I'm starting to see what it's going to look like..

[Joe Yanta]

Here are a couple of pix of the nose cap. Everything is file fitted and just a friction fitted mockup at this point. Not really happy with it. It is too chopped off. It looks like the end of the rifle was just cut off square with a hack saw.

:hmm: I'm thinking that maybe the front pannel makes it look that way. Maybe if I left the front open and peened the edge inward it would look a little rounded.

Suggestions, comments would surely be appreciated.

Thanks

Joe

 

[pulaskius]

Will be interesting to see how this plays out ... you're gonna make me do one of these rifles too aren't you :grin:

 

[Birddog6]

Well, if you want one really rounded on the end you only have 3 options. A cast nosecap. Thicker material on one like you have, or forge one rounded on the end.

The one you made looks excellent with exception of it is too tall & up on the flat further than the wood it. It should be the same from wood to metal. Possibly you can take it down a tad by filing the top edge some.
You can also round the end a tad by filing it. Only way to peen it would be to weld it inside as if you solder it & try to peen it it is going to come apart most likely.

But if that is the first one you ever made, you did a Excellent job . :thumbsup:

 

[Joe Yanta]

Thanks Birddog, thats exactly what I did. I gave it some thought and soldered the front pannel to the cap. It made the nosecap very rigid where I could do some filing. I filed the top down where it is more inline with the top of the barrel channel and put some radius to the front edges. I am happy with now.

That was my first nosecap. Thanks for your comment and suggesting me to make it for my project in first place. It made a difference on the way it looks.

Joe

 

[Birddog6]

If the rest of it is iron, then the nosecap should be iron as well...... I didn't say anything on the original one as you already had so much time in it & didn't want to disappoint you. But this WILL look,much better........ IMHO :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you want a more rounded nosecap, consider soldering, or welding another piece of brass plate to the front of the current piece. Then file and round the edges. The solder joint should be only evident when you lift the barrel out of the mortise- and who cares??

With the second brass plate, make it large enough that the edge is on the OUTSIDE of the half round nose, so you can't seen a joint looking at it from the front of the muzzle.

Just plan on climbing a learning curve with everything you do the first time. It happens to everyone, even when they have a skilled mentor guiding their every move. You are doing fine here. :thumbsup:

 

[J.D.]

I can't say that I have examined very many Lemans. I have seen a couple, close up, but I don't definitively know if the open nosecap was most common, but that appears to be the case.

I think you could simply remove the sharp edge from the front of the nosecap for a slightly rounded appearance.

All in all, it's looking pretty good.

That is gonna be a sweet piece of work, once it's done.

God bless

 

[fitter]

Brass will look great on a steel nosecap,Paul.
Otherwise your gun is coming along well. You did a good job on the new nosecap. Not as bad to make as it seems. Keep those lock panels thin.Birddog is giving you good guidance. Don't listen to the peanut, oops, I mean Paul gallery. Can't build a gun with a keyboard.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Fitter: His first muzzle cap shown was made of Brass. That is what I was speaking about.

His second is now made of steel. Of course, he can solder a new piece of steel on the front of the cap, covering his existing seam, and providing material to file off round.

I apologize for any confusion I might have given to Joe. I doubt he was confused, as you seem to be. Many commercially made muzzle caps are castings. If you are going to make one of flat stock, welded, or soldered together, yourself, then you run into these problems.

Its easier to bend thin flat stock. But, then there is not enough metal on the edge to file to get the rounded "look" of a casting, unless you use either thicker flat stock for the nose plate, or solder two thicknesses of the thin stock together to make the nose plate.

One plate is cut to the inside dimensions, as Joe has already done hear. The second plate is large enough to cover the seam of the first.

Cheers. :thumbsup:

 

[Joe Yanta]

You gents have been great. Thanks for all your help and guidance.

Let me know if I am posting too much of this.

Joe

 

[J.D.]

Hey, lookin' good. Posting too much? Not at all.

It's good to see someone actually make use of the advise offered on the forum. The questions and photos are a good learning opportunity for other forum members who are in the midst or planning stages of their own builds, so keep 'em comin'. :grin: :bow: :thumbsup:

God bless