AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: Robert Wolfe on September 13, 2021, 04:40:45 PM
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This gun really wasn’t supposed to get made at all. It started out as a practice carving buttstock for a class I took with Ian Pratt and Ken Gahagan at SOAW in preparation for an Albrecht we were building. We used it to practice layout and different carving techniques and then moved on to the real project. When I got home I threw it in a corner of my shop, carving unfinished, and forgot about it. Later that spring I was between projects and thought perhaps I’d finish the carving, for practice. As I worked on the carving, I thought that I could even finish and age it, you know, for practice. Oh, and I could do a faux broken wrist repair, wouldn’t that be fun. And perhaps do the same to the tang and trigger guard! And kit-bash the lock a bit! That’d be fun. The next thing I knew I was ordering parts from Kibler, a lock from Chamber’s and a barrel from Rice to finish it out.
I think these were leftover stocks from when Jim Kibler switched over from Chamber’s lock to his own. They had been cut off just past the entry pipe inlet. The project just kind of grew a life of its own, piecemeal. If I had thought it out perhaps I would have done it with a replaced forestock and a full-length barrel. It would have been a bit more functional that way. Or maybe I would have pitched it in the woodstove. In any event I had great fun with it as is. Perhaps because there was never any pressure not to screw up. After all it was only a practice stock. It gave me the opportunity to try lots of things to it that I may never had the courage to do otherwise on a “real” project. Would love to have comments/critiques, you can be harsh - it's only a practice stock after all.
Anyway, as I worked on it, I couldn’t help but come up with a backstory for how it ended up this way. If you like that sort of thing here it is, otherwise skip!
A young man was out hunting along the frontier with a new rifle that he was perhaps a little too proud of when he was ambushed. During the desperate fight he was forced to use his prized rifle as a club. It saved his life but at the cost of a badly broken rifle. At least that’s the story he always told. Some, though, said it was just as likely that he and the rifle took a bad fall from his horse while deep in his cups. He did drink a bit in those days after all. But me, I think that's just meanness. In any event, the owner being a fair mechanick (and having no money at hand for restocking) fixed the broken wrist, tang, and trigger guard with some care. Still proud of the rifle it went everywhere with him and saw him though many more adventures even as the frontier moved farther away west. Some 20 or so years later he was out on an extended fall bear hunt when calamity struck again. He was always careful when he double shotted but this time the extra ball crept up in the barrel causing it to rupture badly when fired. Far from home and not willing to give up the hunt he borrowed a hacksaw and cut the barrel off at the split and used his knife to cut away the shattered forestock. He was back in business, at least for close in work. Back home he couldn’t bear to part with his treasured rifle, butchered though it was, so he moved the sights back hoping that he still could put it to some use. For the next few decades it found a home under the wagon seat or in the barn. At some point it was bored out to 20 gauge and ended up with a replaced cock though no one could remember when. It didn’t really get used much anymore but somehow it was a comfort to the man as he got older. When the old man finally died it was put away in a dark corner of the attic by the grandson that ended up with the farm. There wasn’t much call for a busted up old flintlock these days anyway and it made his wife nervous what with the kids now old enough to run around down at the barn.
(https://i.ibb.co/mhS75Vt/DSCN2994.jpg) (https://ibb.co/CVWFK3v)
It has a 20" 20 gauge Rice barrel.
(https://i.ibb.co/4Rxf5vN/DSCN3008.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JjPdM6k)
Faux broken wrist repair. Trigger guard also has a repair. You know, the trigger guard was actually difficult to break. That Kibler brass is tough.
(https://i.ibb.co/2N5BjNT/DSCN2996.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PQt85Qd)
Chambers lock with a Davis Colonial cock. I filed out the top jaw and top jaw screw as crude replacements though the top jaw turned out nicer than I wanted. Sometimes it's hard to do crude.
(https://i.ibb.co/hYJWqwx/DSCN2997.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vX6PtRC)
I bought the patchbox cover from Kibler but made my own catch. I recut the box so it looked hand cut.
(https://i.ibb.co/3BX3JTt/DSCN3007.jpg) (https://ibb.co/gz12nrs)
Brazed some brass onto the tang for a faux repair.
(https://i.ibb.co/5Kt01nc/DSCN3000.jpg) (https://ibb.co/fDBgXn0)
Made my own sideplate so it did not jump out quite so strongly as a Kibler.
(https://i.ibb.co/Tvmwyzh/DSCN3001.jpg) (https://ibb.co/C1hwLx0)
My practice Albrecht butt carving. Adequate at best.
(https://i.ibb.co/3d5gBbL/DSCN3003.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kBVNQTW)
I cut in an open dovetailed slot for where the original sight would have been. "Shattered" forearm cut away with a knife.
(https://i.ibb.co/cgNV6kk/DSCN3005.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3r0Qp44)
Worn entry pipe.
(https://i.ibb.co/FmpbDYb/DSCN3006.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HBZDHPD)
The trigger guard was riveted and soldered for the repair. Belt and suspenders...
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Very high on the nifty scale.
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Thanks Mike. Your work always inspires me.
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Im with Mike on this one
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Nice! I never tried starting a build by carving the stock :-)
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That just looks right and fits the tale perfectly. Really cool
Tim
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When I first read the post title my reaction was "OH NOOOO" But after seeing the post, thats pretty cool. I really like the overall look of the finish on the wood and metal. Very realistic.
Cory Joe Stewart
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(https://i.ibb.co/yPm3cxc/DSCN2994b.jpg) (https://ibb.co/pw6mBkB)
I have on of those stocks too. IF it was one inch longer in the forearm I would have made a rifle out of it already.
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Scota - Yea, a little more forestock would have been nice. They started to cut mine off about halfway through the entry pipe but fortunately stopped after an eight of an inch and moved the cut to just past the entry pipe. Otherwise it would have been more difficult.
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Well now isn't that cool! Really neat idea and it looks great!
"... I filed out the top jaw and top jaw screw as crude replacements though the top jaw turned out nicer than I wanted. Sometimes it's hard to do crude..."
Agreed. Builders with a great eye for detail and form etc. usually have a $#*! of a time allowing crude and random into the mix - but if the appreciation for crude and random is strong enough we find a way.
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Really love this, great work.
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The more I look at it the more I think it needs a ramrod pipe at the muzzle. Looks incomplete up there. I'll have to ruminate on that.
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I enjoyed the thread, thank you. Nice rifle too.
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Great work, great story. I can teach you how to do crude....
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Mr. Wolfe. Sir; I'm having a very difficult time deciding which is the highlife of your thread. First, the backstory captivated my mind. Very well written. Enjoyed the first reading but, the second reading, the use of additives made me feel as though I was the one actually in the story. The gun itself is a work of art and seals the thread together. Outstanding. Thank you for sharing. Made my day. Have a great week. AJ.
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Great AJ...now I have to go back and read it again and it ain't the second or third reading :D
Tim
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Very nice work on making it an authentic and believable piece coupled to your backstory.
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Really a cool gun AND story. Did you make the nails for the wrist repair?
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Jim - I modified old fashion (carpet?) tacks. I held them with vice grips and reshaped the heads on a grinding wheel. I then smoothed the heads a bit with sand paper and then rusted them.
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Very cool Robert! I like it a lot. I would definitely come up with a forward pipe as a 'secondary' attachment, maybe iron or copper.
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Thats for sure over the top cool
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What is the reason for 42" plus or minus barrels on most rifles? Does it have something to do with the burn rate of black powder?
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I like the finish and antiquing work. Really nice. Now to do the same on a full sized rifle. :-) God Bless, Marc
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Lilysdad - "What is the reason for 42" plus or minus barrels on most rifles? Does it have something to do with the burn rate of black powder?"
Powder burn rate is certainly part of it. I think the longer distance between the sights is also conducive to better accuracy as well. And you can't count out simply cultural tradition.
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Thanks all for your comments. I almost didn't post the backstory as I wasn't sure it would be appreciated. Glad I did. It was certainly part of my building process in this case.
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Mr. Wolfe. Sir, I'm happy you did decide to included the back story. Have a great day. AJ.
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German 18th century fowler’s were commonly halfstock,so I see no reason not to use a longer barrel if you want.
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There was a backstory? ???
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Robert that is a neat rifle and great save of a partial stock. I think Eric K wrote an article on a Lehigh rifle that had been turned into a halfstock. It had a forward rod pipe attached to the barrel. If I can find the article I'll pm a photo of the front rod attachment to you.
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Thanks Brian, I'd appreciate it.
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B.BARKER if your able to find the article by Eric, would you share where it is located. Interesting stuff.
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WOW, that a very nice rendition of what some might call a canoe gun. Very nice detail and yes it would be nice to add a RR thimble toward the front.....
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I like it and have also wondered about the absurd length of some gun barrels from the long ago past.Maybe it does have something to do with variable quality black powder and I also doubt if the distance between the front and rear sights had much to do with either.IF powder quality/burn rate had anything to do with barrel length then a pistol would be useless until best grades of powder became available.Maybe the lack of weight in the small to medium caliber round balls in rifles barrels had an effect on the burning rate and pressures generated by then available powders.Even the 58 caliber ball weighs only about 280 grains which is less than some modern hand guns launch.Maybe we can have a thread on this from those who know more about such things.
Bob Roller
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WOW! I like everything about this project...the gun as well as the backstory. Allow me to add to the story? "He salvaged parts of the forend after the rupture incident and fashioned a ramrod pipe at the muzzle similar to the wrist repair." "The patchbox lid was lost and never replaced."
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Robert I have always been a fan of the off the wall type guns. They show charater.
The more unusual the better I like them. This one is as Mike said " Nifty" as all get out !
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Now that is really cool, it looks great! Love it.
Curtis
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You can count me among those who love this gun. What a terrific way to salvage that stock! I'll bet it's a lot of fun to shoot, too.
Notchy Bob
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Robert Wolfe - you nailed it. WOW!
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Thinkin’ outside the box, great build! Love the back story, adds authenticity, and allows you to escape the normal constraints of typical builds. Looks like a really fun build! Best,
Ed
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Thanks all, appreciate the comments. It was definitely a fun project that let me color outside the lines a bit.
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very cool Robert, I like how you call this "practice" NICE!