Build Finally Finished......After 40 Years!

[2 shots]

very, very nice. I have one that's getting finished up now after almost 20 years [ can not rush these thing you know]. I have plenty of shooters, this was just my first not kit build. hope to fire it up soon. p.s. would you want to part with that old dixie lock ? I could use it to convert my tn. . 50 dixie rifle. let me know. thanks. and again very nice rifle.

 

[Eterry]

That's a great looking rifle. I understand how life can get in the way of a build.

 

[fjrdoc]

I took the rifle to the range on Thursday and I'm very pleased with her performance. Windage seems to spot on. I just need to make some adjustment to the front sight. I have a local black powder gunsmith checking out the lock. The trigger pull is a little heavy for my liking. I narrowed the sear spring which helped but I think that he'll need to to some work on the sear or tumbler.
Here's my 50 yard group.

 

[Clueless on the Delaware]

That's your first build? Wow, is all I have to say, 40 years be danged.

 

[Brian Huffman]

Well, I’d say by waiting, you now have access to better information online, support sites like this, and more and better pictures of original and current rifles. So I’m certain by waiting 40 years, you have built a much better rifle than you would have 4 decades ago!

I used to think my uncles gun built back in the late 70’s was the bomb when I was 17. When I saw it again about 5 years ago, I recognized some architectural issues that really stand out now. And now it’s really just an old gun from the 70’s with some mis-shappen free lanced stock geometry, (Since most didn’t have access to good information at the time, and didn’t know any better). Probably worth the cost of parts.

So yours is a mile ahead of where it would likely have been, and probably worth much more than a 40 year old version. Your gift to yourself for waiting!

 

[fjrdoc]

I agree with you 100% Brian. Before the World Wide Web, it was much more difficult to gather info regarding original 18th century rifles. I have never had access to holding, feeling or measuring an original rifle......which would have helped greatly. I have a long time to think about how I wanted the rifle to look as a finished project and I'm happy with the outcome.
There are some finer details of my rifle that could use some tweaking but most of the construction was done when I was 19 years old. There's always room for improvement (thanks to my OCD). I'm happy to have finally finished the rifle and now I can check it off my list of Thing to Do.

 

[Artificer]

Congratulations on the perseverance to finish the rifle. I have a hand built flint rifle from 1975 that has some "authenticity issues," but it hasn't stopped me from enjoying shooting it over the years.

Gee, I thought I took a long time on some projects.

I shattered the wrist on my Brown Bess Carbine in 1980, but had gotten into UnCivil War Reenacting by then, so it laid around a while before I repaired it. Finally got it repaired around 2,000 when I needed a Flint Musket again to reenact as a Private Soldier in the Major's Coy, 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, the Black Watch. The broken musket and pieces had traveled to CA and back to VA and I still hadn't worked on it while before i retired from Active Duty. So it followed me to my new home in Mechanicsville, VA at the time, before I got it done. I was very surprised and appreciative I hadn't lost any of the shattered wood pieces of the wrist. That made it SO much easier to repair.

Gus

 

[wry]

You "done real good" brother! I wish my first build looked half as good and it took me nearly as long to do it! After you get that horn finished I hope you go out and get yourself another pile of parts!

 

[Sidney Smith]

Wow 40 years! I thought I had a long build. My first (also a Lancaster kit, albeit a preserved stock ) took me from 99 to 2015 or 16 to complete. I'd work on it, lose interest then work on it again 4 uears later then lose interest again and so on. I almost sold it to a guy on another forum and when he balked at rhe shipping cost( not my fault), I decided to finish it. I'm glad I did. My next build, a 20 gauge smooth bore took me 4 months to complete. I'm currently building a .32 caliber squirrel rifle. I'm on year 2 of that one. Not that it's going to be fancy just taking my time. No hurry to get it done.