What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Kansas Jake]

Gordon, that is quite a rebuild.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Gordon, that is quite a rebuild.

Yes I agree lot of work but I saved the stock thank goodness . I have no flip sights on my 1885 577-500 no 2 double unmentionable But I don’t need them on a cape rifle , so off they came and with a few strokes of the file they are on my double, waited 12 years for some genuine ones , I’ll make up one for this 12g cape rifle. I learn a lot last week on how to knock out barrel dents had plenty of them. The dents were crossed with a cut mark no doubt the farmer fighting of a local with a machete , who knows

 

[.36Rooster]

Blizzard up here put me out of work. Did some more work shaping and filing this semi buckhorn to my liking:

Pricked the loose end with a punch to tighten it up and re-filed:

And rubbed it with bluing:

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

Did some trading for my first antique flintlock. A colonial era fowler.

The lock has been repurposed from a Brown Bess and is marked Tower/GR. The barrel is 38", oct to round, and .69 cal. The wood looks to be in great shape.

It's been freshened up and is ready for the field. Really excited about this one!

 

[stikshooter]

Since the previous thread was shut down (locked) by our new moderator, I thought I would start one up again, as per the suggestion.
So, let's get this thread going again, and share your muzzleloading related adventures of the day!

Spent the afternoon in a tree (ZIP) saw big fat doe driving 4 wheeler into stand ,tomorrows another day but raining

 

[Terrier]

Did some shooting today with the 1858 Remington Navy I got a few months ago. Need to figure out what it wants in the way of a powder charge. The 15 grain measuring spout on the flask puts 4 of the 6 shots in the black, but the other two go willynilly. Ordered 20 and 25 grain spouts from TOTW.

I'm gonna need to adjust the sights I think... square off the rear notch. I don't care for the V notch it came with.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Took a drive up to Dixon's today and picked up a few odds and ends. I held off on buying a neat looking antique English percussion double mainly because I have smoothbores I don't shoot enough, as-is.

After I got home I started getting my stuff ready for my deer hunting trip later this week.

Finally, I had a 10% off coupon for Muzzle-loaders.com that was about to expire. So, I ordered a LH Gemmer Hawken flintlock (the renamed Lyman GPR) in .54, along with a couple boxes of .530 balls. ASSuming that it shoots .530s well I'll buy a mold.

 

[Terrier]

Spent the afternoon in a tree (ZIP) saw big fat doe driving 4 wheeler into stand ,tomorrows another day but raining

MAN! Y'all have deer that drive four wheelers, and are hunters, too? Wowzers.. You live in a dangerous neighborhood.

 

[BruceHuxford]

I've been busy making various small projects to use up some scrap pieces

 

[Terrier]

I've been busy making various small projects to use up some scrap pieces

Pictures?

 

[BruceHuxford]

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Modified my new range box to better suit me, and will burn some BP tomorrow.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I wanted to add auctions, rusty guns ,an my unmentionable 577-500 no2. Well it is BP !

I wanted a double but prices were beyond me. I was viewing holts uk auction lots and came across a rusty double by Thomas Bland with thick white paint over the wood a couple of loose hammers hung on string nobody was looking at it , but being poor I looked and looked, the action was very tight hammers fitted the lock and the riffling as new bright and shiny . Most of all it was on the obsolete list no police permit needed to buy . I asked Nick Holts ???? “ You should get it for £600 but if you bid £1100 it should be yours”. Well I won £1100 plus 25% buyers commission. Ulfere ( hal ) from Alabama on British military forums had one too and we became great friends, years went by then suddenly nothing, I miss him dearly.

Tears aside, I used an oil stone till every bit of rust was gone and the white paint scraped off. White pain was added to protect the wood on sailing ships off to India . I discovered it was after 1906 as it had an arm and sword proof mark ( possible not nitro but nitro for black ??? ). I popped into London to the London Proof House. They agreed it wise to nitro proof it but could find no data , later they thought it wise to black powder proof it , horrified it was stamped
“ not nitro “. But it was in my favour as now being BP no licences was needed in France , thinking hogs everywhere . Haha

Strangely, probably why it was not despatched as it had no sights , and I fitted different hammers Hal above , Enfield riffling 440g jacketed bullet and 140 g BP or 70g Varget take your pick. Type in utube 577-500 no 2 , guy firing my “ cannon”. Ha ha

After 14 years I got the flip sights fitted off. This tatty cape rifle , I made the rest of the sights as I said the rifle did not have any.

So the moral of this story is if you see a rusty gun don’t pass it by, look at it with love as it’s probably stood in a shed since 1880 unused and nobody has messed with it. Then make love to it with tender care

I wish you well

 

[SgtMaj65]

@Mike in FL “Update: went to Lowes and bought a poplar wood dowel”
I am not sure the intended purpose of this poplar dowel, but I would not trust it to load a PRB. You have a range rod use that in practice and use your new hickory rod while hunting.
There is too much risk of puncturing yourself with a weak dowel.

After breaking the original ramrod and a purchased substitute on my late 1980s T/C .50 Renegade, slicing the base of my right hand at base of index finger on first break, and tearing into base of right thumb on second ramrod break and losing all feeling on the side of said thumb, bought a heavy-duty 3-piece brass range rod and no more problems or blood. Or, having to staunch the blood flow on a very dirty wiper rag, I learned my lesson on using wood rammers. Missed shooting about 3 months on last mishap. My loads are way too tight for anything but range rods. The wood rods look great on my two percussion .50s, just not functionally safe. Now that I’m in my 70s, I don’t heal nearly as quick as I used to.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Off to the range. Maybe that pesky bear is asleep now.

 

[Icemanxxxv]

Yesterday I applied the Tanic Acid to my Kibler SMR. Today it Iron Nitrate day first coat on. Second will be this evening.

 

[Icemanxxxv]

First coat

 

[Stykbow]

@Gordoncourtney, you sure come up with some interesting firearms my friend.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Rang some steel at the range, temps in the low 30's, a little windy but a nice morning.

 

[bpd303]

Been reading the Fall 2023 issue of Tomahawk & Long Rifle that came in the mail.

So that's where my copy went.