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That may not be oil seepage. It could very well be where the joint line was “ upset” when the breech was mated. Carding revealed the high spots.

I would not buy a Pedersoli Indian Trade Musket. The lock on this gun, the “Lott Lock” can be a problem and most of the time it requires work. Notice someone said it’s finicky. They do have a reputation of a troublesome lock. From Pedersoli, the Brown Bess trade gun from Dixie is what I...

A selection of files and hours and hours of work. I really think rough castings are good for a new builder because they teach important skills, patience, filing working with things out of square and making them work Now a $20 butt plate took days and days and days to make a usable piece. The...

You must of had Renegades, TC Hawkens do have cheek pieces. Defilement?????? The GPR or Gemmer are great quality muzzleloders in that market. At one time for an off the shelf factory made rifle, they were the best as far as 19th Century styling. I have a right handed GPR and I shoot it...

What a wonderful gun!!! It’s fantastic. I suspect curly walnut. It is not maple. It could be curly cherry. Personally I have never seen “curly cherry”. Again it’s a great gun. One of the most difficult builds is finishing a started project. There’s a lot to it. A lot more than most think...

Nope. They can trail completely through the stock. Just ignore it. The gun is going to turn out well.

239 Flathead V8 Sorry you lost those photos That’s a really nice car.

If you can get the carved version, get it. It’s very nice and appropriate. Now SMRs; and that’s a very broad term, were seldom carved as in behind the cheek like an 18th century rifle. With that said sometimes you’ll see SMRs with fore stock, buttstock and cheek piece moulding lines.

It’s my brother’s car and that’s the only photo handy. I will tell you some about it. That car is an unusual car. It is a real SS but in an unusual configuration or it was from the factory. My brother has changed that car so much over the years. It has had a hot 396 (402) to a 4 speed with...

My Fumbelina has a last name it’s..... B O N E W I T Z Dave I’m going to do my best to make this a nice rifle. I’ve been studying a rifle by John Bonewitz. I’m going to do my absolute best to do that name justice. As much as I hate to, I’m scrapping the buttplate. I’m just not happy with...

Plot twist...... I have restarted my apprenticeship. I have had a change of attitude concerning this project. Fumbelina is going to make a nice rifle. Unacceptable!!! This is from setting the tang bolt at too acute an angle. What was I thinking? I don’t know but somebody needs to take away my...

Sometimes rifle barrels have inherent flaws. Sometimes they just do not work right despite quality construction. Everything can be done right and it’s still a stinker. You see this in cars.... Lemons. Lemons are a real thing. Sometimes that can be corrected, sometimes not. So...... In...

This is what some of the old time Pennsylvania Dutch and Appalachian gunsmiths did. Remove the barrel from the rifle. “Unbrich” the barrel (remove breech plug). Place the unbreeched barrel in a fast moving stream. The muzzle must face upstream. The barrel is to remain in the stream fo 3 days...

Clay Smith has some great parts sets as does Muzzleloder Builders Supply

Military muskets were finished bright white. Only the lock will be bright white on a rifle, even a military rifle of the period. Manuals recommend darkening, browning “ greening??” Rifle barrels to reduce glare with tinted camphor varnishes....”Handbook for Riflemen”.... The M1803 was...

AF is a mild acid solution and it will brown a barrel. I just wiped it on, let it sit and wiped it off. It just knocks the straight from the bench look away. Something else you can do is called a French Gray that’s fun and easy. Take some “cold blue”. Apply one application of the cold...

Just personal experience backed by historic data..... My preferred load for a smoothbore is dead brown Spanish moss wads. I do wax the moss wads when I can. I make a ball of Spanish moss by roller by it around in my palms. The rolls it up tight and sticks, dirt and stuff like that fall out of...

You can’t work on what you can’t see. Get one.

I made a template from Mr Persons measurements. I tried to tweak it a little but it just was not working out. In the end I used the measurements he provided and it’s right. Whew!! It’s going to be dainty. Here it is not n paint pen transferred to the stock blank Stock blank is cut well...

Enlarge the photos especially the one where this rifle is leaning on the tree where you can see the barrel detail full length. I wanted this rifle to look as new but it does have quite a few years on it now. You must do this if you decide this is for you. The barrel needs to be brought to...