What to do When Midnell's/Brownway Doesn't Have What You Need

 When dealing with old and/or unusual guns, one doesn't simply order parts from the amateur's supply catalogs.  

Case in point: A customer needed a pair of ramrod hangers for a Ballard No.5 Pacific rifle.  He also requested a slightly increased wall thickness (to make them less prone to damage).  Here I'll detail the creation of those parts.

The original sample, sitting atop the billet of 1018 from which the new parts will come, the bore has already been drilled and finish reamed.

 Machining the areas that will become the integral dovetail bases:

The dovetails are then cut and the bulk of the material that will become the raised bands is machined off.

The parts are then cut free, the ends squared and the bands are hand profiled, as are the bases.  They are then temporarily attached to a mandrel for turning of the barrel portions on either side of the band.  Those portions actually have a very slight (one half of one degree), but readily noticeable, taper.  The barrels are cut to their final length and the ornamental rings are then cut.

 The final step is to nitre blue (oh look, they're black) the new parts.