Author Topic: Halfstock flinters  (Read 6892 times)

Dew

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Halfstock flinters
« on: June 14, 2011, 03:15:00 AM »
I was recently given a pretty nice walnut 1/2 stock blank and I'm looking for some ideas on what to make out of it. I have built a few precarves but nothing from a blank so I thought this would be a good time to try especially since the blank was free. I have been thinking about a hawken or a southern of some kind but I'm open to suggestions. I already have a 1x36 .54 barrel for it. If anyone has any suggestions or pics or know of some good books I could find to look at I'd appreciate it. Thanks Dew

Offline elk killer

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2011, 04:06:33 AM »
a Leman makes a nice half stock
for something different..flint to boot
only flintlocks remain interesting..

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2011, 04:25:11 AM »
Jacob Kuntz made a very nice half stock flinter I think after he moved to Philadelphia in the early 1800's. Pics are in George Shummways books about the monthly articles for muzzle blasts mag.    Smylee

Offline JCKelly

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2011, 04:30:11 AM »
New England, particularly Massachusetts, produced some fine half-stock flint rifles, usually of fairly large caliber. Might have been privately owned Militia rifles. Typically cherry stocks, silver wire inlay. Can find you some photo references if you like.

Offline Tim Harrison

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2011, 05:37:16 AM »
1/2 stock tennesse.  Here's a link the one I built.

tim

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=12667.msg120012#msg120012

Offline Dphariss

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2011, 05:56:19 AM »
I was recently given a pretty nice walnut 1/2 stock blank and I'm looking for some ideas on what to make out of it. I have built a few precarves but nothing from a blank so I thought this would be a good time to try especially since the blank was free. I have been thinking about a hawken or a southern of some kind but I'm open to suggestions. I already have a 1x36 .54 barrel for it. If anyone has any suggestions or pics or know of some good books I could find to look at I'd appreciate it. Thanks Dew

I liked this rifle a lot even if  I stocked it too long


While there are no known (to me anyway) 1/2 stock flint Hawkens there are some single trigger rifles put there. This one had J&S stock design, a short tang, fixed breech and used one of the first L&R "waterproof" flintlocks.

Dan
He who dares not offend cannot be honest. Thomas Paine

Dew

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2011, 07:17:13 AM »
Thanks guys for all the replies. Tim and Dan I really like your rifles. I was thinking about either a Tenn or a Hawken. I know that there may or may not have been any 1/2 stock flint hawkens but if there wasn't there should have been. And Tim you did a fine job on that 1/2 stock Tenn. Was that a fairly common rifle and do you all think it would work for a .54? Were there any bigbore Tenn. rifles? Iv'e heard that most were smaller cal.  Thanks Dew

Offline Tim Harrison

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2011, 04:07:33 AM »
Dew,

From the response from Ken Guy, it appears that did exist.  I really have to defer to those with more knowledge about the calibers the they have seen.  I have never seen an original and have little knowledge of them.  All the research that I have done is from what I have read here.

I just wanted one, read that they existed, got the parts and built one.

Good luck with your project,

Tim

Dew

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2011, 04:45:59 AM »
Dan, you said that there were some single trigger flint halfstocks. Any idea were I might find some info and pics of these mountain rifles? I'd like to start looking for some books on the sugestions everyone has given. Thanks again. Dew

Offline Dphariss

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2011, 07:24:40 AM »
Dan, you said that there were some single trigger flint halfstocks. Any idea were I might find some info and pics of these mountain rifles? I'd like to start looking for some books on the sugestions everyone has given. Thanks again. Dew

Single trigger half-stocks in New England certainly and English rifles as well. The only Hawken flintlock I know of is a late FS gun, "The Smithsonian Hawken". There apparently is another but I have not seen photos of it. Its apparently in a MB issue from the 1980s maybe 1990s(?)
There is a single trigger perc. Hawken pictured in "Firearms of the American West 1803-1965" and there is a old MB article with a short barreled, single key, single trigger J&S percussion described.

Build what YOU want. Unless into museum quality re-enacting nit-picking the form of the rifle is a waste of energy. There is far more we don't know about especially 18th century American Rifles that we know. This is largely true of early 19th cent. rifles as well
I am not Jake or Sam Hawken or William Antes etc etc. I tend to build rifles that they would be familiar with but making copies is not possible unless the rifle is in hand.

This is HC for America or any where else. But its not what many Americans would want. And shooting 1 ounce ball its larger in the bore than many would want.
Scaled down slightly and in 54 caliber it would be a fine hunting rifle for the early 19th Century.
A New England rifle would be good if HC is really critical. But again making a true copy is virtually impossible.

Dan
He who dares not offend cannot be honest. Thomas Paine

Daryl

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2011, 05:10:08 PM »
This design would make a good rifle, but needs a slightly longer forend with 2 keys, if made as a rifle.
Good feeling, terrific handling gun.

greybeard

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2011, 06:54:50 PM »
This is a sweet little 1/2 stock I put together a few years ago.  .45 + 7/8 + 36. Nice  and light and fun to shoot.  No full length pic at this time.



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« Last Edit: August 08, 2017, 04:17:56 AM by greybeard »

Dew

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2011, 05:49:50 AM »
Want to thank everyone for the pics and comments. I havn't made up my mind yet but I'll figure out something. Have learned alot on this forum already. You all are all right! Dew

Offline Keb

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Re: Halfstock flinters
« Reply #13 on: June 17, 2011, 03:56:48 PM »


Flintlock Fowling Piece by Ketland & Co., Birmingham and London, circa 1785-1790.
German silver furniture, walnut half stock single barrel.
Taken from "British Pistols and Guns 1610-1810 by Ian Glendenning (1951)