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guitar_slinger

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This one isn't fancy it's just your average Southern Mountain Squirrel Rifle.

44" swamped barrel

.36 cal

Walnut stock

Flintlock

Double Set Triggers

Iron hardware

 

Here's an overall photo (will get some better shots with a decent camera when the sun comes out, this with the cell phone is best I can do now.

 

20150106_010710248_iOS_zps11da7c50.jpg

 

Here are some photos of the build up.

 

http://s18.photobucket.com/user/jeffnles1/slideshow/Southern%20Rifle

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Nice looking front-stuffer! I've thought about building one in the not-too-distant future, but I gotta spend money on stuff for SASS first.

 

Where did you get the parts, specifically the swamped barrel? I'm thinking I would need to build one from a kit. I'm simply not good enough with the wood work to get a barrel properly bedded, especially a good swamped barrel.

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ED,

I got the parts from Pecatonica Longrifle Supply. They are good folks, been doing business with them for years.

 

The barrel is a Green Mountain Swamped Barrel. Unfortunately, Green Mountain isn't making the swamped barrels any more. This one was "laying around" a few years before it turned itself into a rifle. Last couple I've built had Rice barrels in them (Rice makes a darn fine Swamped barrel).

 

The guys at Pecatonica can get you set up with what you need.

 

For a first rifle, I'd suggest straight grained maple for the wood (easier to work with than walnut or very curly maple) or cherry wood. Also, a Pennsylvania style (early) with more of straight butt plate (the deeply curved Tennessee style or the later Pennsylvania style) are harder to inlet with a good tight fit. The first one I did looked like, well, looked like the first one. It went bang, was accurate and served me well for several years but sure wasn't anything special to look at.

 

I've honestly lost track of the number I've built. I'm pretty sure this is number 16 or 17. I'll build them, shoot them for a while, sell them and buy parts for another. Never specifically built one to sell.

 

Looking forward to seeing photos of your build!

 

GS

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We are gonna need a range report when you unleash her. :D

 

You know that you have made me green with envy, don't you?

The only real talent I have is shooting my mouth off.

I'll be sure to do that. Hope to get her out this weekend but won't really start sighting her in until closer to spring. It's mighty hard to load those little pea balls (.350") with gloves on and numb cold fingers...

 

I'm pretty good at shooting off my mouth too but have learned over the years, it's a lot safer to build the guns than to shoot off my mouth (especially around my loving wife. ).

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IMHO, you should post this on the Wild West Arts forum. Beautiful piece of work.

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I like it. Every house should have a traditional American rifle on the wall. Maybe we need an Amendment. ;):FlagAm:

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I like it. Every house should have a traditional American rifle on the wall. Maybe we need an Amendment. ;):FlagAm:

 

Yep! Those caplocks never will catch on!

 

Nice doins! I almost.....not totallybut almost have to disagree with you G-Slinger. I once bought a piece of fairly plain maple to build a halfstock in the Carolina style...yeah I know but it coulda happened. Anyway, after all the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into all the inletting it occurred to me after it was done that DANG....this coulda had figure that would really please the eye!!! Wouldn't have to be super premium curly....just enough to catch eye or if the pocketbook could stand it add a grade. Figured wood can be tricky I know but some patience and practice on the piece they saw off the top of the barrel channel can give a fellow a little insight on grain that changes direction or is hard in one spot and soft in the next. Just my two cents worth.

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This one isn't fancy it's just your average Southern Mountain Squirrel Rifle.

44" swamped barrel

.36 cal

Walnut stock

Flintlock

Double Set Triggers

Iron hardware

 

Here's an overall photo (will get some better shots with a decent camera when the sun comes out, this with the cell phone is best I can do now.

 

20150106_010710248_iOS_zps11da7c50.jpg

 

Here are some photos of the build up.

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=C5BE8C27031DFCA2!1163&authkey=!AJcliNjAC3i42Ls&ithint=folder%2cjpg

Felicidades compadre... Nice Thunder Stick you made it, If you only live in Mexico I buy it inmediatamente...

 

 

I like it. Every house should have a traditional American rifle on the wall. Maybe we need an Amendment. ;):FlagAm:

In my case maybe 3, one for exhibition, one for hunting and one for the rufianes :P

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Yellowstone,

Curly / figured wood is beautiful. I've built a number of rifles with some very pretty wood. Most hateful piece of wood I ever worked was a rifle made from quilted (or shell) maple. Had grain running every which way. couldn't cut 2" in any one direction without hitting grain run out and having to turn the chisels around the other direction. That rifle took over 200 hours to build. I had about 50 hours just in inletting the barrel channel and it wasn't swamped, just a straight taper (1" at breech to 7/8" at muzzle). I think if it had been a swamped barrel, I would have used the piece of wood in my fireplace. (not really. The block of wood was about $250 and this was about 20 years ago).

 

Love the curly maple I was mainly saying for a very first rifle build, it can be kind of a pain in the seat if one has never worked it.

 

Here is a folder of one of the rifles I built a couple years ago that had some very nice maple and some carving.

 

The engraving on the brass had not been done at the time of the photos. I can do some wood carving but metal engraving is not my strong suit so I had someone else engrave the brass. This is one of those guns that really should have been hung on a wall but I shoot it regularly and have won a few matches with it. Nice gun.

 

I think I may have posted photos of this one on here a year or so ago. Memory is the 2nd thing to go. Can't remember what was the first.

 

http://s18.photobucket.com/user/jeffnles1/slideshow/Haines

 

Jeff

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Impressive work! Notice that I said enough curl to be interesting. A full curly one would be overload forvthe inexperienced. You using aniline stains (1st rifle)?

Aniline stains, yes. Alcohol based stains. Dark reddish brown for base coat and dark brown for the top coats. Final finish Tung oil (5 or 6 coats).

 

GS.

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IMHO, you should post this on the Wild West Arts forum. Beautiful piece of work.

 

Yes, I agree.

 

That is definitely a rifle I would be proud to own and have on my wall. Great work!

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Yes, I agree.

 

That is definitely a rifle I would be proud to own and have on my wall. Great work!

Thanks, I posted it over on the arts forum.

 

Much appreciate all the kind words.

 

GS.

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Still have the percussion rifle I built in '75. Hangs in the mancave. Learned a lot. I built a half stock mountain rifle a few years later. Gave it to my brother in law because he was enamored of it, along with the powder horn I made. I don't think he ever shot it. Just hung it on the wall. Then he divorced my wife's sis. No idea where it is now. :( (sometimes, mygenerosity gets the better of me)

 

I'd like to build a premium Kaintuck, curly maple with German silver furniture and a fancy patchbox, but I don't think my patience or hand/eye coordination is up to it these days.

But dang, they're beautiful.

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Still have the percussion rifle I built in '75. Hangs in the mancave. Learned a lot. I built a half stock mountain rifle a few years later. Gave it to my brother in law because he was enamored of it, along with the powder horn I made. I don't think he ever shot it. Just hung it on the wall. Then he divorced my wife's sis. No idea where it is now. :( (sometimes, mygenerosity gets the better of me)

 

I'd like to build a premium Kaintuck, curly maple with German silver furniture and a fancy patchbox, but I don't think my patience or hand/eye coordination is up to it these days.

But dang, they're beautiful.

 

I've given things away that I've regretted as well.

 

I would also love to build a Kentucky Rifle as well, but I think that is well above my skill level.

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I've given things away that I've regretted as well.

 

I would also love to build a Kentucky Rifle as well, but I think that is well above my skill level.

Doc,

You'd be surprised where your skill level takes you. The first few rifles I built, while they went bang and from ten feet looked OK, were surely not pieces I'd want to hang on my wall for my friends to pick apart.

 

Like with anything, it takes some practice and a few trials and errors (and an understanding wife).

GS

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Doc,

You'd be surprised where your skill level takes you. The first few rifles I built, while they went bang and from ten feet looked OK, were surely not pieces I'd want to hang on my wall for my friends to pick apart.

 

Like with anything, it takes some practice and a few trials and errors (and an understanding wife).

GS

 

I'm not sure how understanding Mrs. Doc would be if I took up yet another hobby...

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Nice looking but y'all got the lock on the wrong side. I've built two left handed flinters as .45 and a .54. I really want to do another but the whole money thing gets in the way. I'd post pictures if I could figure out how to do it.

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I'm not sure how understanding Mrs. Doc would be if I took up yet another hobby...

She would probably shed the same tears of joy and shower you with the same loving compliments Mrs. Slinger did when I came home with a double barrel shotgun, 2 Vaqueros and a Uberti '73 Winchester. (useless bum is a compliment isn't it?) :D

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Nice looking but y'all got the lock on the wrong side. I've built two left handed flinters as .45 and a .54. I really want to do another but the whole money thing gets in the way. I'd post pictures if I could figure out how to do it.

Sure would like to see those.

 

One of my pards is building a lefty right now. Said he really had to wrap his mind around everything being in reverse. Said he almost drilled the wrong side of the barrel for the touch hole liner.

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She would probably shed the same tears of joy and shower you with the same loving compliments Mrs. Slinger did when I came home with a double barrel shotgun, 2 Vaqueros and a Uberti '73 Winchester. (useless bum is a compliment isn't it?) :D

 

Useless bum? Compared to some of the things I've heard it is... :(:lol:

 

What tools do you need to start, anyway? Any resources you would suggest?

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Heres my Lefty southern mtn rifle. It has the same "North Carolina" triggerguard as yours. Aquafortis stain (too much trouble), tru-oil finish, Davis lock and triggers, 45 cal 42 in Green Mtn barrel. It was my first effort and boy I learned a lot what not to do!!!!! But, its had thousands of balls run down the pipe and wouldn't trade it for anything. PS Guitar, that really place midway up the forend is a mineral streak where the grain switches direction 2-3 times. Its also hard as ebony and will dang near dull a file!!!

0061aa7f-c9d3-4d63-9239-917ed61cf033_zps

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Heres my Lefty southern mtn rifle. It has the same "North Carolina" triggerguard as yours. Aquafortis stain (too much trouble), tru-oil finish, Davis lock and triggers, 45 cal 42 in Green Mtn barrel. It was my first effort and boy I learned a lot what not to do!!!!! But, its had thousands of balls run down the pipe and wouldn't trade it for anything. PS Guitar, that really place midway up the forend is a mineral streak where the grain switches direction 2-3 times. Its also hard as ebony and will dang near dull a file!!!

0061aa7f-c9d3-4d63-9239-917ed61cf033_zps

Very nice rifle. Those mineral spots can be trouble for sure.

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Useless bum? Compared to some of the things I've heard it is... :(:lol:

 

What tools do you need to start, anyway? Any resources you would suggest?

You'll get as many answers as there are gun builders. I'll try to split into power tools and hand tools:

 

 

Hand tools:

Selection of files and wood rasps (from needle files to mill files. A couple sizes of round files are also helpful)

Triangle files (at least one with a side ground "safe" good for cutting dovetails

Straight Chisels (1/8", 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" and 1")

"bent" chisels (these are quite handy for inletting parts and cutting the edges)

Xacto knife

Wood or rubber mallet

Sanding drums to attach to drill.

Treading taps (1/4X28, 8X32 most common sizes you need others are handy like 6X32, 10X32)

Metal saw

wood saw

 

Power Tools

Drill press (not required but darn handy especially for drilling the pilot holes to be tapped like the touch hole, holes through side plate to lock, hole through tang/wrist to trigger plate, etc.).

Hand drill (prefer cordless but corded works just as well)

Band Saw is really handy but you can manage with a coping saw if you have lots of energy

Good drill bit set. (keep extra 1/16 bits around, they tend to break)

 

From there, you'll add and or make tools to fill the bill as you go along. A horseshoe rasp is a good thing to have around, takes a lot of wood off really fast.

Power finish sander and detail sander comes in handy but I rarely use mine on the guns unless I'm just trying to even out a long flat line.

 

If you want to do incised or relief carving, "V" chisels are really handy

 

Mainly, you need lots of patience and go slow. Just keep it simple at first, lookat the parts and how they fit together.

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I'd second Guitar's list and emphasize using a drill press for critical steps like liners, drums, and barrel pins. Makes life a whole lot easier. LOTS OF PATIENCE AND GO SLOW......what Guitar said. If you get too tired quit until your mind clears else you're apt to hurry. I like to use the Stanley surform files to take off rough stock as they're just as fast as a rasp and less likely to tear off big pieces like a coarse rasp. I really like curved tooth files for finishing/forming as they leave a finish akin to using a scraper (another item I like). Several manufacturers and styles for the curved tooth.

 

Last but not least...there's a lot on Youtube now but I wish I'd had this book when I built my first rifles. Gunsmith of Greenville County by Peter Alexander. I bought the hardback too late but now see there is a handy spiral bound volume. Likely the most comprehensive book on building longrifles that I've seen....certainly the best in pictorial presentation.

 

P.S. If your eyes are like mine you need these. If they are good and you work in poor light they'll be like mine in time so do your eyes a favor!

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You'll get as many answers as there are gun builders. I'll try to split into power tools and hand tools:

 

 

Hand tools:

Selection of files and wood rasps (from needle files to mill files. A couple sizes of round files are also helpful)

Triangle files (at least one with a side ground "safe" good for cutting dovetails

Straight Chisels (1/8", 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" and 1")

"bent" chisels (these are quite handy for inletting parts and cutting the edges)

Xacto knife

Wood or rubber mallet

Sanding drums to attach to drill.

Treading taps (1/4X28, 8X32 most common sizes you need others are handy like 6X32, 10X32)

Metal saw

wood saw

 

Power Tools

Drill press (not required but darn handy especially for drilling the pilot holes to be tapped like the touch hole, holes through side plate to lock, hole through tang/wrist to trigger plate, etc.).

Hand drill (prefer cordless but corded works just as well)

Band Saw is really handy but you can manage with a coping saw if you have lots of energy

Good drill bit set. (keep extra 1/16 bits around, they tend to break)

 

From there, you'll add and or make tools to fill the bill as you go along. A horseshoe rasp is a good thing to have around, takes a lot of wood off really fast.

Power finish sander and detail sander comes in handy but I rarely use mine on the guns unless I'm just trying to even out a long flat line.

 

If you want to do incised or relief carving, "V" chisels are really handy

 

Mainly, you need lots of patience and go slow. Just keep it simple at first, lookat the parts and how they fit together.

 

That's quite a list. I don't see a lot of those power tools in my future,and quite a long time gathering others. Maybe a drill press stand for my new Dremel tool... Perhaps I should look at buying first.

 

 

 

I'd second Guitar's list and emphasize using a drill press for critical steps like liners, drums, and barrel pins. Makes life a whole lot easier. LOTS OF PATIENCE AND GO SLOW......what Guitar said. If you get too tired quit until your mind clears else you're apt to hurry. I like to use the Stanley surform files to take off rough stock as they're just as fast as a rasp and less likely to tear off big pieces like a coarse rasp. I really like curved tooth files for finishing/forming as they leave a finish akin to using a scraper (another item I like). Several manufacturers and styles for the curved tooth.

 

Last but not least...there's a lot on Youtube now but I wish I'd had this book when I built my first rifles. Gunsmith of Greenville County by Peter Alexander. I bought the hardback too late but now see there is a handy spiral bound volume. Likely the most comprehensive book on building longrifles that I've seen....certainly the best in pictorial presentation.

 

P.S. If your eyes are like mine you need these. If they are good and you work in poor light they'll be like mine in time so do your eyes a favor!

 

I have good lighting at my modeling table, but I have been considering getting an optivisor for working on them. I might take a look at the book.

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Doc,

Here is another book I like:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Building-Pennsylvania-Longrifle/dp/B002DVKDH4

 

Also, as many "picture books" as you can get your hands on. Lots of good ones here

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/269/1

 

Also, try to get your hands on some examples of well made rifles (if there are any antique rifle shows in your area or muzzle loading clubs). A photograph is 2D and a rifle is 3D. Nothing replaces getting a mental picture of how the different parts of the rifle stock and metal work play off of each other. Just a feel of running your hand down the stock and over the curves replaces hours of staring at photographs and trying to imagine how it should look.

 

Dremel could work but a drill press is best. A table top model is all you really need for 90% of your rifle building. I do not have a floor model (although I would like one). Also wish I had a Bridgeport Mill and a good metal lathe, but, alas, funds are not unlimited and the couch is not a suitable replacement for a bed (it's also really cold for sleeping out in the shed).

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Also, try to get your hands on some examples of well made rifles (if there are any antique rifle shows in your area or muzzle loading clubs). A photograph is 2D and a rifle is 3D. Nothing replaces getting a mental picture of how the different parts of the rifle stock and metal work play off of each other. Just a feel of running your hand down the stock and over the curves replaces hours of staring at photographs and trying to imagine how it should look.

 

Dremel could work but a drill press is best. A table top model is all you really need for 90% of your rifle building. I do not have a floor model (although I would like one). Also wish I had a Bridgeport Mill and a good metal lathe, but, alas, funds are not unlimited and the couch is not a suitable replacement for a bed (it's also really cold for sleeping out in the shed).

 

Bingo!!!!!!!!! ;)

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Doc,

Here is another book I like:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Building-Pennsylvania-Longrifle/dp/B002DVKDH4

 

Also, as many "picture books" as you can get your hands on. Lots of good ones here

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/269/1

 

Also, try to get your hands on some examples of well made rifles (if there are any antique rifle shows in your area or muzzle loading clubs). A photograph is 2D and a rifle is 3D. Nothing replaces getting a mental picture of how the different parts of the rifle stock and metal work play off of each other. Just a feel of running your hand down the stock and over the curves replaces hours of staring at photographs and trying to imagine how it should look.

 

Dremel could work but a drill press is best. A table top model is all you really need for 90% of your rifle building. I do not have a floor model (although I would like one). Also wish I had a Bridgeport Mill and a good metal lathe, but, alas, funds are not unlimited and the couch is not a suitable replacement for a bed (it's also really cold for sleeping out in the shed).

 

I go to our local old time "trade fair" every year and drool over the rifles. ( http://www.fairatnewboston.org/index.html)There is probably a club somewhere locally as well.

 

The reasons I would opt to use my Dremel with a drill press stand would be because a) I have the Dremel, b ) I plan on getting the drill press stand for building models anyway, and c) I don't have much room to work in.

 

Mrs. Doc has known I've wanted one for at least as long as we've been married, so that may be a plus. There used to be a builder in Delaware, Ohio when we were in college where you could get everything from blanks to finished rifles. We would go in and I would admire his stuff even back then.

 

Thanks for the information, I might slowly start gathering the things to build one. If I spread out the cost, I might be able to afford it

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