PC Lancaster

[Finnwolf]

Hello All,
I posted this on another forum and only got a few answers so I'll try here. I'm slowly building my first rifle, a Haines Lancaster from Dunlap. I'll be using it for hunting and range work.
I have no carving experience so all I'll do is a few incised lines, a star inlay in the cheek and an acorn at the thumb. I have no use for a patchbox, so there'll be none. To make up for the lack of adornment, I bought the best figured stock Wayne had.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v719/finnwolf/ih3.jpg

I don't want any bright or shiny finishes in the metal, so I'll age the brass. My questions...
Which is more true to the rifle, a blued barrel or a browned barrel? Same question for the lock. If you've build something like what I'm describing, I'd love to see a photo.
Thanks,
Finnwolf

 

[tg]

I built an Early Lancaster from TOW parts 44" swamped .50 barrel a few years ago with no patchbox, nice wood, basic incise moldings, and threw in an English import lock to mix things up a bit. I will try to find the pics,if not I will shoot some more tomrrow with the digital, I posted my thoughts on the other forum which I think would reflect the majority of builders/historians views.

 

[C_Laubach]

Hello All,
I posted this on another forum and only got a few answers so I'll try here. I'm slowly building my first rifle, a Haines Lancaster from Dunlap. I'll be using it for hunting and range work.
I have no carving experience so all I'll do is a few incised lines, a star inlay in the cheek and an acorn at the thumb. I have no use for a patchbox, so there'll be none. To make up for the lack of adornment, I bought the best figured stock Wayne had.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v719/finnwolf/ih3.jpg

I don't want any bright or shiny finishes in the metal, so I'll age the brass. My questions...
Which is more true to the rifle, a blued barrel or a browned barrel? Same question for the lock. If you've build something like what I'm describing, I'd love to see a photo.
Thanks,
Finnwolf

Finnwolf,
As far as written documentation this is the earliest I am aware of for browning;

Pennsylvania Gazette May 2, 1781

Perkin and coutty at the corner of Second and Spruce Streets,
Philadelphia, beg leave to acquaint their friends, and the public
in general that they carry on the gun and pistol making in all its
branches, where gentlemen may be supplied with guns and pistols
of the neatest and best quality, on the shortest notice and most
reasonable terms. They also blue and brown gun barrels in the
neatest manner

 

[Mike Brooks]

Here are some plainer guns I've done in the past, these may give you some ideas. The first one is iron mounted Virgia-esq, styled.
<<<POKE>>>>>
This one is even plainer and has no box...Virginia again.
<<<POKE>>>
This is an Issac Haines kit from Chambers, finished fairly plain.

<<<POKE>>>

These should give you some idea where you can go with decoration yet not get into something you can't handle. eace:

 

[Finnwolf]

Thanks, Guys. Sounds like if I want it to be a 1770 rifle, it ought to be blued (I don't want bright). Thanks for posting the pictures Mike, you do fine work. I like the accent lines along the buttplate.
Finnwolf

 

[tg]

Here is a pic of my early Lancaster, the lock and barrel were left natural and aged/patinaed a bit with naval jelly to give the impression of a few years use, it is a sort of compromise between blue and brown, don't know how the pic will show up hope it is viewable,

 

[Mike Brooks]

I like the accent lines along the buttplate.

Those are Virginia characteristics, and wouldn't be appropriate on a Lancaster rifle.....But they do dress up an otherwise plain rifle don't they? eace:

 

[Finnwolf]

Very authentic looking Lancaster TG - I love it's simple beauty. Thanks for taking the trouble to post.
Finnwolf

 

[tg]

Thank you the pic is not very good, the gun has a simple incise line terminating in c-scroll along the forestock and a line molding at the bottom of the stock and two across the cheekpiece, with a bit of incise carving in c-scrool and leaf pattern behind the cheekpiece, no patchbox, a very plain gun.