Colonial gunsmiths used three tools specifically engineered for rifle makers: the boring bench, the rifling bench and the pan borer. The boring bench was used to bore the newly forged barrel to the proper caliber. A hand crank propelled the borer as it cut through the length of the barrel.

What tools do gunsmiths use?

Gunsmiths typically rely on three hammers: a lightweight ball‑peen hammer, a brass hammer, and a plastic hammer.

How were gun barrels made in colonial times?

A gun barrel in the 1700s was usually made in a forge. Starting with a flat piece of steel or wrought iron, the piece would be heated until bright red hot and put into a swage block; a u shaped anvil and beaten into a long u-shape.