Gunstock Lathe

[English Doc]

I recently visited the Science Museum in London and was pleased to have 'discovered' this.

It is an 1857 Ames Gunstock copy lathe which was originally installed in the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield in 1861. The complex patterns of a three dimensional stock could be reproduced very quickly and to within better tolerances, making weapons parts closer to interchange.

If this is the wrong place for this, please move it.

[yeoman]

Re: Gunstock Lathe

Sir, thanks for bringing up the photo of the Ames gunstock copy turning lathe. A description of the lathe in the collection of, Science Museum/ Science & Society Picture Library, also states the machine was originally belt driven but was later adapted for an electric motor drive and it remained in service until 1966.

[Prodical Reb]

Re: Gunstock Lathe

This is why the square eared washer is on "TOWER" and the rounded ear washer is on "ENFIELD" stocks. A machine ws used to route out the "Enfield" weapons and it was still done by hand on "TOWER" weapons.

In 1860 Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) in Enfield started producing parts interchangable P53s, P60s(2 band SGT rifle), & P61s(musketoons) soley for the War Dept, stamped "Enfield". The interchangable part Enfields were deemed category 1 or Class 1 weapons and mandated by Brit Army. This was the 4th generation of this weapon family or type IV. All hand built P53s were slowly taken out of service with the army as class 1 weapons became available for issue to regiments. prior to '60 the Brit army used hand built weapons from both London and Birmingham weapon makers; these were non- interchangable part weapons and deemed class 2 or cat 2. there was also a class 3 weapon which were older outdated (smothbore) designs. By '64 he Brits had converted to class 1 weapons for the entire Army and they soon became available for export.

Hence any 1860-64 dated marked "Enfield" could never have found its way over here for the ACW prior to 1864. This was great timing for the hand-made cottage weapon making industry in Birmingham and London, as the Brit army no longer wanted hand made weapons, US and CS agents created demand for the ACW here. All "TOWER" marked weapons were still hand made, non-interchangable parts.