muzzleloader make

[JesseJames]

I had a friend that passed away a few years back who gave me a muzzleloader (percussion). I put it in the gun safe and never really messed with it until recently. I took it out,cleaned it up,to my surprise there was alot of brass. The stock looks to be 2 piece separated by a brass ring. The stock goes all the way to the end of the barrel. The front stock looks like it is held on with 2 small pins. Maybe you could help me with some questions...

1 - the name of the gun is Jukar Spain .45 cal.?

2 - what would this gun be considered with that long stock

3 - how difficult is it to remove this stock

4 - what would be the twist

5 - how would you go about determining what the twist is

Thank you for your help

 

[musketman]

jessejames:

1. I think these were made sometime in the 1960s-1980s. They are not old, not collectible, and not valuable.
Probably fun to shoot (with black powder after being checked by a competent gunsmith) or a good decorator item for over the fireplace.

Really good to leave out for the burglars to steal instead of your valuable guns.

2. I guess it would be a Kentucky(ish) long rifle type, CVA had one like it with the Brass spacer between two stock sections, they made a good jack handle...

3. Tap the pins out with a punch and the tang should also have a screw in it as well...

4. More than likely it has a 1-48 inch twist...

5. Now for the tricky part:
To calculate the twist, take a maxi-ball and stick it in the barrel until it is engraved by the riflings it's whole length, then pull the bullet with a bullet puller... (I would install the maxie ball on the puller first and then use the ramrod to run the bullet in the barrel and out again.)

Next, measuer the length of the rifling engraved on the bullet, not the length of the bullet itself. (example: 1 inch)

From behind the engraved bullet, measure the turn of one of the riflings, hold the rear engraved part at the 12:00 position...

With a protractor, measure where the held 12:00 position rifling ends... (example: 10 degrees)

There are 360 degrees in a circle, the example bullet moves 1 inch every 10 degrees of rotation...

The example bullet will move 1 inch, 32 times (10 degrees at a time) to get back to the original 12:00 position...

This means that the example bullet will have a 1-36 inch twist...

If you can't get it, private message me with the length of the engraved rifling on the bullet and the degree of rotation (from the 12:00 position) and I will be happy to figure it out for you...

 

[JesseJames]

Thanks Musketman. Very helpful imfo. A new lesson learn. Who said that you can't teach old dogs new tricks

 

[weasel]

jesse james there is an easier way to measure rifling twist no offense to musketman. take a cleaning rod with swiveling handle attach correct jag and patch and push to the bottom of the bore. step two mark ramrod even with front sight and pull ramrod out of the barrel one foot exactly allowing rod to spin following the rifling. step three see where the original mark on rod was ex. one quarter turn past front sight equals 1/48 twist anything less possibly 1/66 or slower more than a quarter turn is a faster twist 1/32 or so
weasel

 

[Zonie]

Or use Weasels method but with the jag bottomed out on the breech plug use a black ink marker and make a mark on the rod which is lined up with the front sight and at the mouth of the bore.

Carefully pull the rod/jag out until it has turned 1/4 turn (like from 12:00 to 3:00) and stop.

Measure the distance from the end of the barrel to the mark and multiply the distance by 4.
You now have the actual rate of twist no matter what it is.

'At MooskeetMan war real nice ta offer ta do all that fancy measureing fer ye but Ah thin ma way might be easier on ye.
Lik Ah say, ye gotta be keerfull whan yer around a smoothbore shooter! No tellin whar that thing might land nor what it might hit. Tha only thin ye know for certain is whatever is was it's a really hurtin now.

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Jessy James -- pins go in from right to left so push them out the other way. Good luck. Rocky