Recent Posts

1

Gun Building / Re: Just received [Finished!] my very first kit, Kibler Colonial!

« Last post by lostreef on Today at 03:09:39 AM »

Obi2winky
Rifle looks great.  What stain/process did you use for finishing the stock?  My Kibler kit is on order and your stock has the color I am looking for.

2

Gun Building / Re: Aging Brass with Ammonia?

« Last post by smallpatch on Today at 03:05:59 AM »

Tom,
Super blue is easier!

3

Antique Gun Collecting / Re: Brown Bess

« Last post by WESTbury on Today at 03:03:15 AM »

LEXINGTON--You have a very nice Bess. Company "E" musket #47 very nicely marked on the barrel as well. The 19th Regiment of Foot arrived in America on June 3, 1781 and left for Jamaica on Dec13, 1782. The Regiment received four Warrants for arms; March 9, 1772, Sept 3, 1772, Jan 9 1776, and Apr 19, 1776. The arms issued on Apr 19, 1776 were from Dublin Castle.

4

Antique Gun Collecting / Re: Brown Bess

« Last post by lexington1 on Today at 02:58:48 AM »

You could be right!

5

Gun Building / Re: Aging Brass with Ammonia?

« Last post by Mauser06 on Today at 02:50:50 AM »

I've done it once.   


I suspended the parts ABOVE the ammonia inside of a sealed container.

Google "ammonia fuming brass" might help.


I didn't have any issues with cracking or anything.   I did have a part NOT take no matter what I did.  I'm suspecting it was some alloy.   Parts were on a TC Hawken. Trigger guard wouldn't take. 


I actually didnt care for it.  Turned the parts a brown color. 

6

Items for Sale/Wanted / Re: WTB .40 cal minie balls or mold for .40 minie balls

« Last post by Levy on Today at 02:50:41 AM »

Years ago, Dixie Gun Works used to sell them for use in some of their guns.  They may have offered a mold for them too, but not sure about that.  James Levy

7

Gun Building / Re: Aging Brass with Ammonia?

« Last post by JCKelly on Today at 02:42:54 AM »

For a short while ammonia does a nice job of aging brass. Too much ammonia or soaking it too long and the brass will crack. Doesn't make the brass brittle, does crack it.

Jerry Kirklin lived nearby & a coupla decades ago said some of his brass thimbles cracked when he had them in a container held above some household ammonia. Hmm. Hadn't Kelly said something about that?
Yep, Jerry, yep.

Brasso did a fine job of polishing my ROTC buttons in college. Smells of ammonia.

Heard of someone adding Brasso to the tunbling mix cleaning his brass for reloading. Brass came out clean, bright, - and cracked.

Ether take care & don't have the ammonia around too long or find something else.

In my Most Humble Opinion, only.

8

Antique Gun Collecting / Re: Brown Bess

« Last post by Bob McBride on Today at 02:13:12 AM »

Butt stamps are probably rack numbers. Dewey Decimal system for Supply Sergeants.

I was thinking after it's original service life. If It got sold off to foreign service, had it's original regiment annihilated and was transferred onto another unit during active service, those are all reasons for secondary rack numbers. It seems to me. I could be wrong.

9

Antique Gun Collecting / Re: Brown Bess

« Last post by lexington1 on Today at 02:02:39 AM »

Here is a top view

10

Black Powder Shooting / Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?

« Last post by gumboman on Today at 01:58:02 AM »

Peep sights most likely go back as far as crossbows and matchlocks. People of old had the same eye maladies as we have today but they had no glasses to correct vision. If a shooter back in the day was lucky enough to live to 45 or 50 years of age, he had to use an aperture of some type to achieve accuracy.

Go ahead and use peep sights. You will love them. I have apertures on nearly all of my muzzleloaders including flints and percussion. They have made it possible for me to continue shooting and hunting. And there is an added benefit and that is the fantastic accuracy peep sights bring.

I make most of my own peeps. They are not difficult to make and its so much fun experimenting and trying different types.