New Kit

[oldarmy]

I ordered a new kit from TOTW..
You are all to blame, by the way. that's what I tell my wife
I am going to have them install the breech plug, but cut my own dove tails.
I figure I have the three bottom ones to practice on before I have to cut the ones for the sights.
No inletting other then the barrel channel and the ramrod.
I want to inlet the lock, buttplate and trigger myself..
Working up to building from a blank.
The last kit was so much fun..It was like raising kids, so frustating and problamitac, but in the end very satifiying..
Seeing all your hard work come together. Not perfect, But functunal and one of a kind.
I do have a question, what do you use to sign your rifle?
My first one-rifle that is- has no caliber mark on the barrel, of course I know it's .40 but do you put the cal with your name?

 

[AZ-Robert]

The bug has bitten, eh? You just finished one and already ordered another! :thumbsup:

My second-hand flinter was built to order for the previous owner. It has no visible caliber marking on the barrel. If it is there, it is on the bottom of the barrel somewhere.

The rifle builder's name, and the city and state, are stamped / engraved on the side of the barrel.

 

Well... what did ya get, ya big tease?!?!?!

Would still like to see pictures of the first one!

 

[Birddog6]

I usually put my name on the top flat near the breech. If the customer wants the caliber I put it on the flat just above the lock and I put my Birddog6 stamp & a serial# on the flat just above the sideplate near the end of the breech. Some don't put anything on them at all, some just the name,

 

[rich pierce]

Putting the caliber on the bottom flat is a good idea. i've never seen an original with the caliber on the top flats. That's a recent manufactured gun characteristic (like Thompson Center .50 etc).
rp

 

[Packdog]

I believe the practice of putting the cal. and makers mark on the bottom flat came from the old days when bore runout was common. I hope that's the right term. In other words the bore would be perfectly centered at the muzzle but you may see it a little off center at the breech. Idea being to have the runout going up and down rather than left and right.
PD

Good Luck with the new kit!
PD

 

[oldarmy]

That's where I will sign it.
GM put the .40 cal on the bottom flat.Well I guess the TOTW gunsmith did that when he installed the breach plug.
My Bedford came out a little rough. I have some pictures of it, I need to get them developed- I don't have a digital- and I will post them.
I Expect howls of laughter and crys of pain from you good builders..
I pushed the bevertails back a little too far and had some problems with the shaping of the wrist.
I didn't use any sandpaper and there are some nicks and opps when I was cutting the molding/beavertails.
Anyway..
My new one
I ordered the one they call their Amercian Colonial. "Build Track's Colonial Longrifle parts set,
with 7/8" straight octagon barrel"
"Our early Lancaster County longrifle fullstock is ideal for a Revolutionary War era longrifle."
I DON'T KNOW HOW PC it is, I have read a number of remarks about how TOTW just puts parts together that are not historicaly correct.
I am a target shooter, not a hunter and while I know .40 cal is not the correct cal. I have just fallen in love with it and that's what I am going to use.
It is a very reasonabley priced kit.. Total cost exculding shipping is under $450.
with a Jim Chambers lock, GM 42", just a plain piece of maple includes all the furniture and a simple trigger.
It's going to be more work for me. A new learning plattform. Cutting my own dovetails, more inletting.
I can't wait to get going on it..
I am going to take more time on this one. For some reason I had to get the first one done right way.
Maybe it was the uncertainly of how I was actualy going to be able to build it..
It hard to explain..

 

[AZ-Robert]

My Bedford came out a little rough.

Maybe so, but you are your harshest critic. The key phrase in that sentence, methinks, is "My Bedford." She is yours in more ways than one, Old Army.

I am a target shooter, not a hunter and while I know .40 cal is not the correct cal. I have just fallen in love with it and that's what I am going to use.

I don't own any other calibers, but I've shot other guns and I still think my late Lancaster .40 is sweeter to handle and shoot. You'll like that caliber.

I look forward to watching and reading about your progress on this kit.

 

[Zonie]

:crackup: :crackup: I warned you guys!! :crackup:
This stuff is habit forming. Why do you think I have 12 of them? :crackup: ::
All of them have flaws, just like I do. Folks could find them if they looked but to me they are pieces of my life that will live on long after I've gone under so I'm happy.

Oh, the question...I stamp my initials and the last two digits of the year I built it.

Got another one! and before the first one has even had a chanch to collect any dust!!! :crackup: :crackup:

 

[DEMON]

No zonie, not flaws....character. At least that's what I tell myself. Ya need to keep us posted, army, I just started a Tennessee rifle with a precarved stock. I've built a couple of guns before but that was years ago so it's just like starting over for me. Good Luck! Demon

 

[CG6018]

Good luck on your kit, OldArmy, I readily appreciate what you are getting into. I built my bare-bones builder's bench a couple of weeks ago along the plan lines offered by Bill of the 45th Parallel and Thornapple, and my TOTW, southern mt. .36 cal. squirrel rifle has been clamped in and the process has begun. I know there will be bumps in the road, so to speak, but, like you, I am anxious to, "let the chips fall where they may!" Best wishes! :thumbsup:

 

[CG6018]

Demon, I didn't mean to slight you on your building a new rifle. Yours sounds a lot like my current attempt, and I wish you the best as well. Now, if I could just get the hang of taking photos and posting them, we could share our progress. Let's go for it! :thumbsup:

 

[DEMON]

Patriot, I think I might just finish this rifle before I get this computer stuff down pat. This gunbuilding is sort of a start over thing for me so I really appreciate all the information you and the others put up on the forum, Thanks. Demon

 

[oldarmy]

I will get the pictures developed and put on a disk.
Should be later this week.
I love shooting it. even if it rough It didn't take long to start breaking clays at 100yds with it.
It never ceases to amaze me how accurate they are once you find the correct combination.
Yea, I can see myself building a couple a year for a long time.

 

[oldarmy]

I figured out how to post pictures
I had some trouble with the beavertails and I am taking a big leap here guys and gals.
Don't be too harsh.
the next one will be better.
It was a learning experiance

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[Shooey]

Good job Old Army, she looks great!
You sure do get attached when you build them yourself, eh? :RO:

-Shooey

 

Hopefully nobody expects a first gun to look like a masterpiece here... she looks good, a little rough around the edges, but that's just character, and you can always say YOU built it and NOBODY can take that away from you.

I'm tickled you finally got some pics up on the board! More forthcoming? I'd still like to see your finished Pedersoli... :redthumb:

 

[CG6018]

Fine job, Army. Good color choice. Is this one intended for bushy tails? Enjoy it, and we'll look forward to hearing some range results. :thumbsup:

 

[reddogge]

To me building rifles was kind of like carving decoys but with more time and money invested. I never threw away a rifle or a decoy even though my skill and style changed over the years.

The rifle shoot well and the ducks seemed to like the decoys so that's the way it is with craftmanship.

No one starts out building perfect rifles or carving and painting perfect decoys.

 

[oldarmy]

I didn't have much trouble puting the pieces together.
Tha barrel and the lock,buttplate, etc. It fuctions and shoots reliably and straight
Where I really had trouble is with the final finishing. :redface:
I couldn't get the incised lines straight and removing the wood to give it the "raised" look really caused me trouble. as you can see...
I could have smoothed out alot of it with sandpaper, but chose to just scrap it.
That was also problamatic.
I had better pictures, not those close ups, but once they were posted I didn't know how to re-call.
i was tickeled to figure out how to get photo bucket and the links to all work
thanks for being kind and not commenting about what a picece of S$%t it looks like. :RO:
The next one will be better.
I am not sure if I am going to scrape that one or finish with sandpaper.. I will have to see...