Best flintlock for low cost build

[BigBoreBLR]

I don't think the flint vs percussion has been addressed.

I have read that flintlocks are easier to build. Flintlock locks exert force upon themselves. Percussion locks exert force externally onto the barrel. This mean the lock inlet get much more abuse. The drum has to be right on the lock, or it will exert more external force on the inlet.

The nipple has to be on the right angle. Easiest way to do this is to buy an alignment tool. IF you build one, you atleast made the price of a flintlock lock, if not spent more.

Also, you did not state your barrel size externally. Earlier barrels in general are more slender, a huge generalization here. But, with larger percussion drums and larger flintlock pan, the sides are not big enough.

I learned this the hard way with a 13/16ths octogon 45 cal barrel mated up to a L&R large siler left hand lock. Very little wiggle room. You want the pan to seal against the octogon barrel. A pan too exposed down will allow gases and powder to get behind the lock. Possibly blowing the lock off the stock.

Long story short, flintlock will be easier.

 

[Eterry]

Dave, the first time I saw that LR I took a screen shot of it, and keep it so when I stain the wood on my Isaac Haines I hope it is the same color. I may have asked before, how did you get that color on your stock? You can pm me if you wish.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Eterry,
I used ferric nitrate powder dissolved in tap water (mine contains iron, which I believe enhances the color). Ferric nitrate in water is chemically the same as what you buy called "aqua fortis". It is less acidic but does the same thing. You paint it on, let dry, and then heat the stock with a heat gun to bring out the color. You need to adjust the concentration of powder to water (or alcohol which works too) for your wood to get the colors you want. The finish was simply thinned polymerized tung oil as a sealer, and then hand rubbed coats of unthinned tung oil. I finished the gun when weather was hot and dry, and I had to add a few drops of raw linseed oil to the polymerized tung oil to slow down drying so I could hand rub the stock without the oil becoming too sticky too fast.

dave

 

[54ball]

Lets see the damage. It may can be repaired. Gluing boo boos big and small is just part of building.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Not only the best lock, but make sure it was assembled and tuned by the manufacturer. Some "secondary assemblers" are not so good.

A historic copy is one thing, a good shooter is another. A lock, barrel, trigger and sights make for accuracy and reliability. A stock that fits helps, everything else is unnecessary. Nose caps, engraving, etc won't improve shooting. I once heard Ron Griffie say, "purty don't shoot X's" Best hunting/shooting flinter I ever had, was a premium tuned lock, straight taper barrel and good double set triggers. That gun was long graceful and skinny. Weighed a bit less than a TC hawken. No nose cap, no butt plate, it did have a trigger guard just for safety.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

Thanks for the excellent thoughts on flint vs percussion. My barrel is 15/16ths .45 caliber. The stock is already inlet for that. I may have bought them together but I've had them long enough to have forgotten. The percussion conversion locks run around $108. As I would be building a very plain unadorned farmer's gun, or poor boy, the additional metal and lock could be had for under $200. If I go with flint the total cost would be pushed closer to $300. Gien the wood has its issues. And the butt isn't thick enough to be a true Reading style. I think it best to keep the cost down, especially as this is mainly a way to get practice inleting the lock and shaping that area. I need to start advancing on more complete builds and this is sort of the jumping off point.

 

[Eterry]

Hi Eterry,
I used ferric nitrate powder dissolved in tap water (mine contains iron, which I believe enhances the color). Ferric nitrate in water is chemically the same as what you buy called "aqua fortis". It is less acidic but does the same thing. You paint it on, let dry, and then heat the stock with a heat gun to bring out the color. You need to adjust the concentration of powder to water (or alcohol which works too) for your wood to get the colors you want. The finish was simply thinned polymerized tung oil as a sealer, and then hand rubbed coats of unthinned tung oil. I finished the gun when weather was hot and dry, and I had to add a few drops of raw linseed oil to the polymerized tung oil to slow down drying so I could hand rub the stock without the oil becoming too sticky too fast.

dave

Thanks Dave

 

[excess650]

How narrow is the butt on that pre-carve? If it isn't ridiculously narrow, I wouldn't be too concerned about it on a 15/16" .45. Sandcast buttplates are easy to modify. Pick one without a lot of crescent and go for it, or else go "shimmel" and delete the buttplate.

A flint lock is easier to locate in relative location to the breech plug and centerline of bore.

Pictures of the stock overall? and the problematic grain pullout on the forend?

 

[kansas_volunteer]

The butt measures only 4 1/4" deep by 1 1/2" wide. That's small for a Berks County rifle. Tracks sand cast buttplate # BP-MA-78-B is pretty close to being right for my stock. It's a Golden Age pattern.

I haven't established an account with Imgur since Photobucket went nuts, so I have no way to post a pic of the tear out in the stock. It's all in the for end. Quite a bit is along the outside of the barrel channel. Also along the side of the for end down on the side where the contour changes from curved on the bottom to straighter on the sides. I can probably work this tear out out when I work on the stock. That on the edge of the barrel channel can't be fixed as the wood is already finished dimension.

The tear out is rows of chip-like pieces no bigger than a quarter inch, but most smaller. To my mind they are the sort of thing caused by a dull bit in the dupicator.

I'm thinking once the stock is stained I can use shellac sticks to fill the remaking chips. In The Gunsmiths Manual by Steele and Harrison a similar method is described. I dont have a publication date for the original, but it is devoted to what we would call black powder gunsmithing.

 

[Black Hand]

I haven't established an account with Imgur since Photobucket went nuts, so I have no way to post a pic of the tear out in the stock.

https://imgbb.com/

 

[excess650]

My suggestion would be to use BP-MA-7-B instead. https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/687/3/BP-MA-7-B

Its a little wider than the one you mentioned, and is a little flatter. I'm using it on a stock that I have and is going to finish up 4.65" x 1.55". Making it smaller wouldn't be any problem.

 

[Zonie]

If you have pictures stored on Photobucket, you can still use them in your posts but they won't show directly on the screen.

Go to PB and find the picture.

Hold the mouse cursor over the three lines and select SHARE

In the window that opens, click on DIRECT

Come back to the forum and paste the stored address in your topic.

It will show up like this
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/JAMESKING/xtra/CVA-SHOTGUN-003web.jpg

Anyone who wants to see the picture can either click on the address or right click on it and tell their computer to Open in New Tab (or Window).

When they click on the new tab or window, your picture will be visible.

Yes, it is a PITA for the others to do to see the picture but it does work.

Click on the link in this post to see my rebuilt CVA Double Barrel 12 guage.