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I built a .75 cal flint rifle with a really light weight custom Getz barrel some years ago for a customer who wanted a gun for stake shoots. After finishing it I had to try it out. With .70 grains of fff and a .735 round ball it was a pussy cat. The owner killed a deer with it and just a bit...

I never have plugged a barrel to scald the brown rust blue, plugs will either pop out or leak. Water does no harm. I do plug the muzzle to give me a handle for application of the rusting chemical. I wiggle the plug out before I scald the barrel. My scalding “ tank “ is simply PVC drain pipe with...

There must be about ten covered bridges in the surrounding counties of my home here at the forks of the Susquehanna. Probably a mildly conservative guesstimate. Two are within 5 miles of me. A number of them are open to foot and bicycle traffic only. BJH

Trigger geometry is allways a bit of a compromise. A high pivot point yields a lighter pull, but reduces “crispness” somewhat. Especially if the pivot is a bit close to the the sear arm. If the pivot pin is even 1/6 inch further foreword the trigger finger feels less take up, but at the price of...

I’ve been useing condiment dispensers to fill powder horns and priming gizzies for probably 20 years now. They are quite handy. And now another use for them.... BJH

I’m not a fan of set triggers. A properly set up single trigger with a high pivot point and the trigger pivot around 3/8 to 1/2 of a inch in front of the sear arm will yield a sub 3 lb pull with minimal adjustment. Not to mention in my opinion be safer than a set trigger. BJH

Give Chambers a call about the spring they will treat you fairly. The last time I broke one of their springs they wanted the old one back after they sent me a new one to see if there was a casting flaw. The replacement spring was no charge. BJH

I had the privilege of working with Bill Kennedy. That being said he would have drilled the hole where the pan relationship dictated. As long as it did not fall to the rear of the radiused breech face. I believe that was the purpose of the cupped face to simplify construction of the kit. When I...

The best way is to use a center to center drill jig in a drill press. First take a lock bolt and eye ball it square to the top of your tang. Draw every thing out on the side plate side of the stock. Make sure the bolt head is square with the top of your tang. Determine where the bolt will come...

Your more than welcome to visit our clubs frozen toe weekend the first weekend in March. We will probably have a rather relaxed primitive camp. And a bunch of black powder shooting. We are in the pa federation of black powder shooters book for more info or Pm me. At our smooth bore shoot period...

Then I stand corrected on the NSSA rules was my information seriously old or just plain wrong? Some how I was pretty certain or I wouldn’t have posted it. My apologies to all for posting bad info. Was I confusing this with the international organizations rules? BJH

You need to watch county regs too in the urban areas too. If I’m not mistaken Phila. Does not permit single projectile ammo including round ball. Only buck shot and archery. I haven’t lived down in that corner of the state in 40 years so I could be incorrect. BJH

NSSA rules do not permit useing artificial bedding compounds on competition muskets. Only period available products are allowed if I remember correctly. So there is at least a perceived advantage in glass bedding. Plus some die hard traditionalism. My take is most shooters eyesight is not...

Wow Dave how the heck did I overlook this thread? Your work is awesome as usual, Bill is definitely smiling looking down at your work. In his words to me, You took what I taught you and ran with it. It’s now your turn to teach. Boy are you doing a heck of a job of teaching. Quite a bit better...

I have a plywood coffin in my basement with two cleats running down the sides for dowels that can be moved as needed. I used to use two light bulbs and pie plates for heat and humidity. Now I use a coffee warmer hot plate and a pan to fit with water. The barrel lays horizontally in the box on...

One problem is the muzzloading sport is populated heavily by old guys with good memories. Plus the perception that if it loads from the muzzle it must be cheaper than a so called real gun. As a long time gunmaker I’ve faced this BS forever. Try pricing a barrel for a modern rifle. With the...

Sound like a nipple issue to me. One grain per caliber is usually my starting load for any caliber rifle I’ve owned. . 35 grains fffg is the charge I use in my .36 caliber rifle. TC locks usually have plenty of main spring power. BJH

Pa. Has hundreds of thousands of state game lands and state forests open to public hunting. Feel free to ask any questions you need. BJH

I have two, but it’s not recommended to leave a spring compressed in a vise any longer than necessary. They are handy for lock disassembly. When cleaning and tuning etc. I would relax the spring for any thing that took overnight or longer. Most of the locks I’ve worked on required the vise...

So many here have expressed their support more eloquently Than I can. May God bless you both with his strength and grace. BJH