Muzzleloading semi-auto/full auto concepts.

Hi Bill

I know Kevin Godkin very well. I'll talk to him about the film and the rifles. I bidded for a blank firing one at auction a couple of weeks ago. I haven't got an invoice yet as they are slow sorting out postal bids, but my bid was higher than the selling price so maybe I got it. If I did I'll try and post video and photo's online.
The person that built them was Brian Redwood of Redwood Engineering. He has talked about making some more, although he has had some health issues lately.
All the rifles he built were for the person that ordered them. I saw one for sale a few years ago. The one I've bidded on sounds like it is a good one as the desciption says all brass. I believe some had aluminium mags that were anodised. Apparently the mags cost more than the rest of the rifle to make.
 
The auction company was Militaria.co.nz. They did have it in a photo in their online catalogue, but I think they have taken it down. I downloaded it, I just have to figure out how to upload it to my post.
 

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Thanks for that info Asgardnz. Do you know if the blank firing one you bidded on is capable of firing, or being converted to fire live cartridges or black powder loads or if it is incapable of ever live firing? Be sure and let us know if you get it and post lots of pics here. Because the only other still pics I've ever been able to find are the screenshots I made from the movie and now the one you posted. But the one you posted from the auction doesn't show it close enough to make out details well. Not your fault though, it was from the auction. It would be great if you get it, if you could do a whole report for us on its operation. It's really great that you personally know Mr Godkin and also Brian Redwood the original maker of the rifles. It would be great if Brian Redwood would make some more of them in bulk, in percussion, for black powder shooters.


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Thought I'd give a update.
My co-worker has changed his mind on the PSL build for now. So I won't be able to get hands on the adjustable gas-block.

I'm going to try an sneak out to the range this weekend with my muzzleloaders. But with gun-deer season starting next weekend it may be crowded tho.:(
 
Hi Bill. I've just been on the phone to Kevin and we discussed doing an article. I used to be a photographer years ago. So I will photograph his, and mine(if I got the one at auction) and I will go and see Brian and talk to him about an interview. Kevin reminded me these rifles were originally built for a TV series called Greenstone. I had forgotten about that series- I was an extra on that playing the part of a soldier. Kevin said he was the one who had rifles converted to take 38 cases to make the rifles quicker to reload on set. He wanted to use .44 cases for a bigger powder load and thus bigger flash, but Brian thought that the chamber walls would be too thin. Kevin has been talking to another mutual friend called "Chopper", who supplies firearms for film work about improvements that could be done to the actions to make them smoother. Kevin recalls that the barrels are all smooth bore, but that Brian did make at least one spare rifled barrel. I'll check with Brian on that. I'll try to see Brian during the week.
 
Thought I'd give a update.
My co-worker has changed his mind on the PSL build for now. So I won't be able to get hands on the adjustable gas-block.
I'm going to try an sneak out to the range this weekend with my muzzleloaders.
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Thanks for trying anyway Jo6pak. Have a great time at the range.


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Asgardnz wrote:
Hi Bill. I've just been on the phone to Kevin and we discussed doing an article. I used to be a photographer years ago. So I will photograph his, and mine(if I got the one at auction) and I will go and see Brian and talk to him about an interview. Kevin reminded me these rifles were originally built for a TV series called Greenstone. I had forgotten about that series- I was an extra on that playing the part of a soldier. Kevin said he was the one who had rifles converted to take 38 cases to make the rifles quicker to reload on set. He wanted to use .44 cases for a bigger powder load and thus bigger flash, but Brian thought that the chamber walls would be too thin. Kevin has been talking to another mutual friend called "Chopper", who supplies firearms for film work about improvements that could be done to the actions to make them smoother. Kevin recalls that the barrels are all smooth bore, but that Brian did make at least one spare rifled barrel. I'll check with Brian on that. I'll try to see Brian during the week.
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That sounds great Asgardnz! Please keep us updated.


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Hi Bill
I got the auction invoice yesterday confirming that I got the harmonica rifle along with a couple of old pistols. I am really pleased with the price. All up the rifle will cost me less than $400. Originally I think the rifles were sold to the film company for $1000 each. I will make arrangements today to get them shipped. I need the police to approve the shipping as the guns are coming from a different city. Once the rifle arrives I will take it to Brian for a check over and photograph it. I'll then talk to him and post the photo's and interview.
 
Hi Bill

Just an update. I sent off my money to the auction house a few days ago for the harmonica rifle. The gun should arrive within the next couple of days. I'll then photograph it and go see Brian- the maker of it.
 
I have the harmonica rifle now. I hope to see the maker on Monday. I have taken some photos of the action at work and figured out how to feed the magazine in.
The magazine appears to feed from the left. The crank handle has to be rotated 180 degrees to the front and the magazine pushed in from the left until it stops. The handle is the rotated 180 degrees clockwise to line up the first of it's six chambers. A 360 degree clockwise rotation of the handle then lines up the next chamber. The rotation of the handle cocks the action(what appears to be a hammer). The steel box section that holds the magazine moves forwards and back and pivots slightly sideways as the handle rotates. The box section draws the magazine up against the barrel to seal them together for firing. The box section also carries a floating firing. I will try and load some images tonight when I get home from work.
 
Hi

Sorry about the delay. Christmas has been busy as I have been working right through and training staff.
I will try and post some photos in a couple of days of the harmonica rifle and a pistol also made by Brian Redwood. I don't have access at work to load up photos.

Just briefly. I managed to see Brian just before he headed away for Christmas. He told me he made twenty rifles for the TV series Greenstone. Ten were functioning and ten were not. He said it would have been easy enough to make them all work.
My gun is one of the firing ones and features an anodised aluminium receiver and solid brass magazine. He has given me an extra magazine and a punch for punching out the large pistol primers used in the magazine. mine has a non functional peep sight. The lead actors gun had a functional peep sight.

The magazine chambers are in .44 calibre, but the barrel is .45 as it was made out of heavy walled 7/16 tube. Not a problem for a blank firing movie gun. A friend of mine has had the gun at a local Mountain Man black powder shoot this last week to demonstrate it. I did note at Brians factory that the trigger is very sensitive and a good tap on the stock will make the gun fire! I'll need to check the sear engagement.

I will post up a series of photos showing the action working and some close ups. As the trigger guard lever is cranked, the magazine is cammed in and the whole magazine feed mechanism rocks and moves forward to seal the magazine against the barrel, so it is interesting to play with.

I also photographed a prototype single shot pistol that Brian made as an initial concept for the film job. It uses a chamber that pops out to the side as the trigger guard is rotated and the chamber can be unscrewed to load and replace the cap. I recorded a video of Brian firing a blank in this in his factory.
 
Fantastic Asgardnz! Can't wait to see your pics.

I know you said your .44 cal harmonica block mag is solid brass but your barrel is just a fake tube. Which makes me wonder that since your brass harmonica block mag would work with real black powder loads, would it be possible to make the rifle an actual firing model if you just replaced the fake barrel with a real .44 cal barrel? Sure would be nice if you could then you'd have a real firing version.


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Hi, Sorry about the delay. I have been preparing a court case against the government and this has taken all my spare time. I had the the court case last week. Yesterday I started organising the photo's and a short video I shot of the harmonica gun designer- Brian Redwood. Today I found out he died on the weekend in a boating accident. I will post some pics up now and try and sequence the shots of the action working over the next few days. I think Brian made one firing barrel. I will try and talk to his son a week or two after the funeral about getting the barrel. I hope he doesn't dump or sell it not knowing what it was. I am going to try and organise a gun show display and magazine article on Brian.
 

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