Rifle Shoppe

[Ezra]

Hey guys,

I haven't been around for awhile but am back.  The wife and I have riding the motorcycles alot and that's where my energy and attention has been.  I have a question for you all.  I am buying patrs for a Rifle Shoppe build.  It is a 1728 French Infantry musket.  My question is just a general one.  What are your experiences with the Rifle Shoppe "kits" relative to say, Chambers?  I know the Chambers stuff is first rate and refined, and I have seen a Rifle Shoppe kit before but never built one.  Tolerances OK?  Anything to look or watch out for?  I'm sure I can get past anything but it's always nice to know before hand.  I have already purchased the lock.


Ez

[alex e.]

Ezra, i just started working on my rifle Shoppe  M1743 Marine musket.Some what similar to the 1728.I got a nice piece of euro. walnut that I cannot complain about at all.the assembled lock was well put together and really will not need tuned at all.[i cant say that for the  davis french locks i use a lot of.]The iron castings were all about on par with others  i have used.the Colerain barrel is fine.the cast bayonet,which you can see thee original armorers marks in the casting was a little rough[think lots of filing, & sandingthe stock profiling was rough to say the least,Not anything like Dave Keck's work.The barrel inlet was rough also,the breech area needed cleaned up & squared just to get the barrel seated.The forestock had already started to bow some.
I did a St. Etienne FDC for some one a year or so ago using TRS parts and the woodwork was better.now on that gun we had other issues.
The pre drilled lock bolts were dead center in the RR channel & the lock inlet was a tad large in a spot or two.it ended up being a nice  fusil.
on this  m1743  i asked them not to drill& tap the bolts or inlet the sideplate.The Trigger guard & buttplate were inlet also.On the SE gun we had not problems with that.
While IMO its not the most challenging of builds,it will make a unique gun that is to original dimensions.now that i have a pattern or model,If i do this gun again i would order the parts from them & have Dave Keck do the other work as needed or desired.
I put another project aside to do the 1743 so i'm a little enthused about it.Plus all the parts from TRS in a month
I hope this helps some.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I've built four rifles from TRS parts sets...a 1st model Bess, a Ferguson, a Baker and a Jaeger.  All were very well done.  There is almost no extra wood on them however.  The inlets were very close, even the fancy complicated ones, so you must be precise when inletting.   Your musket will finish up into an authentic reproduction I think.
If you want to learn a lot about lock making, by the set of lock parts and have at it.  However, they provide the locks finished up as well, and the one that came finished of the four, was just fine.  It needed polishing and tuning, but all locks do.  Also, the quality of the wood in these four was very very good.

[Ezra]

Thanks guys.   


Ez

[Cody Tetachuk]

A bit off topic but Taylor, I recall when you first joined ALR, you made a comment about the number of posts I had at the time. I believe it was 3-400 and you said something like 'how much time do you SPEND on here??'. I see your post count has exceeded 4 THOUSAND!!!!!!!!!. I spy with my little eye, I see something of an addiction . It's great to see particularily since I'm certain (I'm not going to claim to have seen every one) that every post has been well thought out and very informative/helpful. You are a HUGE asset to the site my friend.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

...again, off topic, Cody, but you were dead right.  I start my day here and usually spend about an hour on all the various forums.  The result has been an increase in my production, and a much better attention to detail, not to mention the added enjoyment.  The friends I have come to know here are priceless.
Now, back to TRS...

[Acer Saccharum]

I second that, Cody.

Also I'm with Taylor on the friends.  I now count many on the ALR as lifelong friends. No ordinary site we have.

Tom

[Acer Saccharum]

Oh, and back to TRS......

[alex e.]

Oh, and back to TRS......

Alirghty then
i just spent  5 hours being intimate with M1743 I'm not really happy with it.
The first time i take the main spring off it broke,I DID not even have a quarter turn of finger pressure on the thumb screw. But I did learn that a R.E. Davis French flintlock main spring is a fine substitute.Because who knows when i can get the right one from them.my friend is waiting over a year & a half for a new tumbler.......
Then i noticed earlier the iron  RR was binding up a bit.i was not that concerned till I had lock bolts installed.The forward bolt i had drilled sat directly under the barrel,If there was a web of wood it would have been totally in wood.well the RR hit about 2/3  of the forward bolt.They mortised out the RR channel from the barrel side.i understand a 1/4' RR hole is hard to drill so I can accept the way they did it. NOW the plowed out groove is cockeyed down & sideways& varying in depth as opposed to the entry hole which is at an upward angle. That India gun I had & examined had a better RR inlet than this.And they used 8d nails for pins everywhere. A kid in an 8Th grade shop class could have done a better job
So after opening up the mortise MORE than I wanted or needed to it now fits.

I think D. Taylor & I were dealing with two Different businesses.

I'll just leave it at this:After a guy spends $1400.00 on a set of parts"pre inlet & shaped"  Should I expect a little more?
I am just  SO glad this project is not for a customer. I know the finished product will be fine.But some things need not be this way.
So take it for what its worth

Alex.

[Ezra]

I have a print pattern for the stock.  I had been on the fence regarding the TRS precut stock and steel ramrod.  The last message has caused me to decide to forgo purchasing the TRS precut stock.  I will find a nice walnut blank with enough drop and have the barrel and ramrod channel inlet by Dave Rase.  I'll do the rest of it myself.  I have plenty of wooden ramrod stock, and wood is correct for the 1728 version anyway.


Ezra

[Nate McKenzie]

My 1728 kit was very good but the wait to get it was about 1 year. How old are you?

[Ezra]

My 1728 kit was very good but the wait to get it was about 1 year. How old are you?

They said a week for the lock.  I have received non firearm stuff from TRS in a fairly timely fashion, well except for their catalog.  That took a good year.  Time will tell.  It is for me, and I have about 13 months before it is to be used.  If it's a year, it's a year.  I'll adapt...somehow.


Ez