.50 cal Kentucky pistol build from Pedersoli

[FrkeyFlint17]

Well here’s the muzzleloader to start it all for me, been pretty into muzzleloaders since I was little reading about mountain men and fur trappers or watching JJ and the revenant, they used the pedersoli Kentucky pistol for Hugh glass in the opening arikara attack scene and finally started to dive into a kit builds with that pistol on my mind. I finally have a space that allows me to work on it after living in the barracks or deploying for last 6 years were I can get the ball rolling. Kit came with the handle needing significant wood taken off and shaped. These pictures are after about an hour give or take of filling the stock down with a rasp to get close enough to the shape where I could work with a finer file and sandpaper.

 

[2 shots]

welcome thanks for your service. shes lookin good.

 

[FrkeyFlint17]

Well here’s the muzzleloader to start it all for me, been pretty into muzzleloaders since I was little reading about mountain men and fur trappers or watching JJ and the revenant, they used the pedersoli Kentucky pistol for huge glass in the opening arikara attack scene and finally started to dive into a kit builds with that pistol on my mind. I finally have a space that allows me to work on it after living in the barracks or deploying for last 6 years were I can get the ball rolling. Kit came with the handle needing significant wood taken off and shaped. These pictures are after about an hour give or take of filling the stock down with a rasp to get close enough to the shape where I could work with a finer file and sandpaper.

After some fine tuning I was able to get the wood shape I was looking for, wanted a more definitive lock box. After wetting the wood and knocking down the whiskers I decided to do the flat black krylon treatment, and scrubbed it back in what I thought would be more “high worn/handled areas”.

 

[FrkeyFlint17]

After some fine tuning I was able to get the wood shape I was looking for, wanted a more definitive lock box. After wetting the wood and knocking down the whiskers I decided to do the flat black krylon treatment, and scrubbed it back in what I thought would be more “high worn/handled areas”.

While this was going on I cleaned up the brass and nose cap and knocked down the cast marks. For the barrel I draw filed it down to white metal and did Dixie gun works browning solution as per directions. Using my bathroom as a humidity chamber from hell, I’d run scolding hot shower water for 15 min and let it sit and do it over again after an 1 or 2hrs first coat went like this for the 6-12 hr cure time, then halved the time between coats to about 3hr before knocking down the rust and reapplying with cotton swab. After 5 coats soapy wash let dry and oiled it down with 3 in one multi use oil and let soak for 24hrs before wiping off access’s and again rubbing the edges and muzzle down to appropriate wear

After some fine tuning I was able to get the wood shape I was looking for, wanted a more definitive lock box. After wetting the wood and knocking down the whiskers I decided to do the flat black krylon treatment, and scrubbed it back in what I thought would be more “high worn/handled areas”.

 

[FrkeyFlint17]

While this was going on I cleaned up the bass and nose cap and knocked down the cast marks. For the barrel I draw filed it down to white metal and did Dixie gun works browning solution as per directions. Using my bathroom as a humidity chamber from hell, I’d run scolding hot shower water for 15 min and let it sit and do it over again after an 1 or 2hrs first coat went like this for the 6-12 hr cure time, then halved the time between coats to about an 3hr before knocking down the rust and reapplying with cotton swab. After 5 coats soapy wash let dry and oiled it down with 3 in one multi use oil and let soak for 24hrs before wiping off access’s and again rubbing the edges and muzzle down to appropriate wear

Here’s the final wear on the barrel

 

[FrkeyFlint17]

Here’s the final wear on the barrel

Once the barrel and brass furniture was taken care of I was playing the waiting game for my brass black and wood finish. I decided on a quick rub of minwax honey stain and T&T varnish oil. Once it showed up I got to work, hit brass with a couple of coats or brass black and 4/0 steel wool. For the finish I was waiting on turpentine to cut the varnish oil 50/50 and do that for the first 2/3 coats but my impatience got the better of me and I did stright varnish oil, very light coats and hand rubbing it in. Once no longer smelling the varnish oil id rub the whole stock with 3/0 steel wool lightly. After 5 coats I thought I wouldn’t get much better then it already looked! Then to antique it a little further in between coats I smacked my keys against the stock and other mediums I had laying around to give it a more worn in look. Then a little dab of stain in the nicks to darken them up. Definitely learned some things and already itching to send some lead down range and start building another ML!

 

[RiverRat]

Really nice job on the antiqueing. I am too familiar with Barack’s life 53 years ago.
Take care.