D M Dolliver

[bigted]

Hey again. Just came across a 20 smoothie built by a Dave, D M Dolliver, in Washington.

Seems like a finely built Fowler but just wanted to know if this builder is known to anybody.

Thanks

Ted

 

[colmoultrie]

hotoSmile:

 

[bigted]

I have not invited her home yet. Seems a little spendy if not from a reputable builder. The asking price is just North of 1500.

 

[54ball]

If the gun is of good quality, 1500 is a good price. Good parts can run close to a grand so 1500 is not bad and really is on the low end for a custom build.

With that said.....some new or amateur builds are worth less than the sum of their parts so

It depends on quality parts, construction workmanship and function not the name signed on the barrel.

 

[excess650]

Dave Dolliver.....had to think a bit. Isn't that the guy who built several of Mike Nesbitt's (gun writer) Lehman and/or Hawken rifles?

 

[BrownBear]

The name sure rings a bell, and you've given it another good ding with that recollection.

 

[nwtradegun]

check with the nmlra in friendship. he was a big part of it in the 80s and 90s.

 

[Electric Miner]

Google Dave Dolliver and Muzzleloader. He's mentioned all over the place.

 

[nessmuk]

Sounds like a reasonable price buy it or you will regret it later.

 

[Dausener]

Yes I recognize the name. My first gut thought was BUY IT! Provided it was well taken care of. Best regards. RH

 

[bigted]

Built in 2007 by D.M. Dolliver. Never fired. Going to look at it Sat. Might just follow me home.

Pretty pumped.

 

[bigted]

Properly pumped indeed. The fowler by Dolliver followed me home as I adopted it this morning.

44 inch Colerain barrel. Nice figured maple stock. Davis round faced flintlock. Brass furniture.

Couple sharp corners that I gently rounded

All in all a really cool piece and can't wait to see if we get along.

Pictures to follow.

 

[bigted]

Guess I can't log into the frigging bucket so guess I will have to find another photo hosting place that is better then the consarnd photo bucket ... what a joke.

So no photos till I get this figured out.

 

[Electric Miner]

Flickr

 

[excess650]

https://imgbb.com/

its free and easy

 

[bigted]

Soo. Took the new fowler out to begin the getting to know each other.

Few things went astray ... no surprise here as I'm a total nube concerning flintlock.

First off every shot was a hanger. Tried 2Fg and 3Fg in both main charge as well as priming. Primed with just a few granules up to half a pan full. Picked the vent every time as well. Oh and the powder was KIK powder. ( THOUGHT THE VENT WAS TOO LONG ... MAYBE?) also wonder if i need a bigger vent hole.

Secondly my accuracy was crudy as a result i think of the hang fires. When the flash happens and no imediate firing it seems to promote me to flinch to one degree. Or another.

A little frustrated by all the sharp edges from a name builder but guess it shows me that i may be a better finisher then i gave myself credit for.

Bright side is i think i made a great choice and am happy with the purchase. Glad to have a new style of shooting to master. My initial loads consist of the following;

60, 70, and 80 grains of 2Fg KIK powder shooting 3 shots of eack grainage.

Prime with both 2F and 3F.

.595 poured lead ball with fresh lubed .012 patchs

Barrel measures .609 inch and my .595 patched balls are very tight. Fouls out very fast with this combo. Guess ill try some .590 balls next to see if we foul out as soon.

Looking for suggestions for this newby to try.

Thanks for the suggestions

 

[Zonie]

If it has a vent liner, remove it and check out its length.

Its length should be the same as the thickness of the barrel wall where it is installed.

If it's length is longer than the barrel wall is thick, that would explain your hang fires.

If you can't remove the liner, either use a good flashlight to light up the inside of the bore and look down where the vent liner would be.
If you see it sticking out into the bore, its length needs to be fixed.

If the bore down at the breech is very dirty and you can't see the area where the vent liker would be, run a bore sized cleaning jag down until it stops on something.
Mark the cleaning rod at the muzzle and remove it.
Then, line up the mark with the muzzle and check out the jag's location.
It should be past the vent liner at least 1/16".

 

[bigted]

Thanks Zonie.

Vent is different color so certain it is an incert, however no slot for removal so considering slotting it carefully with my dremel disc so i can get hold of it with a screwdriver.

The barrel plug seems to be partially over the vent by about 1/4 inch or just shy of half the vent but will not know till i remove the vent.

 

[kurts]

Just fixed a problem like this, removed plug and vent. Plug had a trench ground in it to try to get to the vent didn't even line up. Put barrel in miller with plug back in and bored through vent to cut a channel in plug face, new vent installed no more misfires and fast. The org builder didn't set barrel back enough and tried to make up for it.

 

[bigted]

Interesting. I ground a slot in the vent liner and was surprised to see what apears to be a brass type liner.

After removing the liner i looked into the barrel through the liner hole ... seen a shallow. Groove in the plug face.

Removed the plug and reinstall the liner and indeed it did extend into the bore. Upon peering through the plug end i was very surprised to find a thin plug that almost sealed the bore from the vent ... kinda a shelack substance which removed easy after crumbling it and scrubbing with terpintine.

After deepening the groove in the plug and shortening the vent liner to not intrude into the bore i reasembled this foweler feeling i have fixed the misfires and hangfires.

Along with all this i smoothed rough bearing places on the lock and releived the frizzen so it doesnt rub the barrel anymore.

All in all it sounds like your gun where the barrel should have been set further back by about 1/4 inch or so. The thin membrane is a puzzle tho but it is gone now and clean

I could very well get miffed by such an expensive "KIT" however i really like her and am more intimate with her now having disasembled to parade rest the entire gun and tinkered with it (read zFINISHED her)