In early 2018 I was selected to participate in a "Historic weapons building competition", to be aired on a major TV network. Little did I know I was signing up for quite a challenge!
Discovery Channel's Master of Arms
Anyone who has made their way into historic gunmaking and blacksmithing will tell you that we're all on the same team - We may be competing for our customers' business, but after a show, we all go out to dinner together and talk about the latest projects, share ideas, and collaborate on new ones. I find inspiration in original arms and the creative imagination of my colleagues - I compete with myself to make something better and more authentic than the last project. With this in mind, I had reservations about signing on to a filmed competition. The allure of trying something new and completely out of my normal routine kept me engaged, and after a half dozen interviews I was flown to the studio to begin filming.
Discovery Channel's Master of Arms
Anyone who has made their way into historic gunmaking and blacksmithing will tell you that we're all on the same team - We may be competing for our customers' business, but after a show, we all go out to dinner together and talk about the latest projects, share ideas, and collaborate on new ones. I find inspiration in original arms and the creative imagination of my colleagues - I compete with myself to make something better and more authentic than the last project. With this in mind, I had reservations about signing on to a filmed competition. The allure of trying something new and completely out of my normal routine kept me engaged, and after a half dozen interviews I was flown to the studio to begin filming.
My competitors and I shared tools & equipment, burned ourselves, had laughs, swore at our work, and had a blast doing so. Untold days of footage were whittled down by editors to make an episode fit into an hour TV slot. My hope is that viewers take away an appreciation for this trade, and that the series will kindle a renewed interest in historic arms and their makers. I have the utmost respect for my fellow competitors, and I look forward to future collaboration with them on new and exciting projects.
The Axe Pistol - Some History
The Axe Pistol - Some History
- The Axe Pistol combination is an obscure historic weapon that survives today in a handful of museums around the world. While interesting in concept, in practical use it fell short of the mark. It was too unwieldy to carry for long as a pistol, and could not be handled or hold up as well as a small ax in close quarters combat. For the challenge, we were given machine made barrels and a set of small Siler lock parts to assemble. I chose English walnut for its dense, tight grain and durability, and relative ease of working. I cut the barrel to about 12 inches, but in retrospect should have made it about 6 to 8".
The axe head was welded, cut down, and heavily modified to fit the new purpose of an axe gun. The bolt on the eye of the head goes through a lug in the bottom of the barrel, and threads directly into the opposite side, making for a very secure attachment of barrel and axe. The downside of a longer barrel was an increase in leverage against the stock, which resulted in the chip of wood breaking during testing. Note: Pistols are not meant to slice through the spine of an animal.
In response to questions: - Yes, I actually lost the trigger in the last 20 minutes of the challenge - it was not staged one bit!
- No, I didn't get to keep the gun... I fully intend on making another just like it, just for kicks
- Dustin and I worked quite a lot together, and often conversed while building the guns side by side. It was a great dynamic to have both competitors working in the same shop and sharing equipment.
Images courtesy of & copyright Discovery Channel