Frankenstein's Flintlock

[Chris In SE PA]

Having shot a T/C Renegade for 30+ years, I decided to get a long rifle. I bought 1, didn't like it enough and sold it. I bought another one that I really like. But, it's still not quite what I wanted. So, I'll be building one of my own. Having never done anything like that before, I decided it may be better to start with something other than 1K in parts.

In comes a basket case I found on the internet. It was llisted as a full stock Hawken kit that was never finished. When I unboxed it, the truth came out. Whoever started the build was a great woodworker. But, he either didn't have a model to work with, or this was pre-internet. The barrel inletting is perfect. All of the inletting great. But, he had the side plate attached with 2 small wood screws. Same for the lock plate. Plus, had a hole drilled through the lock into the barrel that is tapped for a screw. The tang screw isn't a bolt either. It's a 1/2 inch wood screw. The lock doesn't spark worth a darn.

So, here's what I have to start with. Let the fun begin.

 

[Chris In SE PA]

There was a coat of lacquer on all of the brass that was flaking off. A little work with the Dremmel and some rouge, now it's a little shiny.

I drilled 2 holes through to attach the lock plate and the side plate. I then drilled and tapped a hole in the lock plate. But, it doesn't spark very well. So, I'm going to try to replace it with a different lock

 

[EC121]

How far from the breechplug face is the touch hole? The stock is also cracked at the tang and patched in the lock inlet. The sideplate and patchbox acorns look like a kit of some sort. It will be a good learning vehicle.

 

[user 34300]

The hole drilled through the breech plug threads is not OK and may not be safe. Consider cutting off the breech and installing a good plug by standard methods.

 

[Trot]

Well, good luck with your project. Definitely a chance to learn and hone your skills. I don't like that lock inletting at all, looks like it was done with a dull spoon, and the lock plate is only supported by a little bit of wood at the front and the rear. You may be able to do something with some acraglass, or better yet glue in wood and re-inlet.

 

[Sidney Smith]

That gun looks unsafe to shoot with that hole in the barrel. And what is the large gouge under that hole in the barrel? To me it looks like somebody turned Stevie Wonder loose on that thing. Use it to practice inletting or inlaying, or sell it and recoup your investment.

 

[ohio ramrod]

A definite project piece. I believe the extra hole is tapped and could be plugged and still be usable.

 

[Chris In SE PA]

I've got a couple ideas. 1st order of business is the lock. I've tried replacing the lock altogether. But, it's very short. The distance between the pan and the seer on the small small siler is still almost 1/2 inch longer than on the existing lock. I can't find one that small. So, I'm now going to try and replace the main spring. After that I'll re-temper/heat treat the frizzen. Hopefully that gets me the spark I'm looking for.

For the hole drilled in the barrel, I'll be inserting a screw and epoxying it into place. Cutting it flush and calling it a day. Once I finally get it ready to shoot, it'll be resting in a tire and I'll be tripping it with a string from 15 feet away.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Have you tested the frizzen? Can you scratch it with a file? If it skitters across the face the frizzen is hard. Try taking it off and sanding the face of it on a drum sander. The heating / tempering process of making it previously may have driven the carbon out of the first few layers of the face. Be careful to keep it from getting too hot during the process though, or else that will soften it.

As far as the rest of it goes, yeah, it's a basket case. As others have said you may be able to thread and plug that hole in that breech and be ok. The inletting on the PB is pretty gappy. Too much so to be able to just peen the metal to take it up. I would make a new one. The cracks in the wrist around the tang can be reinforced by drilling in some 1/16" music wire and gluing and clamping in place on either side of the tang.

The TH liner looks like it was installed sloppy too. Another opportunity to do a fix. Others already covered the lock inletting and potential fixes. You can plug the holes that are in the wrong places and re-drill them to the right places. You might have to make and install a new side plate so you can get the lock bolts in to the right places too.

The tang screw (as was covered) should be a bolt through to the trigger plate. Odds are that it's in the wrong place to get a good seating of the bolt head all the way around (will need to come forward). I would buy a new plug and tang and do it the right way, otherwise, you need to fill it up with a weld and then file it flush.

As others have said, a good learning gun.

 

[Chris In SE PA]

I decided to start with ordering a new breech plug and trying to replace the spring in the existing lock.

Common sense would be to abandon the project and chalk it up as a loss. I'm going to get it into a working piece.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Something is not right about the breech plug besides the hole in the breech plug. Judging from the position of the touch hole to the breech plug, there appears to be a very short threaded portion of the breech plug. Definitely not a 1/2" of threads. Repair of that might mean cutting off the barrel ahead of the touch hole and setting the barrel back on a new breech plug.

That's a nice piece of wood. The crack in the tang will have to be repaired. That is possible. At the same time some support will be needed for the lock plate. That depends on how the main spring swings through that region of the lock mortise. If the barrel is shortened, the ramrod thimbles will have to be moved and the pins for the barrel lugs will be relocated.

That will be a real learning experience.

 

[Chris In SE PA]

I ordered a new breech plug. I went with a flared/fantail type. I'm figuring I can remove some of the wood from the tang area and thus clean up the gap at the tang. While I have it out I'm going to plug up that hole in the barrel. If it's too close to the end of the threads I may have to shorten the barrel and re-tap new threads for the plug. I'm hoping to not have to go that route. If I do, then I'll be doing 6 inlays in the stock where the previous pin locations were. I'll need to drill new pin holes through the tenions.

 

[Chris In SE PA]

1st order of business was to plug the hole on the barrel.

I threaded a machine screw in until it rested against the breech plug. I then turned it a 1/2 turn so that it wasn't touching the threads and marked the depth with a Sharpie. From there I mixed up a little Metal Set Epoxy and coated the threads just short of the mark. Not the whole bolt, that way I can be relatively sure none got on the breech plug in case that ever has to be removed.

 

[Chris In SE PA]

I think that I mentioned earlier, there wasn't a tang screw. Only a short wood screw holding the tang to the stock. With the existing trigger plate, there wasn't enough room to run a tang bolt through and not hit the pin holding the trigger. So, I made a longer plate.

 

[Chris In SE PA]

The plate inletted

 

[Chris In SE PA]

I considered replacing the tang with flared plug. But, with the clearance I now have past the trigger there's no real need. I drilled through from the tang to a location that I marked on the plate. That way I was sure to have the correct angle for the tap to make threads in the trigger plate.

 

[Chris In SE PA]

The amount of force needed to trigger the sear was astronomical. In Chuck Dixon's book, he states something like: " a fair spring can be made from bending a piece of brass"

 

[Chris In SE PA]

Pics of my home made spring.

 

[Chris In SE PA]

The plug is cut flush with the barrel. Good illustration of my new lock bolt arrangement.

 

[oldwood]

Your in a fight here , but keep going. Wish I was there to help you. If it's made of wood ,iron , brass , and screws , she will shoot again. Wood and epoxie are best friends . If the lock mortise is badly worn , glue a new face on the mortise and re-inlet. If in doubt , ask.. ........oldwood