Brass tacks and other bling

[tenngun]

I love tacks on a gun. I don’t have them on any of my guns now as not in their time frame. A tacked gun if appropriate is no problem for me when I’ve bought a gun. I have bought several and probably paid more for a few bucks worth of tacks

 

[jonathan butcher]

Take a look at this Lyman GPR I sold not long ago. Had I had five (5) more like it I could have sold all five, such was the interest. I didn't do the tack work myself but in my humble opinion it was tastefully done.
The point is rifle adornments are a matter of personal taste, like most things. I find it interesting that tack work was also desirable in the 18th and 19th centuries with multiple examples of such. I have no doubt that were we able to teleport back in time and poll riflemen of the period, the same dichotomy would exist then as now- some like stock tack work, some don't. Literally a matter of personal taste.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Tacks are OK as stated in other posts if not over done, they are not for me, and I like honest patina. Think about if a fellow then was to purchase a build from a gunsmith it would be new and age as it was used. As to fake wrist repairs well again it is up to the owner personally I would not buy such a weapon with tacks or a wrist repair.

 

[Billy Boy]

Have to agree with you Flintandsteel, I'm a fan of patina on guns and frankly on other things too- some types of furniture, leather jackets. Not on new cars though. Or on ice cream.
I may be old but I haves my standards.

I’m clumsy enough that a trip or two in the woods or in the canoe and - voila!
original, authentic patina. Each bruise, rash, bump retrieves memories of a special day.

 

[toot]

I have a CURLY & ERMA made gun in flint lock 12 bore, smooth. I am told that they only made 10 of them in 12 gauge. it has a sitting fox on the barrel & on the side plate. it is a keeper! I bought it from a reenactor who only ever shot blanks through it. at events & parades. sense I have owned it 12+ years, it has never seen a blank load, in it and it never will.

 

[Eric Krewson]

My Curly gun is a .62.

It has this cartouche on the inside of the lock. I think it is a depiction of the North Star as in North Star West.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Since this thread has segued between brass tacks and Curly Gostomski trade guns, these pictures from the web may not be too far out of line:

Full length view. Note the brass tacks on the buttstock and ahead of the lock.

Close-up of the lock, breech, and trigger.

These pictures came from the Midland Agrarian Blogspot. This blog appears to have been inactive since about 2014, but is still up for viewing. The focus is on farming, traditional lifeways (including shooting), and some politics. The blogger (I don't see his name right off the bat) said he bought this gun off an auction site. It was apparently in pretty bad shape, but he managed to take it apart, clean it up, and get it shooting again. He did not specify the barrel length, but by calculation, if we assume the LOP is between 13-1/2" and 14", the barrel would likely be around 33" - 34" long. He did say this gun is 12 gauge. There may have been others, but Mr. Gostomski was the only builder I know of who produced 12 gauge Northwest guns, and we know he used the Pedersoli LOTT locks. I wish we had more pictures and more detail, but we don't. He didn't show or comment on any marks inside the lock plate.

I've seen photos of at least one of Mr. Gostomski's early guns which had the oversized triggerguard but a stubby little standard-sized trigger. It just didn't look right. This gun has a proper trigger. It appears to have a simple wood screw ahead of the triggerguard bow, rather than the "upside down" tang bolt generally associated with original British Northwest guns. The Gostomski guns were discussed at some length in an earlier thread on this forum, if anybody is interested: Curly Gostomski .62 Fowler Value

Anyway, here is another tacked gun to add to the gallery.

Notchy Bob

 

[gabedard]

I like a little bling in moderation

 

[sawyer04]

I personally don't like the looks of tacks and wouldn't buy a gun with them.

I have no preference, but have restocked several customers rifles because the tack work is a personal thing, and because of the custom tack work the rifles were bought for less money.

 

[Doc Ivory]

View attachment 43105
Here’s a smooth rifle that I built a couple of years ago. A faux wrist repair

That's very cool!

 

[Flintandsteel]

Thanks Doc.

 

[tenngun]

I wanted bling on my TFC but westren style tacks not appropriate. So I added this

 

[ord sgt]

This is a real wrist repair, nothing fake about it. The stock was broken at the wrist and was mended with some "pine tar" and a piece of brass. Sorry about the double picture. This is the first picture that I have posted in this forum. David Wright print is in the background.

 

[markh]

Take a look at this Lyman GPR I sold not long ago. Had I had five (5) more like it I could have sold all five, such was the interest. I didn't do the tack work myself but in my humble opinion it was tastefully done.
The point is rifle adornments are a matter of personal taste, like most things. I find it interesting that tack work was also desirable in the 18th and 19th centuries with multiple examples of such. I have no doubt that were we able to teleport back in time and poll riflemen of the period, the same dichotomy would exist then as now- some like stock tack work, some don't. Literally a matter of personal taste.

Very nicely done. Did Lyman use different locks for their flinters over the years? Or is that a replacement lock?

 

[Cowboy]

Here’s another picture that I took of the internet. NW Trade Gun with the cross of Lorraine.

This pic inspired me to tac my NW Trade Gun in a similar fashion.

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[toot]

Wrist repair on a .54 SMR. Wrist was cracked during shipment. Needless to say I wasn’t a happy camper when it arrived.

Anyway, it turned out good and happy to say it’s definitely the strongest part of the stock now.

Respectfully, Cowboy

View attachment 43129View attachment 43130View attachment 43131View attachment 43132

did you separate the crack & then glue it , before the wrist repair?

 

[toot]

Ok, I found a couple of closer views of the faux wrist repair.View attachment 43182View attachment 43183

that is killer!!

 

[toot]

A friend gave me this Gustomsky trad gun when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I have really enjoyed owning it.
View attachment 46049View attachment 46050

and then CURLY got cancer also. what a shame he and ERMA are both gone!

 

[toot]

tacks are like a fine whisky, you need an accuried taste for it.

 

[toot]

it was a good thing when CURLY, changed out the LOTT ITALIAN Locke for the THOMBSTONE, SITTING FOX, it ended the LOTT'S being sent back for repairs. odd, because as a rule ITALIAN items are good.