NorthCoastBigBore
32 Cal.
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2013
- Messages
- 18
- Reaction score
- 0
Howdy folks. I haven't posted much but read a lot here, I seem to learn something every time.
I started this project with the honest intention of building a scaled down rifle true to one of the Pennsylvania traditions. Unfortunately as it developed, it ended up quite a distance from authentic (largely due to my daughter's wishes and interests) and I apologize for that, however the important thing (to me) is that it gets my oldest daughter on the range and interested in muzzleloading.
So bear with me on the style, I have two more kids yet to build rifles for so I'll treat this one sort of as a learning experience and maybe choose a style more befitting of the next kid, rather than me forcing a design on them. That way I can hopefully maintain the style.
With that in mind, someone might still find this interesting especially if you're building one for a child. For me, this has been a five year project but it actually still fits her, although she is twice the height she was when I started...
It is a .36 caliber, note this is at least consistent with a flint-to-percussion conversion ... the sparks from a flinter scare her when she's shooting and the flint maintenance was not going to hold her attention.
I made my own trigger and trigger guard and heavily modified the patchbox, to give it the right "scaling". LOP and barrel were all shortened but in a way (best as I could) I could still retain the original "flavour". Yeeessss the trigger guard is brown (more like a Poor Boy) and that's because originally I thought I might use the steel trigger guard as a pattern to cast a brass version... that proved impractical, so here it is...
Single trigger (another departure) because she wasn't going to want to deal with the double set, she's particular. I've had her on DST before, this was another "let's just get the hammer dropped and have fun" motivated design change.
Colerain .36 caliber barrel (1:48) 13/16"; R.E. Davis "Becky's Lock". Stock is a nice maple from Track of the Wolf that was rough inletted for the barrel only. I browned all the furniture using my own recipe of salt, Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar.
You'll no doubt notice despite the poor quality pictures that my inletting skills need work... practice practice practice, I'm miles away. Some of the work I see on this site is incredible and I'm not pretending to compare this to that!
Here it was early on, yes I was actually trying to do work on that Tipton, but quickly moved to the parrot vise with leather padding.
My custom trigger guard roughed in, beside a brass fullsize guard for comparison:
Early days, trigger guard inletted I think I finished the lock inletting here too:
I modified the lock bolster to provide some protection from cap shards, I think it isn't too much? Yes it is a departure from "tradition" but by this point the whole rifle is more of a flavour anyway - this is after I browned it as described:
This picture is horrible I need to put up a better one but you get the idea:
Here it is first shots this past fall. I am glad to say she liked it and we've had it out several times since. I was surprised that I even I found the stock perfectly comfortable, shortened LOP and all:
Hope you'll find it interesting.
I started this project with the honest intention of building a scaled down rifle true to one of the Pennsylvania traditions. Unfortunately as it developed, it ended up quite a distance from authentic (largely due to my daughter's wishes and interests) and I apologize for that, however the important thing (to me) is that it gets my oldest daughter on the range and interested in muzzleloading.
So bear with me on the style, I have two more kids yet to build rifles for so I'll treat this one sort of as a learning experience and maybe choose a style more befitting of the next kid, rather than me forcing a design on them. That way I can hopefully maintain the style.
With that in mind, someone might still find this interesting especially if you're building one for a child. For me, this has been a five year project but it actually still fits her, although she is twice the height she was when I started...
It is a .36 caliber, note this is at least consistent with a flint-to-percussion conversion ... the sparks from a flinter scare her when she's shooting and the flint maintenance was not going to hold her attention.
I made my own trigger and trigger guard and heavily modified the patchbox, to give it the right "scaling". LOP and barrel were all shortened but in a way (best as I could) I could still retain the original "flavour". Yeeessss the trigger guard is brown (more like a Poor Boy) and that's because originally I thought I might use the steel trigger guard as a pattern to cast a brass version... that proved impractical, so here it is...
Single trigger (another departure) because she wasn't going to want to deal with the double set, she's particular. I've had her on DST before, this was another "let's just get the hammer dropped and have fun" motivated design change.
Colerain .36 caliber barrel (1:48) 13/16"; R.E. Davis "Becky's Lock". Stock is a nice maple from Track of the Wolf that was rough inletted for the barrel only. I browned all the furniture using my own recipe of salt, Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar.
You'll no doubt notice despite the poor quality pictures that my inletting skills need work... practice practice practice, I'm miles away. Some of the work I see on this site is incredible and I'm not pretending to compare this to that!
Here it was early on, yes I was actually trying to do work on that Tipton, but quickly moved to the parrot vise with leather padding.
My custom trigger guard roughed in, beside a brass fullsize guard for comparison:
Early days, trigger guard inletted I think I finished the lock inletting here too:
I modified the lock bolster to provide some protection from cap shards, I think it isn't too much? Yes it is a departure from "tradition" but by this point the whole rifle is more of a flavour anyway - this is after I browned it as described:
This picture is horrible I need to put up a better one but you get the idea:
Here it is first shots this past fall. I am glad to say she liked it and we've had it out several times since. I was surprised that I even I found the stock perfectly comfortable, shortened LOP and all:
Hope you'll find it interesting.
