First project almost completed

[bioprof]

I tried to post this once before but it was gone when I came back to the board. Maybe I hit the preview and forgot to hit the post a second time. Seems like this has happened to me before. Anyway, I'd thought I'd post of picture of the Vincent Ohio Rifle that I'm putting the finishing touches on. This is the first bp rifle that I have tried to build. I'm very pleased with the results. :imo:Now, I need to take it out and see how it shoots.

 

It's beautiful! Good job! :redthumb:

The only problem I can see is it's got that funny little squiggly-looking thing there where the thingie that holds the flint is supposed to go... :crackup:

 

[AaronT]

I think I'm dehydrating from all of the drool. What did you use to finish the wood? I really like the nice warm tone you acheived.

Aaron

 

It's beautiful! Good job! :redthumb:

The only problem I can see is it's got that funny little squiggly-looking thing there where the thingie that holds the flint is supposed to go... :crackup:

naw, that ain't a rock-lock....he just hasn't put the set screw on to hold the slowmatch in place...funny, though, there seems to be some kind of little metal thingy in the touch hole...is that to keep out moisture during storage?

:hmm:

 

[bioprof]

I built it from parts from TOW. If you are thinking about building one of these, be prepared to hand fit every single part. Nothing just snaps together without considerable inletting, filing, or drilling and tapping. The only part that didn't require a considerable amount of inletting was the lock plate. That was a pretty good fit, but it did require some removal of wood underneath the lock plate to make room for the moving parts.

The warm color is from the artificial lighting that I used to take the picture. It looks a lot different in natural light, but I'll have to wait until it stops raining to go outside. Under natural light, it has a lot of gold undertones.

I used a home-made vinegar stain for the stock. It turned out a lot darker than I expected. Didn't get the reddish-brown color that I was hoping for, but I'm still pleased iwth the result.

My next project will be a flinter. I'm thinking about doing a Bedford County longrifle or a Dickert. Don't know if I'm up to doing raised relief carving. I might have to buy some how-to videos.

 

[rootnuke]

very nice work :redthumb:

 

[greymount]

I am also thinking of building a Vincent rifle, How may hours did you spend on it and what was the most difficult part. Were you happy with the TOW kit or should I try Pecatonica of MLBS.

 

[bioprof]

It took me about 8 weeks to put it together and finish it. I mainly worked on it at night and on weekends since I work full-time. I didn't work on it every day. I would estimate that it took 70-90 hours of work to put it together, which is rather slow since it was a learning experience. If I were to do it again, I think I could do it in half the time or less.

Since this was the first muzzleloader that I have built, I don't have any experience with kits from Pecatonica or other companies, but I don't think they would be much different. I received a Log Cabin catalog recently, and it looks like most of the parts for the Vincent rifle were made by the same company, with the possible exception of the stock. Since it requires the same parts, I would expect that it doesn't make much difference which company you get them from as far as the amount of work is concerned. I would go with whichever company that you prefer and that you feel most comfortable with.

The service that I received from TOW was excellent. They answered any questions that I had over the phone, and I received extra parts that I had to order within 3-4 days. I even called them once because I was short a wood screw, and they sent it to me for no charge. That's the kind of service that builds return customers as far as I'm concerned. :m2c:

 

[rich pierce]

Nice job, Prof! I'm a prof too BTW. We should chat sometime. I recommend the Dickert versus a Bedford because the Dickert has great "shooting architecture". Most Bedford guns have so much drop it's hard to get used to it and makes the gun slow to sight and shoot.

 

[bioprof]

The most difficult part for me was installing the screws in the butt plate. If I had followed the directions in "Recreating the American Longrifle" exactly as it is described, I may have been able to do it right the first time. There are several excellent threads on this board describing how to do this task. My advice is to read everything you can on building muzzleloaders. It will keep you from having to redo a lot of work.

 

[Zonie]

bioprof: Great job! I would never have guessed this was your first gun! Now, for the unpleasent task which is at hand:

Boys; What your seeing in the photos of bioprof's excellent gun is a Precussion Lock! Some call it a Cap Lock.
It's the latest thing around, and some predict that it will replace the Flintlock.
Indeed, there are already a large number of folks who are begging to have their old fashioned flintlocks reworked into the new style of Cap Locks and the rework is not complicated or expensive!

These Precussion fired guns don't rely on flint hitting steel to make a few sparks which may, or may not fall into your prime!
They work because of a material which, when struck with a blow, produces large amounts of fire which will set off the main charge with a speed that will leave you wondering!!

This chemical is safely stored inside waterproof metal caps, which are completely safe to handle.
The price of the caps is low, and they are rapidly becoming available at fine gunstores everywhere.

To use these marvelous new devices, following your main charge, you merely place the cap on the tube, bring your arm to full cock and fire when ready!

Don't be left behind with your outdated ignition system!! Step up to the modern times by buying yourself the gun of the future. If you can't trust ole Zonie, who can you trust? :: :applause: ::

 

[TANSTAAFL]

"If you can't trust ole Zonie, who can you trust?"

My lying eyes? ::

 

Zonnie,

Sorry to tell you my man but your wrong!

T/C calls them 209 primers not caps :crackup:

Amazeing T/C with thier flintlocks got alot of people in to M/L and now the same company has them getting in it with their ..... I can't bring myself to say the name :nono:

Woody

 

Percussion lock! Wow... 'tis an amazin' world we live in today... they done gone and figgered out how ta make fire without scratchin' rock and metal!

So, if I were to lose er use up mah little cap thingies while I was out in tha woods... could I find some more o' them caps layin' around to use, or would mah rifle be turned into a fancy beatin' club? :hmm:

 

[Donny]

Very very nice gun..now all you need to do is wipe it down with a good rusting agent, throw it in the back of your pickup with an axe, posthole diggers, lumber, tools, etc, while driving around, until maybe June. ::
do you shoot at baltic?? :applause:

 

[Zonie]

I wouldn't recommend dumping that fine gun into the back of a pick-um-up truck.
That stock ain't made out o' em new fangled plastics so it mite get all bunged up.
It's a lookin good jus the way it are, to me.

"So, if I were to lose er use up mah little cap thingies while I was out in tha woods... could I find some more o' them caps layin' around to use..."

Ye gets more at tha same stump that ye got yer powder at. ::

Fact is, ye can use that patch box ye never use ta store extrees in.
Ah'd say iffen ye takes 10 pounds o' lead, un 5 pounds o' powder, at wil get ye about 400 shots, an 6 little tins o caps which wal give ye 'bout 600 shots worth o primin so ye wil run outter powder afore ye runs out o caps. :: ::

 

[bioprof]

I'll have to try this one out first to see if it makes me flinch enough before I convert it to a rock lock. My dad started me out with a 30-30 Winchester, then gave me a customized '06 Springfield that he restocked himself. I killed many deer with it before I started muzzleloading. I'm gradually regressing to a more primitive style. I hope some day to master throwing a spear with an atlatl. BTW, my dad killed a black-tail deer once with a pike pole while he was pushing logs on the river. He called the Game Commission office and asked them if that was legal, and they said there was no law against killing a deer with a spear, as long as it was in season and he had a tag. ::

 

[Stumpkiller]

He called the Game Commission office and asked them if that was legal, and they said there was no law against killing a deer with a spear, as long as it was in season and he had a tag.

In NY you can't kill a swimming deer. I'm pretty sure a spear, knife or rock is out, too (we have specifically defined implements under "manner of taking"). I know one fellow who was petitioning for being able to use an atl-atl but haven't heard that he succeeded in getting permission (but he was needing to improve his accuracy so he had time ).

 

Ye gets more at tha same stump that ye got yer powder at. ::

Fact is, ye can use that patch box ye never use ta store extrees in.
Ah'd say iffen ye takes 10 pounds o' lead, un 5 pounds o' powder, at wil get ye about 400 shots, an 6 little tins o caps which wal give ye 'bout 600 shots worth o primin so ye wil run outter powder afore ye runs out o caps. :: ::

Fer those who don't know me... I actually do own a percussion rifle. Just havin' a little fun here... ::

Bioprof, don't know if you've been reading the thread in the Flintlock forum on shooting techniques, but some of the ideas apply to shooting percussion too... take a friend to the range with you, load the barrel, then hand the friend the gun and have him cap it for you... or not. Is there a safe way to render a cap useless? Perhaps soaking one in WD-40? Anyway, have your friend randomly put a good cap or a dud on the rifle, then hand it to you to shoot. You'll cure your flinch in no time.