Copper mounts on SMR guns

[mountainman70]

Any one seen copper used to make mountings for SMR's? I imagine copper used more for stills than rifles. Expect it would have been so here in WV. Just a rainy ol night question from a troubled soul !lol.Thanks, Dave F

[rsells]

I have seen a small number of TN rifles built with copper ram rod pipes on them.
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[Dennis Glazener]

I once owned a NC Deep River mountain rifle with copper pipes.
Dennis

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... Hello, Friend Dave,... I have an original Tennessee rifle obtained from the Lincoln Co., TN area,... fullstock black walnut, purportedly made by Jesse Bean... Has a formed copper nosecap, and the middle of three ramrod pipes is copper,...will try to find some pix for you,... they may be old replacements, but if so, fit very well,....regards,.. CCF,.... 

[mountainman70]

Thanks, Dana. how about trig guards and or buttplates ? I got a itch to build one or two this winter. Didja get the note/book and pics I sent ya? have a goodun guys. Dave 

[Eric Kettenburg]

Using it for a guard or buttplate - seems like it would be awfully soft?  Especially for a guard, I can see it being deformed very easily.

Would look cool, but I wonder how well it would hold up?

[realtorone]

The "attributed William B.Evick That I sent to the Antique thread over the weekend has a copper long tailed entry pipe and copper nose cap. The other ramrod pipe is brass.Onr pipe is missing.

[mountainman70]

I was thinking of using refrigeration copper, it is harder than the plumbing stuff..Heck,ya never know ,I might like it.I made copper guard for a perc pistol back in 2010,and it has held up good. Then again,it aint made like a Bean guard.
Thanks, Dave

[Hungry Horse]

Copper will work harden quite easily, so you can take advantage of this by forming parts while soft, and then hammering them lightly with a rawhide hammer.

  Hungry Horse

[Craig Wilcox]

About the major drawback to using copper is it's affinity for green verdigris tarnish.  Years ago, I had a copper knife, fork and spoon set, which tarnished so easily I was afraid to use it out camping.  I was 13 at the time, so about 60 years ago.

That said, I would like to see copper furniture on a flintlock.  May have to get some copper and make my own though.  I might begin by studying copper alloys, in and effort to find the best material for the job.

[mountainman70]

Here is the pistol I mentioned. Nothing to write home about, just mostly an excersize in various building.
50 cal 15/16 cut off rifle barl, antique perc lock. Dave
Funny,now, looking at pistol close ,it would seem I need to define my lock panel a bit closer. Musta learned that on Ithaca Hawken. Thanks,Taylor

[vanu]

At one time I had a very nice percussion long rifle (ca. 1840-60) that came out of southern Illinois. Extra long tang of typical form but interestingly all the ramrod pipes were copper yet it had a brass trigger guard and butt & the nose cap was cast pewter (likely at the time the barrel was shortened 3" or so). All of this was as originally stocked in spectacular curly maple.

Not exactly copper, but thought this was unusual enough to be posted here. This is an East Tennessee (?) rifle that come out of SW Virginia. It is an unsigned .30 cal, walnut stocked full stock rifle. all the mountings are brass/bronze. the nose is brass sheet wrapped trade gun style. The guard is a form almost always encountered in iron, nicely made - one photo shows riveting details.  The cap box is cast brass as well. I assume this was made in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century.



Bruce

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  .... Bruce,... I've handled a lot of Tennessee rifles and this is only the second one with that unique Trigger-guard,... I have a similar gun, all iron mounts,... does this one have the "Holston Valley" style cheek-rest,...?... BTW,... Samuel Glover and the Gross family are the only builders I know of who used the full coverage side-plate,....


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[vanu]

CC Fiddler,
Many thanks for sharing your knowledge/expertise of these very interesting Southern long rifles; Im pleased you find this brass mounted example interesting! Always fun to see something new...

Bruce

[mountainman70]

That's what I'm talkin about !!!Thanks guys. Good info for sho. Have a goodun,Dave

[David R. Pennington]

This gives me some inspiration. I have been holding on to some heavy bronze salvaged from some huge doors I replaced in an historic building years ago. I have thought about trying to make some mounts  from them. Somewhere, maybe in Whisker’s book on WV gunsmiths there is a rifle with aluminum inlays I think?

[Marcruger]

"About the major drawback to using copper is it's affinity for green verdigris tarnish.  Years ago, I had a copper knife, fork and spoon set, which tarnished so easily I was afraid to use it out camping.  I was 13 at the time, so about 60 years ago."

Right Craig.  And the green verdigris is poisonous too.  I sold leather for over 30 years, and you know how copper and brass grow verdigris when up against leather.  Nasty stuff.  That alone would keep me from putting copper parts on a longrifle.  That's just me though.  Your results may vary. 

God Bless,   Marc

[mountainman70]

Good advise,Marc. Might better stay with arn . Dave

[BOB HILL]

 I replaced a copper rr pipe on an old CW musket someone over the years had soldered to the barrel. I found part of an old wrecked whiskey still once while hunting. I used copper from it to make pipes for a couple of little common rifles. On these, I mixed iron and copper like the maker was using what he had on hand to make the thimbles.
Bob