Starting my winter pistol build early

[ChuckJonesWagon]

Maybe these pics will give you a better idea.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Maybe these pics will give you a better idea.

I’m no expert at building, and hope you don’t mistake my comments as criticism. It just appears to me that there is a lot of wood below the lock mortise. I was thinking that you would be removing a whole bunch there but see you already have your trigger plate inlet. I could be way wrong but I am thinking that this pistol will be really chunky.

 

[Flintandsteel]

You need no more than an ⅛ “ below the ramrod. Do that before the trigger plate, or when you inlet the entry pipe, you’ll be way out of line. This will keep the bottom of the stock even and flat.

 

[ChuckJonesWagon]

I’m no expert at building, and hope you don’t mistake my comments as criticism. It just appears to me that there is a lot of wood below the lock mortise. I was thinking that you would be removing a whole bunch there but see you already have your trigger plate inlet. I could be way wrong but I am thinking that this pistol will be really chunky.

Well....I have the measurements of 1/8"....and I even had 'em marked on the stock. But I squared up the stock a bit more before inletting the TP.....and then I forgot to take off more wood.

I went out last night to double check it....and sure enough, I have more fat to trim. I'd likely have caught this when I take the step to shape the grip.....but I'm glad you brought this to my attention!!

You're not making me do more work....you made me look at the work that "I forgot" to do in the first place!!

Thanks!!

 

[PathfinderNC]

Well you certainly appear to have good building skills . But remember what they say, “look to the originals”.
This is an original Hallbach and Son flintlock (circa 1780-1820, Baltimore).
Notice that the bottom of the pistol is not “flat”. It actually recesses upwards and narrows from the rear entry pipe right back through to the rear of the trigger guard. Where it doesn’t need to be as thick. He’s removed as much as possible there. Look carefully and see that lower section is actually a flowing “s” shaped curve, from the bottom of the grip swell up and through the rear entry pipe. Had he kept a straight line, this gracefully proportioned pistol would look like a real clunker!
This pistol is really, really comfortable to hold.

 

[simonbeans]

Johnson, James R., Building the Kentucky Pistol, 1974, 2014, p. 8.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Pathfinder,
That is a perfect example of what NOT to do. Obviously, not all the builders of old were great craftsmen. Looks like he was “making do” with parts that weren’t the best choices.
Look at Manton, or Nock, you’ll never see anything like that.
Sorry, off the soap box now.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Pathfinder,
That is a perfect example of what NOT to do. Obviously, not all the builders of old were great craftsmen. Looks like he was “making do” with parts that weren’t the best choices.
Look at Manton, or Nock, you’ll never see anything like that.
Sorry, off the soap box now.

Thanks for your input on my providing such a bad example of Early American historical pistol building. Halback and Son had built a few hundred pistols in their/his shop. Another member here has a brace of almost identical ones.
Some of his pistols are valued in the thousands of dollars, and interestingly, one was featured in The Antiques Road Show.
Now, about that soapbox

 

[ChuckJonesWagon]

Fixed it.....

My TP measures .110 thick. The following pic shows I had to come down another .110 to make it skinny and meet the .125" lower than the bottom of the RR hole. This pic below is the bottom of the pistol after I took the wood down to the proper height. On the plus side, I consider the first inlet of the TP to be "just practice".