Converting to half-stock. Worth it for historical value?

[Jerry4History]

Hi all, I'm working to create a reenacting unit for the Western Sharpshooters, which used an 1860's style deer hunting gun. While the primary sources describe the guns as: “The rifles were of all different makes, sizes, and calibers”, all of the photos of the regiment and surviving artifacts are all half-stock. I have a number of full-stock replicas that we used for our trial run this weekend, so the guns work. But part of me wants to cut them down to half-stock like the originals. Is this a difficult project for a moderate craftsman and woodworker? Will I need any specialty or unexpected tools? Is there any risk, is it even worth it?

 

[reddogge]

I would think not only the stock would have to be modified, a nose cap fashioned and a metal rib attached to the underside of the barrel with ramrod thimbles attached. Sounds like a headache to me.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Having built guns from scratch I would find it easy to rework the full stock in the foreground to a half stock. As reddogge suggests but I would use the nose cap of the rifle and the thimbles you have with the additional of either a wood under rib or a steel one that can be bought. Attachment of the under rib can be done by screws, soldering or tabs with pins. Think it threw before grabbing a saw, it will take some work! Here’s an old one that was missing the under rib and I made the wooden one pinned threw tabs.
IMG_3744 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr