She ain't pretty but

[11th corps]

she is a shooter.
A number of years ago I built a southern style "poor boy" rifle in .40 from T.O.W parts. Due to a mistake that was entirely my fault I had to have the barrel-at the plug end- cut down a couple of inches. Because of this the pins no longer held the barrel in place. I would occasionally drag the gun out and tie a heavy boot shoestring over the end of the barrel to hold it in the stock-of course it was still held by the tang screw-and shoot it.
I had been looking for a new stock from Track, but last year probably due to the pandemic they were not available. In early July the stock was available and I ordered it. In the meantime I decided to see if I could salvage the old one.
I got the idea to use toothpicks to plug the old pin holes from watching a duelist1954 video. I then re drilled the holes for the pins.

I put some new finish on the stock-it walnut and pretty plain.

The front pin on the stock had to be redrilled and the resultant hole was too big for the tool steel pins. So I used a a galvanized nail, cut the head off, smoothed it down because it was slightly too large by chucking it in a drill press and using various sandpaper grits.

The butt plate has 4 screw holes. I couldn't find slotted screws with big enough heads to not pass through the drilled holes, so 2 of them are slotted and two are phillips.

I took it to the range on a hot muggy Saturday morning in Indiana. First shot at 35 yards was between the 8 and 9 rings.

After that I shot it about 20 times. I had a 1/2 gallon milk jug filled with water which I took out in one shot. Then I bounced 12 oz Pepsi cans-empty all over the back stop.
This rifle just fits me. Most of the guns-even the unmentionable-do not have LOP long enough. This gun is perfect in that respect, and its light and slim. Its really a joy to shoot even if its not a joy to look at. I guess that's in keeping with the "poor boy" moniker. I appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty of a well crafted flintlock. But I've always been a "chrome don't get you home" kind of guy. I'm drawn to the mangy dog, with a good heart. Now what am I going to do with the stock I just ordered? Maybe this winter I might try to do a better job on this rifle. We will see.

 

[Tanker]

I think it looks great. By no means am I an expert. I bet if you shoot a deer with that gun and shoot another deer with a crazy fancy gun. Both heart shots. The same results will happen. I bet the deer doesn't care which one is shooting him.

 

[OldRust]

Well done. That is a fine looking rifle.

Thanks
O.R.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I think it's excellent

 

[zerosprk]

It looks fine to me and it is a shooter so what's not to like???

 

[Ironoxide]

It looks good to me too

Cosmetic issues resulting from our mistakes, are pretty annoying when they happen. For example, years ago I banged the side of my new rifle's barrel into some concrete. Then I "fixed it" with cold blue. You can imagine how it looks to this day. However, I still had lots of fun shooting the rifle. In the long run IMO what matters is usability. How the rifle fits you, how accurately you can shoot with it (and with how much effort etc).

 

[user 49399]

I think it looks fine and apparently you hit what you’re aiming at.

All my best shooting guns have nicks, bumps, scratches, wear marks, etc. That’s because I like shooting them and they get used (not abused) a lot.

 

[ppb]

If you're happy, then that rifle is as "custom" as it needs to be and possesses a fortune in character.

Well done!

 

[Treestalker]

Looks good to me! You can get some walnut stain ( or dark brown shoe dye) and cover up your toothpick pins. After you use the gun a while, and add personal touches (inlays, tacks, hair locks, teeth, beads,trade silver overlays) and take game, etc. it will become yours indeed. The other stock you ordered is for your next build, different caliber, or smooth rifle. Keep it fun! I personally prefer plain guns so I can add regalia to suit myself. ( I have a little MicMac, Abenaki, Choctaw and Cherokee Wolf Clan blood barking at me) so life is good, and the grandfathers urge me to be creative and artful. Good shooting! George.

 

[Mule333]

The other stock you ordered is for your next build, different caliber, or smooth rifle

Agree with Treestalker. Build another, maybe 50cal…. From the photo shown, the rifle looks great. Lines are clean.

 

[sheriff john]

Looks fine to me. Better to have a gun that fits you than a safe queen that doesn't.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Looks fine to me. Shoot it, enjoy it. After a deer or two, you won't even remember the little issues.

I've always said, even the pros make mistakes. They just know how to hide them better.

 

[TFoley]

Read how the blacksmith on the Lewis & Clark expedition repaired the broken mainspring on the Girardoni air rifle to see what can be done with almost zilch by way of actual components. It's a lesson, for sure.

 

[excess650]

What you've done is what was done when flintlocks many times were converted to percussion. The breech was cut and barrel moved back in the stock necessitating the relocation of the pins. They did this with percussion guns as well when the cap fragments severely eroded the rear of the barrel.

 

[Eterry]

The old man who helped me build my Early Lancaster said the art of building is being able to cover up your mistakes.

Pretty is as pretty does, as another friend says. Looks fine to me.
Try a 5 shot group to see how your load development is. You may not need to tweak anything.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

"Get the best [hunting rifle] that you can, of course ; but do not worship it. Bear in mind that, whatever its trajectory and smashing quality, it is only a gun, and can kill nothing that you miss with it. When you get into the real wilderness far away from rich men's preserves, and summer hotels, you will find there some mighty hunters who make mighty kills with guns that would only bring the price of scrap iron in New York."
Horace Kephart Camping and Woodcraft 1912

Mr. Kephart wrote in the very beginning of the 20th century, but some of his hunting companions still used caplock rifles as they hunted in The Great Smokey Mountains, and this quote does not specify what type of rifles that he's talking about, eh?

LD

 

[Billy Boy]

she is a shooter.
A number of years ago I built a southern style "poor boy" rifle in .40 from T.O.W parts. Due to a mistake that was entirely my fault I had to have the barrel-at the plug end- cut down a couple of inches. Because of this the pins no longer held the barrel in place. I would occasionally drag the gun out and tie a heavy boot shoestring over the end of the barrel to hold it in the stock-of course it was still held by the tang screw-and shoot it.
I had been looking for a new stock from Track, but last year probably due to the pandemic they were not available. In early July the stock was available and I ordered it. In the meantime I decided to see if I could salvage the old one.
I got the idea to use toothpicks to plug the old pin holes from watching a duelist1954 video. I then re drilled the holes for the pins.
View attachment 92096
I put some new finish on the stock-it walnut and pretty plain.
View attachment 92097

The front pin on the stock had to be redrilled and the resultant hole was too big for the tool steel pins. So I used a a galvanized nail, cut the head off, smoothed it down because it was slightly too large by chucking it in a drill press and using various sandpaper grits.

The butt plate has 4 screw holes. I couldn't find slotted screws with big enough heads to not pass through the drilled holes, so 2 of them are slotted and two are phillips.

I took it to the range on a hot muggy Saturday morning in Indiana. First shot at 35 yards was between the 8 and 9 rings.
View attachment 92100
After that I shot it about 20 times. I had a 1/2 gallon milk jug filled with water which I took out in one shot. Then I bounced 12 oz Pepsi cans-empty all over the back stop.
This rifle just fits me. Most of the guns-even the unmentionable-do not have LOP long enough. This gun is perfect in that respect, and its light and slim. Its really a joy to shoot even if its not a joy to look at. I guess that's in keeping with the "poor boy" moniker. I appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty of a well crafted flintlock. But I've always been a "chrome don't get you home" kind of guy. I'm drawn to the mangy dog, with a good heart. Now what am I going to do with the stock I just ordered? Maybe this winter I might try to do a better job on this rifle. We will see.

We would probably blush or faint dead away if we could see some of the necessary ‘things’ our forefathers had to do to eat and or live another day. I think you did a good job!

 

[Sidney Smith]

Ran into a guy while pheasant hunting one year. Mind you this was an unmentionable he was carrying, but it fits the thread here. His gun was literally held together with duct tape. He had the barrel wrapped several times to the forearm. It was so rusty it looked like it had spent a long amount of time underwater. But, he didn't seem to care one bit. The gun obviously did its job. He had a couple birds in his game bag. I'm sure that's all that mattered to him.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

I prefer a shooting gun over a pretty one any day.

 

[oldwood]

Love taking my .40 cal. poor boy to the range or woods . It weighs in at about 5 lbs.and shoots like a house a fire. ..........oldwood