Help picking a style of rifle

[Twisted_1in66]

If you are going to build a .45 cal. longrifle, then the Late Lancaster is a nice choice. If you are building a .50 cal. or larger, the Early Lancaster is a better choice and your shoulder will thank you for that decision.

I have two .50 cal. longrifles. One is a Golden Age imitation (1790-1820 or so) and has a deep crescent with a thin butt. The other is an Early Lancaster that was built by tg here on the forum and it has a wide butt with a shallow crescent. The Early Lancaster is MUCH nicer to shoot comparable loads with as opposed to the thin butt, deeper crescent, heavily ornamented Golden-Age rifle.

Also, when you build your rifle, pay attention to how much wood you leave on the forearm. Original rifles typically had slender forearms and production rifles typically have slabs of wood for a forearm. My "built by tg" rifle has a 44½" swamped barrel and is literally 2-lbs lighter than my Traditions production gun which has a 40¾" straight-tapered barrel.

Take a look at my avatar and you can get an idea of the thin, graceful forearm on my Early Lancaster...OK, you can't see it very well, but it is narrow and graceful. About the only trouble I have with it is keeping my fingertips from touching the barrel after firing 10 shots or so. I do/did Rev War reenactments and would commonly go through about 30 shots (all blanks) in a battle reenactment. That barrel gets HOT!

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[Micah Clark]

Thanks, one of the first things I noticed when I began getting into muzzleloading and went to some shows or Friendship was that most production guns are "chunky" compared to a nice custom. In fact some customs are surprisingly light compared to comparable sized or shorter production rifles.

I am looking for a squirrel rifle for hunting in .32.. . perhaps .36, but prefer .32 with all the .32 stuff I have.

 

[hoochiepapa]

This is my rendition of a George Schroyer rifle with a 42 inch GM barrel in .32.I'm having a blast shooting skwerls in my backyard with 7 grs. of FFFg. Not much of a report. It's flint now.

 

[hanshi]

The late style Lancaster is wonderful in .45 and mine has accounted for most of my deer kills. I have an early Lancaster in .50 that I like a lot. My main problem is that I am small and prefer an lop of 12.5" although 13" can work okay for me. Because of my necessarily short lop the butt stock on some styles get sort of "stunted". By "stunted" I mean a long, slender wrist is out of the question and the butt stock, itself, has to be slightly shortened. Basically what I mostly end up with is a "youth size" rifle. Most importantly, though, is that they fit me perfectly and that's the whole idea.

 

[Pete G]

Mike, how come there's a bird patchbox on your squirrel rifle. You after them there flyin' squirrels? :shocked2:

 

[Twisted_1in66]

+1 :rotf:

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[Micah Clark]

Very pretty rifle and stock . . .it almost looks like Walnut, but the grain looks maple. Pretty !! Thanks for pics.

 

[Dewey]

In terms of a patchbox design for a squirrel rifle, is this one better?



(Yeah, it's mine now.)

 

[Capt. Fred]

Mac - double check, but I don't think that Tip will be there on Monday the 15th. Friendship is going on for another week, and I suspect that he will be there.

Hopefully someone who knows for sure will chime in.

 

[Micah Clark]

OH NO . . . I am headed down there tomorrow. The shoot began Saturday and goes through Wed I think. I couldn't get there yesterday or today. I am really hoping Tip is there. . . I was hoping that he stays all week.

I am still considering TVM, but after several threads here, his "in the White" sounds like another very good option for me. Want to hold some of his rifles. . have many questions for him.

 

[Micah Clark]

I am not a historically correct ML guy . . . kind of new to it all . . . but my opinion is that if you have a piece of wood THAT nice . . .no patch box is better. . But my dad was a lumber salesman and a woodworker. I guess grew up appreciating the grain and beauty of God's handiwork more than would the skill of a metal worker.

 

[Bradg]

How much does an in the white kit cost from tip, or at least a good estimate of cost. I would want a basic style late lancaster

 

[Micah Clark]

i don't know but that would be my exact question too.

 

[hoochiepapa]

I read where Schroyer used birds,so.......
And I believe in doing what I want.
No matter what someone else thinks.

 

[hoochiepapa]

I think it's a little deep for you southern boys.

 

[azmntman]

I read where Schroyer used birds,so.......
And I believe in doing what I want.
No matter what someone else thinks.

:metoo: +1 :thumbsup:

 

[Grenadier1758]

I do like your rifle.

When the squirrels see the bird on the patch box, they think that rifle is for birds and they don't exercise the proper caution.

 

[azmntman]

Yep, and when I hunt elk I dress in red flannel shirt and carry my chain saw around, cows n bulls just dont even look my way! :rotf:

 

[hoochiepapa]

Because I don't hunt squirrels to eat, and consider them vermin, I built this rifle for Blue Grouse and snow shoes. I think my "bird" resembles a grouse.
Thanks for the compliments.

 

[Micah Clark]

My doctor looked at me last fall, like I had just crawled out from the swamp when he learned that I had recently eaten a squirrel.

I paused and said, "something wrong with that?" He, a vegetarian, said, "no, but they are a rodent." I said, "you make that sound like I am eating mice out of my barn along with the owls."

(unfortunately, I live in a farkin subdivision and don't have a barn, owls or mice.)