First flintlock pistol build

[repawn]

Thought I would use this as a place to log my first build of a flintlock build. Do not have much together yet - but I have roughed out a stock and have ordered a barrel, breech plug and and some sheet stock. I have not ordered a lock yet - but expect I will be using a Chambers Queen Anne as it seems like it will fit nicely.
Maple stock (no curl on this one)
10" barrel - rifled .50 caliber
I plan on using all steel parts and making as many of them myself as possible.
Hope to see the barrel in the next couple of days.
You may note there are two blanks cut - I am only making one but hedging my bests for if/when I make a mistake

 

[TDM]

Good luck on your build!

 

[64Springer]

Congrats on the builds.

A bit of advice. Run an oak dowel through the base of the grip on both blanks. Epoxy them in. The butt cap will cover the reinforcement.

That grip grain is a crack just waiting to happen.

Good luck with everything.


P.S. Go to TOTW and print out an actual size copy of the lock you intend to use. All Chamber locks have a PDF file attached to them.

 

[repawn]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have already printed the chambers lock from totw and it fits well. Thanks for the dowel suggestions. I will also be running the trigger guard most of the way down the handle to help with that.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Repawn,
Pistols are just as challenging as long guns. Your stocks look like some French and Belgian pistols with severely angled handles. Is that what you intend?

dave

 

[repawn]

Hi Repawn,
Pistols are just as challenging as long guns. Your stocks look like some French and Belgian pistols with severely angled handles. Is that what you intend?

dave

Hi - I am using a pistol made by Nicholas Noël Boutet as my reference for shape - I am not capable of the engraving and ornamentation he was able to do I believe French in the late 1700 - early 1800s

 

[dave_person]

HI,
Nice Repawn. Boutet employed great stock decorators in his shop, technically maybe some of the best craftsmen ever. A lot were over done in my opinion but no one can deny the skills involved. Good luck. I would love to hear how those handles work out for shooting. I've never hefted any of that design.

dave

dave

 

[repawn]

Quick update - Received my barrel and some metal sheet goods. The barrel I have received is .45 not .50 caliber. I am trying to decide wehter I should just roll with it and move forward with the .45 caliber. I have a bunch .50 caliber round ball - but on the other hand I have never had a .45 caliber. Otherwise it is essentially the same barrel. Still working on the shape, size of the trigger guard and trigger - both of which I plan on making.

A question for you all - I am considering using a barrel band vice pins - is there any advantage / disadvantage in doing that?

 

[repawn]

A little more progress. Drilled hole in handle and inserted an oak dowel. I then began the rather physical task of scraping and chiseling the barrel channel. Progress has been ok - but I am glad to have a backup blank. I still have a about 3/32 to hog out to get the barrel flush - a little more in some places. I am picking up a 1/4 x 28 tap tomorrow so I can get the flash hole drilled and tapped then placed. i still need to order the lock and decide on what other bits I might need to finish it. The whole process has been a learning experience - and I know the next flintlock will be better.

 

[hawkenhunter50]

I'd hold off on drilling the touch hole until after you get your lock inlet.

 

[repawn]

Thanks for the advice, I can see myself trying to inlet the lock and line up the flash hole and making a mess of it.

 

[hawkenhunter50]

Yep, no advantage to doing the touch hole now. Get the lock and barrel in place then you can get an accurate measurement for the hole later.

 

[repawn]

Lock question Siler small or L R manton.
thanks

 

[Chris In SE PA]

The Siler will likely be great out of the box. Quality Control at L&R is suspect. You might get a great one, and you may get one that should be sent to a professional to fix.

So, go with the Siler.

 

[repawn]

Well I was worried I would mess up and I have made an ugly enough mess of the first stock to begin using the backup. Both of these blanks are leftover maple from a furniture project - but I would have preferred to not waste them. I am going to move forward with inletting the barrel with the breech plug off. I will continue to use the first piece as a test, like when I drill the ramrod hole of it letting the lock. speaking of locks - I have ordered a lock - so I can keep on moving with the project.

i did a bit more shaping on the breech plug and barrel flat to Mae it a bit more seemless - will pull the breech plug tomorrow - hope I can get it back on to the witness marks I made, it is on crazy tight.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
I would take a pause and do a couple of things before you take any step further. One, decide on your design and make a drawing showing how each component fits. Second, you are using parts that are completely wrong for the pistol you are trying to emulate. Your barrel should be full swamped octagon not the Spanish form you purchased. The Chambers small round-faced English lock is OK for your pistol given your other choices but it is a lock from 30-40 years previous to the French pistol you are emulating. Unfortunately, there is no readily available lock choice for that pistol. All commercial locks are too big, even the Chambers lock unless you are making a big military or horse pistol. The small Siler lock is Germanic, not French but it can be altered a lot if you have the knowledge and skills. The small L&R Manton or Bailes lock is more of the correct period and might be the best choice, however, it has a curved bottom that creates awkward looking pistols. It still might be the best choice. With some detailing work you might be able to make it French looking. Remove the breech plug before putting in the barrel and shorten that breech plug tang. It is too long and I would give the end a stepped point or nose, or cut it off square for a French pistol. Your trigger guard should have a long rear extension that goes most of the way down the handle. Finally, I would not have cut out the second stock and left it in the block of wood. You may find that your stock design is awkward and ungainly in the hand and that a more relaxed angle to the handle far better. However, you've committed both stocks to same model. The most important thing at this time, is to decide on your lock, and then use it and your barrel to make a drawing of your pistol with other components drawn in. That will save you tears in the future when stuff doesn't fit as you thought it would. Good luck.

dave

 

[repawn]

Thanks for all the info and tips!
I expect I will have a bit of a mongrel when this one is done. I have drawn out pretty much everything for it and I am working towards a plan (of sorts) I am using this more as a learning experience - that will give me the confidence to build out something in my chunk of curly maple or my walnut. I did order the Manton lock and will make a better job of making the parts fit the style and age in the future
I guess all I am trying to get out of this build is the techniques and understanding of how and why things are done and the skills to better tackle future projects. I am teaching my self how to wood carve and would like to learn metal engraving in the future as well. All with the understanding that I can work towards making something nice.

Now if I can only get the breech plug back off!

 

[repawn]

Less an update and more a question. After three days I was able to remove the breech plug from the barrel again. The barrel arrived new with the breech plug on it - it took a vise and a hammer to remove it and then when I put it back on it took the hammer to get it back to the witness marks - then removing it for the second time took a new vise a tool to hold the breech plug and a bigger hammer - I also soaked in kroil.
The question: If it is so tight what part of the breech plug or barrel should I shave down (ever so slightly) to allow it to go back together without the need of a hammer?

 

[dave_person]

Hi Repawn,
It is two spots. The face of the plug or the face of the bolster that butts against the end of the barrel. You need to be able to remove and reinstall the plug efficiently. Paint the face of the plug with black Magic Marker. Install it until it just starts to get really tight but not seated fully. Remove the plug and look at the face. Has the blacking worn off around the edges of the plug? If so, you should remove the plug and file a little off the face of the plug evenly. Just a little. Install it again and see if it remains really tight. Repeat the process once more and see if the plug goes in tight but not excessively and the blacking is not removed until the plug is fully seated. If black still remains on the edges of the plug, file away a little from the face of the bolster that butts against the barrel. Just remove a little until the plug seats properly such that the blacking on the end is rubbed away by the internal shoulder of the breech, and the tang and bolster fit snugly against the end of the barrel. It will not take much filing so go slow and check the fit frequently.

dave

 

[repawn]

Turns out it was the face of the plug bearing heavily into the rifling inside the barrel - enough so that the threads were damaged. Chases the threads in the barrel and on the tang - then carefully polished the plug face with 1000 grit and wd-40 - essentially just polishing the plug face. Now I can install and remove the breech plug (with some effort on the last 1/4 turn - but it does go on and off and is tight.

Chris