Fusil de Chasse, at last!!!

[PathfinderNC]

“I am wondering if there is a way to move the swipe stick closer to the barrel. Wood removal, of course.”
Yes, I have done this with some kit guns that have a very thick web ( the wood between the barrel channel and ramrod channel.) I use a rattail file that’s a bit narrower than the ramrod channel and start rasping away in the ramrod channel from the stock entry hole forward, removing more as I get closer to the front. This will do the trick in reducing the web nicely. There will be a slight bend to your ramrod later as it is fully inserted but not enough to stress your wooden ramrod.
(PS; looking at it from the side, a little more than half of your ramrod thickness will be visible when it is in place. This gives your gun an even more slim profile)

 

[pipascus]

“I am wondering if there is a way to move the swipe stick closer to the barrel. Wood removal, of course.”
Yes, I have done this with some kit guns that have a very thick web ( the wood between the barrel channel and ramrod channel.) I use a rattail file that’s a bit narrower than the ramrod channel and start rasping away in the ramrod channel from the stock entry hole forward, removing more as I get closer to the front. This will do the trick in reducing the web nicely. There will be a slight bend to your ramrod later as it is fully inserted but not enough to stress your wooden ramrod.

Wow! That's great to hear! Thank you!
Looks like I need to remove about a 1/4" of wood!
I'm looking for pictures of good reproductions and originals. Figure I can print them out and do comparisons.

 

[tenngun]

Not sure what you mean by "thing".
It's not at the level of a top piece, but I have read they shoot well and believe it can be improved with some wood work.

You’ll be proud of that gun, just like it is. To improve you just need to thin everything down. About 1/16
Thin the forestock down to about 1/16 to 1/8 wider then the barrel
The large ends at the end of the lock and side plate should be heart shaped and about 1/2 that size.
You won’t get a perfect FDC from an Indian gun, however with a little TLC your gun will be so close as 99% of living history guys won’t be able yo tell you what’s wrong with it
You gun will give you years of happiness and your grandson years of happiness if taken care of. It will shoot as well as any gun costing three times as much
Just some snobs get a stick up their one end about Indian guns. I know I used to be a such a snob. Then I got one and my disrespect for them threw out the window

 

[Billy-by-gosh]

Yes it is. Why?

Just wondering where they're located. You gave a good endorsement for their service. Looks like a decent gun and should serve you well for the your stated purpose. Have fun and let us know how it turns out.

 

[pipascus]

You’ll be proud of that gun, just like it is. To improve you just need to thin everything down. About 1/16
Thin the forestock down to about 1/16 to 1/8 wider then the barrel
The large ends at the end of the lock and side plate should be heart shaped and about 1/2 that size.
You won’t get a perfect FDC from an Indian gun, however with a little TLC your gun will be so close as 99% of living history guys won’t be able yo tell you what’s wrong with it
You gun will give you years of happiness and your grandson years of happiness if taken care of. It will shoot as well as any gun costing three times as much
Just some snobs get a stick up their one end about Indian guns. I know I used to be a such a snob. Then I got one and my disrespect for them threw out the windowView attachment 391128

Thank you. I appreciate that!
That's a beautiful gun! I like the crucifix on the stock!
I want to personalize mine as well.
I'm going to study photos!

 

[pipascus]

Just wondering where they're located. You gave a good endorsement for their service. Looks like a decent gun and should serve you well for the your stated purpose. Have fun and let us know how it turns out.

Yeah they were good. They were a bit backed up and were honest about it-contacted me as soon as they had one ready. Marty was quick to get back with me.
I will post pictures once I start working on it. I have to see what tools I need.

 

[Maximillian]

But remember that we all started somewhere before we became so knowledgeable.
I am excited when someone like the OP steps forward and asks our community for advise as he begins on anew and exciting journey in Muzzleloading (especially flintlocks!)
It’s a big tent and there is room for the well advanced as well as the budding novice.
We all do what we can with the things we have.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

 

[Brokennock]

I understand what you are saying about the so called "negative Nancy," comments. But someone had to tell you that this isn't a matter of just not being "top end," and that no matter what you do or how well you do it, this is not going to be a reasonable replica of a Fusil des Chase. Does that mean it can't be a fantasy piece with a backstory of disparate parts being restocked in the colonies? No, this could certainly be your story.

I agree with what was said about not doing any of the work you mention until you make sure the gun functions as desired. Do not waste your efforts on this if it does not function properly. Then, look at as many pictures as you possibly can of original guns and decide from there where to make changes, if at all.

Here's my snarky comment for you, "a Spaniard living near the Canadian border during the F&I," ???? Huh?

 

[FlinterNick]

Howdy!
I just got my fusil de chasse from The Muzzleloader Shop.
Originally contacted Loyalist Arms but Linda Higgins, of the same company, referred me to The Muzzleloader Shop, as they are behind schedule.

The Muzzleloader Shop was great to deal with. Marty was the person I dealt with and he was really helpful.
A few photos attached.

Would appreciate some advice to see if I am correct and as to how to proceed.
I ordered some 600 balls and will try it out some time next week hopefully.

I am thinking it could use some wood removal (photos attached). I don't mind this at all, and it will give me an opportunity to personalize this fusil a bit.
The "flats" on the barrel, before the wedding ring, don't seem as flat as what I see in photos. Would filing these down a bit, in the exposed area, be OK?
Also thinking if there's a way to add a serpent sideplate, maybe some beaded decoration?

So far, my persona is leaning towards a Spaniard or French man living with one of the tribes up around Canada during the French and Indian War or just before. Maybe the Abenaki or something. Prefer Spanish as that is my ancestry, and I will NOT eat escargot!!! Plus I speak fluent Spanish and failed French in high school.

So anyway, any advice on the wood removal and other improvements would be appreciated.

I would leave it as is, I wouldn’t sink too much money into these Indian made guns. It just doesn’t reap any reward or gain in the future. If you wanna learn how to build guns build a gun buy a kit and build it go to a class most people on this forum that learn how to build guns did so by observing others. Personally, I would’ve started with a Kibbler kit.

How many originals have you seen?
How much research have you done?

Once you’ve done your research, you’ll have a hard time, convincing others, and yourself that this is what it is intended to be.

 

[FlinterNick]

Thank you.
I know it isn't a very accurate reproduction, but I hope I can at least make it look pretty good, as long as it shoots well.

I would leave it as is. Reshaping teak stocks can have a lot of unintended consequences. These Indian guns are oversized for a reason. It’s because the wood is low-grade. It’s very brittle and with a closed grain. Well a lot of people on this forum will “quote teak for being exceptionally hard it’s also exceptionally brittle. It doesn’t have a good balance of hardness and toughness. Not like a walnut or a maple. Again, I would just leave it like it is.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Will it ever pass as an authentic fusil de chasse on close inspection? I guess not. But it can at least make an acceptable gun that looks nice.

Some here, while being honest in appraisal, can appear that the comments are also quite 'brutal'. You're actually quite lucky that Mike Brooks is not around here to comment on it - yikes! My thoughts ...

WOOD - Way, waaaaaayy too much all over, a real FdC, especially if from Tulle, should be trim, trim, trim and be light! Definitely work the lock panels, but before you do, also read up on the sideplate and lock.

LOCK - File the lockplate flat (if you can), add facets to the pan, and then re-shape the wood surround to fit. Those panels are way too proud and large and reshape the elongated teardrop final on the rearmost end.

SIDE PLATE - The shallow 'S' shape is typical, where I believe a serpent would only be found on an English gun or a fancier filligree design one, in brass only, found on a Fusil Fin, which that is not and never can be, sorry.

BARREL - The tapered facets on the octagonal section should be at least 2-1/4" long to mate to that 1st wedding band. There should not be a 2nd wedding band, but alas there's nothing you can correct there.

UPPER FOREND - Remove wood (looking down from above) so that no more than 1/16"+ appears outside the barrel. Tapering best achieved by faceting, i.e., taking something 'square' then making it look octagonal for example, then adding more flats or facets between thise you also cut, to slim it down nicely in a controlled manner. Overall that forend should be sooooooo thin and light that you'd fear breaking it off .... if/when the barrel were not attached.

RAMROD GROOVE - I can't get a good look a the ramrod groove juncture, but sometimes cutting the groove tops to be shallower "shows more rod" and makes the forend appear to be slimmer.

LOWER FOREND - Key 'ask' here is, is the breech or octagonal section of the barrel tapered? If not, you can still slim the wood, but go sloooooowly, as it will be more diffiult to make that gradual transition to the slim upper forend, because you do not have a taper onthe breech section to follow.

You might at least be able to make it more representative of a French trade gun from the St. Entienne armory that was given to the Indians, but you won't be able to mimic a true Fusil de Chasse say from the Tulle factory.

Bottom line, go have fun with it and git her shootin'! Whenever I have someone question the architecture, authenticity or feature of one of my BP replicas ... I find that putting a roundball into the X-ring or bullseye 'offhand' from 25-yards, or longer distance, pretty much shuts them up ... LOL!