58 cal GM drop-in flint conversion..finally!

[dbutch]

Dennis Mc Candless(breach plug guy) retired so I went forward on this...
All work was done with breach plug on barrel.
Hacksawed(first stroke of the saw was the hardest) the nipple snail off a great shooting 58 cal 32" gm drop-in barrel...filed flush.
Tapped the old flash channel hole.. filled with bolt..filed flush.
Welded the dimple(shallow bowl) in the breach plug flat.. filed flush..
Polished the interior of the chamber breach.....
Drilled and tapped for a 5/16 liner..filed flush.
Dead centered the pan right at the sunset mark.... Bonus!... :grin:
..ran a rod with patch down into the chamber and it's smooth as glass.
I took my time and had no drills or taps break off.. 2 slow paced evenings at the bench.
Can't wait to do some test firing this evening...
Have found the White lighting linners(faster ignition time) a step or to up from the allen headed liners t/c sells.
The 50-55 thousands hole even holds back 3f Swiss...something the t/c did not.
Next step.... change the sights to short on front and back..(gotta love a 32" sight radius)and decide on the exterior finish...Maybe Vinegar rope??? :hmm:

For those that have a "persuction" and want to go to flint it can be done.

I have 2 impending builds ..this is a good warm up work.

Range report to follow.

 

[wattlebuster]

Git er done Dan :thumbsup:

 

[dbutch]

Here's some range test pic's..

53.5 yards 3 different powders for grins...

This was my cheering section this evening..right in the middle of my range..imagine having 58 cal rb's whizzing over your head while trying to lay an egg?

 

[Flintlock58]

Nice work and nice shooting! Not everyone has an armoured range master on site.

 

[roundball]

Looks like an excellent job, congratulations!

Also, curious about the reference to Dennis.
He had officially retired a few years ago but still did side work in his machine shop...made Patent Breech plugs for all my long gun Rice and GM barrels.

So when you say he's retired are your referring to his original retirement...or are you saying he has now fully quit doing any work in his machine shop at all?

 

[dbutch]

RB..Got word that due to age he did not feel comfortable around machinery any longer..So he is done doing custom machine work.
Nice Guy,good work, a pleasure to do business with.

 

[MSW]

nice work, and good shooting!

 

[dbutch]

Thanks Guys..I'll post a picture when wood, horn cap, and metal finishes are completed.

Yurtle the Turtle was perplexed!

"NASA" has nothing on a whitle lighting liner for igition time!

Going to drop the comb 1/4" and slim it down.

Only have 2 cap slappers left..32 Cherokee and a slimmed down 40 cal. hawken-plinker..

Will be doing more range work with the 2f Schutzen :v
This was the first time I have used this powder..

The Jeff Tanner mold pours a concentric round ball! :thumbsup:

 

[jamesthomas]

That's some good shootin' How was the recoil on that 100grns? Also nice range master. Btw, I picked up a BIG Box turtle last week out of the road an took him to the woods. Dang kids around here will run over anything in the road.

 

[dbutch]

At 6'1" and 1/8 of a ton(awesome cook at home) shooting 2f was loud but a non issue(no flinching).
I will drop the comb 1/4in at the toe for lower sights after that I'll bump up to 110-115 and take it out to 100 yards..This barrel will direct me to the happy load.

Wish there was more sand around so these turtles from the duck marsh had an easier time laying eggs.

 

[Renegade Dan]

Nice work on the barrel and Good shootin Dan! :thumbsup:

 

[dbutch]

Thanks...I'll feel better when they are touching at my hunting sightin of 75-80 yards.

Superglued the tang to the barrel after the range session at home..squared up the barrel to the tang flush..next will be to get a tight seam on the lock bolster to the barrel...I filled in the 2 rear sight holes top of barrel and filled in that small sight screw near the end of the breach plug.6-48 machine screws filed flush.
Decided on an Oxpho blue finish..will take the metal to a 220 grit surface.
Depending how it balances after the wood removal I might add 8-9 oz of lead in the but stock using lead shot sealed in bees wax.
Fun project gun!

 

[dbutch]

Here's the latest changes...

added 8.5 oz of lead under but plate..brought balance point back 4.5"

dropping the comb at the toe....

the start of the horn end cap

weighted down while epoxy sets.
after setting I drill and pin to forestock.
after final surface smoothing I inset the pins and cover holes.

Here's one I did prior ...62 cal rice t/c stock

The forearm was not slimmed by 1/4" like the top one.

currently slimming side panels and reshaping.....tweaking fixed sights

 

[MSW]

that horn work really make the rifle look great!

 

[dbutch]

Thanks ..Im liking the curved one best(bottom picture)
Anything to spice up these plain Renegades. :grin:

 

[wattlebuster]

Dan you do good work :thumbsup: . Good shootin too

 

[dbutch]

Thaks WB!..looking at the pictures those wedge plates need updating too!...Its turning into a snowball rolling downhill......

 

[nit wit]

Nice work :bow:
Nit Wit

 

[Greymule]

That looks like a professional job to me. :thumbsup:

 

[dbutch]

Here's the professional one that inspired me..Wi. spring 2013 snow sleet rain turkey hunt...10 ga. Robins Fowler.... took the rain fly off only long enough to get this pic with sheds found.
Spence has a good looking one too!