Got a 40cal Poorboy, going ta' need some work.

[TN.Frank]

Well, I picked up that 40 cal poorboy and I'm going to have to work on it a bit. The person that built it used way too small thimbles, I"ll need to get new larger ones and inlet the ramrod channel. I've got no idea how I'll open up the hole in the stock where the ramrod goes into the forearm. I'm going to need a new rear sight and the trigger is pinned into the stock(no trigger plate or anyting, just inlet into the stock and pinned) and I'd like to put a better looking trigger on the gun. The lock sparks good but it needs to be cleaned up real good. The touch hole in the barrel is just a drilled hole, I'd like to put a removalble stainless vent into it. Plus, I'd like to relocate the vent a bit, it's kind of low in the pan.
Just a lot of small stuff that'll need fixin', the barrel doesn't feel too bad inside, just one small spot near the breech were the patch rubs a bit, other then that it's smooth.
I'm also going to have to put a 1/2" walnut butt plate on the gun since the stock is a bit short and since it's a poorboy I'm just going to use wood for the butt plate. Then I'll cross check it with a file to give it some tecture. This should be a fun little project.
Anyway, any help on how I can open up the ramrod hole in the stock would be appreciated, I think I've got the other stuff handled more or less.
Thanks.

 

[Swampman]

I really love a simple pinned trigger. I wouldn't do anything to the touch hole until after I shot it. I've used a drill bit welded on the end of a steel rod to enlarge a ramrod hole.

 

[48mauser]

I would love to see some before pics. Thanks.

 

[TN.Frank]

Remember, you ask for it. LOL.
This gun has a 42 1/2" barrel and the lock, while dirty, looks like a quality one, probably one of the older Dixie locks. I'm going to scrub up the lock so it'll look better. I've already started on the ramrod channel, I used a small piece of the ramrod that I cut off with some 80 grit sand paper to lap the channel open so the proper size ramrod will fit. I may end up trying to burn the hold into the forearm. I have an old mauser cleaning rod who's tip is just about the right size. I think if I heat it up with a propane tourch I can open up the exsisting hole by burning it open. Then I can clean it up a bit with some sand paper around the ramrod. Anyway, here ya' go.

 

[Legionair]

Nice lookin' rifle.

Be neat to see some befores and afters, after.

Good luck.....

Legion

 

[TN.Frank]

Well, pulled the barrel off of the stock, it's a Dixie Gun Works 40cal, Old Riley No4,John Hill, Apr.1986. I cleaned it up a bit on the outside and I'll plum brown it as soon as I get a bottle of the stuff. I took the lock apart and sprayed it down with Ballistol to soak a bit. I'd like to get a fine wire brush for my drill motor and brush it up then re-brown it.
I have a piece of oak board that's about an 1" thick, I think I'll splice it onto the butt and use that as a wooden Poorboy style butt plate. I can cross hatch it with a file so it'll look nice and the contrast of the wood should look nice as well. Man, I hope I've not bitten off more then I can chew here. Guess I'll just have to take my time and work it one part/problem at a time.

 

[CrackStock]

Frank,

Just a thought, why not just make a brass ramrod and leave the channel and thimbles as they are?

Reshaping and restaining the wood is a lot of trouble compared to making a custom rod.

CS

 

[TN.Frank]

The thimbles that were on it were made out of sheet metal, I'd like to put some good cast or machined thimbles on it so it'll look better. I got the lock cleaned up nice. The screws that hold on the lock to the stock didn't look like the best so I'm going to re-drill and tap the lock place for 1/4x28 screws and pick up a couple that look better.
Also, the trunions(I guess that's what they're called) that are under the barrel to hold the pins that hold the barrel on are made out of sheet metal too. I'm going to try and find some slightly thicker sheet metal and make up three new ones so I can re-drill and pin them back to the stock.
It's like there's a million little things that need to be done, I've just got to sort em' out one at a time and fix em'.

 

[loojack]

Nice looking gun! I'd like to see some "after pics", especially the oak poor boy butt plate. Thanks for sharing!...loojack :hatsoff:

 

[Birddog6]

Just a suggestion.. Since you live in TN, why not take a day & drive over to Tip Curtis Frontier Shop in Cross Plains TN and lay the gun on the counter & then you & Tip can mix & match thimbles & etc. to your hearts content......... He has a smorgasborg of parts & he has been building rifles for years & can show you some options & possibly a good way to add to the butt end of the stock & etc.
IMHO, I think a piece of Ebony, Maple would work better & more durable for a buttplate if you are going to go with wood.
Tips number is (615)654-4445 and I would call before going as he goes to allot of the rondy's & ML gun festivals & etc.

PS: Don't take your waife unless she really like ML's as you will not want to leave Tips & she can figure on waiting on ya a while..... :rotf:

 

[CrackStock]

Those barrel retaining devices, "trunnions" are commonly known as tenons. Originals were often pretty thin.

I second the suggestion that you visit Tip as he might be able to assist.

CS

 

[Zonie]

Some random thoughts on your gun:
It's your gun and of course you can do anything you want to do to it but, from some of the descriptions you've made it seems to me that it exactly fits the description of a true Poor Boy, right down to the tin thimbles.

As for redrilling and retaping the lock bolts, make real sure you have enough material on the lockplate to do this without breaking thru the edges of the bolster or interfereing with the mainspring. IMO, a 1/4 inch bolt sounds rather large for this job.

Here again, it's just me but if it were mine, I wouldn't fool with the underlugs unless they were damaged and not doing their job properly.
These really don't hold the barrel to the stock, they hold the stock to the barrel. The difference is they don't have to be very strong because the wood is rather flimsy in the forend.

As I said, just some thoughts.

 

[TN.Frank]

The guy I got the gun from mentioned Tip Curtis to me but I didn't have a pen to get his number, thanks for the number.
As for the tenons the rear one wasn't in the barrel very well. I found some thin, galvinized sheet metal in the shead and made up a new one that was just a bit thicker then the original, I fit it to the barrel and got everything pinned back together.
The original lock bolts were (or at least looked like)10x32 so moving up to 1/4x28 isn't all that much more. I checked and they won't interfear with the locks operation so since I"ve already got it drilled for 1/4x28 that's what I'd like to go with.
I have the but just about flat enough to screw/glue the new piece of wood(I'm going Oak, since that's what I've got on hand.) to the stock. Then when it's dry I'll shape it to match the contour of the stock. That extra inch will deffintaly bring the lines back to the stock, I may even put a piece of leather on that as a kind of butt pad. Not really sure yet, I may just keep it wood and cross check it.
It is coming along, wife's not happy about spending money on it but hey, ya' do what ya' have to do.LOL.
The hard part will be getting the small parts, that'll run about $25 bucks plus shipping, she's not going to like that, I'll have to be extra nice to her for a while. LOL. :thumbsup:

 

[TN.Frank]

Quick update. I was able to burn the ramrod hole open with the mauser cleaning rod. I'd heat the large cleaning tip to red hot then poke it thru the hole to burn it open. I managed to burn it back to the front lock screw which is good. I'll probably have to tapper the ramdod but nothing like the 1/4" that the original rod and hole was. Slowly but surley.

:hmm:

 

[kentucky bucky]

The guy I got the gun from mentioned Tip Curtis to me but I didn't have a pen to get his number, thanks for the number.
As for the tenons the rear one wasn't in the barrel very well. I found some thin, galvinized sheet metal in the shead and made up a new one that was just a bit thicker then the original, I fit it to the barrel and got everything pinned back together.
The original lock bolts were (or at least looked like)10x32 so moving up to 1/4x28 isn't all that much more. I checked and they won't interfear with the locks operation so since I"ve already got it drilled for 1/4x28 that's what I'd like to go with.
I have the but just about flat enough to screw/glue the new piece of wood(I'm going Oak, since that's what I've got on hand.) to the stock. Then when it's dry I'll shape it to match the contour of the stock. That extra inch will deffintaly bring the lines back to the stock, I may even put a piece of leather on that as a kind of butt pad. Not really sure yet, I may just keep it wood and cross check it.
It is coming along, wife's not happy about spending money on it but hey, ya' do what ya' have to do.LOL.
The hard part will be getting the small parts, that'll run about $25 bucks plus shipping, she's not going to like that, I'll have to be extra nice to her for a while. LOL. :thumbsup:

The lock bolt (10-32) is plenty big for the job. Many folks use one 8-32, and it works just fine if everything is fitting properly.Just my $.02.

 

[Zonie]

Just for information:
One little #10-32 screw, if torqued up to 5 foot pounds of torque will generate over 1100 pounds of squeeze (pressure on the clamped item).
That's like parking the front wheel of a Buick on the part.
Most folks don't really have an understanding of how much potential power one little screw has.

 

[TN.Frank]

I think I am going to plug the front lock screw and hole and just use a single 1/4x20(since I've already got the lock hole drilled with a No7 and I've got a tap, that'll save me money) to hold the lock on. I think the single screw will be better since it'll make taking the lock off to clean easier.
Now, not to change the subject but beings it a Dixie barrel would a .390 or .395 round ball with a linen or thicker pillow tickin' patch work better?
I'm using a .490 with a[url] med.thin[/url] linen patch in my A&H Mt.Rifle and I've got a yard or so of thicker pillow tickin' also. So do we go smaller ball/thick patch or larger ball/thinner patch?

 

[paulvallandigham]

You really need to measure the bore of that barrel to answer this question accurately. Use an inside caliper to measure both the groove diameter, and the bore diameter. Holding the calipers on the top of the lands can be difficult, and if you have an odd number of lands and grooves, you will need a special barrel caliper to do that job. Talk to your local machine shops. Most of the guys are into guns, and will be happy to do this simple chore for you just to see the gun. Be nicer to them. If they have a coffee fund, contribute. Its a lot cheaper than buying that caliper. Or have pizza delivered for lunch. Barring that exercise, the only thing you can do is start with the smaller sized ball( .390, and use first the thin patching, and then the thicker patch. See how it shoots. 45-50 grains of FFFg should be a good starting load out to 50 yds.

 

[TN.Frank]

I went ahead and ordered a Lee .395" round ball mould. That's what Dixie recomends for their barrels so I'll give it a try. Man, did my wife get mad at me, I put $72 bucks on the Credit Card and she blew a fuze.:yakyak: I really do need to find a job so I won't have to listen to her whenever I buy firearm related stuff. Oh well, at least I've got EVERYTHING I need to get the gun working. :winking:

 

[TN.Frank]

Man,is it really starting to come together. I worked in the new butt plate/extention and it looks good. Gives the stock the right length and lines now. I opened up the ramrod channel thru the top of the barrel channel(long story, don't want to get into why I had to do it.)and made up a nice ramrod, poorboy style with a hand cut jag and a spring on the other end that acts as a worm. Stained the stock and now I'm waiting for the barrel brown to get here so I can brown the barrel. I'm going to leave the lock "clean" and not brown it. I will clean up and brown the trigger gaurd though. I think all in all it'll turn out pretty good. Can't wait until it's all finished and I can put a few shots thru it.