Inlay question

I am no where near ready to attempt building a rifle from a kit. However, I would like to do some inlay work on my rifle. Nothing extensive, maybe just a hunters star or some small scroll work with silver wire to give the piece some identity and style. Is there any resource I can use to help determine what inlays would best suit this parttern of rifle or am I better off going with my gut (and capabilities)?

 

[rootnuke]

:hmm: What kind of rifle is it?

 

It's a Lyman GPR .54 flinter. Which, by the way, I had one heck of a time with at the range today. I could not get this puppy to bark until after at least a series of 12 miss fires and pan flashes. Then it was fine -- but by then I had severely depleted (exhaused is a better word) my primer FFFF and had to rely on FF as prime charges. It was so cold too that my feet still are not warm. Deer hunting tomorrow -- they will warm up then.

 

[Zonie]

IMO, although your GPR wouldn't have had much in the way of inlays if it was being used by the Trappers, its style is in the early era when the Ohio rifle was being developed for use in more civilized areas
.
The Ohio rifles were typically smaller bore half stock guns which did use inlays so having them on your gun would not be out of place.

I don't have any photos of these Ohio guns so I'm totally guessing, but I would think stars, Eagles, acorns, hearts, ovals and a number of similar inlays would have been used.

By this time, German Silver had been invented so you might want to keep that in mind.
Although Sterling Silver inlays are nice (and available in inlays from Muzzleloader Builders Supply) the silver does tarnish rapidly when it's around black powder smoke.

Bottom Line? Because your gun is a Flinter, it represents the late Flintlock era so inlays common to the earlier guns would not be out of place. It also represents the Half Stocks that replaced the fullstocks so simple inlays would be appropriate.
In other words, use whatever makes you happy. After all, it's you that you need to please. ::