Contemporary Ohio Rifle with Western PA influences Finished

[Curtis]

Mike, no lack of confidence in your speed, I just figured you had another week or two before the Doc gave you a release! 

Taylor, thank you and I'm looking forward to seeing your Western PA gun when it's finished!

Oakridge, glad you like the barrel finish.  I draw filed the barrel,  polished it to about 600 grit, then used Birchwood Casey Plum Brown for a hot brown finish.  First time I hot browned a whole barrel and I will probably use it again.  I went over it 3 or 4 times with the plum brown, rinsed and dried the barrel, then coated it with linseed oil and let it hang and cure overnight before handling it.  Looks as good or better that the cold browns I have done and was much quicker.  I decided to try it on a whole barrel after using the Plum Brown in some restoration work.

Curtis

[Goo]

I think this is about the nicest looking rifle I've seen in a while !   how did you decide on the front sight placement/location?

[Curtis]

Thanks Goo!  I looked at a couple pictures of T. Allison's guns in my copy of "The Longrifles of Western Pennsylvania: Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties" and guestimated the front sight placement based on the relation to the muzzlecap.

I think it will be a shooter!  Here is a group of 5 shot from a rest at 25 yards.  I never had to touch the sights!  It should be of interest to you shooters out there that the three balls touching in the bull were all shot with a dirty barrel.  I wiped the bore twice during the string of 5 shots, and those two shots went a bit high and wide, and not the same way!  Using the same load I rang gongs at 50 and 100 yards. (got some hanging steel plates on my range)



Curtis

[Hungry Horse]

Curtis, I love this gun, very nice, and the fit, and finish, is superb. Yes, that barrel color is why the old timers call most of their browning solutions plum brown, instead of s**t brown. What did you end up using on the wood. It really brought out the curl.
 I hope the .40 cal. Barrel I got from you shoots this well. TTYL.

    Hungry Horse

[Ed Wenger]

Very nice rifle, Curtis!  Many nice little details all around.  Excellent rear sight.  As been mentioned, not a lot of these being done, and yours is an excellent rendition.  I have one of these I need to get started on asap, thanks for the inspiration!


         Ed

[JohnnyFM]

Superb!  Refreshing.  Love the detailing on the rear sight.

[Curtis]

Hungry Horse - The stock was stained using diluted aqua fortis over tannic acid solution, and then Laurel Mountain maple stain after blushing the AF.  The stock was then whiskered with sandpaper and grey scotchbright and rubbed back with same till it matched what looked good on a test piece of the stock wood.  Finish is Permalyn sealer rubbed back with Behelen rubbing compound, then waxed with wax from an ancient can of Minwax brown floor wax.  I probably did at least eight coats of permalyn sealer.  I used the Behelen rubbing compound instead of rotten-stone and paraffin oil like Ed Wenger and Bill Shipman suggest because it's what I had on hand.

Ed - glad you liked it, looking forward to seeing yours.  At the rate you are building these days it should be finished next week?  You are giving Mike Brooks some serious competition in speed building!  BTW, can I borrow one of your apprentices for a couple of weeks? I could really use the help around here!

JonnyFM - thanks!  I just started drawing things on the rear sight and the arrow seemed to fit.

Curtis

[hortonstn]

beautiful rifle curtis thats the style i like.
take care paul

[gunlock]

Nice work Curtis!  A far cry from the Carolina Guns we built in Jack Brooks class.  tisk, tisk

[Curtis]

Much appreciated Paul.  What ya working on these days?

Nice work Curtis!  A far cry from the Carolina Guns we built in Jack Brooks class.  tisk, tisk

Thanks Gunlock!  That's where it all started for me - and it hooked me for life.  It's been a long time since I heard from you, thought maybe you fell off the face of the earth.  Looks Like you got a shiny new username.   

Curtis