How to? An English Buggy/Target Caplock

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cmbrow

Pilgrim
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Gentleman,

I am new to this forum, though not altogether new to black powder. Some thirty years ago I attempted a Pennsylvania long rifle based on components I purchased from Dixie Gunworks: a Russ Hamm P.F. Gonter-style lock, a swamped barrel, a stock blank, and various necessary furniture. I never completed it. Graduate school and various moves intervened--all the distractions of launching a professional life. Nothing in this story can be new to you.

In recent years I've taken up target shooting with various pre-war Smith and Wessons, but as I was fondling the Russ Hamm lock a few weeks ago, I felt the sudden, irresistible urge to return to the site of my earlier failure. I've full shop now, have learned how to make artful sawdust, and am generally handy in ways that I wasn't in my wayward youth. I want to build a percussion target pistol, and I've found the one I want, more or less, to duplicate on a European auction site. The description there is as follows:

"English Proofed Target or Buggy Percussion Pistol
44 cal., single shot, 14"oct. bbl., 19" overall length. The barrel has a German silver blade front sight and a two-leaf fold-up rear barrel sight. The steel barrel retains a Damascus pattern finish and is British Proofed. This is a quality pistol with the original metal ramrod secured under the barrel. The lock, hammer, trigger guard, top tang, and breech block are engraved in a feather and vine pattern. Very fine walnut stock with German silver fore-end, barrel key escutcheon, rounded butt, and checkering. Silver nameplate on the wrist. A quality piece manufactured circa 1830-1840."
target_percussion_detail.jpg


My skills are manifestly not up to checkering and metal engraving, so I imagine a somewhat plainer version of the piece. I've searched all the common suppliers, so I have a fairly good notion of whats available, but I'm curious to have your insight into what components would most readily help to duplicate the lines and character of this beautiful pistol, or, perhaps more usefully, how would the most experienced of you go about it. the lock profile, for instance, is unusual, nor have I seen a comparable trigger guard anywhere.

In the event, I would much value any insight or advice you could provide in going about the recreation, in style and spirit, of this wonderful firearm.

I apologize for the length of this post, which combines an introduction with a very serious question.

I will thank you for any and all comments.

Chandos
 
:thumbsup: Checkering is really quite easy,Purchase a proper tool set good vise and good light. Remember towork at a comfortable height, on the balls of your feet, drive elbow tucked into your side, and work with your whole body. I checkered a pile of broom sticks first and a ballbat or two,first. lay out your pattern on the stock clearly, a white undercoat helps, make the pattern crisp, relax and start. keep the wrist stiff and rock on the balls of your feet. try it ,it's fun. really old Bob
 
Welcome to the forum. That pistol will make a nice project.

Go to members resouces near the top of the index then click on muzzle loading links, then on suppliers, then scroll down to parts.

This will provide an almost comprehensive list of suppliers.

In addition, I would suggest Turpins DVD on building pistols and the books Gunsmith of Grenville County and Recreating the American Longrifle.

Somewhere on this forum is a gunbuilding 101 tutorial. I couldn't find it to provide a link for you.

Building a pistol is very similar to building a longrifle with a coupla twists. The difficult part of building a pistol is getting the grip and length of pull correct. The Turpin video explains how to do that very well. The other books will help with building both the pistol and longrifle.

I would also suggest rethinking building the longrifle. I would, however, buy a Chambers lock in the correct style of your proposed longrifle. A high quality lock will eliminate much of the frustration associated with learning to shoot flintlocks.
J.D.
 
Check out this trigger guard at MBS:

Item: 24360 - Pistol Guard - Iron
[url] http://www.muzzleloaderbuilderssupply.com/[/url]

You may have to also consider purchasing a Hawken rifle guard and trimming and bending the tail to fit. I had to do that for my recent "trapper" build.
 
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I didn't scale the sizes, but many of the lines remind me of the Hawkin brother's work. Then again, I always thought they got their style from seeing a few English game gun's and pistols.

So, I might start with parts from Track's Hawkin pistol kit

and see if their English bar locks would fit the scale of the pistol.

If you don't find a damascas barrel, a good looking finish can be acheived with a process of browning, sanding, naval jelly and cold blue.

Good luck with the build!
 
Thanks to all for these very helpful replies.

Another round of internet excavation reveals that he available box-locks are too large by an inch or so (ca. +5") for the scale of the pistol (I scaled the image using PS and the measurements provided in the textual description). The lock plate measures just under 4 inches. I wonder whether I couldn't modify the lock-plate profile of a Hawkens pistol lock, but I haven't found an image of the actual lock mechanism to see whether there's clearance enough around the mainspring to do so.

Also, the barrel on the original is 3/4" x 14", and no one seems to offer a pistol barrel longer than 12", nor does anyone I've found offer a 3/4" barrel in .45. I could go to 13/16" without much problem, but, then, the Hawkens lock appears to be designed for a larger barrel than this, and I'm still short 2".

Furniture is readily available, as is the hooked breech assembly, but the barrel/lock issue appears a bit daunting at present.

Comments/suggestions/observations readily welcomed.

Chandos
 
Ed Rayle is about the only one out there I can think of who'll make that barrel. 3/4" is a little thin in .45 for most makers these days, but Ed uses much tougher steel than most. You'll likely wait a while for it but not as long as with some others. If you went up to 13/16", Mark Dehaas (660-872-6308) could turn one out for you in reasonably short order (a couple months) and in the length you want. With that size you could use the pre-carve Doc mentions. The architecture would also be a little better with the A. Henry lock that RE Davis makes. Sometimes you have to make adjustments for what's available. Unfortunately we don't have access to the English gunmaking industry that they did then.

Looks like a fun project, but those patent breeches aren't the easiest place to start out. One word of warning... These things are like potato chips. You can't build just one. Welcome to the forum.

Sean
 

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