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What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

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Not sure this actually counts… I drove within shouting distance of the Log Cabin Shop in Lodi for the 3rd time this summer - have not yet been able to schedule time to stop, 3 more tries ahead of me yet this summer…
I’ve been to the shop several times but not in the last several years.
I used to buy a lot of supplies for beading and leatherwork from an outfit called Rising Arrow back in the 80s and early 90s when I lived out CA way. I guess they closed up shop at some point, ‘cuz they’re not on the interweb anywhere that I can find.
 
Brings back memories. In another life I did the sheet metal work for a roofing co for two years. I have no idea what they did with the old leads.
 
Finally got all my ducks in a row for casting .40 cal round balls…. ordered some of Justin44’s lead and got a deal on a Lee bottom pour melter from Midway. Got the 16 cavity .390 mold from Marty’s Arms a little while back.

After it was all said and done, I added 435 new round balls to my plunder…

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Cranked up the forge and poured some more .60 round balls.

For those who have never done it , here’s all you need to pour round balls.
1. Lead
2. A mold
3. A ladle
4. Some fire or suitable heat source

Of course you can get melting pots and multiple cavity molds but I like the more primitive way.
 
Okay, for all practical purposes, my Woodsrunner is assembled. It took longer than with my Kibler Southern Mountain in terms of days, but I was not doing something on it every day. Today, I got all those hardened pins cut to size, rounded (both with a Dremel Moto-tool using cutting and grinding attachments) and everything almost put on.

Yes, I know. Photos. That will be coming soon. I still have to add the sights, stain and ball-cup the ramrod, but otherwise, I have gone as far as I intend with it for the time being. (Engraving when I get more proficient at it)

The Doc is out now. :cool:
 
Got to the range today in a 96-degree humid heat with my .50 Renegade. Last target of the day, still sighting in Williams FP-Hawken peep and Lyman Globe front with 65 grains 2F Goex off bench. Had a bit of a crosswind but that’s normal in Okla. It’s getting there. Biggest problem was keeping the sweat out of my eyes. Used Oxyoke oiled .015 linen patches and .490 RBs. Last time out I hit 14 of 15 in the red at 25 yards but with mink oiled .018 ticking patches. Wanted to move out a bit today to 35 yds. Forgot my mink oil patches.
 

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shot my .30 whatzit flintlock to see if it was a candidate for a new owner. it's back in my case! 3 shots into 3/4 inch. wish we could use rifles for turkey here. grouse better start hiding. Oh yeah, sold a I nvestarms .54 hawken.
two shots together low right got my attention and i filed some off the front sight and drifted it a smidge. to much as it turned out. tapped it back and the 3 shots to the right was the result!
has to be the gun, this half blind, shaky , fat old man sure can't take the credit. 25 yards off hand.
need to order some more .300 balls!
 

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Tried to get the nipples off my Remington. Managed to get four off before the nipple wrench broke. Gave up and bought a replacement cylinder. Didn't fit. Apparently Pietta cylinders are 2.01 long and I have an ASM revolver, and they are 2.00.

Just got a Harpers Ferry 1805, one of the Belgian ones made in the 1960's. Seems fine except the mainspring is too weak to make a spark. I would just buy a new mainspring but now I'm leery about getting a Pietta part and just hoping it works. Of course this thing is over 60 years old and it may just be dirty inside.

And my Jukar Pistol is here with a ball still in it because my first batch of Black Powder that I made in 2019 using no binder and no size sorting (I didn't know any better at the time) and am still using clumped up in the flask and no powder went in the gun.

I did try reworking the powder as I now know mostly what to do, but I used too much water and my 30mm Dabpress die jammed, and I destroyed it getting it apart, so I can't puck anything at the moment.

I did manage to make some pucks before that happened, and then ground them through my coffee grinder I got just for that purpose. Didn't do that right either as it came out of the box set for fine grind and it turned everything into 4F.
Follow up to this:

Bought another replacement cylinder - this time one from the right maker (ASM). I'll ask the guys in the machine shop if they can get out the last two nipples in the original one. Honestly they only need to get out one of them as I am replacing them with Slix nipples I already have and only five of them hav eto hold on to the caps during recoil. I can just always start on the original one. Even if they can't I just have to put a real pinch on the second cap and hope it stays on - as the rest will.

Found out the hammer on the Harpers Ferry 1805 is..... different. This one may be working correctly after all and I just have a bad flint. Never used a flintlock before so I really don't know.

Managed to get enough powder in the gun to shoot out the stuck ball from last week. After that it worked fine.

Got my replacement die, will make up more powder in the next couple of days.
 
Okay, for all practical purposes, my Woodsrunner is assembled. It took longer than with my Kibler Southern Mountain in terms of days, but I was not doing something on it every day. Today, I got all those hardened pins cut to size, rounded (both with a Dremel Moto-tool using cutting and grinding attachments) and everything almost put on.

Yes, I know. Photos. That will be coming soon. I still have to add the sights, stain and ball-cup the ramrod, but otherwise, I have gone as far as I intend with it for the time being. (Engraving when I get more proficient at it)

The Doc is out now. :cool:
I used a pair of Lineman’s Pliers to cut the pin material with the SMR I put together, then used the same single cut file I used smoothing out the barrel milling marks to file the ends of the pins smooth. Lineman’s Pliers are awesome. They’ll cut screws, nails, wire… pretty much anything you can fit between the cutters.

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You seem like you would be a hoot to sit around a fire and chat with.
I am just getting old , yup I am 42 born in the spring of 1943. First photo. Nice ml converted from flintlock £950 at Auction did not bid , 18g rifled German ???? second 577 won it for £850 holts auction 3&4 put a bid in Thursdays auction Swiss 10.4 who knows. Ahh the wife don’t forget her not bad for 76. The rest posted before .
 

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I need to get out back and shoot today.
I just don't know what yet...
I'm leaning towards the .32 using the newly acquired Swiss... but I'd also like to get that TC Hawken dialed in now that I've got the new frizzen on it.

I've got a cap and ball itch that needs scratched though...
 
I need to get out back and shoot today.
I just don't know what yet...
I'm leaning towards the .32 using the newly acquired Swiss... but I'd also like to get that TC Hawken dialed in now that I've got the new frizzen on it.

I've got a cap and ball itch that needs scratched though...
Not today but yesterday after some inletting and a little lock work,here you go.
 

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Well, the wind is picking up and it's humid as heck with the storm rolling in.
Plus I need to take a return to Wally World because FedEx just dropped off six damaged items out of twenty-four.
But I'm not ruling out shooting still today. At least I'll be able to look for these caps I see other's buying at Walmart.
 
Actually last week. I bought two packages of CCI #11 percussion caps at local WallyWorld. $5.62 ea.
There are plenty of caps for sale at Walmart.
This is 2 different stores.

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I don't need any caps.
The lower picture are caps going to a friend when I see him at the NSSA event in October.
He can't find them in the Carolinas.
 
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