My Name is John M. Sehr and before starting the Ferguson last year I had built 4 black powder muzzle loaders. The first one is a Traditions Kentucky long rifle. My tools and workshop were as limited as my experience and skill, the end result shows it. It is, however, a great shooter and can stack groups nice and tight at 50 yards no problem. It will also blast apart 5, gallon milk jugs filled with water. It has also claimed one porcupine chewing up the supports of my friend’s cabin in northern Wisconsin. Then I tackled a Pedersoli Kentucky flint pistol. This, however, is pretty much done for you and all I really had to do is sand down the stock and varnish it. Then I was gifted a Kentucky pistol, and a Derringer. Both unfinished percussion. One of which had trigger concern that needed some simple gunsmithing on my part. The Derringer and the flint pistol turned out very nice and this prompted me to build a wooden case for them with form fitting cut outs and green felt. The completed kit, in the words of my best friend. “Badass”.
Like others I first learned about the Ferguson from Louis L’Amour, and the concept intrigued me. Also, the pistol carried by Jubal Sackett is one that needs to be reborn. So, I ordered the Rifle Shoppe’s version of the Ferguson and proceeded to render it. At this point the explanation and instruction of Dave Person is invaluable on so many levels of skill and craft. I farmed out the construction of the lock to Flinter Nick, as the blacksmithing skills are quite beyond me.
It took me almost a year to get it done. When I do this sort of project, I take a lot of time to think about what is needed and how to go about doing it.
To start off I will highlight the errors of the effort.
My inletting skills are not so good, and I needed Acra glass resin to fill in the gaps.
Also, along these lines I would like to have the lock better set. It works because it is a well-made lock but isn’t pretty.
I feel it was just dumb luck that all the drilling and tapping, and keying, and pinning worked out as well as it did. Some of those are one time shot operations with no room for error.
Here are some of the Dave Parson techniques that really helped.
First off is bedding the barrel for strength. I was unaware of the weakness caused by the breech poking out the bottom of the stock and how all the originals broke here. The link to the Mark Novak video is illuminating. Since I had a new and solid stock, I felt I could Dremel a groove along the bottom of the lock inlet and when I ran out of room I then drilled 2 birds feet holes at each end. (Two holes splayed out like a peace sign). This I filled with Acra glass without a steel wire. I felt it didn’t need that kind of extra strength as it was undamaged.
Burning the barrel key slots, soldering the barrel lugs, and fitting the bayonet were all great directions and fun projects. I am still not sure about pinning the barrel keys, but I think I figured it out alright.
My biggest surprise success was the trigger and the trigger guard fitting. I managed to get the trigger pinned perfectly and it performs smoothly with about 5 pounds of pull. The trigger guard clips in smoothly and holds. It is easy to open and load and lock back into place with minimal effort.
The barrel lug slots where the keys poke out on the right side of the stock seemed to me kind of shoddy looking. So I found some oval furniture at Friendship Indiana that fits right over the ends and dressed them up nicely.
The guns number will be 73 and I have a lengthy diatribe as to why, so if anyone really wants to know I will be happy to write it up.
Like others I first learned about the Ferguson from Louis L’Amour, and the concept intrigued me. Also, the pistol carried by Jubal Sackett is one that needs to be reborn. So, I ordered the Rifle Shoppe’s version of the Ferguson and proceeded to render it. At this point the explanation and instruction of Dave Person is invaluable on so many levels of skill and craft. I farmed out the construction of the lock to Flinter Nick, as the blacksmithing skills are quite beyond me.
It took me almost a year to get it done. When I do this sort of project, I take a lot of time to think about what is needed and how to go about doing it.
To start off I will highlight the errors of the effort.
My inletting skills are not so good, and I needed Acra glass resin to fill in the gaps.
Also, along these lines I would like to have the lock better set. It works because it is a well-made lock but isn’t pretty.
I feel it was just dumb luck that all the drilling and tapping, and keying, and pinning worked out as well as it did. Some of those are one time shot operations with no room for error.
Here are some of the Dave Parson techniques that really helped.
First off is bedding the barrel for strength. I was unaware of the weakness caused by the breech poking out the bottom of the stock and how all the originals broke here. The link to the Mark Novak video is illuminating. Since I had a new and solid stock, I felt I could Dremel a groove along the bottom of the lock inlet and when I ran out of room I then drilled 2 birds feet holes at each end. (Two holes splayed out like a peace sign). This I filled with Acra glass without a steel wire. I felt it didn’t need that kind of extra strength as it was undamaged.
Burning the barrel key slots, soldering the barrel lugs, and fitting the bayonet were all great directions and fun projects. I am still not sure about pinning the barrel keys, but I think I figured it out alright.
My biggest surprise success was the trigger and the trigger guard fitting. I managed to get the trigger pinned perfectly and it performs smoothly with about 5 pounds of pull. The trigger guard clips in smoothly and holds. It is easy to open and load and lock back into place with minimal effort.
The barrel lug slots where the keys poke out on the right side of the stock seemed to me kind of shoddy looking. So I found some oval furniture at Friendship Indiana that fits right over the ends and dressed them up nicely.
The guns number will be 73 and I have a lengthy diatribe as to why, so if anyone really wants to know I will be happy to write it up.
