I would like to build a percussion gun that is on the lighter side and has a hooked breech. Besides the parts sets and kits based on Hawken rifles, are there any out there?
Thanks, Mark
Thanks, Mark
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parts set with hooked breech
- Thread starter markh
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plmeek
40 Cal.
Mark,
Simple answer to your question is that there are and have been primarily two different hooked percussion breeches available to contemporary gun makers. One is the "Hawken" style you mention and the other is the English style.
Beyond that, it is difficult to give you more specifics because you are very vague on the type and size of rifle you want to build stating only, "a percussion gun that is on the lighter side and has a hooked breech..."
What size of barrel are you considering? Is it straight octagon or a tapered barrel? What caliber? I assume you are thinking half stock, but don't really know.
Have you considered a commercial rifle such as the TC Seneca or Cherokee?
Simple answer to your question is that there are and have been primarily two different hooked percussion breeches available to contemporary gun makers. One is the "Hawken" style you mention and the other is the English style.
Beyond that, it is difficult to give you more specifics because you are very vague on the type and size of rifle you want to build stating only, "a percussion gun that is on the lighter side and has a hooked breech..."
What size of barrel are you considering? Is it straight octagon or a tapered barrel? What caliber? I assume you are thinking half stock, but don't really know.
Have you considered a commercial rifle such as the TC Seneca or Cherokee?
longcruise
70 Cal.
You could use something like this.
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/667/1/PLUG-TC-F-15-5
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/667/1/PLUG-TC-F-15-5
Thanks for the suggestions. I'd like to try to build something my teenage daughter would enjoy shooting. We've already built a Lyman GPR together but it is too heavy for her to handle comfortably.
The hooked breech makes the GPR easy to clean (because she does that too). And she does prefer percussion over flint.
So I'm considering a gun in or around .40 with a 7/8" or 15/16" barrel at about 32-36" long. And yes, half stock too.
Also, I've built a TOW fusil, a North Star West NW gun, a Kibler Colonial Rifle, and half a dozen commercial kits. I'd like something that presents an additional level of challenge.
Don Stith's Squirrel Rifles may fit the bill. But I am wondering if there are other options out there that I can compare.
The hooked breech makes the GPR easy to clean (because she does that too). And she does prefer percussion over flint.
So I'm considering a gun in or around .40 with a 7/8" or 15/16" barrel at about 32-36" long. And yes, half stock too.
Also, I've built a TOW fusil, a North Star West NW gun, a Kibler Colonial Rifle, and half a dozen commercial kits. I'd like something that presents an additional level of challenge.
Don Stith's Squirrel Rifles may fit the bill. But I am wondering if there are other options out there that I can compare.
plmeek
40 Cal.
I was going to suggest something like Don Stith's Squirrel Rifle. He usually offers them with a tapered barrel 1" to 7/8". That way one can use a 1" breech plug with the barrel, and still have a lighter rifle.
L&R offers a Hawken breech plug for a 15/16" barrel, so that could be paired with a tapered barrel 15/16" to 7/8" or smaller. That may be a custom order barrel, but doable. You can file 1/32" off six flats and fit this 15/16" breech plug to a 7/8" straight octagon barrel, too.
The only supplier I see with English type hooked breech plugs is The Gun Works Emporium.
They have two different plugs, one they list for a pistol. Both are for a 15/16" barrel. These have a flat or square bottom. You can file this to a more rounded shape if you prefer. The main advantage over the L&R 15/16" breech plug is the shorter tangs.
English Breech Plug & Tang - 15/16in
Pistol Breech & Tang - Percussion - 15/16in
I see that TOTW offers a Vincent Ohio halfstock rifle kit in either 7/8" or 13/16" barrel. It would take some "engineering", but you might be able to fit the Seneca 13/16" breech plug from The Gun Works to the 13/16" barrel and lock in this kit. You would need to get a used Seneca tang and might need a different (taller) hammer for the lock. You could probably find other suppliers with a Vincent Ohio halfstock rifle kit. It would be preferable to get one with only the barrel channel and ramrod hole drilled and no other inlets.
Replacement Breech Plug - TC - Seneca - 13/16 Dia
This would certainly be the most challenging approach and test your skills. It would yield the lightest rifle for your daughter, though.
L&R offers a Hawken breech plug for a 15/16" barrel, so that could be paired with a tapered barrel 15/16" to 7/8" or smaller. That may be a custom order barrel, but doable. You can file 1/32" off six flats and fit this 15/16" breech plug to a 7/8" straight octagon barrel, too.
The only supplier I see with English type hooked breech plugs is The Gun Works Emporium.
They have two different plugs, one they list for a pistol. Both are for a 15/16" barrel. These have a flat or square bottom. You can file this to a more rounded shape if you prefer. The main advantage over the L&R 15/16" breech plug is the shorter tangs.
English Breech Plug & Tang - 15/16in
Pistol Breech & Tang - Percussion - 15/16in
I see that TOTW offers a Vincent Ohio halfstock rifle kit in either 7/8" or 13/16" barrel. It would take some "engineering", but you might be able to fit the Seneca 13/16" breech plug from The Gun Works to the 13/16" barrel and lock in this kit. You would need to get a used Seneca tang and might need a different (taller) hammer for the lock. You could probably find other suppliers with a Vincent Ohio halfstock rifle kit. It would be preferable to get one with only the barrel channel and ramrod hole drilled and no other inlets.
Replacement Breech Plug - TC - Seneca - 13/16 Dia
This would certainly be the most challenging approach and test your skills. It would yield the lightest rifle for your daughter, though.
MarkH, you could also contact someone like David Keck at Knob Mountain Muzzleloading if you don't want to just get "parts", start with a blank, and build up a rifle the way you and your daughter want it. Knob Mountain can take your parts, or gather them and sell them to you, with the services to inlet those into a blank for you, drill the RR hole, etc. They can also duplicate a variety of stock shapes to make a more traditional "kit" and let you do the rest of the work. It might be worth giving him a call to see what options you have and what he would recommend.
http://knobmountainmuzzleloading.com/
http://knobmountainmuzzleloading.com/
kansas_volunteer
45 Cal.
I have a 40 caliber 15/16ths Green Mountain drop in barrel on a T/C and i belive it is much heavier than my GPR, although I haven't weighed them. The T/C certainly is muzzle heavy. For the lightest barrel in common sizes you need to go 45 caliber in a 13/16ths size. As for the Vincent kit I'd avoid it. That butt plate is just a fork ready to stab you in the shoulder. It seems to be meant to be fired off the arm between the deltoid and bicep muscles. If you research Ohio rifles you will find the Vincents were about the only smiths using that butt plate. It's an aboration.
Thanks for all the comments. This does give me a couple of other options to consider. Much appreciated!
