Young'n

[Juniata]

Welcome, Brian. Glad to see some younger souls pushing powder and lead down a barrel.
Kind of interesting about your parents leaving the Mennonite Church. Definitely a different lifestyle. I am not a member, since I am twice divorced, but do attend the Mennonite Church here in Kenton, OH. And our church is a part of the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonites. I just enjoy the folks there. Very friendly, non-judgmental, freely offering to help with many things. At 76, I'm no spring chicken, and Agent Orange from my mis-spent youth is laying me low - need all the help I can get.
I build LR's as a hobby, currently working on a .62 cal Jaeger, English walnut stock (hard as heck to work!). Bunch of smoothbores and rifles of various gauges and calibers - but I don't get out often enough! And when I do go, I have to leave my gun-shy Service Dog at home. Otherwise she goes about any place I go.
If I get over toward eastern Penn., I'll try to look you up.

Do so, and thanks for your service in Nam.
Post pics of that gun when you are done

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Welcome from Maryland. I'm a good hour south of Gettysburg.

LD

 

[kelljp]

Welcome from East TN.
Good to see youngblood involved with ML and hunting !

 

[Black Powder Guy]

Welcome from western Washington

 

[springfield art]

Hey you all.
I'm new on here, read through these forums for years but just recently dawned in me to join.
I don't do social media, but I thought this would be fun.
So anyhow my name is Brian Kauffman and I'm 31 years old from Central PA.
In fact I'm the 10th generation in PA since my 7th Great Grandpa came over in 1752 at age 15 (All Amish and Mennonite in my background mom and dad left the Mennonite church when I was 2).
One of those things I didn't realize the heritage of my relatives all bring from Lancaster Berks and be Chester counties where the history of these rifles come from. Dad moved out of Lancaster county in 1963 to Juniata Co. Anyhow about flintlocks... I've been into flintlocks since 2015, gradually upgrading and recently finishing myself a Isaac Haines in .45
If you are into youtube I have a few videos up under B Kauffman.

If any of you I've met at shoots, chime in , I don't know who all is on here.

A couple other fun things, I worked for my in-laws at a sawmill in Mount Pleasant Mills.
I got to help cut gun stock material for Allen Martin, Bob Lepley and a few others.
from what I'm was told from Lepley that some of his wood he bought from the mill he supplies Chambers and Track of the Wolf with so that's pretty cool. I since have left the sawmill.

Ill add some pictures here of the first gun I built. It's a NW Trade gun from Pecatonica.
don't ask me why I went with curly. Ha.
Its a 42" Colrain Barrel Cylinder bore
L&R Queen Anne Lock
I took two deer with it last year. Had a flash in the pan on a bear. That was quite a story.

Last September I started my .45 cal Isaac Haines.
I finished it on memorial day.
I was slow at getting it done.
it's a swamped 38" B weight Rice.
large siler, single Bivens trigger.
the stock came locally. Bob Lepley shaped it.
to note, I went with the Roman numeral 10 (X) on my side plate hence the 10th generation theme... which I did with a graver as well as my name on the top flat.
I cut a few lines in the gun and beaver tails etc. Nothing over the top...but man I just love that gun. Can't wait to get it out in a couple weeks in our early muzzleloader season. I shoot about 3 or 4 times a week, can't get enough of it.
So that's my story. Looking forward to future discussions!


One thing I'll add yet, I don't know why more younger guys aren't into this sport, I do my best to tell everyone I know to give it a try.

Hey, nice write up! Thanks! Best of luck and regards.

 

[Cherrybow]

Are you near Clay Newcomb?!

I don’t know him.

 

[nhmoose]

Welcome aboard from New Hampshire! Nice work on your flintlock!

 

[azmntman]

Howdy from Northern AZ. Who's Juanita?

 

[tom_in_vt]

Nice rifle and hunting photos! Welcome from the NEK VT!

 

[Relic shooter]

Welcome aboard from Idaho ! Beautiful firearms

 

[Juniata]

Howdy from Northern AZ. Who's Juanita?

Junie-ata is the best way I can discribe how to say it. It's an Indian name and the county I reside in here in central PA

 

[ILoveMuzzleloading]

Great to see you here Brian! Love your videos

 

[Juniata]

Great to see you here Brian! Love your videos

Thanks Ethan it goes both ways. Keep it up!

 

[mikeinpa]

Welcome from Bucks Co. I like the way you finished the barrel, how was that done?

Mike

 

[toot]

Welcome.

 

[RiverRat]

Welcome from NE PA.

 

[Cobra6]

Welcome from the land of lovers. Virginia. I live in the middle of a Mennonite community here in Catlett Va. Great people!



Cobra 6

 

[user 48702]

Welcome from Alabama

 

[JCKelly]

Welcome from S.E. Michigan! Love the way your Pennsylvania woods look. My Irish & German ancestors came to PA long before our revolution. Family moved from Huntingdon Co, to Clearfield Co. mid-19th century. Grampa never shot an Unmentionable til he was 18. Still spoke with some anger when he told me how the Brits treated one of the family as a prisoner of war, 1778. They stood him in limewater, in the hold of a prison ship. My Clan have l-o-n-g memories.
Miss the hills. For some time after coming to MI I looked at the clouds and easily imagined them to be hills on the horizon.

 

[Juniata]

Welcome from Bucks Co. I like the way you finished the barrel, how was that done?

Mike

LMF Browning solution twice a day, left to hang outside under the porch for 5 days in high humidity this spring.
Scotch Brite pads and water to rub off the rust/ brown til metal is shiney yet has the pitting left behind... And that that's a bunch of ELBOW GREASE!!!
Gotta use a Scotchbrite pad so synthetic material doesn't scratch or remove the pits.

Neutralize with baking soda.

Rinse.

44-40 cold blue

Rub motor oil with scotch brite pad to bring it back so high points shine but pits and low areas / around sights pull the bluing.