Mixing Metals

[turpin]

Here is another fantastic example of mixed metals, courtesy of Tyger. Sterling silver thistle heads on brass.

[Strings]

Flintlocks in question didn't have any wood. IIRC, they were silver stocked with iron or steel barrels...

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Flintlocks in question didn't have any wood. IIRC, they were silver stocked with iron or steel barrels...

Presumably the stocks were wood covered with silver sheets? I suggest this because of the problems in casting items the size of even a small pistol stock. In addition to weight, porosity created in the casting process makes it almost impossible to end up with a smooth finish. I suppose the stocks could have been made out of sheet silver, formed over a mandrel in much the same manner Scottish steel pistols were made, but given that silver is very soft (compared to iron) and extremely malleable, I would not imagine this to be a desirable method of construction.

A few more details, please?

[Strings]

I wish I could provide more details: only saw them once, ages ago. They were in a museum collection, stocks were claimed to be solid silver (made for a prince of some kind, IIRC), and the problem of galvanic corrosion was pointed out as an issue...

Although it would take a great deal of work, casting solid silver stocks, then fitting them to steel barrels, IS possible. Would be a pain, but for the right price, it COULD be done.

Probably take me a year to get one finished, assuming I had the cash to cast the stocks in the first place (silver ain't cheap).

The softness of the metal wouldn't prove a problem for a matchlock: much less stress on the stocks from a black powder gun than from smokeless. Still wouldn't want to fire it too often...

And I think that's enough digression, in the open forum! ;)