What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Loja man]

Completed another bag this evening. Cowhide body, deerskin pockets, Irish linen thread. No winter induced cabin fever for me. I stay plenty busy with these projects. Beats watching tv.... or maybe not. How would I know, I don't own one. View attachment 197871View attachment 197872

Hey Tacitus,
Great looking bag!!! When you line the inside I assume the fabric is not glued to the leather? It’s held by the seam and other stitching??

 

[chorizo]

Shot a soda can at 25 yards with the Jonathan Browning Mountain Rifle in .54. I'd put just a little water in the bottom of the can to keep it from blowing away but not enough to make the can explode so I have several sharp aluminum shards to pick up later. This particular can was shot dead center and did not move so much as a millimeter. I thought I had missed, but I looked again and even at 25 yards, I could see daylight through the .54 caliber plus hole in the can:

View attachment 197966

You are a can killing son of a gun. Good shot. Them soda pops eat well.

 

[Tacitus]

Hey Tacitus,
Great looking bag!!! When you line the inside I assume the fabric is not glued to the leather? It’s held by the seam and other stitching??

Loja man,
The seams and stitching would likely be adequate to hold the lining in place.
However, I build my bags to be as durable and long lasting as possible and so I apply a very thin layer of Barge leather glue to bind the entirety of the liner to the leather. That creates a lamination that adds strength to the body of the bag and prevents the liner from eventually sagging or pocketing inside the bag.

 

[ord sgt]

I spent some time slaving over a hot lead pot and cast some .495 round ball. Hopefully enough to last my entire shooting season this year. If not, I will make more. Just not on a high temperature, high humidity day.

 

[pacanis]

Yes! An appreciable lighter trigger on not one, but two Pedersolis with this same small lock.
Some of you may scoff at a 7lb trigger, but it is a huge difference with these guns from what they were. Just do a search on Google and you will find thread upon thread here discussing the Ped KY trigger pull.

So I checked out my KY pistol. And that sear spring is lighter than the one I have been dremeling on in the rifle, but it was still too heavy and I've been meaning to do something besides polish parts. And since tempering did not appear to have any affect on the rifle's sear spring, I took the pistol's spring a step further...
Work Sharp/Ken Onion.

Yep. I thinned the one leg of the spring's thickness. I probably should have measure it, but I'm guessing just .001. If that. But it dropped pounds off the pull weight.

Now I'll just shoot them and see if they lighten naturally from use. But what a difference. It will be interesting to see how the spring is that is sold separately. It's not described as light, but we'll see how it compares to the ones that came in these guns.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Got a start on my next horn.

 

[buckleymarka56]

How much past? If it is way past you will need a new drum

 

[painter]

I finally got to the range to shoot my SMR. Had to wade from the truck to the shooting station as we're experiencing yet another thaw.

This was the first time shooting a flintlock for me. First shot was 2 inches low, but dead center. Second shot was a bullseye. I should have quit right then. It all went downhill from there. I will say I shoot this rifle better than any of my others.

I want to shoot this rifle in the Pemi woods walk this weekend. I think I'll hit the range again a couple more times before Saturday.

Target pics to follow...maybe.

 

[TDM]

Thanks.
It's a single trigger. No adjustment except, from what I've read, tapering it more from the V bend to the tip that rests against the sear.

What I just did, which only lightened it down to 9lbs even (unbelievable) is take my dremel with a narrow stone wheel and instead of going from the V to the tip in a straight line by filing, I put a steeper curve in it and a longer section of the 1/16". If you can follow that. I though for sure it would lighten it more than what it did.

I'm wondering if I should just order a new spring and take a chance that it will be lighter...

I can remove the spring and lift up on the lever and everything moves easily. But as soon as that spring is in place I know before putting the lock in the gun that it's still too heavy. Although it is getting easier to put the spring into the lock each time I remove material. The sear tip is so far forward, close to the pivot point, that I know that is playing into this.

It looks like this, except mine doesn't have that slight bend in it.
View attachment 197962

Thanks for clarifying that. Do you have much travel before the trigger arm contacts the sear?

 

[pacanis]

Thanks for clarifying that. Do you have much travel before the trigger arm contacts the sear?

About 1/8" at the bottom of the trigger. Both locks (if you've read that far).

 

[64Springer]

Drilled, tapped and mounted the bi-pod support.

Turned the maple receiver extension and mounted it to the walnut chassis.

Attached EBR tube and stock.

16ga Frankenstuffer finished. Except for the scope mount and finishing.

6 pounds 13 ounces as it sits now. Adding lead to the bi-pod support would add 8 ounces.

 

[TDM]

About 1/8" at the bottom of the trigger. Both locks (if you've read that far).

Ok, that’s not bad, not enough to cause a problem. I’m a really big fan of polishing all the tumbler internals and the trigger to sear contact points. I try to get them as smooth as possible and it does make a positive difference in trigger pull and lock time.

 

[pacanis]

Ok, that’s not bad, not enough to cause a problem. I’m a really big fan of polishing all the tumbler internals and the trigger to sear contact points. I try to get them as smooth as possible and it does make a positive difference in trigger pull and lock time.

Me, too
I also make sure I rub a little oil on both.

I thought for sure I'd find a burr on the notches in the tumbler where the nose of the sear catches. I had a burr on two Uberti lever actions where the sear had to overcome that burr. But everything works great with finger pressure. IMO that sear spring could be a wire spring for all it's asked to do.
But that's the difference between a Pedersoli and a custom gun with a good lock.
But I don't understand their reasoning for that heavy of a spring at all. Usually when you see a gun that oversprung they are trying to overcome or hide another problem.

 

[aussie pete]

I finished coning my TC/GM barrel, I scrubbed the inside with a bunch of red scotch bright pads then oiled the bore and planned to shoot it to see how the rifle groups but after a long hunting season I am burned out. I ended up running a patch soaked with Rig gun grease down the bore of the gun and put it in my gun safe to shoot at a later date.

Wise move Eric. When an interest becomes a chore, it's time to take a rest - keeps the embers burning. That old standby, 'Don't put off tomorrow, what you can do today' sometimes just doesn't hold water. Refresh.

Pete

 

[19112tap]

Picked up 6 pounds of black at the Graf & Sons store today, 5 3f and one 4f.

 

[aussie pete]

Went to southern VT primitive Biathlon yesterday. a LOT of driving and very non pistol friendly course quite a few pistol shooter got skunked with the big 00. I ran it twice and managed to only hit 3 targets on each run . station 4 was 2inch squares at 25yrds I hit two of those little fckrs on my first trip through and missed all 3 of them on the 2nd try but i did over the course of two runs hit targets at all 4 stations which means that they are hittable with a pistol. Flycaster did really well with his rifle and hit 8 targets! very impressedI Brian hit 4 with pistola and all nine with smoothebore!!! one of the vendors had a fugly origonal 1858 with non stock grips and a completly pitted bore that didnt show any rifleing for 700.. he had a nice ROA for $700 but you can only shoot one gun at a time by the time I was done with both my runs not much time left to take pictures but a did get a few. If felt like mid April down there. Global warming is real View attachment 197590View attachment 197591View attachment 197592View attachment 197593View attachment 197594 View attachment 197595View attachment 197596View attachment 197597

Wonderful images. Thanks for taking the time to capture the moments and send them on. Looks like a great event, with good people.

Pete

 

[PathfinderNC]

View attachment 197691

Very nicely done!!

 

[TDM]

Got a start on my next horn.

Pathfinder, we’re do you source your horns?

 

[Buckskinquin]

Ordered a Lee 6 cavity .490 mould to speed things up and a 2 cavity .600 for my new build.

Bought a 6 , .490 a few months ago. Takes a bit to get it heated throughout, but once it is. Whew! Casting really flies! Considering buying a .390 6 hole. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[TDM]

Bought a 6 , .490 a few months ago. Takes a bit to get it heated throughout, but once it is. Whew! Casting really flies! Considering buying a .390 6 hole. Good luck and enjoy!

This will be my first 6 cavity so I bet there is a learning curve. Thanks.