What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Rod Man]

I’m in southern Ontario. Feels like Texas right now. 76 degrees today and very dry. That’s why I was using leather and green dandelion leaves for wadding, less chance of setting the bush on fire.

OK, so I was waaaaaay off! Those pine trees near the edge of the field had me going.

RM

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Went to Friendship this afternoon. Another warm day!
3 custom & 1 original 1860's gun were there.....the rest of us were shooting factory guns.
No camera work, just day of pure fun shooting zoo critters.
Awesome afternoon indeed.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

I gawked at a bunch of muzzleloaders online today. Nearly bought a Clay Smith painted trade gun he has on his site.

 

[Tradbow]

I think we all fall over getting old me a fit 79. But my inner ears been. getting worse since 1980 we should realy use a stick , preferably a .410 one. , obviously banned in Uk fir walking the streets of London but I fall over or trip all the time, I don’t even know I am falling till I the ground or some nasty object smacks you on somewhere Stay safe get a nice walking stick. Ha ha Still working on another stock Gibbs ml target look alike lovely sunny day uk

I had a hoe in my hands. Will have to suffice in the garden.

 

[LME]

Went to Friendship this afternoon. Another warm day!
3 custom & 1 original 1860's gun were there.....the rest of us were shooting factory guns.
No camera work, just day of pure fun shooting zoo critters.
Awesome afternoon indeed.

View attachment 139563

Your range looks a lot better than mine! I am jealous.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Your range looks a lot better than mine! I am jealous.

That is the main range often NMLRA's home grounds in Friendship Indiana.
It is probably 1/4 mile wide covered with a 500 yard depth built into it.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

The rain is coming down west of London my Gibbs is coming on lucky with the walnut slab too. It’s .625 bore the old unknown barrel is rifled too. I’ll have to make another hammer though
My engraver has a single to three phase inverter. £150 no doubt from China but it works well. Going to put it on wall and have some sockets as I have several three phase machines

Been overdoing it shrinking these tumours , the immunology tablets and infusion boost your immune system so much it saps your energy, It’s no big deal. But if you overdo it you just want to doze the next day. Rest assured it’s not unpleasant a process and seems to work. Dont be frightened of immunology, like I was, I wish you well

 

[flconch53]

Tried out some buckshot loads.
I was shooting .283 balls out of my 20 gauge. Lousy results but a nice day in the woods.
My best results were with 70 grain fffg, leather wad, six .28 balls, leather wad.
View attachment 139446View attachment 139447

Hornady reccomends #4 buck for a 20ga. The trick is to find a ball size where 3 of them can lay on your wad and fit in the bore. You need more than 6 to get a decent pattern. The modern UM guns take 12 or more in a load

 

[Rató:rats]

Hornady reccomends #4 buck for a 20ga. The trick is to find a ball size where 3 of them can lay on your wad and fit in the bore. You need more than 6 to get a decent pattern. The modern UM guns take 12 or more in a load

Thanks I’ll have to try it out again with more shot. Three .28 balls fit my bore well so I stacked two levels of three .28’s. #2 Buck is .27 and #1 Buck is .30 so I’m kinda between the two. maybe I’ll try 9 or 12 balls but I don’t think my shoulder will thank me for it.

 

[smo]

Started finger weaving a sash….

 

[Dubya62]

Ordered a percussion cap maker.

I recently started making my own caps. It's fun but tedious. I've used both Coke cans and .005 brass material with better success using cans. The brass doesn't cut as easily or consistently.

The cool thing is popping off one of your own for the first time.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Going off to a chunk gun match at my club.

 

[deerstalkert]

ordered Ned Robert's book " the muzzleloading caplock rifle". loaned mine and both it and the loanee are gone. maybe i should have waited to get it back from him! Naw, doubt i will be meeting up with him.

 

[SOLANCO]

ordered Ned Robert's book " the muzzleloading caplock rifle". loaned mine and both it and the loanee are gone. maybe i should have waited to get it back from him! Naw, doubt i will be meeting up with him.

I'd sooner lend money than a book or a tool.

 

[Stykbow]

^ My papaw always said “never loan something to someone that you can’t afford to give them”. Life has proved him to be correct.

 

[deerstalkert]

i never lend anything and expect it back. only thing's i won't lend are my wife and my dog's. someone else would spoil both!

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I've built three rifles in the den ... but that's with tile floors, easy to clean up. Oh yeah, I also rebuilt a little Fiat engine on the kitchen table, deceased first wife gave me permission. Love my ladies. Polecat

i got to clean up but my engravers outside still junk everywhere gives me inspiration. Ha ha it’s not quite a dump everywhere. My wife says “you haven’t changed since the day I met you”. “ that’s what it said on the box. “ lucky her ha ha ha

 

[flconch53]

I used to carve stocks in living room in the winter. That's were the wood stove was

 

[BP Addict]

Saturday, I put another coat of linseed oil on a ramrod I made for a gun I’m selling. This was after putting a groove in the front lock screw so it could pass under and all the way in the channel. It’s a CVA Pennsylvania 50 cal Percussion rifle. It had a synthetic rod when I traded for it, Blasphemy!

I recently received a CVA Hawken 50 caliber Flintlock rifle. I usually take them apart and thoroughly clean and lube them. It has the modern adjustable Hunting Rear Sight and Bead front. One of the previous owners painted the rear sight black and got it all over the barrel. At first, I thought maybe it was covering rust. I was relieved to find that was not the case. I’m going to replace them with a fixed rear and blade front. I usually use an adjustable Primitive rear but realized two things; 1) once you have it set you never touch it again, 2) it puts the notch two inches closer to your face which makes it blurry to these tired eyes.

I also polished the Frizzen screw, Frizzen bottom, and top of the spring where they meet. Lastly, there was a little rust on the cock, so I soaked it in vinegar, then did my best to produce a faux case hardening with Bluing. I should have taken some before and after pictures. I’m not sure whether the lock plate color is also fake. The jaw screw, however, was blued.

I have many “project” guns. I buy, sell, and trade to pay for my hobby. I’m pretty much spending my evenings working on something in my shop. I love being a hobby gunsmith!

Today, I'm heading to the range to shoot finally my Zoli Zouave "Short" rifle.

Walt

 

[flconch53]

I put another coat of linseed oil on a ramrod I made for a gun I’m selling. This was after putting a groove in the front lock screw so it could pass under and all the way in the channel. It’s a CVA Pennsylvania 50 cal Percussion rifle. It had a synthetic rod when I traded for it, Blasphemy!

I recently received a CVA Hawken 50 caliber Flintlock rifle. I usually take them apart and thoroughly clean and lube them. It has the modern adjustable Hunting Rear Sight and Bead front. One of the previous owners painted the rear sight black and got it all over the barrel. At first, I thought maybe it was covering rust. I was relieved to find that was not the case. I’m going to replace them with a fixed rear and blade front. I usually use an adjustable Primitive rear but realized two things; 1) once you have it set you never touch it again, 2) it puts the notch two inches closer to your face which makes it blurry to these tired eyes.

I also polished the Frizzen screw, Frizzen bottom, and top of the spring where they meet. Lastly, there was a little rust on the cock, so I soaked it in vinegar, then did my best to produce a faux case hardening with Bluing. I should have taken some before and after pictures. I’m not sure whether the lock plate color is also fake. The jaw screw, however, was blued.

I have many “project” guns. I buy, sell, and trade to pay for my hobby. I’m pretty much spending my evenings working on something in my shop. I love being a hobby gunsmith!

Walt

I like being a hobby gun tinkerer. I really didn't enjoy being a full time gunsmith. The frustration level was too much for me. I would much rather work on what I feel like today.