Steampunk Shotgun Part 3

Made some good progress on the shotgun over the weekend.  For the most part finished the "bottom" of the gun.  Now just need to add the barrels and some of the other "top" parts to get this one completed. 

Here is an overall pick of the shotgun so far.  Added a lot of brass bits to it.

Here is a close-up of the front part of the stock.  Yes, that is a mini-wooden barrel attached to the stock.  Rob wanted some sort of clip that would attach a line to a "grappling dart" in the gun's 3rd barrel.  I really liked the idea that the gun would have a grappling dart for getting up to an airship from the ground or for boarding actions, but I just couldn't get behind the "clip".  I ran across this little barrel at the Goodwill near my house and thought that it would be perfect to hold the line for the grappler.  The two brass pieces in front of the barrel will be the "line guides". 

Here is a close-up of the back of the stock.  I added a brass trigger guard and a leather strap with a brass clasp.  The clasp is for connecting to a belt or harness when you "use" the grappling dart.  I know in reality that the gun doesn't work (I'm not that far gone yet...), but I think it's the little details of "how would this really work" that make a project fun, and give it a level of realism. 

In the random musings category.  I saw this commercial the other day where a man proposes to his lady during a hot-air-balloon ride.  Since it's a 30 second commercial she with tears in her eyes nods "YES" (very touching, no idea what they were selling in the commercial...), so any way my mind jumps to "Well it's a good think she said yes, or that could be a very awkward 45 to 60 min trip depending on wind speed".  So that is my advice for anyone out there looking to propose, if there is even the slightest chance that he/she will say "NO" don't propose on a hot-air-balloon ride.  I have now potentially prevented an awkward social situation that may have required you to attend some sort of counseling, you can thank me latter. 

Stay tuned.  More posts on the gun to come. 

M-T-T