Improving a India gun...

[gizamo]

A while back I decided to buy an Middlesex Village Trading Co. gun to see what all the fuss was about. I wasn't interested in acquiring a HC/PC gun for re-enactment. What I was interested in was a low cost alternative gun that would give good service. From day one, I was impressed with the guns accuracy and reliability. However, it lacked some things that many would consider necessary for a modern gun. The lockwork, while well made, had a horrible trigger pull and was gritty. In all honesty, there must be about 3-4 hrs of labor in getting it smoothed out. It now has a very reasonable trigger pull weight and when it breaks it is without any creep... It is better than most of the better production guns out there.

What I (and most others) can't get past is the laquered finish with a wash of color... This is done to hide the obvious use of Teak. I spent the better part of a week's spare time...stripping the gun and redoing the finish to look like walnut.

The front sight looked like a lug from a AC/DC welding attachment. It was useless and caused the gun to shoot extremely low. Taking a good 1/4" off
it's height, thinning it, and round filing it's base gave it a great sight picture..

Finally, the ramrod itself is wimpy. It is fashioned like many military rods with a taper to the end. My plan is to rebore the channel and make up a new rod for the gun. Heading into the machine shop over the weekend to see if that can't be accomplished.

Anyrate... :wink:


Before

After

 

[spudnut]

I realy did a job on my 1717(can't figure out how to put pics on here)
I first stipped everything off it and gave all the metal parts the mustard treatment,Got a very nice patina on em.Now are you ready to cringe?I took a propane torch and flashed the finish all over the wood :youcrazy: and bubbled up all the varnish then sanded it down leaving a slight char finish(can you say dark wood?).
I then decorated the butt end in a swirled pattern and pounded little white glass beads into the stock and filed em off smooth,Oiled the heck out of it with linseed oil and put it back together.It still needed something so I found a large cross of lorraine trade silver pendent and nailed it to the side of the butt.Ive got it down now where I can keep a pretty good group off hand with it at 25 yrds.
I also have a cookson fowler from Middlesex.It got a gentler treatment I stripped it with paint stripper ,sanded it and stained it with dark walnut stain and mustard treated the steel parts.The only abuse it got was I burned my initials into the left side of the butt(very discreet :wink

 

[mazo kid]

Well done! Now you have a gun that is unique.

 

[gizamo]

I've been debating the barrel and lock finish. One side of me wants to keep it bright and the other wants to age it.

Do you recommend Hellman's or Grey Poupon? :rotf:

I'm thinking of putting the ramrod into a metal lathe and boring a hole into the end for about 12 inches. My thought is to insert a steel rod to take the whip out of the wood.

 

[spudnut]

Put in a search for "indestuctible ramrod" there's a guy out there making em with a steel rod all the way through the wood rod and the article says their really light too.
I used simple yellow mustard,I had to do it about three or four times to get what i wanted.

 

[xtimberman]

Be sure to take photos of your ramrod work. I'm not clear on what you're gonna do.

xtm

 

[paulvallandigham]

Plochner's mustard is the most common brand of mustard available. ( and usually the cheapest!)

Its the vinegar- a mild citric acid- in the mustard that does the discoloring and etching of the steel. The rest of the ingredients in mustard just help to hold the vinegar against the surface of the metal long enough to do the job.

I have never been able to justify those wooden rods with the steel cores that are available. However, if you want to put some weight under the barrel, they represent one choice. A brass rod is another. :thumbsup:

 

[gizamo]

Paul,

I thought about doing a brass rod. Tapering the end was why I thought about a steel insert. Having access to a lathe makes the brass rod able to be done. Let's say - to be continued for now. :wink:

Here is the gun barrel and lock, aged as of today.

 

[trent/OH]

Are there advantages of having the sight so far back from the muzzle?

 

[Sharps1863]

So how long did you leave the Mustard on to get that dull finish on the barrel and lock, I re-done the stock on my Middlesex Baker Rifle and I too do not like that shiny finish on the metal work.

 

[gizamo]

In this case, about 4 hours.

First, I cleaned the gun metal with Acetone to remove any grease. What I wanted was the high polish to freckle with the mustard. That was all the mustard needed to do. After a thorough cleaning, I then did a cold blue on the rest of the gun's metal. This was immediately nuetralized with Rem Oil and a rigorous scrubbing of 0000 Steel wool. I then cleaned the gun with Howards Feed and Wax. Late today, the gun was neutralized and treated with Howards, again. This step helped to take care of any flash rusting....

 

[spudnut]

I did about three overnight treatments,I then washed off the mustard and polished it with burlap then oiled it up.Gave it a nice mottled grey finish.I'll try to get some pics up.