Making a Rev War Period British Carbine

[dave_person]

Hi,
There was not a lot of cavalry action during our War for Independence on either side. The American army had very few mounted troops. Despite some special combined loyalist and British units like Tarleton's British Legion, only 2 British mounted units served in the war, the 16th and 17th light dragoons. Several historians believe the 16th was armed with pattern 1776 Royal Forester's carbines and the 17th with the pattern 1773 Elliot carbine. Both were very similar with the main difference being the Royal Forester's carbine had a more expensive flat faced lock whereas the Elliot mounted a typical round-faced carbine lock. My shop is tasked with making a carbine for a recreated unit of 17th light dragoons. The problem is that nobody has a clear idea of what the pattern 1773 Elliot carbine looked like in detail and one prominent author doesn't believe any Elliots were ever issued to British troops serving in America. Nonetheless, there are several surviving Elliot carbines with purported Rev War provenance but they all show great variation in details and several of them may have been altered during their service life. We were asked to build a carbine representing one used early in the war (1776-1778). My shop works closely with the collections at Fort Ticonderoga so our first job was to visit the Pell Research Center at Fort Ti and examine any examples in their collection. Our research at Fort Ti and other collections convinced us that the pattern 1773 Elliot was issued and present in America. However, none of the surviving examples of which we know shows unambiguous features indicating use during the early part of the war. Most have locks and other details that could only be produced late in the war or even after the Rev War. We are using a stock and components made by the Rifle Shoppe, however, they represent Elliot carbines from the late 18th century or early 19th. For example, the marking's on the lock plate were clearly stamped like later India pattern Brown Besses. The marks on a real pattern 1773 lock plate from an early Rev War carbine would be engraved. So there is much remedial work to do with the parts set. Anyway, here is the beginning of the project showing Maria inletting the barrel lugs.









We already built the lock and fitted the barrel. As usual, we strengthened the barrel channel with a varnish thin coat of AcraGlas. The ramrod hole in the fore stock was routed from the bottom of the barrel channel so we glued in a strip of wood to cover the slot and then applied the AcraGlas. Inletting the barrel tang was a nightmare because TRS cuts the apron around the tang. What happens it when you stab downward to cut in the side of the tang mortise, the outside of the apron cracks away because it has little wood to support it. I wish TRS simply would not cut the apron. Leave the excess wood in place and let the maker cut the apron. It would not be a problem if the wood was English walnut or maple but the black walnut used by TRS just does not have the density or strength.



The lock plate is in and the we made the sideplate. The one included in the parts set is copied from the Royal Forester's carbine and is found on later Elliot carbines. However, early Rev War carbines may have had scaled down pattern 1769 short land musket sideplates. So we made one from sheet brass.





It is not simple because it also has to be able to attach the side sling bar.




Here is the side plate provided by TRS and it is copied from the Royal Forester's carbine. Some late 18th century Elliot carbines used the side plate as well but it is unclear what the early guns used other than one example with a short and pattern musket side plate.




The Elliot has an effective way to prevent the ramrod from sliding out while bouncing around on horse back. The swelled portion behind the tip has a groove, which catches the end of a groove in the nose cap. The ramrod catches the lip of the nose cap and is secured in the stock until needed.






More to come,

dave

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
More work done. The lock is in and functioning properly.



All of the cast in markings on the lock plate have to be removed and correct engraved marks added. The TRS lock has markings from the carbine pattern for 1799 and appropriate for wars against Napoleon not the American War for Independence. I also inlet the trigger plate and installed the tang bolt.



Note the slot in the plate is offset to the right bringing the trigger bar closer to the lock plate. The partial machine mortise was a little off center but not enough to really matter.

I inlet the ramrod pipes. They went in nicely and the tang of the rear pipe just needs to be filed flush with the stock.





Normally, installing ramrod pipes is a trivial task but not on the Elliot and Royal Forester's carbines. The steel ramrod has a swell and cannelure (groove) that catches behind a lip on the front of the nose cap. Here is a photo of an original showing the ramrod and groove. The purpose was to make sure the ramrod did not fall out while the dragoon was bouncing along on horse back.



The TRS stock had a machined ramrod channel way too shallow for that system to work. The web of wood was too thick to allow the rod to butt up under the nose cap. I had to deepen it a lot. That presented me with a problem. I drilled the forward barrel pin hole nicely in the forward lug but not realizing how much deeper the ramrod groove had to go to make the catch system work. When I deepened the groove properly there was too little wood under the forward barrel pin to give it much strength. So I installed a new barrel lug and filled the hole I drilled. It will disappear when I am done. Then I drilled a new barrel pin hole higher up in the stock. I discovered that the position of all of the pipes effects how securely the locking mechanism works. It is not just a function of the front trumpet pipe. Every pipe has to work together to force the cannelure into the lip of the nose cap. It was very fiddley and required multiple adjustments in the depth of the pipes to get right, but I did.



More to come.

dave

 

[PathfinderNC]

Dave, it’s certainly captivating to read and see the technical skills you employ in these builds, but I also really enjoy the background history and idiosyncrasies you provide on the particular guns you build. It makes reading and following these a tutorials a much more interesting learning event.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
I am getting close to the home stretch for this gun. The butt plate is on and fits nicely. You can see a bit of the rough stock profiling near the toe of the plate. It will be fine.







There is no lug under the tang for a cross pin on the plate so I am debating about just drilling and mounting a pin for looks or attaching a lug. The brass is quite thick and the tang is rigid so it doesn't need a cross pin to hold it down fast to the stock. I'll decide a bit later.

I installed the trigger and pinned it. I have to change the shape of the trigger a bit because the originals do not have the big curl on the bottom. It seems TRS just includes a Brown Bess trigger in the parts set, which is not correct. I also inlet the trigger guard. It is quite thick and needed annealing to eliminate resistance to bending to the stock. It came out well.








It is really important to have the trigger guard set down firmly against the trigger plate. No gaps between them.
I also began some final shaping of the stock. Here is where I am.






I am waiting on drilling the lock bolts and inletting the side plate until after this weekend. I have an opportunity to examine an original pattern 1773 from the Rev War and want to see it before committing to the side plate we made.

dave

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
I went south to an event at Washington's Crossing State Park in NJ where we demonstrated cannon, musket, and rifle firing. At the event, I met up with a gentleman who had an original dragoon carbine that he thought was an Elliot of Rev War vintage. It was actually a pattern 1776 Royal Forester's carbine made at Dublin Castle. These are quite rare. The stock, most hardware, and ramrod system are identical to the Elliot but it has a flat lock plate and flint cock, and the slide bar for the ring is mounted differently. My jaw dropped when he offered to let me take it back to Vermont to study and use as a guide for my Elliot project. So now I have the advantage and pleasure of having a very similar original gun on my bench while making the Elliot. It does not get better than that. Here are some photos. Enjoy.


































dave

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Got a lot done. I am starting the final wood shaping and finishing and then it is stain and finish. I don't like building plain guns because they are all grunt work and no fun. The exceptions are flintlock military guns. They have their own challenges with trying to research the historical features and include them in the work. You don't have any artistic license but the nuances of the different patterns and models keeps me fascinated. With British military guns produced in the Tower of London, standards and patterns were pretty tight. Move to Dublin Castle and those standards are given a lot more free reign. Then move to these carbines, and all bets are off the table regardless of where they were made. There was a lot of variation and rarely any detailed documentation. They were described as "carbines of sorts". The firearms historians are very confused about these guns with some saying the Royal Forester's carbines were just Elliots made in Ireland. However, at Fort Ticonderoga I examined and measured a Royal Forester's carbine made at the Tower. Descriptions by famous firearms historians such as Bailey, Blackmore, Ahearn, Nittolo, Kochlan, Moller, and Neumann are confusing and sloppy because the British official documentation is ambiguous and poor. So what to do? I looked at as many original carbines as I could and all that I could locate with possible Rev War provenance. Then I just made executive decisions. The details I post today are based on those decisions and the historical provenance supporting them

Despite the side plate sent with the parts set by TRS, we made a different one based on my research concerning pattern 1773 Elliots possibly used during the first years of the Rev War. It is a scaled down version of the pattern 1769 short land musket side plate. We copied the musket pattern shown in Bailey's book "Pattern Dates ....." and reduced the size to fit the carbine lock. However, that was not sufficient. When I positioned the plate for inletting it was clear the rear lobe had to be bent downward. I heated the brass red hot and bent it down. That was all it took.



You cannot simply throw these carbines together from TRS parts. The gun is complicated if you hope to have it work the way the originals did. With the side plate installed, I was ready to fit the saddle bar. The bar has a sliding ring which is attached to the trooper's shoulder belt to hang the gun while riding. This raised a conundrum. The bar supplied by TRS is almost certainly not one appropriate for a Rev War Elliot. After a lot of research, I came up with what I believe is the right solution. It comes from an Elliot carbine sold by Joe Salter antiques that may be the best example of a pattern 1773 carbine. So many surviving carbines were diddled with over the years but this one looks to be complete and authentic. So I went with it. The rail supplied by TRS just did not look like any of the originals I examined and was probably not authentic until the 19th century. So I modified the TRS casting a lot.




This first photo shows what it was. Here is how I changed it with heating and welding.









It was based on this historical example.






The saddle bar cannot be positioned cavalierly because it cannot interfere with removing the forward lock bolt and the ring must slide free of any obstruction by the stock or lock bolts. In addition, I do not know if the originals had such a washer but I cannot conceive of the anchoring system for the bar without one. The Royal Forester's carbines have a different system but they still have metal plates supporting the screw heads. So I turned a little brass washer and inlet it in the stock.






Finally, I got a lot of final shaping done. The swell at the rear pipe is subtle.










dave

 

[dave_person]

Hi Guys,
A lot of work done but little that is of photographic interest. I am final shaping the stock but in the process I decided the brass side plate was too thin.



It was made from 5/64" thick brass and was on the margin for being too thin to prevent dimpling from screws, lock bolts, and damage. I decided to fix that so I made a duplicate plate from the same brass and soldered them together. That solved any problem that might arise. I'll post more photos tomorrow but tonight I had a spectacular sunset. That sunset along with a cold NW wind, dramatic skies, and gunshots at dusk indicating some hunter may have scored a deer epitomize living in rural Vermont.

dave

 

[springfield art]

Hi,
More work done. The lock is in and functioning properly.



All of the cast in markings on the lock plate have to be removed and correct engraved marks added. The TRS lock has markings from the carbine pattern for 1799 and appropriate for wars against Napoleon not the American War for Independence. I also inlet the trigger plate and installed the tang bolt.



Note the slot in the plate is offset to the right bringing the trigger bar closer to the lock plate. The partial machine mortise was a little off center but not enough to really matter.

I inlet the ramrod pipes. They went in nicely and the tang of the rear pipe just needs to be filed flush with the stock.





Normally, installing ramrod pipes is a trivial task but not on the Elliot and Royal Forester's carbines. The steel ramrod has a swell and cannelure (groove) that catches behind a lip on the front of the nose cap. Here is a photo of an original showing the ramrod and groove. The purpose was to make sure the ramrod did not fall out while the dragoon was bouncing along on horse back.



The TRS stock had a machined ramrod channel way too shallow for that system to work. The web of wood was too thick to allow the rod to butt up under the nose cap. I had to deepen it a lot. That presented me with a problem. I drilled the forward barrel pin hole nicely in the forward lug but not realizing how much deeper the ramrod groove had to go to make the catch system work. When I deepened the groove properly there was too little wood under the forward barrel pin to give it much strength. So I installed a new barrel lug and filled the hole I drilled. It will disappear when I am done. Then I drilled a new barrel pin hole higher up in the stock. I discovered that the position of all of the pipes effects how securely the locking mechanism works. It is not just a function of the front trumpet pipe. Every pipe has to work together to force the cannelure into the lip of the nose cap. It was very fiddley and required multiple adjustments in the depth of the pipes to get right, but I did.



More to come.

dave

Who says they don't make things in America anymore?? Real artistry.

 

[Rudyard]

Hi,
There was not a lot of cavalry action during our War for Independence on either side. The American army had very few mounted troops. Despite some special combined loyalist and British units like Tarleton's British Legion, only 2 British mounted units served in the war, the 16th and 17th light dragoons. Several historians believe the 16th was armed with pattern 1776 Royal Forester's carbines and the 17th with the pattern 1773 Elliot carbine. Both were very similar with the main difference being the Royal Forester's carbine had a more expensive flat faced lock whereas the Elliot mounted a typical round-faced carbine lock. My shop is tasked with making a carbine for a recreated unit of 17th light dragoons. The problem is that nobody has a clear idea of what the pattern 1773 Elliot carbine looked like in detail and one prominent author doesn't believe any Elliots were ever issued to British troops serving in America. Nonetheless, there are several surviving Elliot carbines with purported Rev War provenance but they all show great variation in details and several of them may have been altered during their service life. We were asked to build a carbine representing one used early in the war (1776-1778). My shop works closely with the collections at Fort Ticonderoga so our first job was to visit the Pell Research Center at Fort Ti and examine any examples in their collection. Our research at Fort Ti and other collections convinced us that the pattern 1773 Elliot was issued and present in America. However, none of the surviving examples of which we know shows unambiguous features indicating use during the early part of the war. Most have locks and other details that could only be produced late in the war or even after the Rev War. We are using a stock and components made by the Rifle Shoppe, however, they represent Elliot carbines from the late 18th century or early 19th. For example, the marking's on the lock plate were clearly stamped like later India pattern Brown Besses. The marks on a real pattern 1773 lock plate from an early Rev War carbine would be engraved. So there is much remedial work to do with the parts set. Anyway, here is the beginning of the project showing Maria inletting the barrel lugs.









We already built the lock and fitted the barrel. As usual, we strengthened the barrel channel with a varnish thin coat of AcraGlas. The ramrod hole in the fore stock was routed from the bottom of the barrel channel so we glued in a strip of wood to cover the slot and then applied the AcraGlas. Inletting the barrel tang was a nightmare because TRS cuts the apron around the tang. What happens it when you stab downward to cut in the side of the tang mortise, the outside of the apron cracks away because it has little wood to support it. I wish TRS simply would not cut the apron. Leave the excess wood in place and let the maker cut the apron. It would not be a problem if the wood was English walnut or maple but the black walnut used by TRS just does not have the density or strength.



The lock plate is in and the we made the sideplate. The one included in the parts set is copied from the Royal Forester's carbine and is found on later Elliot carbines. However, early Rev War carbines may have had scaled down pattern 1769 short land musket sideplates. So we made one from sheet brass.





It is not simple because it also has to be able to attach the side sling bar.




Here is the side plate provided by TRS and it is copied from the Royal Forester's carbine. Some late 18th century Elliot carbines used the side plate as well but it is unclear what the early guns used other than one example with a short and pattern musket side plate.




The Elliot has an effective way to prevent the ramrod from sliding out while bouncing around on horse back. The swelled portion behind the tip has a groove, which catches the end of a groove in the nose cap. The ramrod catches the lip of the nose cap and is secured in the stock until needed.






More to come,

dave

The'Catch on the nose is the standard Elliot' I Think they are post revolt war closer to Napolionic

 

[dave_person]

The'Catch on the nose is the standard Elliot' I Think they are post revolt war closer to Napolionic

Hi Rudyard,
My research, which included looking at several Rev War provenance Royal Forrester's and two Elliots with a strong claim to Rev War issue shows the ramrod catch was standard by the early 1770s. The challenge during my research is that most surviving Elliots were from the end of the 18th and into the 19th centuries and even those likely made earlier were altered well after the Rev War. Additionally, all of the principal authors about Rev War firearms (Bailey, Neumann, Ahearn, Nittolo, Kochlan, Moller, and even Blackmore) are confused and uncertain about the Elliots. Some mislabel Royal Forester carbines as "Irish-made" Elliots, some don't think Elliots were issued despite the upgraded pattern 1773 authorized by the king. Others write the 16th dragoons (Harcourt's) were issued Royal Forester's carbines and the 17th dragoons were issued 1773 Elliots. I believe the carbine I am making is the best representation of the pattern 1773 Elliot that would have been used early in the American War for Independence assuming any were issued at all. It avoids all of the features likely added later to the carbines, which as you know, were used throughout the Napoleonic wars. I came to my conclusions not by referencing the historians but by examining originals first hand. I even had a pattern 1760 full stocked Elliot carbine with dog catch in my hands to measure and photograph. Bailey and Blackmore rely on British Ordnance documents as well as collections in the Royal museums. Neumann, Ahearn, and the others rely on actual surviving guns with plausible Rev War provenance. Sometimes the two groups just don't match up and both strategies have strengths and weaknesses. I pick my way through the published work and augment it by looking at originals. As a gunmaker, I sometimes see things on those originals that the collectors and authors miss or identify incorrectly. Gun making experience helps a lot.

dave

 

[Rudyard]

Hi Rudyard,
My research, which included looking at several Rev War provenance Royal Forrester's and two Elliots with a strong claim to Rev War issue shows the ramrod catch was standard by the early 1770s. The challenge during my research is that most surviving Elliots were from the end of the 18th and into the 19th centuries and even those likely made earlier were altered well after the Rev War. Additionally, all of the principal authors about Rev War firearms (Bailey, Neumann, Ahearn, Nittolo, Kochlan, Moller, and even Blackmore) are confused and uncertain about the Elliots. Some mislabel Royal Forester carbines as "Irish-made" Elliots, some don't think Elliots were issued despite the upgraded pattern 1773 authorized by the king. Others write the 16th dragoons (Harcourt's) were issued Royal Forester's carbines and the 17th dragoons were issued 1773 Elliots. I believe the carbine I am making is the best representation of the pattern 1773 Elliot that would have been used early in the American War for Independence assuming any were issued at all. It avoids all of the features likely added later to the carbines, which as you know, were used throughout the Napoleonic wars. I came to my conclusions not by referencing the historians but by examining originals first hand. I even had a pattern 1760 full stocked Elliot carbine with dog catch in my hands to measure and photograph. Bailey and Blackmore rely on British Ordnance documents as well as collections in the Royal museums. Neumann, Ahearn, and the others rely on actual surviving guns with plausible Rev War provenance. Sometimes the two groups just don't match up and both strategies have strengths and weaknesses. I pick my way through the published work and augment it by looking at originals. As a gunmaker, I sometimes see things on those originals that the collectors and authors miss or identify incorrectly. Gun making experience helps a lot.

dave

Yes what the academics believe & what a gunmaker' READS' with the gun in his hand can differ I went by the little book De Witt Bailey put out & the other book covering the then uncertain First Pattern Royal Foresters .A late friend had one it was rifled up and I think Dublin Castle .By the time I knew De Witt it was long gone but he was interested in it naturally . I made my 1760 Elliott rifled . I had to think about it but as I kept record of numbers ect its down as' rifled '. the Royal Foresters I yet have ,its smooth. I had a correct length barrel but confused by the then unconfirmed details I cut it 2" shorter . .Oh well still nice .will try add a pic along with a 1760 L' Inf 42" barreled 'Carbine' .You like them. Non of mine have any TRS parts just my own resources .Not that I fault TRS , I shot against a TRS Baker yesterday I beat it with my 54 cal Snap rifled matchlock of delightfully crude stocking from the' Miro' timbers from an old Church in Picton The same stuff I used to make other M locks for the NZ MLAIC team' Bucks Co' might add a pic of his he shot his 40 cal Bedford Co in the same match .I added the lemon butt to fill up the picture its just a prop .
Regards Rudyard

 

[Rudyard]

Wow Hope all received OK Ile E to BC s post as he sought pics of pistols Rudyard

 

[dave_person]

Hi Rudyard,
Here are photos of 2 original Royal Forester's carbines with Rev War provenance. One was assembled by the Tower and the other at Dublin Castle. Note the Tower gun has a pinned barrel and the Irish gun has barrel keys and different stock. There is no carving around the barrel tangs and no thumb plates. Also the Royal Forester's carbine had a different attachment for the front of the saddle bar.

Clearly, there are differing interpretations of the real guns. I am fortunate to have access to important collections and I study them thoroughly but not as a collector. Rather I study them as an historian who understands and applies well supported context to the evidence and then the eye of a gunmaker.

 

[Rudyard]

Hi Rudyard,
Here are photos of 2 original Royal Forester's carbines with Rev War provenance. One was assembled by the Tower and the other at Dublin Castle. Note the Tower gun has a pinned barrel and the Irish gun has barrel keys and different stock. There is no carving around the barrel tangs and no thumb plates. Also the Royal Forester's carbine had a different attachment for the front of the saddle bar.

Clearly, there are differing interpretations of the real guns. I am fortunate to have access to important collections and I study them thoroughly but not as a collector. Rather I study them as an historian who understands and applies well supported context to the evidence and then the eye of a gunmaker.

Well I based my 'Conjectural Royal Foresters'

Hi Rudyard,
Here are photos of 2 original Royal Forester's carbines with Rev War provenance. One was assembled by the Tower and the other at Dublin Castle. Note the Tower gun has a pinned barrel and the Irish gun has barrel keys and different stock. There is no carving around the barrel tangs and no thumb plates. Also the Royal Forester's carbine had a different attachment for the front of the saddle bar.

Clearly, there are differing interpretations of the real guns. I am fortunate to have access to important collections and I study them thoroughly but not as a collector. Rather I study them as an historian who understands and applies well supported context to the evidence and then the eye of a gunmaker.

Going on the examples in De Witts booklet' Pattern Dates 'being' Royal 'like the' Blues'Carbine I went with the shell carved tang apron the later pattern clearly different but It was " My Conjectural" blind attempt ,Its a nice Carbine. chose what !.My 1760 Elliot was per his small book don't have a pic but they where 'home stocked' no B net I made it steel rod. but they might have been wooden I never handled one just went on the pic this is 1980s not the info we have now . Thanks in great part to such as you. Same for the first 1776' Tower Rifle ' Nobody knew what they where I made one anyway the very first replica I believe .Kit steered me to info & Bob Cheel sent me dims . He never credited me in his article but I took pics at his house , I worked for him sometimes muzzle links all lost. I just did later sorts Now you can get the whole shooting match from TRS. BTW his Baker B net hilt was from my wooden patterns he sent me a set of castings years ago. We met first at a Friendship shoot he gave me a gorget I sold it to Richard Moore of' Sharpes' fame as Advisor & particpant.Poor fellow lost the plot with Dementia caused by a ill cited ground charge filming in the Crimea. I thi
nk . They used troops as extras pre war he did' Horn blower' stuff too .Same film maker I think So Poor orphan R Foresters ! . but did you like the 1760 L I Carbine ? like the rest its all my stuff no TRS Kibler much if I don't disparage them just too far away & dearer than I can sell down here .
Cheers Rudyard

 

[dave_person]

Hi Rudyard,
Here is a pattern 1760 Elliot.

I've done my homework.

dave

 

[Rudyard]

Hi Rudyard,
Here is a pattern 1760 Elliot.

I've done my homework.

dave

Dear Dave yes thats the 1760 Elliot same as I made only mine was rifled & I fitted a steel rod its no59 of 1984 the l Inf is no166 of 2008. & the conjectoral R Foresters was 169 of 2008 the ' Tower Rifle' being 1985 or 6 The Lawrences E, I, Coy musket being about that time its in the RA now (I tried to give them a Scots snaphance Curater wanted it but minions clerical staff wanted to make a meal of it costing hundreds ) . P on that nonsense. I did make two Elizabethan matchlocks & kit for the Gunner of the Golden Hinde there in a Winnipeg museum . nothing too authentic but real enough for there purpose collar of bandaleers ect . I shot one at Bisley then hitched down to Appledore to deliver them worked on her rigging out in Hinke's yards .Might have been crew but was trading into India at the time so wasnt to be . Sam still lives in' the Peg '.
Pity since Ive never been sea sick & can sing off Key sea Shanties with the best of them . did crew a Cayman Island Tramp & once as fireman on a Steam Corvette . Not quite the same but' a road not taken' in sail . the ' Andalusea 'Replica looks well. But my creaky joints would disagree .Sucks being old Regards Rudyard

 

[deerstalkert]

among my many other faults I have never been drawn to Military arms of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Now Dave , you come along and i felt that familiar flutter in my old heart signaling the start of another love affair. You had me at "Carbine". I am powerless when it comes to any type of gun if it includes Carbine in its pronouns!
should my pump not blow a seal in the next 6 months I may have my backlog caught up, and have time to start another attempt. I will be studying your build and the research you shared.
that flutter is now into full flight. i am in love. what a very cool rifle.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
I am no fan of cast in engraving. I have to remove most of it on the lock so I can engrave the proper markings. The cast in marks must be from a pattern 1799 Elliot in which the borders and marks are stamped like on India pattern Brown Besses. For a pattern 1773 Elliot, the marks must be engraved and look like the typical engraving found on pattern 1769 and 1777 Brown Bess muskets. I can preserve most of the crown over GR but I will clean it up by engraving. The "TOWER" mark had to be completely removed and also the borders.



That involved a combination of filing and welding over. I have more to do because I cannot use any of the cast in border. Same with the flintcock. I have to remove all the cast in border.



The cast lock parts are not TRS' s best. The lock plate has so many casting depressions and almost none of the edges or borders of things are crisp and even. It is all very wobbly. I have to do a lot of cosmetic cleanup. We built up the lock into a very fine one internally but the exterior needs to be brought up to the same standard. I also altered the front ramrod pipe to work better with the nose cap catch. I handled quite a few original Royal Forester's and Elliot carbines while doing research for this project. On every one, the ramrod engages the catch on the nose cap very securely and with an audible "click". On my carbine, the catch engages but not with the same solid feel and click of the originals. The reason is the ramrod hole in the stock was routed such that it was angled slightly up toward the breech of the barrel. When the rod in in place the front end wants to rise up out of the ramrod groove. The ramrod pipes have to hold it down securely to engage the nose cap. Unfortunately, the inside diameter of the forward pipe is too large and just does not put enough downward pressure on the rod to engage the nose cap securely. I inlet the forward pipe as deeply as I dare so I had to do something else. The solution was to simply solder a little shim inside the pipe to reduce its diameter and force the rod down into the groove and catch.




It was very easy to do and I funneled the forward end of the shim so the rod slides over it without catching. It now works just like the originals.

I finished shaping and smoothing the stock, whiskered it, and applied stain and finish. During whiskering, I started with a dilute black water-based stain. As I scraped and sanded it off with 220 grit paper, it revealed the rough spots requiring more sanding or scraping. The black pigment also imbedded in the open grain of the walnut, which I want. Next I whiskered again but with a coat of pure yellow aniline dye dissolved in water. I sanded off the stain and whiskers with 320 grit paper. Next, I dyed the stock again with yellow stain but also red alkanet root infused in turpentine. Finally, I started putting finish on the stock. I tinted it with alkanet root but also a little LMF walnut stain to darken it a bit. I will continue to use the tinted finish until done. The stock sure does not look like American black walnut anymore.













dave