First build need some help/advice

[Boudreaux]

Guys,
I have aquired a southern mountain rilfe stock from a local builder. It is just the stock, that has the ramrod drilled and is set for a 13/16 barrel. I am looking to make a .32 or .36 caliber Flinter out of it. I am not looking to break the bank. Here is where I need help. I need to know what parts I need? What size lock? All help is needed.
Thanks guys
Boswell

 

[Zonie]

Welcome to the forum.

You didn't say how interested you are in your gun being "Historically Correct".
That means it would look very close to a rifle that was made during the Flintlock period which pretty much ended around 1830.

I'm going to guess that you are more interested in building a nice rifle that is not very Historically Correct but is well built out of good parts and will be fun to own and to shoot.

Based on this, you have a decision about the barrel to make.
The standard 13/16 inch straight barrels come in both 36" and 42" lengths. If the barrel channel on your stock is made for the 42 inch barrel you can still use a 36 by just shortening the wood.

A 42 inch long barrel is more "correct" for a longrifle but because your probably going to use a straight 13/16 inch barrel "correctness" doesn't really matter.
(Historically, rifles made during the Flintlock era used swamped barrels. That is not to say that when the machine age started and straight barrels became common that no one made a flintlock that used one of them).

You didn't say whether the stock had a mortice cut for the lock.
If it did you are pretty much stuck with the lock it is machined for.
If it was not cut for a lock you have a large choice to choose from.

For a 13/16 inch barrel in a small caliber you could use either a full sized lock like a Siler or you could use one of the "Small Siler" locks.
Both are good German style locks.

You will have to decide whether you want a simple single trigger or a Double Set Trigger. (The kind with two "triggers hanging down".
If you want a Double Set trigger look for the kind that says "Double Lever Double Set".
You don't want a Single Lever Double Set" style which has to be "set" before you can cock the lock.

Only after you've chosen the style of trigger you want can you really look at trigger guards.
The Double Set triggers require a guard that has a long bow that can give both triggers room to work.

You didn't say how wide the butt of the stock is so I'm guessing again.
If it is over 2 inches wide the stock could be used with old or new style butt plates.
The really old ones are wide and slightly curved.
The later style buttplates are thinner and as the years went by they became narrower and more "hooked" or radically bent.
If it were mine I would shoot for a butt plate with a moderate amount of bend.

All this talk and I haven't told you the most important thing you need to do right now (besides dream of how you want your gun to look).

Right now, the most important thing you can do is to go to the Track of the Wolf site and order one of their catalogs.

Not only does it show hundreds of parts you can buy but more importantly the pictures of the locks, the trigger guards, the butt plates, sights, underlugs, sights, ramrod thimbols and many other things are FULL SIZED !
That will allow you to measure the picture and your gunstock to determine what will work and what won't.

Here is a link and at $7 plus postage it is a bargin that every one who is thinking about building a longrifle should buy. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/cate...&subid=38&styleid=135&partnum=catalog-17&as=1

 

[rafterob]

Just to let you know what the possibilities are...For $300 I built a decent flintlock out of a combination of ebay parts,a few new parts and a "second" stock. It was a first build, so I did not want to sink a lot of $$ into it. My original intent was to then build a fine custom for myself, but I am really happy with this first one and it does what its supposed to so I think I'll stop there. I believe there is a .45 cal barrel on ebay now, 7/8" that you could make fit. here is a link to the original post, there is not a full length picture, but you get the general idea. http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showpost.php?post/537606/

 

[mikemeteor]

welcome. you'll find lots of good help here!
If you don't already have one, the very next "part" you oughta get is a book on how to build 'em...
Check out "Art of Building the PA Longrifle.." by Dixon in the TOW catalog once you get it.
Dixon's Book

Then consider spending a couple dozen evenings browsing the archives of this forum before ya pick up the first chisel.
It's way worth it!

most of all, ask questions and have fun. I know I am. :thumbsup:

 

[Boudreaux]

This is what I have to work with guys. I am not really concerned with period correct. It would be nice, but if its gonna cost alot more. Then I don't really need it for my first build

Thanks,
Boswell

 

[Zonie]

That 1 7/16 wide X 1 7/16 tall area in front of the wrist is going to make a really slender rifle.

If you intend to use a butt plate it might be a good idea to get your Track of the Wolf catalog to see what's available. I'm measuring a Bean buttplate at 1 3/16 but it doesn't have as deep a curve as your stock currently has.

A Vincent buttplate looks to have a similar deep curve and is 1 1/16 wide. There are several others.

My reason for mentioning a butt plate is if you intend to have a cheekpiece (like the one that's sketched on the stocks butt) you will need to know just how wide the butt plate is going to be before you have any idea about how much wood you can remove.

Anyway, it looks like your in for a good adventure.

 

[bigbuckdn]

welcome
I can't give much help as I am a first time
builder in the process but I have found most of what i need from track of the wolf
and I made my first mistake while cutting in dove tails be very carful to not get them to long
chuck

 

[Birddog6]

If it were me & if it is possible, I would take it back & get my money back, as it has bad grain runout at the wrist. If you can't do that or don't want to, it is what it is, but it will have a fragile wrist, especially being a long style of southern wrist, & being walnut, so I would avise caution with it. I am being critical to a point, but you should know what you are dealing with right from the get-go...... Pretty piece of wood, but wrist grain structure is the first thing I look at & consider on a stock. If it was hard maple I would feel a little better of it..

I think Bean buttplate would work on it, as the Bean one has a long toe & will sit more forward on the comb at the top of the buttplate, with the long toe going aft. I would use a Chambers Ketland lock on it, DST-4 Davis triggers, Bean Tenn. triggerguard & Buttplate from MBS, long toeplate, Std. plain Tenn iron RR pipes & nosecap made to fit. You could buy the lock & trigger & lay them on there & then see if the Bean buttplate will work, and if not go with a dif style.

It will make a pretty rifle, but not one you can horse around. I would also use a long tang on it all the way to the base of the comb, have a screw boss there so a screw goes from the boss (or lollypop some call it) down into the triggerplate.

Pretty piece of walnut tho & would make a pretty rifle with some nice grain color in it.........

Keith Lisle

PS: Looks like the RR hole came into the barrel inlet ?????? Use 1 lockbolt on the bolster, don't even think of doing a front lockbolt. You don't need it anyway if you do the lock inlet correctly. :thumbsup:

 

[ebiggs1]

I am building my first flintlock too. I got a stock that is similar to yours. It was supposed to be inletted for a 15/16” barrel but was far off. I don’t have any specific gun making tools but it was going to be a lot of sanding to get my barrel to fit. Used my router to correct the inletting which I did before shaping the stock because I guided on the outside edge. You may want to check if your barrel fits first.