Barrel Length for a Fusil De Chasse

[tenngun]

Depending on your skill level both kits go together rather well. You will have about one hundred hours tied up in it.
the barrel channel will be cut out but round at the back. This has to be squared and the fit need be tight here. Then the breech plug/tang needs to go in. This is one of the hardest inlets on the gun.
Mortise for the lock is cut out and this is just minor fitting. The side plate is flat and inlets real easy. Trigger guard is tricky as it’s bent flat to lay on the stock.
Trigger plate is also tricky as it has to lay in the right spot and right depth, and a lot of care is needed to line up the tang screw.
Fancy top on the butt plate is also a pia, I screwed up mine big time. Ramrod pipes go in pretty easily and the trick to entry pipe is to inlet the pipe backwards.
Once you have the pipe fitted turn it around and fit the tail.
On you tube, one of our members Bill Raby builds a TFC in about twenty five 10-25 minute vids, well worth watching. Go along with him and you will have a master piece.
Track has a good set of plans with their kit, Sitting Fox depends on you knowing what to do.
should you go with sitting Fox, order a set of plans from track, it’s like ten dollars and pretty enough to frame and hang on a wall and gives you a good visual to compare to.

 

[bjarard]

Thank you to all for replies, you are giving me the information I am looking for.
Another question is level of difficulty of building a kit from those companies listed above. I am not an experienced gun builder. On a scale of one to ten. With ten being high where would you rate the fusil de chasse from Sitting Fox and TOW?

You'll gave to search in Youtube...but there is a 21 part video series that shows making a TOW fusil de Chasse. Its from a guy (Bill Raby)who makes many muzzleloaders(BB, etc.). It's about a detailed as you get. Watch every episode and see if you have the skills and tools necessary.

 

[Blaze]

Gentleman,
Once again thank you very much! You had been very gracious with the information,
and your experiences. I believe you have provided me with the information to get started. I just had to make a decision on which one to get. I'm leaning heavily towards the kit from Sitting Fox, and with the plans from TOW, and you tube videos there is no reason I cannot finish the kit, with hopefully a reasonable representation.
From Sitting Fox I was told there is only a 30 wait on getting the kit! For me, right now, I think thats the direction ill go. In time I will be able perhaps get a kit from Kiblers, ask like the Colonial, and SMR's.
I currently have 6 black powder firearms, with 3 being flint lock long guns.
Thank you again for your time and shared information.
Sincerely,
Rick, aka blaze!

 

[Magungo1066]

Hi all,
At long last, I am pursuing Fusil de Chasse. I've been eyeing the one offered TVM Natchez and they do 42"bbls and 36"bbls.
I'm 5'11 but slight of build. I know Fusils de Chasse are supposed to be quite light to begin with but I would be interest in your opinions pros and cons in general between the two barrel lengths.
I understand that there is a better side radius and more efficient powder burn in the longer barrel, l but that's about it.
And if weighing in about my stature is relevant, please do let me know.
Thanks, fellas,
-dgfd

Ive discovered that you will almost NEVER regret going a "little longer" when it comes to barrel length, ESPECIALLY on a smoothbore flintlock. Up to a reasonable limit, those long barrels actually are a dream to handle. A fellow forum member built me a masterpiece of a New England fowler with a 43 inch barrel. I love the length and could not imagine a shorter gun.

 

[rusticbob]

15ga, jug choked, 26” barrel. Shots great, slips under the backseat of my Chevy truck sideways, just fine. It’s a hunting gun, light and handy in these thick Vermont hills. Its not mention for show. It’s turning into my favorite muzzleloader. Short and sweet, just like I like my women!

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Please DO NOT confuse a French trade gun like Kevin Gladyz’s book is all about, with a true Fusil de Chasse or Indian hunting gun from the Tulle Armory …

First off, the barrel should be no less than 44” and were longer on some models. And it should be LIGHT, the octagonal breech section should be tapered and after the single wedding band transition, that taper should continue for the round section all the way to the muzzle.

The wood should be European walnut but walnut can be made to work too, just not maple … that would be a restock here.

I am not sure if the barrel from TOW has the tapered breech section or not. Otherwise, the parts, maybe not the lock, on those from TOW are the same as the parts from Sitting Fox. I had built my lefty FdC from a Sitting Fox kit and I misplaced a ramrod thimble and I called Ray Frank’s at Sitting Fox.

He had one sent out to me and when it arrived, it was from Larry at the Mold and Gun Shop, who is known for a very good parts. However, for the barrel, Sitting Fox uses ‘DOM’ barrels, which means ‘drawn over mandrel’ or that they are turned from industrial tubing.

I have no reservations against DOM barrels, for shooting, but the breech section is not tapered. This will make the FDC very heavy in the lower forend area and that adds up to half a pound of weight to the Fusil that should not be there.

If given the choice between a TOW kit or one from Sitting Fox … I would not get either. I would determine my absolute top budget first and then see what my best path forward would be. One built by Alex would absolutely be the best and the lightest, but could co$t up to $2K or so, check with him.

Otherwise check out the kits from Davis and Pecatonica river.

 

[loflyr55]

Lots of good info, what’s HC, what’s convenient etc, now what is YOUR priority and select what YOU are passionate about. It’s your fire lock, build it carefully, name it well, and shoot it often.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Pecatonica makes good FdC kits I think. They use Colerain barrels and L&R locks (which may not be as good as others for this gun).
I suspect the other hardware is supplied by Track of the Wolf and included as their component parts.
I don't know if any 'kit' on the market provides all historically correct furniture. But what I built from my Pecatonica kits were very nice, good functioning and reliable guns.

 

[billraby]

I saw the Fusil-de-Chasse build videos mentioned here a couple of times. If you watch those video they will turn you into a mass murderer. Or maybe a republican. Either way they are far too dangerous for you to watch. At least that is what You Tube said. So they deleted all the videos. Now everything is on Rumble.
Currently I am posting the Fusil-de-Chasse videos. I have 14 of the videos posted and Part 15 is uploading right now. It takes anywhere from 3 to 10 hours to post each video and I usually only have a chance to do it on the weekends. There are 23 videos in the series so it will be a couple weeks until all of them are posted.
It shows building the fusil-de-chasse kit from Track of the Wolf. I believe the kits from the other suppliers are all the same. Not sure. This is the first video series that I did. The later ones go into far more detail. This is also the only series that did building from a kit. The others are built from a blank. This series comes to just over 12 hours.
Here is the link to the first video in the series.

 

[smoothshooter]

Hi all,
At long last, I am pursuing Fusil de Chasse. I've been eyeing the one offered TVM Natchez and they do 42"bbls and 36"bbls.
I'm 5'11 but slight of build. I know Fusils de Chasse are supposed to be quite light to begin with but I would be interest in your opinions pros and cons in general between the two barrel lengths.
I understand that there is a better side radius and more efficient powder burn in the longer barrel, l but that's about it.
And if weighing in about my stature is relevant, please do let me know.
Thanks, fellas,
-dgfd

I have had a CenterMark FDC .62 for years with a 36” barrel.
The shorter barrel has plenty of sight radius and is easier to transport in a vehicle. Will fit in many standard hard cases too.
I am about 5’ 11” tall and of medium/heavy build. With barrels of shorter lengths (less than 36”), when loading with the buttplate on the ground I cannot lean the gun to the left and cradle it in the crook of my left elbow as I dig in my shooting bag for more components. Shorter barrels require me to clamp the gun between my knees to hold it while loading which I do not like to do.

 

[tenngun]

I am looking to purchase a Fusil de Chasse, and am looking for input on best one to get. I have been looking closely at kits from Sitting Fox, the barrels are 42" long.

For those who have experience with the fusil de chasse, what company would you recommend? How is Sitting Fox to work with?

Any input is appreciated.

The originals were near 44”. So 42 is short. The lock plate and furniture are general castings and not exact.
I have a Centermark and it has those same drawback
So how much will little details wrong bother you?
They don’t bother me,and my Centermark is my favorite gun.
No one has ever made a Karen remark at an event about the gun. It not being exact I’ve made a few alterations and my story is it was a restock with French parts.
Now as to Sitting Fox, he contracts builds out. So a finished or in the white gun may not have the best fit and finish. Even so it’s a thousand dollars or more cheaper then I best finished gun, and you do get what you pay for.
As a kit the parts are every bit as good as you get from any supplier.
As for service, I can’t say enough good about them. They are quick, on point with questions and when Ray couldn’t get me the barrel I requested he upgraded my wood for free.
I highly recommend them for the quality of service and parts. Buying a kit you can turn out a very good and mostly historic FDC

 

[Blaze]

Tenngun,
Thank you for that response that is what I was looking for. I will be buying a kit, although I've only built one kit many years ago I can always say that I built it.
Since once I have a gun, I don't sell normally it will have more sentimental value
Which I value as much or more than most.
Thx again!

 

[Cruzatte]

I settled on the TOW fusil for a couple reasons:

• First and foremost, I just wanted the experience of building from a next level set of parts.
• TOW was the one retailer that offered the option of a 44" barrel. I wanted mine to be as close to spec. as could be expected
• TOW also offered a walnut stock. I was dead set against maple.

There are two obstacles I can identify in building a more accurate, up to spec. copy of a 1729-34 contract model fusil de chasse de Tulle, the type of walnut excepted:

• Correctly profiled barrel, as has been pointed out. This means getting a custom made barrel.
• A good quality, reproduction lock. Many of the locks used on production fusils de chasse are smaller than the originals. You might not notice at a shooting match or at rendezvous. But hold an L&R or a Davis lock up to an original and you'd see the difference.

The Track of the Wolf lock can be made to work, and decently enough if you're willing to do some gunsmithing on it. The cock on my lock sat on the tumbler shaft at a crooked angle, and also left an unsightly gap between the inner surface of the cock and the lock plate. I took the easy way out and replaced the cock and tumbler with ones from Jim Chambers. The cock was a pretty close double.

Next time, if I ever decide to build another FDC, I'd turn to knowledgeable builders like Alex Efremenko, or Dave Person for advice on locks, and where to find one

Of course my opinions, and $2.50 will only buy you a cup of coffee.

.

 

[Magungo1066]

I settled on the TOW fusil for a couple reasons:

• First and foremost, I just wanted the experience of building from a next level set of parts.
• TOW was the one retailer that offered the option of a 44" barrel. I wanted mine to be as close to spec. as could be expected
• TOW also offered a walnut stock. I was dead set against maple.

There are two obstacles I can identify in building a more accurate, up to spec. copy of a 1729-34 contract model fusil de chasse de Tulle, the type of walnut excepted:

• Correctly profiled barrel, as has been pointed out. This means getting a custom made barrel.
• A good quality, reproduction lock. Many of the locks used on production fusils de chasse are smaller than the originals. You might not notice at a shooting match or at rendezvous. But hold an L&R or a Davis lock up to an original and you'd see the difference.

The Track of the Wolf lock can be made to work, and decently enough if you're willing to do some gunsmithing on it. The cock on my lock sat on the tumbler shaft at a crooked angle, and also left an unsightly gap between the inner surface of the cock and the lock plate. I took the easy way out and replaced the cock and tumbler with ones from Jim Chambers. The cock was a pretty close double.

Next time, if I ever decide to build another FDC, I'd turn to knowledgeable builders like Alex Efremenko, or Dave Person for advice on locks, and where to find one

Of course my opinions, and $2.50 will only buy you a cup of coffee.

.

I think you will like the 44 incher! It is a great length in my opinion.