Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders New project

I still have about another 2 pounds of wood to remove. But it's coming along slowly but surely! Got sideplate inlayed this weekend. Will start on trigger this week. Want to Slim things up and dress up lock area too!

Looks good.

Did I send you my little tutorial on building?
If not, let me know and I will.

Yes you did Steve!! Much appreciated. I'm way out of practice. It is very helpful!

My biggest issue is my sight. I need to spring for an optivisor.


Bob

I am disgusted on how organized your work area is...

Oh! That's the sign of a sick and twisted mind, RWE!

I admit. I did a clean up for the photo op. I had stuff piled a good 4" deep from stem to stern!!! Still missing a small wrench! Dunno where it went.

If its a 3" long crescent wrench, I found 2 this weekend. One chrome plated and the other old iron....

Looking good Bob. Tell us more. What caliber ? Barrel? Twist? All of the fun stuff.


Jeff

Nope Jeff. Actually the little wrench for my dremel. Was using it on another project.

Look in the pencil cup.




Rifle is looking good!

Well Jeff,

Hopefully it will turn out as my rendition of a Jäger. But instead of a large bore, I'm builting this one in my favorite ML calibres of .40! (Kinderbüsche?). It's an old Douglas standard barrel. 15/16 AF. So I suppose it's a 1 in 66 twist. (40 y o bbl). Barrel I've had out in shop for close to 40 years.

Brazos,

No luck there. It will turn up!

.

Anyone that hoards a barrel for 40 years before putting it on a gun is positively nuts.

Damn lucky you remembered you had it - unless you found it while cleaning which is almost as bad.





That's what I use those mini crescents for.....

That's what I been using! Either my fingers or a minincresent! And yes! I did
Find the barrel cleaning up!!!! Remember the snake intertwined in gun parts pic?

Tell you how long that box has been setting up there. That Hawken trigger assembly is from Art Ressel's old Hawken Shop!!!

Very nice!

szihn, if you're feeling generous with your notes/guide, I'd love to read that as well. I'm starting a build soon as well. Finally.

Sure, here ya-go.


This is how I put together a muzzleloading rifle. There are other ways, but I have found that if a new builder follows this order, that less mistakes will be made. You will eliminate most of the opportunities to make mistakes, without even knowing that you did.


For those building from "kits" you still follow the steps, but just skip the ones that don't apply.

1. Trace out your barrel on a large piece of paper.

2. Trace out the lock plate over the breach end of the barrel. Note that you will often have to tip the lock plate slightly downward in the back, so it will follow the line of the wrist later

3. Mark where the sear bar will go and make a pencil line downward at that point on the paper

4. Trace a line under the barrel 3/16" of an inch at both the muzzle and the breach. This is the top of your rod hole and channel, come down from that line 5/16, 3/8 or 7/16 to outline your rod. (depending on how big around your ramrod is going to be)

5. Come down about another 7/16" from the bottom of the rod tracing and draw in your bottom line of the hand rail section. It will be various lengths depending on what style of gun you are making. If for example, you are making a Lancaster/ York style rifle, you'd come forward from the breach about 11" + or - some, to look right for longer or shorter barrels.
At the end of your "hand rail" section, dogleg the line sharply up, and draw it right down the middle of the rod you drew. This long line will be the underside of your forestock. It is "cutting the rod in half" so that it makes a channel where the rod will rest.

6. Draw a line 3/16" over the top of the barrel to represent the line of sight (LOS).

7. Draw a line down from the Line of Sight (LOS) that will be as long as your Length of Pull. (The length of pull is the distance from the place on your trigger finger where you press the trigger, to the inside of your elbow joint when your arm is bent 90 degrees. ) Let's say it was 13 1/2" to illustrate. At this point, draw in all the lines of your butt stock, but make sure that butt will be 13 1/2" long. Trace the buttplate onto the paper, so the lines will come to the correct toe and heel of that buttplate. Next you will draw in the drop you want for your own gun, both at the heel and at the comb. Take your time with this, and get the shape you really want.

8 Draw a radiused line down from the top edge of the breach of the barrel to the center of the barrel, and then draw that line all the way out to the end of the barrel, so the line goes right down the middle of the barrel. This will be the top edge of your fore stock.
At this point take a red pen or pencil, and draw over the actual stock lines you have made. That way you don't confuse your eye later when you saw, and cut the wrong line.

9. Put glue on your stock blank and glue down this tracing. Be sure the top edge of the stock to straight. When the glue is dry (I use spray on adhesive like that used for counter tops) cut out your stock on a bandsaw. Go slow and make the cuts precise.

10. Next, unbreach your barrel and place the barrel on top of the stock. You will offset the breach a little if you want cast off. (I can't say how much, because I don't know your measurements.) Inlet the breach end of the barrel until it is down on the bottom flat, and back against the "breaching shoulder" of the stock. Clamp the muzzle down where you want it. Now trace a line STRAIGHT down from each side of the barrel so that you get a 1 to 1 tracing of the width of the barrel on the top of the stock. That is your outmost line when you are inletting the barrel.
Now inlet your barrel so it is to the halfway point, all the way down it's length, Be very careful, and go as slow as you need to, to do a good job with it. If you don't get a good fit you will have problems later. It must not be super tight, but the barrel should not fall out either. I like to have to squeeze a barrel into it's channel with my hands, but I want to have to squeeze hard to get it in. Make VERY sure the depth is correct at all points if you are using a swamped barrel, because you can warp them easily if you don't!

11. When You are done inletting the barrel, re-install the breach plug, and inlet it into the wood. Make SURE it's all the way back and all the way down when you are finished. You will have to bend the tang to suit the stock shape, They are not hard, so you can bend them cold.

12. Next install your underlugs. When you have all 3 (or 4 in some guns) installed, inlet them into the wood. Be sure they are a little "loose" fore and aft, so the stock doesn't bind on them in wet and dry weather, as the stock grows a bit and shrinks a bit. You only need about .050" of "looseness" When all are inlet, measure the depth of the lugs with a caliper and mark for the pins. Drill the holes for the pins (or wedges in some cases) HALFWAY THROUGH so you see the drill come out inside the inlets you just cut. Re-install the barrel and clamp it down, and then drill the rest of the way through.

13. Now take out the barrel and drill a 1/16" hole through the bottom of the barrel channel, just forward of the "dog-leg" where the entry pipe will go. Re-install the barrel and draw a line from that hole to the end of the forestock directly under the barrel. This is the center of your rod channel. Cut the rod channel until it is at the half diameter of your rod, and dead straight. You will usually cut deep enough to expose the bottom of the tabs of the underlugs.
When the channel is done, lay a rod drill into the channel and drill your rod hole until it is as deep as the back end of the barrel.

14. Install your nose cap. Work the wood down about 3/4" behind it and file everything to the shape you want. Then sand and polish the wood and metal together until it is totally finished. You will not have to do "finish work" later.


15. File and shape your buttplate. Polish it to a finished stage on the return. Next install the butt plate. You will set it on left or right of center to get your "cast off", if you want any.
Once the butt is on, shape the wood down and form the final edges of the lock panels and the shape of the butt stock. Use a straight edge to take all the "humps" out of things, so that everything looks as you want it to look. Lastly polish the sole of the buttplate to a finished stage.


16. Plane or sand down the lock side of the stock where the lock will go, until the thickness is the same as the thickness of the bolster of the lock. Then do the same thing on the off side. Take pains with this! You need to be sure the lock panels are not tilted or out of parellel with the side flat of the barrel. They must be square with the side flats, leave a little wood to dress down later.

17. Now inlet your lock plate. Take it down until the bolster is tight against the barrel.

18. Now sand the wood down carefully until the lock is setting at it's final depth. You will sand this down with fine paper so you get the wood edges around the lock to a 100% finished stage, ready for stain.

19. Now, plane and sand down the off side of the lock area, so it's the same thickness as the lock side, and sanded down to about 120 grit. When that's done, inlet your side plate. When it's in, drill your lock bolt holes and install them. Then polish the side plate until it is 100% finished.

20. Now sand the "off side" down to a finished surface, ready for stain.

21. Now inlet all the "lock guts" and your flash hole liner.

22. Next inlet the entry pipe. Make sure the rod will pass through it and that everything is aligned.

23. Now shape the forestock and the hand rail. Take the time to do it right, and take it all down to about 120 grit.

NOTE: If you are going to use forestock inlays, this is the time to do them, but read the next step first. The inalys have to work with the long forestock moldings, not against them. So make sure the inlays will not be a problem in relation to your long forestock moldings. In some cases you may want to do the next step before you inlet your inlays. Think before you cut!

24. Now cut the long moldings in the forestock. They will run into the carving. You will go around the entry pipe, so cut then as you like, but remember they are part of the carving so do them carefully.

25. Cut the lock moldings around the lock panels. Make them as good as you can, and then finish all the stock from the wrist to the muzzle down to 400 grit.

26. Draw and cut your entry pipe carvings at this point. You are doing the "final work" at this point, so do it carefully and take your time.

27. Cut your lower butt moldings. When you have them cut, sand the buttstock down to 120 grit. Sand the toe line (bottom of the stock from butt plate to hand rail) to 400 grit.

28. Install the toe plate at this point. Then install your triggers and shape the trigger bar as necessary. Finish the wood and metal around the triggers until they are ready for stain.

29. Install your Front sight.

30. Do all file work and polish on your trigger guard. Then inlet it into your stock, and pin

31. Inlet the patch box. When it is in, and the catch is made and finished, sand wood and metal together to a point it is 100% finished. Inlet any cheek piece inlays you have now too.

32.Install your rear sight so that the edge of your hand touches it comfortably when the rifle is carries at it's balance point.

33. Wet the stock with water and let it dray. Use 400 grit "wet or dry" to whisker it off. Do this about 4 times.

34. Do the remaining carvings behind the breach tang, around the wrist, and behind the cheek piece. Finish them 100%.

35. Stain.

36. Finish all the wood.

37. Sight in the rifle. You will have to do some drifting and filing here, so work up an accurate load first, and then do the final adjustments.

38. Strip the rifle down and polish and prepare all your steel. If you followed my directions, all the brass is already done. When the steel's ready, brown or blue it, or in many cases the iron was just left bright. It is your choice.

39. Engrave.

40. Put the rifle back together after the metal finish is done, and you are ready to go hunting.

Good hunting and shooting

Here is a tutorial I did years ago that goes well with the 40 step instructions above.

http://blackpowderfa.proboards.com/thread/194/left-hand-lehigh

Very cool, and very generous to share. Thank you!

I happen to be getting ready to try a Lehigh. Long story why it worked out that way, but we'll see how it goes!

That's cool stuff KW, you gonna smack deer, pigs and squirrels with that 40?

Gunnerl. Done it before! l love the .40!

Got trigger set in tonight, and tang screw drilled and tapped into trigger plate and in place. Even removed a little more wood. Need to order a different buttplate. One I had just won't work right. And it just ain't correct.

Steve, I used the old "nail in the vise" trick when drilling the tang screw.

Sounds like you got her headed in the right direction KW, can't wait to see it finished, and will enjoy following along watching the build.

I love PRB hunting but have never used a 40 cal, bet they're fast.

Gunner,

Here's a couple of .395 RB's that I retrieved out of a hog and a deer. 50 grains FFFG. Had a nice Bedford style rifle that I sold in a weak moment. I do miss that rifle. Deer, pigs, and turkey!

That will work KW, I've learned over the past couple of years how reliable and accurate a PRB is, very good killers to boot.

I've been sketchy about smaller bores in flintlocks...but at some point, I feel like I gotta give one a run and see what it can do.

I hunt currently with a 62, and I'm building a 54. I own a 50 (TC Renegade), but I don't hunt with it anymore since moving on to long rifles.

I sort of want to build a Beck or Dickert in 45 and a nice long barrel and see how that goes with deer hunting here in PA. We cannot go below that legally (they put a minimum bore size of 44 caliber in our regs).

I had a nice Beck style rifle years ago. .50 with a Bill Large barrel. Another I can kick my butt for selling! It currently resides about 65 miles from me! Guy I sold it to still has it and won't sell it!

I will add first rifle I ever threw together with finishing nails and rusty swing set bolts was a .32 flinter. That was a long long long time ago! Built the lock from one of them Siler kits!

Oh man...now that's BUILDING a rifle.

I'm acquiring a rough precarve Lehigh with a Green Mountain 44" swamped 54 caliber barrel inlet and the ramrod hole drilled. Curly ash, too...so I have my work cut out for me.

May as well dive in headfirst....

Go for it!! And keep us posted!

May monkey with my project a little today. Too many other chores around the place last few days.

Speaking of projects. Here's a blast from the past story.

Years ago there was (and I suppose still is) an old muzzleloading club in the central Texas/ Austin area called the Powderhorn Club. As a young squirt I was lucky enough to fall under the helping hand of several of these old curmudgeons. Most are all gone now.

In those days there were lots of old reworked originals. Judge Resley out in Fort Stockton was rifling and re-rifling lots of barrels in those days

Anyway one of the regulars at the club was a big time old school collector named Victor Frederichs. He had some cool stuff! Anyway he was always coming up with the coolest stuff. He showed up once with a small wooden keg of Goulcher percussion locks! Just as they had been delivered to Some old hardware store. He sold them locks by the each! And for a long time there were rifles being built in the area with them locks!!

Will do.....I'm picking up the barrel and precarve hopefully soon. I am blessed to live in southeastern Pennsylvania and within easy driving distance of several great resources for building rifles.

I can say with no uncertainty that the community surrounding the making and appreciation of these rifles is fantastic. The more events I go to and people I talk to, the more info I get and connections I make. It's really very cool.

Going to inlet the triggerguard just a tad, then I'll pin it. Still LOTS of wood to go!!!!

I might make a suggestion.

Carve your lock molding on both sides first and take them down to final dimensions.
That gives an angle to the wood. it will come to the base of the T Guard. Inlet the guard after so you get the correct depth and you will avoid a potential mistake.

Gotcha! Good idea!

Thanks!

I just read this thread, I hunted with a 40 cap lock this Muzzle season, no shots tho! but realy Like the 40 cal. from just sighting it in! rifle is nothing like what you fellows are building tho!

Greetings Saddlering,

For the majority of things I hunt here, a .40 round ball is more than adequate. I have bigger stuff if I need it. But I do like the .40.

Picked up the first parts of my project yesterday. Nicely roughed out Lehigh-shaped precarved curly (very curly!) maple stock and a 44" swamped 54 cal Green Mountain barrel.

With a blizzard bearing down on this part of the world tonight into tomorrow, I think I may start on the breech plug while snowed in and get that fitted up nice and tight.

The barrel is inlet, but it looks like a little tweaking might need to happen yet until the barrel channel is truly "done".

Good luck. Too busy here with other chores as of late to do much on rifle.

Had to go fishing yesterday!

Hope you are out in the shop making little splinters and sawdust over a steaming mug of coffee this a.m. KW.

Just got back from annual spring break hog hunt, Gunner. I really didn't see a pig that fit my menu. Lots of pigs. Most were too big or too small. Old son did get one with his 1/2 stock plains style .50 last night. A nice size. I'll try to post a pic in a minute.

I'll try to get back to making wood chips this week!!!

Here's old son's little gilt he shot. A bit big for my tastes, but I'd prolly shot it too!

That'll work KW, nice pig, and yes, I'd have busted her too, looking forward to this build project and game reports hopefully this fall.

Congrats to your Son.

Thanks compadre! Lots going on around the place with good weather and all. Gonna get back on it when I can.

More when there is more!

Waiting on another buttplate to arrive. One I had just wasn't right. Didn't like it. Got a better one on the way. When I get it here and installed I promise photo update.

I'm getting antsy now! It's getting close. Gotta remember to take my time!

Wanna get it out and slay a porcine creature!!!

Looks like a good eating size pig! I like your sons Hat!

Can't wait to see it, Bob!

Ed

Well I gotta admit, it's starting to look like a rifle.



Still LOTS of sanding and LOTS of polishing yet to go. Haven't even wet sanded yet! I still gotta drill for touch hole and install sights too.

But it's coming along. Goof ups and all! .

A Little better contrast shot

Uh-Huh, moving right along, looking good KW.

Thanks Gunner!

I'll be killin' pigs with It In another month!!

If it will shoot!

LOL, it'll shoot, and I bet you will!

Art's old shop on N. Lindburgh in St. Louis? Wow....yes sir, that's been a while. I used to hit his store once a month back in the mid-70's!

. You musta just saw the snake picture! LOL!

Well I still need to brown the lock but here it is. With all the goof ups and mistakes a blind man can put on a build! Be gentle please! ( yeah right,,, on the campfire??? 😂😂😂). Anyway I learned much! I know what not to do next time. And I want to thank szihn for his tutelage! He was an emmense help. But please don't hold my efforts against his talent! I know had he been looking over my shoulder several times, there would have been a helping hand placed upon my shoulder and the comments, "are you sure you want to do that???" 😊



Again thanks szihn!!

My pleasure. I always like to help if I can.
Please feel free to ask any time.

That turned out really nice KW, gotta be some extra satisfaction dropping the hammer on a game animal from a weapon you built, Congrats!

Thanks Gunner! Got the lock all browned and finished. Gonna get out and shoot it this coming weekend!!!

Looks great Bob!!! Hope it shoots as good as it looks!

Thanks Neal! I hope it shoots too! It holds like a dream!

Looks great KW! Ifn I'd done it, it would be a tossup between the fence post and the rifle as to which one looked better!

I'll have you know that fence post is genuine curly landscape timber!!!

Finally got out and did some shooting yesterday. It's a keeper!!!! A little more fine tuning on the sights and I'm ready!!! It was putting them about 7:00 in the 8 ring off bench @25 yards. 50 grains of FFFG .395 RB and tick patch.

Ready for the pig killin' fields!



Now my next project will be a new horn and pouch for this one!

Wow!!! I didn't know what a craftsman you are. Excellent piece of work.

THanks Denny!

Hubba hubba! Nice job of work!

Outstanding! It looks great and I'd bet it shoots just as good!

Thanks compadres!

You done mighty fine there kaywoodie

Yes sir, mighty fine...

Very nice, KW.

Here's the horn I started on Wednesday. Not finished yet. Plan on doing a bit of decorative scratchin' on it before I give it a bit of stain and fabricate a strap. Antler tip powder measure already done. Whole project coming along nicely!!

Very nice horn KW, the days of frosty leaves and buck lung steam drifting up to the morning sun are quickly approaching.

😉😉😉

More scratchin' later. Enough for now. Weave a strap next.

Finished strap. Added powder measure. Additional Scratchin' will be WIP as spirit moves me.

That makes me smile. I like flat horns.
When i hunt I carry one that hold enough powder for 8 shots. More then enough for a hunt.

Thanks! I see more in my future! They are cool!

I can really appreciate the time and talent to build that fine looking rifle.
I may have missed so excuse me for asking but wondering if all parts were purchased seperately, or some as part of a "kit"?
May I ask where you and others buy kits or parts?

I think it's beautiful, for what it's worth.

Thanks again fellas! Been shooting it when time allows and it's a shooter. If I get the opportunity I will hunt with it this year.

This rifle is a culmination of several decades of part collecting. LOL! Finally got them all put together. Except for a few smaller items the two main items I purchased for the project was anprecarved stock and lock from Pecatonica Longrifle supply.

Well now Bob... If ye be coming to Quemado ( I know,,, don't have to tell me) But, If you can make it, you need to bring that Daniel Boone pop gun with you. Have you given it a name yet ?


Jeff.

This one hasn't received its name yet. But I'm working on it!!! 😉

Ole Gravy!

Ok. Die jägdschwestern

Annchen und Liebchen

WOW Hope to see the next pic with you and a Nice Buck and the gun!

👍

I was waiting for someone too comment on the snake in the box, but jackassed around and forgot to ask myself, guessing the snake finally let you have the trigger guard?

You do nice work. I'd be darn proud!