Thank you everyone! I'll try to answer a few of the questions. If I overlook any, just ask again.
The tang is held with two 8-32 bolts that extend to the front and rear of the trigger plate. This was used by Whitson, whose work inspired this rifle.
Assembly of the one shown was pretty easy. It took me about a day and a half. There was a slight amount of part fitting. The wood basically just needed sanding, starting with about 150 grit. The metal parts required a bit of filing to remove any parting lines etc. and then the surface was polished wit abrasive paper to about 320 grit. The barrel was draw filed as well.
Those with less experience, will no doubt take longer, but assembly shouldn't be too bad.
I'd like to also add, that this gun can be customized a bit as well. A grease hole or patchbox could be added. A nose cap (poured or sheet metal) could be fit, A few moldings could be cut on the cheek piece, some moldings could be added to the buttplate and ramrod pipes, a silver name plate could be added to the barrel etc. The gun could be finished up in an "as new" fashion or it could be heavily aged. There are many possibilities for sure...
This really has been a huge undertaking. Much bigger than I'd ever imagined. Things are going well, however. As I mentioned, the first shipments should go out sometime next week.
Thanks again for the wonderful response and if you have any questions at all just ask!
Thanks,
Jim
