Frulk
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- Nov 26, 2018
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Anyone who has more than a passing interest in black powder arms should be familiar with the name Bob Tingle. Like me (until recently), there's probably a good chance you've never heard of him. And, if you did it was more than likely in reference to the single shot pistol he's most remembered for.
The link that follows encapsulates most of the info known about his adult life and the body of work (in steel) he left behind. Cruise the internet looking for anything on Tingle and you'll come away with not much more than slivers of anecdotal reminiscences of an eccentric self-made self taught machinist and firearms genius. That's a shame because in the modern black powder world he may have been its version of W. Ruger the inventor (not the businessman).
https://gundigest.com/more/classic-guns/tingles-creation-still-amazes
I walked into my favorite local family owned gun shop not too long ago with the intent to give a used over and under CVA rifle a final going over to make a decision if I was going to purchase it or not. I'd seen it once or twice before and was vacillating on the decision. The nipples were slightly corroded indicating it hadn't been cleaned. A couple of dings in the wood were deeper than I liked and would be problematic to get rid of altogether. The bluing was decent but not without some owner placed imperfections. As I held the gun I became aware that something in the rack was different. Looking down I made my first in the flesh sighting of a Tingle rifle. First thing I noticed was the pewter end cap on the stock. Then the sheer mass of the barrel that dwarfed the somewhat smallish muzzle opening. Down goes the CVA. Up comes the Tingle for a closer look. 'Criminy this thing is HEAVY' I thought. No caliber was identified anywhere on the exposed surfaces of the barrel. Only the manufacturer name and city/state of origin were on the lock work. I placed the gun back in the rack and out comes the smart phone. A quick internet search didn't shed that much light on what I had held. Then I hit the link above and stood there reading the entire article while making sure my other hand was on the rifle to signify a non verbal 'dibs' on the Tingle. Even before I came to the end of the article the decision to buy the Tingle had already been made. Only the money needed to change hands. I once again picked it up and gave it a going over with a critical eye. The Nipple and lock work around the hammer were very clean. Almost flawless wood. Nothing but a few minor superficial scratches in the blueing. Set trigger worked flawlessly with an almost imperceivable pressure required to release the hammer. A round ball down the barrel confirmed it was a .45 cal. A bonus in my mind as I have a number of .50's and didn't mind acquiring a new BP caliber in a smaller bore. This .45 would be my first.
Poured Pewter end cap:
Lock:
Serial number:
Full Length view:
Notice the scalloped cheek piece on the Tingle (on the right) vs. the Thompson on the left. A nice touch not readily apparent until you shoulder the gun and weld your cheek to it. Also notice the shape of the wood where you thumb would wrap over it. The wood has been shaped/thinned to allow your thumb to grab it a little more securely. A small but noticeable change when actually handling the weapon.
I wanted something nice to put it in considering its makers history. So my mother-in-law created this heavy duck canvas sleeve and embroidered the designs on both sides and integrated the fringes. Inside the crown of the sleeve at the muzzle end its lined with a small patch of sheep skin to protect it. Then, if that wasn't enough she placed grommets for the tie strap to go through.
The link that follows encapsulates most of the info known about his adult life and the body of work (in steel) he left behind. Cruise the internet looking for anything on Tingle and you'll come away with not much more than slivers of anecdotal reminiscences of an eccentric self-made self taught machinist and firearms genius. That's a shame because in the modern black powder world he may have been its version of W. Ruger the inventor (not the businessman).
https://gundigest.com/more/classic-guns/tingles-creation-still-amazes
I walked into my favorite local family owned gun shop not too long ago with the intent to give a used over and under CVA rifle a final going over to make a decision if I was going to purchase it or not. I'd seen it once or twice before and was vacillating on the decision. The nipples were slightly corroded indicating it hadn't been cleaned. A couple of dings in the wood were deeper than I liked and would be problematic to get rid of altogether. The bluing was decent but not without some owner placed imperfections. As I held the gun I became aware that something in the rack was different. Looking down I made my first in the flesh sighting of a Tingle rifle. First thing I noticed was the pewter end cap on the stock. Then the sheer mass of the barrel that dwarfed the somewhat smallish muzzle opening. Down goes the CVA. Up comes the Tingle for a closer look. 'Criminy this thing is HEAVY' I thought. No caliber was identified anywhere on the exposed surfaces of the barrel. Only the manufacturer name and city/state of origin were on the lock work. I placed the gun back in the rack and out comes the smart phone. A quick internet search didn't shed that much light on what I had held. Then I hit the link above and stood there reading the entire article while making sure my other hand was on the rifle to signify a non verbal 'dibs' on the Tingle. Even before I came to the end of the article the decision to buy the Tingle had already been made. Only the money needed to change hands. I once again picked it up and gave it a going over with a critical eye. The Nipple and lock work around the hammer were very clean. Almost flawless wood. Nothing but a few minor superficial scratches in the blueing. Set trigger worked flawlessly with an almost imperceivable pressure required to release the hammer. A round ball down the barrel confirmed it was a .45 cal. A bonus in my mind as I have a number of .50's and didn't mind acquiring a new BP caliber in a smaller bore. This .45 would be my first.
Poured Pewter end cap:
Lock:
Serial number:
Full Length view:
Notice the scalloped cheek piece on the Tingle (on the right) vs. the Thompson on the left. A nice touch not readily apparent until you shoulder the gun and weld your cheek to it. Also notice the shape of the wood where you thumb would wrap over it. The wood has been shaped/thinned to allow your thumb to grab it a little more securely. A small but noticeable change when actually handling the weapon.
I wanted something nice to put it in considering its makers history. So my mother-in-law created this heavy duck canvas sleeve and embroidered the designs on both sides and integrated the fringes. Inside the crown of the sleeve at the muzzle end its lined with a small patch of sheep skin to protect it. Then, if that wasn't enough she placed grommets for the tie strap to go through.
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