I bought a Snider musket several years ago & discovered 1st round it had a bulged chamber. Had to smack the case a LICK to get it out & it was ruined for reloading.
Stood it against the wall and FINALLY found a barreled receiver. Got that in to discover the breech block wouldn't open. Finally drifted the hinge pin out and used a long punch to drive the locking pin forward to release the breech block from the receiver.
Started out like this. Breech block would NOT budge.
IMG_0154 (2).JPG [ 481.68 KiB | Viewed 2204 times ]
After the steps mentioned above, got it off to find no issues.
IMG_0155 (2).JPG [ 452.29 KiB | Viewed 2204 times ]
Root cause of the trouble - solidified yak fat. I'm not making this up - not much for petroleum based preservatives or grease in Nepal so they used yak fat. No - it doesn't smell very nice.
Shown here is the hinge pin (top) and locking pin. Both were nearly immovable. Got them soaking in alcohol now. I figure 2 or 3 days should soften the yak fat.
IMG_0156 (2).JPG [ 208.15 KiB | Viewed 2204 times ]
Side shot of the breech block. What a mess! I think the gun was only given a cursory cleaning when it was removed from the crate. Certainly not in a dedicated parts cleaner. The breech block itself was partially stuck. Took gentle tapping with a nylon hammer to get it out.
IMG_0159 (2).JPG [ 202.88 KiB | Viewed 2204 times ]
I'm pretty sure this gun was native made. Due to my crappy photography, it's not too clear, but it looks like strips of metal were forge welded around a mandrel. There's no pitting, so it really doesn't worry me about safe firing.
IMG_0161 (2).JPG [ 415.21 KiB | Viewed 2204 times ]
I was concerned about barrel condition but it was excellent. Yak fat is a great metal preservative. I've never seen a bad yak fat barrel! No bulges, dents or mud dauber nests.
And just for grins, here's a comparison shot of 577 Snider vs 45-70.
IMG_0162 (2).JPG [ 184.64 KiB | Viewed 2204 times ]
Profuse apologies for the bad photography. I was too lazy to go back downstairs for a reshoot.
Next up - after mucho elbow grease and scrubbing is swapping out parts and test fire. SW
SW
