Author Topic: Lehigh Rifle  (Read 6126 times)

Offline Vulcan

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Lehigh Rifle
« on: August 03, 2016, 05:38:23 PM »
Hello one and all.

I'm a new member on this forum, but not new to muzzleloading. I've never built a rifle, but sometimes sorely tempted to give it a try. Recently, I purchased the attached rife from TOTW not as a kit, but already made. I seriously thought about contacting a gunmaker to have one built, but impatience got the better of me to have already made.

The maker is George Nelson and really know nothing about him except that he is known in certain circles to build Hawken style rifles, so I gambled and took a chance. It doesn't seem to be a Lehigh rifle in a classic sense as I understand, but incorporates possibly a variation of another style that I can't quite put my finger on. It's very well made and the fit and finish is excellent; it really grabbed my attention.

The specs are as follows:

1. Barrel is a 44 inch, .50 caliber swamped Colerain with a 1:56 twist
2. Lock is an L & R Classic
3. Trigger reach is 13 1/4 inches
4. Weighs 7.6 pounds

It balances very, very well. It's a good gun.

I purchased it in late May and have only fired it 8 times. Point of impact is 3 inches low at 50 yards with no right/left deviation off a bench using 50 grains of 3F. I haven't had the opportunity to lately, but am really looking forward to working up different loads, etc.

I attached a few pics. with permission from TOTW since I'm using their photos:
 
 





Thanks for looking and please feel free to ask any questions and provide any insight into the styling. At some point I'm thinking of having some work done on the patchbox since the engraving is rather faint.




Offline bones92

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Re: Lehigh Rifle
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2016, 06:36:29 PM »
I think you got yourself a very nice rifle.   You can probably step up your powder load a bit... 55 or 60 grain... and find your hits dead-center in the X-ring.

If it were me, I wouldn't touch a thing. 
If it was easy, everyone would do it.

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Lehigh Rifle
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2016, 07:05:59 PM »
A hearty welcome to this great site, Vulcan!  I agree that your rifle is very nice, and has a lot of Lehigh Valley features without copying any one particular maker...in other words, a good contemporary piece.

About shooting it, I agree that you need more powder:  try shooting groups off the bench with 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80 grs. of either/or FFg or FFFg.  Use a pure lead ball five to ten thousandths smaller than the bore, ie:  .490" - .495" and a cotton patch between .018" to  .025" thick saturated to the point of dripping with spit, Lehigh Valley Lube, or Mr. Flintlock Lube.  Do not start filing on your sights until you are shooting tight groups at 50 yards...don't bother with 25 yds....pistols and smoothbores shoot into one hole at that range.  Let us know how you are progressing. 

thanks for showing us your new rifle.
D. Taylor Sapergia
www.sapergia.blogspot.com

Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Lehigh Rifle
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2016, 08:02:57 PM »
Must be "Baby Face" Nelson's.
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Offline hanshi

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Re: Lehigh Rifle
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2016, 08:20:10 PM »
Welcome to the forum, Vulcan.  I concur with the advice already given.
!Jozai Senjo! "always present on the battlefield"
Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.

Offline Vulcan

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Re: Lehigh Rifle
« Reply #5 on: August 03, 2016, 09:57:05 PM »
Thank you gents for the warm welcome and advice. Currently, I'm using .495 ball and .020 patches with Lehigh Lube since I have a few containers around. As far as the loads I wanted to start off light and work up from there to find that sweet spot.

Mr. Brooks I think Baby Face would have had at the least a swivel breech or better yet a Puckle gun. ;D

Offline oldtravler61

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Re: Lehigh Rifle
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2016, 08:14:08 PM »
B.Nelson had a 45 cal. Here tell he could reload real fast. Volcanic welcome to the forum!! Mighty nice rifle. Listen to Taylor he knows .

Offline Vulcan

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Re: Lehigh Rifle
« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2016, 12:30:23 AM »
B.Nelson had a 45 cal. Here tell he could reload real fast. Volcanic welcome to the forum!! Mighty nice rifle. Listen to Taylor he knows .

Many thanks for the welcome. I'm familiar with Taylor's phenomenal work as well as Mike and others on the forum. The knowledge on this forum is incredible, so I like to think of myself as a simple novice at best who has a lot to learn.

nosrettap1958

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Re: Lehigh Rifle
« Reply #8 on: August 06, 2016, 03:34:38 PM »
If you take a look at the Jacob Deemer rifle in the Library which is under Northhampton/Allentown/Lehigh category it does have traits of that area. Its not a John Rupp or Jacob or Peter Kunz Lehigh that's for sure but it does have attributes to that general area.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=28542.0
« Last Edit: August 06, 2016, 03:43:02 PM by crawdad »

Offline Vulcan

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Re: Lehigh Rifle
« Reply #9 on: August 06, 2016, 04:07:58 PM »
If you take a look at the Jacob Deemer rifle in the Library which is under Northhampton/Allentown/Lehigh category it does have traits of that area. Its not a John Rupp or Jacob or Peter Kunz Lehigh that's for sure but it does have attributes to that general area.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=28542.0

Crawdad,

Thanks loads for the link! I've been nosing through the archives here and elsewhere in order to better understand the various nuances within the different schools; it's a fun challenge.