Recent Posts

21

Gun Building / Re: Can I cold bend a steel butt plate?

« Last post by 2 shots on Today at 12:03:48 AM »

 i would have to say that Jim knows his parts , knows what they are made of and knows what he is talking about. so go bend your part...

22

Items for Sale/Wanted / Re: Rapine .583455 Hollow base mold

« Last post by Penske on June 26, 2025, 11:42:44 PM »

I will take seconds on the mold.

23

Contemporary Longrifle Collecting / Re: Kibler Brown Bess

« Last post by smart dog on June 26, 2025, 11:33:19 PM »

Hi,
The pattern 1730 and 1742 muskets were always issued with wooden rods but some were retrofitted with steel ramrods during their working lives. The refit usually involved putting an internal bushing in the forward pipe that reduced the inside diameter and then a rod retaining spring was riveted inside the rear pipe to prevent the rod from sliding out.  It was a weak and often unsatisfactory retrofit.

dave

24

Contemporary Longrifle Collecting / Re: Kibler Brown Bess

« Last post by Bigmon on June 26, 2025, 11:26:08 PM »

Thanks for that information.  It is very interesting.  Would the fact that this one still retains the wooden rod mean it was not upgraded ?  Or did the newer steel rammer just work where the wooden one had been?
I guess what I'd like to know is if during the time of the F&I war, were wooden rammers still in use.  Or had they all been upgraded to iron, or probably just some of them?
Thanks again

25

Gun Building / Re: Can I cold bend a steel butt plate?

« Last post by J.D. on June 26, 2025, 11:16:43 PM »

Your buttplate might benefit from annealing, before you attempt to bend it. 
Most of the steel castings, I have used, though they be few, appear to have benefited by annealing by laying said part on a couple of layers of charcoal briquettes, with several more layers built up over the part. The charcoal pile is lit and allowed to burn down on its own. After four, or so, hours, the cast parts seem to be softer and more ductile.

26

Items for Sale/Wanted / Powder Horn #93

« Last post by Bob Gerard on June 26, 2025, 10:29:43 PM »

Here is finished Horn Number 93. I completed it today and am proud to offer it for sale.
It is a Right Side Carry, and measures 12' from spout tip to the Pine plug, which measures 2.25" in diameter and features a twisted steel carry staple.
The horn has a really graceful curve and the shaped throat with a double neck ring is very classic looking.
The engraving is what I am going to refer to as "Flat Line Decoration"; no colors, no shading, no line-weight variations; just using lines as most horns were done.
(It is funny because I had a challenging time simplifying the design and varying from my own style.)
I think this is a really handsome horn and will be a welcome addition to any rig or collection.
I am asking $395 plus $10 shipping and insurance.
Thanks for looking,
Bob

p.s., Display stand not included

27

Items for Sale/Wanted / Re: 18th Century early 19th Century "Utility Bags" For Sale

« Last post by okieboy on June 26, 2025, 09:55:31 PM »

 I believe that a bag like this would have been called a "pocket".

28

Gun Building / Re: Liner hole sizing?

« Last post by Scota4570 on June 26, 2025, 08:57:17 PM »

Because of good arguments both way and my inability to leave well enough alone, I ordered a fresh liner.  Liners are easy to change.  I have access to a Garman chronograph.  I can test before and after for velocity and standard deviation.  My intuition is that with a small bore letting to much gas leak might be a detriment.  IF it were a large bore I'd leave it alone based on consensus wisdom. I'll see how it pans out.  I can always open it up again. 

29

Gun Building / Re: Can I cold bend a steel butt plate?

« Last post by Steeltrap on June 26, 2025, 08:45:43 PM »

I'm a "visual learner" so pics help me a lot. I dunno if this will help, but here goes.

I took a pic of Jim's SMR and "drew" some lines on it.

The green line represents a 90 degree angle from the top barrel flat, to the bottom of the buttplate as Jim has designed.

The red line represents the "what if" you move the bottom of the buttplate forward....(Leaving the top section alone)

And the very hard to see green line would represent the "new" post-bent buttplate. Bending the buttplate in this fashion would of course, require removing some wood from the bottom of the stock. Since you're straightening the buttplate, I would think metal may have to be trimmed off the bottom of the buttplate as well.

But what the finished product would be is represented (again) by  the green line. If that would help you shoot it better, I can't say....but that's likely what it would end up looking like.

30

Contemporary Accoutrements / Re: A flat-ish horn for my #1 superfan, and also maybe some bag work or something. I

« Last post by Frozen Run on June 26, 2025, 07:25:05 PM »

Thank you, whetrock, that was a lot of helpful advice that I'm looking forward to trying out! I'll keep you updated on how it all works out as this thread progresses.