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Big Bore Leman?
- Thread starter Swampman
- Start date
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Guest
1" across the flats is a little skinny for those big bores. You may get by with it in a flintlock but I would be concerned about blowing a drum in a percussion Leman with that thin of barrel wall.
If you moved the drum back to where it was threaded through the breech plug and coned out the face of the breech (Nocks Patent) you may get by. Those old Lemans had big barrels usually 1 1/16th -1 1/8th across the flats in the big bore trade rifles. To be on the safe side, I don't think I would do it.
Don
If you moved the drum back to where it was threaded through the breech plug and coned out the face of the breech (Nocks Patent) you may get by. Those old Lemans had big barrels usually 1 1/16th -1 1/8th across the flats in the big bore trade rifles. To be on the safe side, I don't think I would do it.
Don
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Cooner54 said:
A 1" 62 is plenty strong, I shoot RBs with 150FF and 125FFF loads in mine with no problem. It also shoots a RB with 80FF just fine also. :grin:
Guest
Both Track, and Pecatonica have kits available. The only drawback I see is the recoil of the .62 with a narrow buttplate. I have all the metal parts to build a JJ Henry in .58, just waiting on the wood from Pecatonica. The Henry has a slightly wider buttplate. The track archives has a number of pics of both the Henry, and Leman's both full and halfstock. The .62 will give you the thunder. :winking: Bill
There are a lot of 1840-1860 trade guns to copy or style a gun after if that is your time period. The "Leman" is just one of many that happened by the luck of the draw to be popularized in the 70's by a fine copy made by Green RIVER (not mountain) Rifle Works. I am not dissing the Leman- nice lines- but people build it because the kits or precarves are available and there are darn few alternatives for the non-Hawken builder. I suggest buying the Trade Rifle Sketch Book by Charles Hanson III (a few bucks, softcover, full of sketches and drawings that are full size). You might be surprised to find the "Leman Indian Rifle" in there, listed as 1850-1870, WAY after the fur trade era. The Leman was the most common Indian rifle when they were fighting Custer and being very late in the ML era, more of them survived than other models. So folks figured, Lemans were what everyone used, always.
Most trade rifles ran around .52-.54 caliber, as folks had to tote enough balls that would last them a long period of time. Because they were "trade rifles" they were not customized with different options like larger bores, different furniture, etc. They were off the shelf or off the back of the trader's wagon, and usually came with ball mold, wiper, and blanket case.
Just offering some info- the Lemans are good-looking and handling guns and if that's the main point, or if you want a very late period muzzleloader, make one that fits your needs.
Most trade rifles ran around .52-.54 caliber, as folks had to tote enough balls that would last them a long period of time. Because they were "trade rifles" they were not customized with different options like larger bores, different furniture, etc. They were off the shelf or off the back of the trader's wagon, and usually came with ball mold, wiper, and blanket case.
Just offering some info- the Lemans are good-looking and handling guns and if that's the main point, or if you want a very late period muzzleloader, make one that fits your needs.
Guest
Which Don S.? I don't believe I have ever built a Leman. There is a lot of Don S.'s making rifles.
Don Secondine
Don Secondine
