My amatuer attempt at a Lehigh rifle

[tlallijr]

This is my second build so I tried to keep it simple due to my lack of experience. I had fun and learned a lot along the way. My goal wasn't to try after any particular builder but just build a general Lehigh style rifle. Overall I'm happy with my final product though there is plenty of thing's I would love to do over. I left the barrel in the white because at just 6 pounds and 9 ounces the rifle kicks like a mule and is a bit of a cheek slapper so it has me considering having the barrel relined to a .40 caliber. I'd like to shoot it a little more before I decide. I started with a stock profiled by Knob Mountain Muzzleloading, a .50 caliber Rice southern classic barrel, Siler lock from Jim Chambers and brass furniture from Knob Mountain Muzzleloading. I'm open to critique and hoping to improve on the next build. Thanks for looking. Tony

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Splendid looking firelock! Nice piece of wood, too. Lehigh guns are known to be cheek slappers due to the stock geometry.

 

[excess650]

I'm not a Lehigh fan, but what a stunning piece of wood!

Aqua Fortis or stain?

 

[Brokennock]

As someone who just likes rifles but knows nothing about building them, and little about "proper hc/pc" architecture,,,, I like it. Very nice work, beautiful finish to a great piece of maple. I love how lon and lean this style looks and the way it flows forward like from the butt out to the muzzle it just wants to stretch out and touch a distant target.

 

[Jim C]

Excellent job Tony and a beautiful piece of wood too.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Can't say as I'd call that 'amateur'...looks pretty darn god to me! :thumbsup:

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

nice rifle :hatsoff:

 

[Cowboy]

A very nice rifle! Love the wood too!
Thanks for sharing your pics. Respectfully, Cowboy :thumbsup:

 

[Onojutta]

Awesome build! I love the white barrel finish. Did you do anything to it to give it that gentle petina look?

 

[Vaino]

Good copy of a Lehigh. If a straight edge is laid on the comb above the cheek piece and projected to the breech, the end of the straight edge is quite a bit above the breech. this is sometimes a tip off that the rifle is a cheek slapper. Also if the comb is too high along w/ an incorrectly curved combline....the result is a cheek slapper.

Visit Allen Martin's website and look at the comblines of his Lehighs and they're quite different and his aren't cheek slappers. Place a straight edge on the combs of his Lehighs and it'll be below or even w/ the breech. ....Fred

 

[b737tvc]

I like the color of your stain looks nice. Nice build.

Beaver T.

 

[steve free]

Very nice looking rifle! How does it shoot?

 

[swathdiver]

You done good, nice lookin' rifle! :hatsoff:

I reckon a .38 or .40 caliber would be real nice with that stock profile.

 

[akapennypincher]

I think you did a nice job. I understand Jim Chamber sell for $35.00 a CD on how to assemble one of his kits, he explains the reasons, order to do thing, show what tools are needed, and last does a step by step assemble. Heard the CD is like 3.5-4.0 hour long, and is just wonderful tool to help you along the way.

 

[Blackbruin]

Like the finish! great color. I'm not a pro but I would say I have seen worse from a precarve,architect wise. You're not far off, that's how we learn. On my second I actually regressed from my first but I persevered..

 

[Silky921]

Well since you're just an amateur, send it over my way and I'll test drive it for a few years and report back with results.

Seriously man, be proud.

 

[tlallijr]

Thanks for the reply's! Little Buffalo, the barrel is just two years of handling and never getting wiped down. Fred, thanks for the advice.

 

[MSW]

that's a really pretty rifle!

 

[Col. Batguano]

That's Dave Keck's Stophill long profile. I built it myself. Here's the link to the original that sold last spring for $34,000 on a James D. Julia auction. http://jamesdjulia.com/item/1478a-373/

If you look at (the original) critically, you can see that the guns that we build today are far BETTER guns than many of the originals were. Not all, but many of them.

 

[Gustavo Hoefs]

I especially like the vent pick placement really nice results on the color play of the curl. As far as the recoil have you tried lighter loads? Less powder? Not such a tight fit on the patch? Is it a bullet twist or a round ball twist on the rifling? In the famous words of Hawkeye " Remember Uncas boy, light lead and little powder"