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TANEGASHIMA TRIGGER GUARDS


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Dear All,

I thought it wise to start a new thread, rather than deal with the subject of trigger guards in the post Brian initiated. Please see : viewtopic.php?f=87&t=20046

 

There are 3 basic ways that the trigger guard ( yuojintetsu ) attached to the stock ( see photograph below illustrating the 3 ways ).

Note I used a line drawing as this will eliminate skipping from one photograph to another.

 

Type 1 is by far the most common way of attaching the trigger guard. A thin brass plate ( often in a geometric or flower shape ) is inletted into the stock and has a small rectangular opening thru which the ends of the trigger guard ( a trigger guard has two ends ) passes and on into the stock and is held in place by a brass pin passing perpendicular thru the stock ( often this pin also passes thru the lock plate ). Probably 90 % of all trigger guards ( if the gun has a trigger guard ) are attached in this manner. These perpendicular brass pins also help secure the lock plate to the wooden stock.

 

Type 2 is a less common but also seen PARTICULARILY on early Edo firearms for some reason ( personal observation ). In this case an oval or egg shaped inlet is cut into the stock ( as in Brian's latest acquisition ). The trigger guard on ONE end only ( the front end ) has as an integral part an egg shaped piece of brass that fits snugly into the inlet oval in the stock. This has a small rectangular opening thru which a pin passes to hold the trigger guard in place and thru which passes a perpendicular brass pin again thru the stock. For some reason this pin rarely passes thru the lock plate but rather is a separate pin found just below the lock plate. Note in order to get a nice snug fit the egg or oval shaped piece of the trigger guard is usually slightly bevelled. This is an old trick used by gunsmiths the world over for getting a perfect metal to wood fit. The opposite end of the trigger guard usually fits into a slot inlet into the stock and is usually held secure by slipping behind or sometimes into a separate brass locking ( for lack of a better word ) piece fitted into the inlet to accept the end of the trigger guard. See photograph of Brian's acquaintances gun ( photographs A3297 and A3298 ).

 

Type 3 is even less common but also seen PARTICULARILY on early Edo firearms or at least firearms of the highest quality ( again a personal observation ). Here the stock has been inlet in an oval or egg shape BUT a brass liner has been added as additional protection against splitting

of the stock. Again the trigger guard has the oval or egg shaped piece integral and this fits snugly into the brass lined cup ( for lack of a better word )

and is again held in place by a pin and cross pin as described in the Type 2 arrangement.

 

I actually went to the trouble of making one of these brass liners and was going to describe its manufacture in this article, ... but rather than bore you all to death have decided not to include a description and all the accompanying photos as it is not pertinent to this article and it is so rarely seen

that few if any of you will need to make one. I can always do an addendum to this article should the interest arise.

 

As always any errors or omissions and opinions are mine alone.

 

... Ron Watson

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Nice one Ron, an excellent article for future reference.

Does anyone know what type of brass the Japanese used for these fittings, as I am told that "regular brass" is extremely hard to bend and shape without cracking, even if tempered. Wonder if they forged these to shape, or cut them from solid and filed them.

 

Brian

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Dear Brian,

I was hoping someone else would step in ( Ford perhaps ) and give an opinion on the Brass composition used in early Japan. It seems to me that it is very much like the brass currently available for today's metal worker. The brass as we buy it is usually fairly hard ( tempered ) and therefore somewhat difficult to bend without cracking. This can be corrected by annealing ... The way to soften brass is to heat it up until it glows ( careful not to over heat ), then quench it in cold water or some prefer to allow natural cooling. This makes the metal soft and much easier to work. NOTE: As you work brass it inherently becomes harder again and may need a repeat annealing.

 

The 3/16 brass rod may need to be annealed once you have cut to the correct length for your trigger guard to bend with ease. The Japanese would have cut from solid and then filed, drilled, etc. to shape. There will be no forging in the pieces you must make to restore your gun's trigger guard. The oval or egg shaped piece on the one end of your trigger guard is a separate piece which was attached to the ROD section by drilling and soldering, ... NOT forged from the rod itself.

 

... Ron Watson

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Ron,

I have been in contact with Ford, and I hope he won't mind if I quote a bit for general information. We are extremely lucky to have the valuable resources we have access to. Reason enough to have invested in his upcoming book series. :)

 

Brian

 

The fittings are indeed brass, low zinc content, around 15% would be typical. This equates to what we call gilding metal today....

Regular commercial brass is workable though, but annealing would be helpful. Heat to dull red and quench when black. Regualr commercail brass is around 40% zn so the patina may be a little off but not terribly so, depending on what you use to colour it.

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Dear Brian,

I was hoping someone else would step in ( Ford perhaps ) and give an opinion on the Brass composition used in early Japan.

Ron, there is some type of information on brass / bronze used in Japanese guns here, but it is in Japanese, maybe someone can translate.

http://www.sanmei.com/contents/en-us/p1853.html

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The text says brass and that it is 20% zinc and copper. High workability, but, expensive to have refined to the purity wanted. This Kyosuke Katai adopted son of kaji Sozo Katai and natrural son of Tsutai Yanigasawa Goro (a farmer from Shinano Karuizawa) worked for the lord in Matsuyo and studied under Tarozaemon Egawa learning western gunnery. He invented guns using bifulminate of mercury (1848), air guns, spring guns, machine guns. That is an interesting text and this fellow seems quite an important smith. John

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The text says brass and that it is 20% zinc and copper. High workability, but, expensive to have refined to the purity wanted. This Kyosuke Katai adopted son of kaji Sozo Katai and natrural son of Tsutai Yanigasawa Goro (a farmer from Shinano Karuizawa) worked for the lord in Matsuyo and studied under Tarozaemon Egawa learning western gunnery. He invented guns using bifulminate of mercury (1848), air guns, spring guns, machine guns. That is an interesting text and this fellow seems quite an important smith. John

 

Thanks John, the translated version was sort of garbled.

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If it is as John says above: "The text says brass and that it is 20% zinc and copper. High workability, but, expensive to have refined to the purity wanted." ...then that might explain why I have been assured many a time here among collectors that the brass (shinchu) used for Tanegashima type fittings was considered in the Edo Period to be of a similar value to gold.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here are the promised pics of my trigger guard and retaining pin. Took me a few tries to get it the shape I wanted, and patina'd to the level I was happy with.

I think all in all it looks good, and not immediately obvious as a replacement. The retaining pin was filed from a solid rod, and think it came out great, but don't have pics of it out of the gun. That domed head is deceptively difficult to do, as is the perfect placement of the cross pin hole.

I may play with the patination a little bit, but compare this one with the pics of the original one above, and I think is is pretty ok.

Bear in mind these parts wiere all bright and shiny gold colour before I started to age them.

Also had to bend the serpentine to the correct shape, as it was way off. Nerve wracking, even with annealing. But came out correctly and functions well now.

Looks good next to my other gun.

 

Brian

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Dear Brian,

HOT DAMN, ... you did an excellent restoration. Love the patina. Also when I see how carefully and well you got your metal to wood fit, I can only say well done yet again. Did you use a lead solder or silver solder where the join is. I am surmising silver solder. PM Ford, ... and see if he can give us some insight into patinating that area or better yet comment on the NMB. The only other thing I can suggest is to very carefully file away the silver solder where it has run up the trigger guard slightly until you get to solid brass. This would leave you with a miniscule join of silver. Now then do I notice a missing insert ( perhaps a Maple Leaf ) just behind the lock plate. That should be replaced. Make a rubbing of it and transfer this to some flat sheet brass and start cutting and filing. You've done one hell of a fine job of getting the lines of your trigger guard to look both artistic and correct. You should be suitably proud :clap: !

 

... Ron Watson

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Thanks Guys.

Ron, that silver soldered part is far less conspicuous than it appears in the pics, but will probably take it down a little more as you suggest.

Really pleased with the overall patina.

That missing inlay part you so observantly noted is a shishi shaped plate. I do have it, but it had raised itself over time, as the wood shrunk. And since only 2 of the tiny brass nails were still present, I removed it, carefully carved the wood to match again, and am now awaiting a source of tiny brass nails that I can beat a little bit to age them, and then put it back.

At the top of the stock, behind the breech....I am also missing all the little brass nails there for that plate.

They may be available in the USA with a little online searching, but over here I am not coming right. Neither with 0.5mm brass rod that I can make the nails out of. Have to be brass, so I can patinate them.

But I'll find them somewhere. Then beat them a bit, flatted a head with a nail, patinate and hammer into the existing holes.

There are 2 inlays that are still needed. One round one at the bottom of the grip that I have already made to match, and will have engraved by hand with a mon to match the barrel one, and the one at the bottom rear of the stock that protects the stock when placed on the ground. Will still make that one.

 

Here's my tip of the day. When making these missing brass inlays, you can use paper and try and trace the outline, or cardboard or just file endlessly until it fits. But that moldable plastic stuff (granules) that you get in the USA has finally arrived here in SA, and it works wonders with missing inlays. Just soak in hot water until soft. Then press it firmly into the openings that are missing brass. Wait a few seconds for it to harden, and remove. Then trim the overlaps with scissors. And you have a perfect hard pattern to trace onto your brass sheet. Once finished, just soak it again and re-use it.

 

Brian

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Dear Brian,

What is the trade name of the moldable plastic ? Also, ... I can probably source you some tiny brass nails. I'll check and see if my hardware store still has any ( the store has been run for nearly 80 years but is soon to close, ... the only hardware in Canada that I know of where you can walk in and buy horse shoe nails and sleigh runner bolts of all things ). If you PM me your postal address, ... I will try ( no promises ) and forward to you by mail. Needless to say I am extremely proud of your accomplishment. I have been at this sort of thing for well over 30 years and I still get a thrill out of a restoration well done by myself rather than contracting it out.

 

... Ron Watson

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Ron,

The one we got here is called Interfix (http://www.interfix.co.za/Picture-Hange ... t.tpl.html) but seems to be a SA product. However we have seen a UK brand called Polymorph (http://www.polymorphplastic.co.uk/) and it should be easily found by Googling mouldable plastic.

Found a US one: http://www.instamorph.com/

Amazing stuff. Should be great to mold anything or reproduce details. When heated, goes the consistency of chewing gum. Hardens hard and fast. Then resoftens.

 

Thank you, I will take you up on that offer of the nails. However due to the postal strike here, not ordering anything at all from overseas right now, as nothing will get here. Have some books on hold with Markus too. Will advise as soon as the strike is eventually over.

Only courier will get here fast (UPS, Fedex, Dhl etc, and those cost a fortune)

 

Brian

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The plastic used for model making is called 'polystyrene', or usually simply 'styrene'. The easiest place to find it is at model train shops, which also seems to be the best place to find small brass rods - used to replicate steel parts on small scale models. In bigger cities, you can find the same stuff at architectural supply shops, used to make concept building models.

 

Ron, if you head to the back of Janzen's paint and hobby in Winkler, they have all kinds of stuff for model making.

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