"Restoring" a basket case original.

[IanH]

I got the lock browned last night. 150⁰ water got it to match the original "patina" (oiled, crusty, red rust to a machinist, "patina" to fawning collectors) of the barrel and trigger guard exactly. Closeups make that pitted epoxy look terrible, I thought the pits would look like aged/damaged wood around the lock and breech but now I'm not so sure. I might blend it in with the blacking before filling just to see how it looks.

 

[appalichian hunter]

I think with use the lock panels will adjust themselves. Looks O.K.to me. Couple years from now the gun will take back its own look, which to me would be the objective. Most people would never notice it.

 

[IanH]

I went ahead and darkened the area around the lock, it's drying now, we'll see how it turned out in a little while.

 

[IanH]

It's looking ok, put a thin coat of plain finish on to seal it up. Will post photos later when it dries.

 

[IanH]

Worth the time, I think. I did go ahead and degrease the tang barrel up to the rear sight and soak it in 150⁰ water, couldn't get that browningbtobturn any darker though. At this point I'll probably just leave it as-is.

 

[IanH]

Here's how it looked when I received it:

And after stripping off the finish and scraping out the punky spots:

I think it's a vast if not historically correct improvement, and really love this little rifle and how well it shoots.

 

[SDSmlf]

Here's how it looked when I received it:

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And after stripping off the finish and scraping out the punky spots:

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I think it's a vast if not historically correct improvement, and really love this little rifle and how well it shoots.

I have not read the entire thread from the beginning, but basically you took an original a later Ohio style percussion gun and converted it to a flintlock? Did you refresh or reline the bore while you had it apart?

 

[IanH]

Also, a shot of the "alligatored" tinted varnish that had been put on top of the original finish by the last guy to blend his bumblefluckery of filling and crack repairs. Note the dip in the comb where wood meets buttplate, the daylight between trigger guard and stock a the back, and the wood swelled around the patchbox lid. The patch box was willed with beeswax lube and it had corroded the hinge and spring so badly from the inside that it would barely open. The silver horseshoe inlay was loose in the stock, it's a wonder it hadn't fallen out and gotten lost. I removed, re inlet, and glued all three of them in. All that is fixed.

 

[IanH]

I have not read the entire thread from the beginning, but basically you took an original a later Ohio style percussion gun and converted it to a flintlock? Did you refresh or reline the bore while you had it apart?

The bore was in surprisingly good condition, only pitted in the grooves. The problem was it had about 10-12 loose spots in it even after cutting it down to 30", so I poured lead laps and worked it over for half a day, swaging laps and adding compound every few strokes. It is better and quite shootable, but not perfect. If I pay attention to my ball and patch placement, it will group consistently under an inch at 25 yards from a rest and with spit patches is as easy to load after 25 shots as the second shot. Cleaning, naturally, is a little more complex than if it were a new bore.

 

[appalichian hunter]

I like it, nice job on bringing what was an un-usable piece back to life, that's what they were originally built for. Many more years ahead of that gun. If I can't shoot them, I don't want them no matter how old they are. Currently have a probably made in the late 1800s percussion long gun, hand forged barrel that needs the barrel re-done. When I have the time to do it off it goes to Bob Hoyt other than that the gun is in very good condition, Original Gloucher percussion lock that is very strong and works well. Thinking 1 in 60 round bottom rifling in 40 cal. It is about 33 cal. from what I can measure and there is plenty of metal in the barrel walls to get there. The builder's name is inscribed in the top flat but very worn, the best I come up with is Shetromphf, even chalking the name did not help. researched the name in various places but nothing on the builder, Only paid 300 dollars for the gun so a few hundred more isn't bad, to bring it back to shooting.

 

[SDSmlf]

The bore was in surprisingly good condition, only pitted in the grooves. The problem was it had about 10-12 loose spots in it even after cutting it down to 30", so I poured lead laps and worked it over for half a day, swaging laps and adding compound every few strokes. It is better and quite shootable, but not perfect. If I pay attention to my ball and patch placement, it will group consistently under an inch at 25 yards from a rest and with spit patches is as easy to load after 25 shots as the second shot. Cleaning, naturally, is a little more complex than if it were a new bore.

Probably would have refreshed (if trying to save money compared to a rebore or relining) the bore with a wooden plug, cutting insert and shims, and maybe a light reaming based on your description. Not much more work than lead laps, and maybe less, plus it really cleans up the bore. Even on a rat rod project like this I always find it best to have the bore in good shape, as nothing else guides the projectile once the powder charge lights up. But it’s your gun, and if you are happy, guess that’s all that matters.

 

[IanH]

Probably would have refreshed (if trying to save money compared to a rebore or relining) the bore with a wooden plug, cutting insert and shims, and maybe a light reaming based on your description. Not much more work than lead laps, and maybe less, plus it really cleans up the bore. Even on a rat rod project like this I always find it best to have the bore in good shape, as nothing else guides the projectile once the powder charge lights up. But it’s your gun, and if you are happy, guess that’s all that matters.

I'm quite happy with it, the bore is actually pretty good, just the grooves have small, even pits throughout. It loads and shoots fine, which is all I care about.

I have another barrel that needs that done, just might give "freshing" it a go. Instead of a wood plug, I'm thinking about casting a pewter bore slug about 4" long and machining out a groove for a single-point, HSS cutter. My concern is getting a variable twist, hopefully engaging six of seven grooves will minimize this. might have to cast a second one after recutting and indexing three grooves.

 

[SDSmlf]

I'm quite happy with it, the bore is actually pretty good, just the grooves have small, even pits throughout. It loads and shoots fine, which is all I care about.

I have another barrel that needs that done, just might give "freshing" it a go. Instead of a wood plug, I'm thinking about casting a pewter bore slug about 4" long and machining out a groove for a single-point, HSS cutter. My concern is getting a variable twist, hopefully engaging six of seven grooves will minimize this. might have to cast a second one after recutting and indexing three grooves.

Wood plug with steel insert(s) and shims has proven to work, and it easily follows the existing rifling. Cutting new or different rifling is a bit more complicated. Don’t know about 4” long cast pewter plug with a groove for a single point tool being able to pull it off. More than I have tried. Have always followed existing rifling or let someone with a proper rifling machine do the work to change things. Go for it and report back. Always a rebore or sleeve if it doesn’t work out.

 

[Thomas.bill92]

Nice shooter my man, good work!

 

[IanH]

Nice shooter my man, good work!

Thanks! I've enjoyed dolling it up and have learned a lot about stock shape and form from shooting it, even though I'm left handed/left eye dominant and the LOP is what I consider about 3/4" short for me, the rifle hangs and points perfectly when mounted the way it was intended.

 

[Bad Karma]

I guess I should have let my mother-in-law donate it to the prop department of the local community theater like she did with her late husband's entire, pristine WWII military uniform collection before any of us could stop her.

It IS tinted Acra-glas, as I mentioned, black. BONDO IS PINK. You can't match color accurately with epoxybdies, don't even try, the only color that ever works for repairs is black.

There were two coats of finish: some of the original and the heat-damaged coat of tinted varnish which had also been slopped on some of the furniture and covered up a lot of crack filling and repaired splits on both sides of the front forestock which had been done with original, liquid Acra-Glas by the last guy who set the barrel back an inch without moving the tenons in the barrel to match the original stock holes. So if you think that was original finish you aren't as smart as you think you are.

Not safe or shootable and not structurally sound is not "in nice shape to start with", as far as I'm concerned, we'll just have to disagree on that one, maybe it is to some. Neither can you say I destroyed it. It is almost finished, looks quite nice, wears all the evidence of all that has been done to it by various people throughout history to keep it in usable condition, and will live on by people who will care for it and enjoy it for the reasons it was crafted in the first place. If that bothers you, that's too bad.

The point is taken but poorly delivered. It is no wonder this sport is declining with the attitudes expressed by some. Have fun clinging to your rotting antiques which really should be in static display in museums instead of hoarded in small personal collections by a few.

Goodbye.

I’ve wondered too when patina stops building. 30 years ago? 5 minutes before an enthusiast purchases some old beat to snot relic? Or does patina never end as long as an arm is in use by its owner?

 

[IanH]

"Patina", or decay?

Eventually with regular use and oiling, a smooth blue-brown forms in the areas of metal not handled much, and it remains a burnished almost charcoal blue-brown in the areas handled. The wood finish and stain wears through to bare wood in places over time and the bare wood stains from hand oils and grime. At that point it's pretty stable as long as a good cleaning and oiling regimen is maintained. Almost no rifles survive without at least some period of neglect which disrupts this patina formation, such as rust and rain, or some new inheritor doing a crazy deep clean on it like taking the barrel and lock to a wire wheel to "brighten" things up and slopping a coat of tinted varnish on the stock with a brush to "refresh" the tired finish.