Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: DLH on January 19, 2012, 01:25:01 am
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Wondering if anyone on PA is into the traditional firearms I think it would be fun to explore myself anyone else think so?
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i shoot alittle black powder...i would love to build a flintlock some day...i do have a lyman great plains 54 cal...and shot a 3 point blacktail with it....later john
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I shoot a 50 cal hawkins style,have for years. Lots of good times!
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DLH, There are a bunch of us on here that shoot blackpowder. As for me, I have stuck w/ the patch and ball set up rather than the newer inline models. I have two 50cal, a 45 cal, a 32 cal and a 50 cal plains pistol.
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I have, mostly inline in the past but one of my goals this year is to build me a custom flint lock (with all the sexy trimmings >:D)
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I've got a 50 cal old kit rifle and a inline, Bub
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I think it would be fun to explore myself
What you chose to do in the privacy of your own home, with your shades drawn tight I hope, is completely up to you!
Seriously, I am a hardcore flintlock shooter. I shoot a .50 Early Lancaster style (circa 1760), the lock is a customized large Siler, the barrel is a button rifled swamped Colerain, with brass hardware, and a single trigger inletted carefully to provide just a bit under 3 lbs of pull with no creep or travel (she breaks like thin glass). I've taken 8 deer with that gun and I have yet to finish carving down the stock and laying on a finish! Part of that is because I have only just recently decided on a style of carving I want on the buttstock.
I also own a Wilderness Mountain Arms (they are now defunct, sadly) .36 Tennessee rifle in fine curly maple and plain brass furniture. She's called Perty Gurl, because she's tall and skinny with just enough curves to draw the eye...and she'll take your heart out with one shot.
The .50 is called Lux. From the Latin term lux et veritas, translates as "light and truth". With the swamped barrel taking 1.8 lbs of steel of the weight, "Light" is a good name for her, she also shoots straight as a beam of light. Well, she does, but I don't. The plan is to build a flinter .50 cal pistol to match and name the pistol "Veritas".
I just finished building two antelope priming horns for flintlock shooters and I have a third horn to get started on. I plugged the end of the horn with osage, wow does it look pretty against the black horn! I'm also working on a shooting bag, leather, cotton canvas lining with pockets, woven strap with a buckle and leather strap adustment. I hope to find a nice shaped raw horn to make into a simple powderhorn, too. I hope to have all of them done before the Tennessee Classic.
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OK JW...this really intrigues me! Can you post up any pics of all the above mentioned articles??? I'd LOVE to see them all. Thanks buddy!
(completely unrelated and off-topic but I drew one of the 4 very coveted Norther Goshawk Take Permits for here in Michigan on Monday...yehawwww!!!)
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Let's see some pics of your horns JW. Powder horns. :o
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OK JW...this really intrigues me! Can you post up any pics of all the above mentioned articles??? I'd LOVE to see them all. Thanks buddy!
(completely unrelated and off-topic but I drew one of the 4 very coveted Norther Goshawk Take Permits for here in Michigan on Monday...yehawwww!!!)
Lee, I would gift you with a powderhorn, pouch, and priming horn set just for the chance to watch you fly that goshawk! Wow, what a fierce predator for such a little bird. But I do NOT envy your time manning that bird!
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I think I am? ::) I have four 12 gauge shotguns, one .50 flintlock, two .50 cappers, a .45 Kentucky long rifle capper, that real nice rifle that RickD just traded me with the W Large barrel and four .45 pistols, and my bedroom is like a bomb with about 8 pounds of Black Powder in it.
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I wasn't counting the double barrel 10 ga. caplock, the .50 caplock, and the .44 cap and ball 6-shooter. Only flintlocks count! >:D
By the way, that double barrel 10 guage is a great gun for rabbits at close range, no joke. Half ounce of shot and 50 grains of powder, she shoots like a bantam weight 28 guage. Those twin storm drains masquerading as barrels soak up ALL the recoil!
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well JW since you are the guy about flintlocks...what kind of style and rifle would you recommend for a newbie builder that wants to build a flintlock...john
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Sending you a PM. Since they don't advertise in PA, not really their market, I don't think it is proper to post their information.
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JW, can ya send me the same PM bud? Thanks!!!
Where are your pics????
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I have a T/C percussion .45 I built from a kit while in high school. Many squirrels, and antelope and a few deer have fallen to a roundball from it.
I also built a southern mountain rifle-North Carolina style-steel furnishings and 38 inch barrel. It is a flintlock and .45 Calibler. Deadly on cottontails with 30 grains of black powder and a roundball. Several turkeys(legal in WYO) deer and antelope have been taken with it and a charge of 65 grains and a patched roundball. I built a cowhorn, buffalo horn powder horns for it and a bison horn priming horn. Short starter is deer antler fork.
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FLINTLOCKS! I love them.
I shot TC stuff until a terminally ill friend gave me his entire collection of BP stuff. One shot with a flinter made right and all my TC stuff was sold.
44cal Bill Large barrel, Bob Roller lock, same hole shooter at 50 yards.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/hunting%20stuff/Silverbuck1.jpg)
Gustomsky 62 cal smoothie.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/hunting%20stuff/smoothborebuck.jpg)
Being a bow maker I had to build my own rifle, took me a couple years off and on but I finished it.
A crude copy of a Beck rifle, 54 cal, Rice barrel, deluxe Chambers/Siler lock. Might nice shooter, killed 5 or 6 deer with it.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/beck%20rifle/baghornsandrifle.jpg)
My latest project is a 12 ga English fowler turkey gun. 38" jug choked Colerain barrel, Chambers English round face lock, iron mounts, highly figured American walnut stock. Got a lot done but struggled with the butt inletting plate for weeks. Time for stock shaping and finishing up what is left, trigger, ramrod pipes, side plate and I will will be able to make smoke.
Here are more hours work than I care to admit.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/English%20Fowler/buttplateinletcomplete.jpg)
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Fore those of you who appreciate special flintlock stuff, here is a shot of the wood in the flintlock my friend gave me, spectacular!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/Biffsgunwood1.jpg)
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Eric, what wonderful pieces! The wood on that last one is stunning...wow. OK, now I really need to think about building one of these...many days of reading and research I imagine??
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There are 4 different levels of building Lee.
The first would be to buy a completed gun in the "white", everything is done, you have to add finish to the stock and barrel.
The second is an assembly kit like a Lyman or Thompson center, small amount of fitting, stock and barrel finishing and you are done.
Third would be a parts kit. The stock is 90% precarved but the bulk of the final inletting and fitting has to be done by you . Lots of metal work changing rough castings to the finished article as well as cutting dovetails and drilling holes for various bolts and pins. Pretty involved but doable by anyone with the basic knowledge of their tools and plenty of patience.
The fourth is a scratch build, a block of wood and a pile of parts. I do scratch builds but do send my barrel off with my stock blank to have the barrel inletted and have the ramrod hole drilled.
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Those are some beautiful rifles, Eric.
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Woof! Nice steel, nice wood!
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Thanks Eric, I'm a sucker for a steep learning curve and head scratching so I may lean towards #3 or #4 >:D Probably #3 to cut my teeth on a project and see how much I enjoy it (I am sure I will) so thanks a ton for the info and help, much appreciated!
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I recommend #3 for your first Lee, you will still have 200hrs in the build.
There area bunch of companies that put together parts kits with one head and shoulders above the rest, Chambers kits, http://www.flintlocks.com/
This is a pretty pricey hobby. In the past I would sell bows to buy parts, sell a bow, buy a barrel, sell a bow buy a lock and a stock blank etc.
I recommend you buy the assembly video first to see what you are getting into.
Yesterday I started making my trigger plate. The picture shows a trigger I cold forged(lots of clean-up left). I like to make some of the parts if possible.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/English%20Fowler/makingtriggerplatewithtrigger.jpg)
I remove a bunch of wood off the butt stock yesterday as well. I am working from a pretty detailed drawing of an English fowler that gives all the profiles. Because people use different parts and measurements in these drawings you can't use them verbatim so to speak because they won't fit the parts you have on hand.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/English%20Fowler/startedshapingbuttstock.jpg)
On my Beck rifle I followed the blue print exactly. Good thing I left about an inch of extra wood on the end of the butt stock. When I started fitting my trigger I found a full inch shorter distance in the sear/trigger relationship in the drawing opposed to what I had to work with. Had I cut my stock blank off like the blue print showed I would have made a rifle with a small woman's length of pull.
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That is excellent Eric, that trigger plate form is really elegant and flows really well...I would love to add those personal/custom details to a build at some point. I was already "deep diving" the research end of this on the #3 option last night (until 2 am, lol) and had already settled on a Chambers build, read nothing but highly positive things about his products. I almost started this hobby 4 years ago and have the "Gunsmith of Greenville County" and I think a DVD that goes with it as well so I will watch that and read the book again.
I am considering the Chambers' Haines kit...or the Mark Silver at the moment but probably need to call them since I can't determine whether choosing a different lock is possible with a given kit or if that is locker in stone since they are all pre-inletted to start with...did you choose any upgrades in wood or anything with them before?
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I have the Gunsmith of Greenville County, 5 VHS tape set, not all that great, poorly edited,one tape may stop at a crucial point and replay something completely unrelated.
I also have the Ron Ehleart two set VHS tapes on building a Chambers kit. These are really well done.
Russell Aradine just bought the Chambers Haines kit, he posts a lot on the stickbow and has a build-a-long going on over there now on a knotty osage bow. He got his kit from Chambers yesterday and posted pictures of it on his knotty osage bow thread.
Because I have only done scratch builds, no kits, and buy my wood from Dunlap woodcrafts, I pick my wood grade from them. My first was a pretty low grade blank, about $90, the figured walnut blank for my fowler was way up there, $180 normally but he dropped it to $150 because of a knot. The knot disappeared when the barrel was inletted.
They say you will never regret buying fancier wood.
David Keck from Knob Mountain Muzzloading does Chambers shaping and inletting, he could inlet for any lock you prefer.
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I'll have to pick up the Ron Ehleart tapes on a Chambers kit, sounds like they are the right medicine for the job.
Thanks for the heads up on Russell's post...I'll be sure to check it out.
(Good or Better wood is never a mistake >:D)
I need to look into some basic inletting chisels/tools also...
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Hmm..I have owned a 45 cap. Hawken and 54 cap Renegade by TC. Wish I still had the 54. Bought a Kentucky rifle made by Navy Arms back around 1975. Moved the front sight as far right as possible and the rear as far left and could not get it on mark. Called Navy Arms and they told me to bend the barrell in the forks of a tree..Really they did. Years later bought a Green Mountain barrel and replaced the piece of crap Navy Arms barrel in 45 cal. Killed several deer with that gun and sold it.
Got into 18th Century reenacting and built 3 rifles by buying the parts and putting them together. Bought a Caywood 20 gauge smoothbore kit in the Wilson gun. Built it and have taken turkeys, deer and squirrels with it. Last was a Chambers kit in the Mark Silver Virginia rifle, 58 cal. Built one for a good friend also. It is a great gun. Killed a 9pt buck with my Mark Silver and several others, Also built an Edward Marshall from Track of Wolf kit. Nothing like hunting with a flintlock, except using a bow.
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I don't have any but would love to get started... JW do you think you could shoot me that PM as well? Thanks bro.
Jon
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Sorry folks
I got out of this stuff along time ago !
Just give me a stick and a string !
I did keep the side by side 12ga caplock cause its just plain ol fun !!
Guy
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I went to the Rendevous last weekend and bought a few assesorie items, handmade you can't buy i the store. I got so inspired I came home and later that night I started casting .465 cal roundballs till 1 AM. and again the next afternoon. Also started working on three powder horns.
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Hey Mullet, did you go to the Alafia Rendevous?
Been there once and had a good time. Was living in Pembroke Pines (Broward County) at the time.
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I went to the Rendevous last weekend and bought a few assesorie items, handmade you can't buy i the store. I got so inspired I came home and later that night I started casting .465 cal roundballs till 1 AM. and again the next afternoon. Also started working on three powder horns.
Any pics of your smokestick & maybe some of your powder horn progress? Been wanting to try my hand at one as well...have a really good "how-to" book on the process.
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NC, yes sir. I live about twenty minutes away. I don't know how long ago you were there but it's in Homeland now. They bought their own piece of property and the site has permanent facilities now and huge. I go every year and they have target shooting contest once a month for club members and non-members.
Lee, I'll try to get some up tomorrow.
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I think I am? ::) I have four 12 gauge shotguns, one .50 flintlock, two .50 cappers, a .45 Kentucky long rifle capper, that real nice rifle that RickD just traded me with the W Large barrel and four .45 pistols, and my bedroom is like a bomb with about 8 pounds of Black Powder in it.
You are such a hoarder. Time to de-clutter. Send me a shotgun and a pistol and we will call it your therapy for the day.
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:o
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Here's a few horns I have. The big one and little brown priming horn were gifted to me by Chris Cade, the little white and black priming horn I just finished up a couple of nights ago.
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So you are finally admitting to being horny? >:D
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All the time, with more to come. 8)
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Very nice gift, I know I'd be proud to carry that...
Great work on the priming horn, I just picked up a real nice horn that I intend to make a powder horn from...might even try my hand at some scrimshaw work on it. We'll see how brave I get once it comes time to put needle to horn :o
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Thank you, I am proud to carry it, nice getting it fro a good friend. I'm going to do some scrimshaw on the priming horn when I get a chance.
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What tool do you use for your scrimshaw work Eddie?
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Lee I have an old shortened ice pick that is filed down real sharp and exacto knife blades.
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Thanks Mullet, I'll gather a few of those items and see how it goes...cheers!
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here's a little horn a buddy gave me, hold's enough powder for about 30 station's, he made me a nice full size horn with my name scrimshawed in it but somebody needed it more than me i quess, BubIMG]http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/Picture001-18.jpg[/IMG]
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/Picture002-17.jpg)
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/Picture004-9.jpg)(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/Picture001-18.jpg)
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Bubby, I really like that. I want to make a flat one next.
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yeah it's nice and light, he cook's it in olive oil to soften it up, gives it a nice color to, Bub
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Scrimmed on a Rev War soldier's horn: "Powder, Patch and Ball. Makes free men of us all."
Bless him and his kind. (No offense to Del the Cat and his ilk. >:D)
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After a bunch of fitting, wood scraping and hair pulling I have my trigger and lock installed. At first my trigger wouldn't fire my lock, I overlooked a simple fix and spent a couple days chasing demons that weren't there. All is well now and I have a crisp 3# trigger pull with no creep.
Worked on my trigger plate yesterday(the slot is supposed to be offset on a fowler) Will start inletting it into the wood today or tomorrow depending on how much filing I have to do on the slot and trigger to get the trigger to fit just right inside the plate. The trigger will need a lot of clean up filing as well to be finished.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/English%20Fowler/locktriggertriggerplate.jpg)
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Looking good, Eric, can't wait to see it finished.
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Now That's what I'm talking about!!! Super Cool Eric! Is that stock Walnut?
I have "almost" called Chambers to place my order but every time I pick up my phone I get a little "Lilly livered" and put it back down and tell myself I'll do it tomorrow...been 2 weeks now, lol.
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Yep, walnut and highly figured walnut at that, cost me a fortune.
They say you will never regret buying a nicer piece of wood for a build. I have found this to be true.
I have been mentoring Russell on his Chambers build, he is learning the way we all did, by making an occasional goof-up.
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Lee, PM Russell and see if he will give you a call. That way you can get first hand info about a Chambers kit. I will give you a deal on the Ron Ehelert tapes if you are interested.
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Is Russell on PA or just The Leather Wall? I did make a comment in his thread that you pointed out awhile ago and he responded but since his thread was focused on his bow build it really didn't go anywhere...
Are you possibly hinting that the Chambers Kit isn't all it's cracked up to be or am I reading into your words too much?
I would have gladly bought the Ehelert tapes off if I hadn't already just purchased them...am about 1/2 hour into the 1st disc and it seems a very nice asset to have on hand for a person's first build.
Thanks again for your helpful replies...
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Chambers kits are the best, didn't mean to imply otherwise.
Russell can give you an idea of what skills you need to complete the kit. Not having any gun building experience, he is stumped at times on what to do next or how to execute a task. I will PM you his email address.
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Sounds good Eric, many thanks...
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Jim Chambers' business is 1A, all the way. His quality standards are the top in the industry, remember that when you see his prices. On top of that, his business ethics are unquestionable.
He also is quite a gunsmith in how own right.