You should be able to find what you need here. Lots of video that goes into detail of step of building a gun.
https://rumble.com/c/c-913677
https://rumble.com/c/c-913677
Pecatonica NW Trade Gun Build Help
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Unless I missed it no one has mentioned locating the ramrod hole accurately. I do that before I do anything else on a pre-carved stock because if it's way off you may even have to send it back. To locate it just drill a small hole, 1/16" or so, back near the breech and centered in the barrel channel. Run a ramrod into the rr hole and with a drill bit or nail you can find the amount of wood between the barrel channel and the rr hole. You can also leave out the ramrod and measure to the bottom of the rr hole. As mentioned before, if there is not enough wood to clear the front lock bolt you have a problem.
Several ways around the lockbolt issue. Pecatonica usually has overly generous webs between barrel an rammer channels
I've not had any problems with Pecatonica either. They've been good to deal with but it's a good idea to check the layout early in the project.
I built a Pecatonica NW Trade Gun last Summer. IMHO that kit is a pretty tough project for a first timer.There are very talented craftsmen on this forum who build absolutely BEAUTIFUL guns. I’m not one of them but I enjoyed this build and I ended up with a nice looking and very serviceable gun. I live in central Texas and I built it
for small game and birds, primarily doves which are my favorite hunting challenge.
I’ll share a few things I learned on this kit, my mistakes to avoid and hopefully a bit of help to you. You’ve already read some great tips here and hopefully watched some good videos. The member who suggested that layout comes first is definitely correct. I will expand on this a bit to say that you should mark your barrel to show the location of the breach plug using a pencil or felt tip, then draw in the location of the touch hole liner far enough away from the breach plug face to get a tap to work, probably 1/8 to 3/16”. Then hold the lock up to the barrel with the pan in the correct position for the touch hole and flat up against the barrel. That is how the barrel and lock must fit together in the finished gun. Mine didn’t neatly fit the stock in that relationship. Rob M is a GREAT
trade gun builder and he suggested that fitting the barrel comes first. My barrel came with the breach plug installed and I fit them in the stock together until the tang was flush with the stock. Then I figured out that the lock inlet was NOT exactly in the right place to maintain the proper lock to barrel relationship. I had to re bed the barrel to match the lock mortise of the kit stock, Oops! My touch hole didn’t end up right in the middle of the side barrel flat but it still works. I also didn’t try to drill and tap a hole that angles from top to bottom for the tang.
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Northwest trade guns are often called easier builds i think because they have less parts, and less details. For the experienced builder they’re … easier.
They use simple hardware, some have a serpentine side plate which can be inlet or just placed on the stock. There’s usually two rammer tubes, and no trigger plate, and the tang bolt is drilled on a 30-40 degree angle from the front of the triggerguard to the tang of the breech.
If all you’ve done is a Kibler kit, then this will probably be challenge for you.
But there are certainly a vast amount of resources and great people on this forum that can assist you.
Best of luck.
longcruise
70 Cal.
Now now a Dremel will let you make your mistakes in half the time.OMG! a dremel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! guess where you are going when you die!
The dermal is not that bad a tool. Like every other tool. You have to have confidence in using it.
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I have a Dremel. I use them for car I g that is separate from assembling g a gun. Be very careful. As Elmer Fud would say.
I use chisels and scrapers and still make a mistake e wry once in a while. I get the temptation but a drew el will hog out wood before you know it.
I use chisels and scrapers and still make a mistake e wry once in a while. I get the temptation but a drew el will hog out wood before you know it.
brightboy
40 Cal
I'm following because I'm in the same boat - except mine is a pecatonica early lancaster!
I agree with the Dremel caution, unless you have a lot of experience with one. I was once a power duck decoy carver and use a Dremel and Fordom tool exclusively. I have years of experience and an assortment of bits that most people don't know exist.
I bought a GM drop-in barrel for a TC and found the flash chamber was only drilled far enough to be slightly visible under the nipple. I found my gun was slow to go off so I got out my Dremel.
Here is what I found, people I asked said this was normal but I didn't like it.
When I mentioned that I was going to extend the flash chamber with my dremel I got an instant response from some guy on how I was going to ruin my barrel, damage the nipple threads and make a mess of things. He didn't know me of course.
Anyway, I used a small round diamond bit, taped off the shaft so as not to contact the nipple threads and went to work, my optivisors have a light bar on them so I was able to see very fine detail. In about 15 minutes I had extended the flash channel to be open under the entire nipple area, I rounded off the metal to make it look like an extension to the original drilled hole.
My gun started going off like it was supposed to.
I bought a GM drop-in barrel for a TC and found the flash chamber was only drilled far enough to be slightly visible under the nipple. I found my gun was slow to go off so I got out my Dremel.
Here is what I found, people I asked said this was normal but I didn't like it.
When I mentioned that I was going to extend the flash chamber with my dremel I got an instant response from some guy on how I was going to ruin my barrel, damage the nipple threads and make a mess of things. He didn't know me of course.
Anyway, I used a small round diamond bit, taped off the shaft so as not to contact the nipple threads and went to work, my optivisors have a light bar on them so I was able to see very fine detail. In about 15 minutes I had extended the flash channel to be open under the entire nipple area, I rounded off the metal to make it look like an extension to the original drilled hole.
My gun started going off like it was supposed to.
When complete, you’re going to love that gun. Here’s mine!
It's like any other tool. Not confident don't use it. I like mine for doing ramrod thimbles. Plus some other jobs.
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