ANDERSON GUNCRAFT

NOTE: Blackcross Aviation is presenting this webpage as a courtesy to my father, John Anderson, owner/operator of Anderson Guncraft.

Anderson Guncraft started as metalworking project in the early-to-mid 1960s that John Anderson could work on in his spare time. By 1984 the project had developed into a full time business reproducing the Gatling as well as restoring original guns.

All work except rifled barrel blanks, firing pin springs, standard taper pins, and engraving is done in house. The barrel blanks are bought from a barrel manufacturer and all chambering, threading, and taper turning is done by Anderson Guncraft. Firing pin springs are made to original Colt/Gatling specs by a local shop equipped to do such work. Anderson Guncraft has a small bronze foundry in which all of the necessary castings are produced. The castings are made in green sand molds and it is labor intensive, back breaking work (at 2200º). No investment cast junk here.

Anderson Guncraft does all machine and finish work. When finished the bronze is hand finished to 400 grit and then buffed to a mirror finish. The M1892 and M1897 guns are engraved as per the original with the proper engraving on the breech casing by master gun engraver Ray Viramontez.

All guns are mounted on a reproduction tripod that is historically specific to that particular model gun. Anderson Guncraft does not manufacture carriages, although there are sources for these.

The Gatling models produced by Anderson Guncraft include: Model 1874 in .45-70 Government (in the "standard" 32 inch and the 18 inch "Camel gun" models); Model 1892 in .45-70; and Model 1897 in .30-40 Krag or .30-06.

Anderson Guncraft, from the outset, has worked strictly on a customer order list as these guns are labor intensive to manufacture (they average 1000 man-hours per gun). As with most any finely made firearm the wait for one of these guns is long (it averages 3-4 years). Gatlings are not governed under the NFA of 1934 and therefore are not considered machine guns (they are operated by a hand crank). Gatlings are transferred through a regular 01 dealer. To contact Anderson Guncraft, call 937-962-4495 and ask for John.

Model 1874 Gatling gun ("Camel" gun data in italics)

Weight: (gun only) 220 pounds (170 pounds)

Caliber: .45-70 Government

Maximum rate of fire: 700-800 rpm (basically as fast as you can turn the crank but governed by the gear ratio)

Barrel length: 32 inches (18 inches)

Method of feed: Gravity fed 40 round magazine or gravity fed continuously reloaded Bruce Feed

Number of Barrels: 10

Model 1892 Gatling

Weight: (gun only) 220 pounds

Caliber: .45-70 Government

Maximum rate of fire: 800-900 rpm (basically as fast as you can turn the crank but governed by the gear ratio)

Barrel length: 32 inches