most likely was the issue and that he could easily fix it.

A little over a month later, I get a call from David and he explains to me the work he did to fix the pistol. I asked him several questions mostly dealing with longevity of the repairs, and he assured me that the pistol would make a great shooter and would be able to see plenty of extended service. He redid the lockwork and set the trigger to about 5 lbs and repaired two cracks in the wood. One of the cracks, on the side plate, was repaired and blended in so nicely it looks totally original. The other was hidden underneath the metal. The price for these repairs and return shipping were extremely reasonable. I was very pleased with the price and workmanship. Here are some pictures of the repaired gun:

All in all, I am 100% pleased with Lodgewood Mfg. and especially with David, their gunsmith. If you've got an original or repro Civil War weapon that is in disrepair, don't hesitate to contact them to get your gun back out into the field and shooting where it belongs.

With these repairs, all that I'll have to have done now is have the barrel lined. Right now, the bore is very rough with quite a bit of pitting. I plan to have renowned muzzleloading barrel maker Robert Hoyt reline this pistol to .540" caliber.

Once that's done, I will finally have an almost 170 year old original U.S. military "horse" pistol returned to active duty service! What an awesome thing. I'd bet Henry Aston would be glad to here one of his pistols is getting put back into good use! I'll be sure to keep everyone updated on the progress of this project. Hopefully I will have the gun out and making smoke just in time for summer.

Take care all!

M12

Model12Win · May 13, 2016, 01:00 AM

Well guys, curiosity got the best of me and I just HAD to take apart the gun tonight! Here it is field stripped:

I have to say, the gun is in great shape on the inside. I can see the spot in the inletting were Lodgewood made the repair. Other than that the wood is very nice underneath the lock plate and in the barrel channel. The condition of the lock is extremely good. There is no excess rust on any of the components, and to my pleasure the various lock components retained their beautiful fire bluing:

The springs look really nice and strong. Really for an almost 170 year old pistol, what more could I ask for?

As soon as June rolls I'll contact Robert Hoyt (he is closed this month) about getting the barrel re-lined.

I'll keep everyone informed. I can't wait to shoot it!!

Hawg · May 13, 2016, 08:15 AM

That's a smooth bore and shooting it with a patched round ball may surprise you even with the pits.

**4V50 Gary** · May 13, 2016, 08:49 AM

Good conservation work.

Remember to treat it with Renaissance Wax to preverve it. Apply the wax to both wood & metal.

Model12Win · May 13, 2016, 12:54 PM

Quote:

That's a smooth bore and shooting it with a patched round ball may surprise you even with the pits.

True. This weekend I think I'm going to try and really scrub all the rust out of the bore to see how good I can get it. Right now it's quite rough, not god awful, but very rough. If I can't work it to an acceptable level I will have it relined.

Hawg · May 14, 2016, 01:11 AM

Plug the nipple and fill the bore with Kroil and let it sit for a day or two. You can split the end of a wood dowel and put a piece of emory cloth in it and chuck it up in a drill and smooth it up.

Model12Win · May 14, 2016, 07:50 PM

Yep, some deep pits inside. Looks about like cottage cheese only in metal form. I'll have Robert Hoyt reline it. I plan to make this a shooter, and this old girl deserves a smooth new bore.

**4V50 Gary** · May 15, 2016, 08:33 AM

Rather than have Bobby Hoyt reline the barrel, why not get a replica barrel for it? You ruin its collectibility by relining it. Better yet, a replica gun to shoot instead?

44 Dave · May 15, 2016, 10:24 AM

No one makes a repro. of that gun, and if they did they cost almost as much as an original.
As far as having antiques repaired to use, the value is with the owner not those who inherit it.
If they don't shoot they are only expensive scrap!

**4V50 Gary** · May 15, 2016, 10:31 AM

Provided the parts may be had, it can be made by any gunbuilder. Antiques have only a certain lifespan and you can accelerate the wear and shorten its life by using it.

Frankly I'm grateful that some scraps are still around for us to enjoy today. It's only because someone took the effort to preserve them that they are.

Model12Win · May 15, 2016, 10:48 AM

Quote:

No one makes a repro. of that gun, and if they did they cost almost as much as an original.
As far as having antiques repaired to use, the value is with the owner not those who inherit it.
If they don't shoot they are only expensive scrap!

This is the way I see it as well. These Aston pistols aren't incredibly rare or valuable. There are numerous specimens in better condition in museums and private collections all over the world. This one though, is going to be a shooter. The don't make reproductions of these. I have a Pedersoli made Harpers Ferry percussion smoothbore pistol, .54 caliber, but it just isn't the same as shooting a real 170 year old original military horse pistol.

Those that shoot N-SSA in the smoothbore pistol event commonly have these guns relined. I would venture to say that if I ever do plan to sell the gun, noting it was professionally relined and repaired would not be detrimental to it's value since there would likely by N-SSA shooters interested in one already prepared for competition use.

May 10, 2016, 10:40 PM	#1
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Lodgewood Mfg. Rocks! Hey guys! As some of you might know, I bought an original 1849 dated M1842 Aston .54 caliber smoothbore martial pistol a couple of months ago. It was in solid shape, but the lockwork needed some work. It would slip off at full cock and with a trigger pull in the ounces, was unsafe to fire. Also, it has a crack in the stock that could have gotten worse if the gun was fired. So, I decided to ship it off to Lodgewood Mfg. out of Wisconsin. This company specializes in original and reproduction U.S. Civil War firearms. They sell them, as well as repair and service them. The gunsmith there now is named David and he is an incredibly knowledgeable and nice guy. Before sending the gun to them, I called them up and David explained to me what most likely was the issue and that he could easily fix it. A little over a month later, I get a call from David and he explains to me the work he did to fix the pistol. I asked him several questions mostly dealing with longevity of the repairs, and he assured me that the pistol would make a great shooter and would be able to see plenty of extended service. He redid the lockwork and set the trigger to about 5 lbs and repaired two cracks in the wood. One of the cracks, on the side plate, was repaired and blended in so nicely it looks totally original. The other was hidden underneath the metal. The price for these repairs and return shipping were extremely reasonable. I was very pleased with the price and workmanship. Here are some pictures of the repaired gun: All in all, I am 100% pleased with Lodgewood Mfg. and especially with David, their gunsmith. If you've got an original or repro Civil War weapon that is in disrepair, don't hesitate to contact them to get your gun back out into the field and shooting where it belongs. With these repairs, all that I'll have to have done now is have the barrel lined. Right now, the bore is very rough with quite a bit of pitting. I plan to have renowned muzzleloading barrel maker Robert Hoyt reline this pistol to .540" caliber. Once that's done, I will finally have an almost 170 year old original U.S. military "horse" pistol returned to active duty service! What an awesome thing. I'd bet Henry Aston would be glad to here one of his pistols is getting put back into good use! I'll be sure to keep everyone updated on the progress of this project. Hopefully I will have the gun out and making smoke just in time for summer. Take care all! M12

May 13, 2016, 08:49 AM	#4
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,843	Good conservation work. Remember to treat it with Renaissance Wax to preverve it. Apply the wax to both wood & metal. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

May 15, 2016, 08:33 AM	#8
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,843	Rather than have Bobby Hoyt reline the barrel, why not get a replica barrel for it? You ruin its collectibility by relining it. Better yet, a replica gun to shoot instead? __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

May 15, 2016, 10:31 AM	#10
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,843	Provided the parts may be had, it can be made by any gunbuilder. Antiques have only a certain lifespan and you can accelerate the wear and shorten its life by using it. Frankly I'm grateful that some scraps are still around for us to enjoy today. It's only because someone took the effort to preserve them that they are. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

May 13, 2016, 01:00 AM	#2
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Well guys, curiosity got the best of me and I just HAD to take apart the gun tonight! Here it is field stripped: I have to say, the gun is in great shape on the inside. I can see the spot in the inletting were Lodgewood made the repair. Other than that the wood is very nice underneath the lock plate and in the barrel channel. The condition of the lock is extremely good. There is no excess rust on any of the components, and to my pleasure the various lock components retained their beautiful fire bluing: The springs look really nice and strong. Really for an almost 170 year old pistol, what more could I ask for? As soon as June rolls I'll contact Robert Hoyt (he is closed this month) about getting the barrel re-lined. I'll keep everyone informed. I can't wait to shoot it!!

May 13, 2016, 08:15 AM	#3
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	That's a smooth bore and shooting it with a patched round ball may surprise you even with the pits.

May 14, 2016, 01:11 AM	#6
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	Plug the nipple and fill the bore with Kroil and let it sit for a day or two. You can split the end of a wood dowel and put a piece of emory cloth in it and chuck it up in a drill and smooth it up.

May 14, 2016, 07:50 PM	#7
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Yep, some deep pits inside. Looks about like cottage cheese only in metal form. I'll have Robert Hoyt reline it. I plan to make this a shooter, and this old girl deserves a smooth new bore.

May 15, 2016, 10:24 AM	#9
44 Dave Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2013 Posts: 584	No one makes a repro. of that gun, and if they did they cost almost as much as an original. As far as having antiques repaired to use, the value is with the owner not those who inherit it. If they don't shoot they are only expensive scrap!