getting ready for another build

[frenchman]

hunting rifle 
flint
cal .54
40 to 42 inch barrel swamp in b weight
all steel parts
looking for a school that is close to a kentucky style and that carries a wider butt
and how low can i go with the butt without being uncomfortable to shoot i would like Roman nose style for the butt stock. Will it be comfortable to shoot in a .54
you now have a notion of what i am looking for.
Here is the easy question now where do i look and what school to look for
thanks guys

[Don Getz]

Frenchy............you have stated that you want a light barrel in 54 cal., two of the ingredients for a rifle that will give you
some recoil.     You then state that you want a roman nose stock..........this is the third bad move,  a roman nose stock with a light barrel and fairly large calibre willl surely kick you on your cheek bone.....guaranteed.      Build a stock with straight lines....comb and the lower line of the butt..........Lancaster, Beck, or a copy of a Berks county Wolfgang Haga, you
will be much happier with any one of these.............Don

[Bill of the 45th]

What Don said, unless you have the skills of Al martin, Kettenburg, or McNabb with Lehigh's, I wouldn't give it a try.  I would add an early Virginia as a possible gun, and it would be correct iron mounted, and with a wide comfortable Butt plate.  Also a C weight might be a better choice if it's going to use heavy hunting loads.

Bill

[frenchman]

thanks Don & Bill i am taking important notes here,
 will go back to look at some of the builders you are referring to

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Kent Smith has a pattern for a mid 18th century rifle with an English lock that is terrific . I have a 44" .54 caliber that weighs 7.5# and I love it!!

Contact Kent Smith at:
17373 Hidden Lake Ln
Rockville, VA 23146
phone number: 804-749-4546

[Long John]

I have a simple rule that seems to help me avoid the check bashing from heavy recoil.  Lay a sraight-edge from the heel of the butt to the barrel tang.  Anything above that line will  have the potential to hurt you.  Get a copy of RCA and use a ruler to help you select a rifle you will like to shoot.

Best Regards,

JMC

[frenchman]

Don for the sake of curiosity for roman nose stocks one would go for .45 cal and less

[mark esterly]

do they make .54 cal in B weight?   seems like it might be a little on the thin side to me,  especially swamped.  i shoot a .58 in D weight , bucks county style which is generally thought a "roman nose" i think. no real kick to speak of and comes in a full pound lighter than my tc hawken. maybe a C weight would be lighter than you think.

[volatpluvia]

Mark,
I built a Lancaster style long rifle with one of Don's C weight 42 inch swamped barrels.  I was a joy to hold and shoot.  It balanced so well that it felt like a feather when I mounted it to shoot.  Yet with that long barrel it held well on the target.  I didn't even think don made a B weight in .54.
volatpluvia

[Gene Carrell]

I've a 54cal C-weight/profile @38" in a Lancaster style that I hunt with and   find the balance great. It is pleasant to shoot and handles well in the woods. I would think that a 54cal in a B-weight, if it can be found, would be  too light. I suggest considering a C-weight/profile for a 54cal in a hunting  arm.

[Don Getz]

This is one more thing I failed to mention, but, a B weight in any style would be too small to accommodate a 54 cal. bore..............Don

[Top Jaw]

Look at the early Berks County Guns (such as RCA #20, #21 & #22).  They have a very slight curve on the top of the comb, so they are not dead straight like the Lancaster.  I have never shot one, but the curve looks gentle, and not like it would be prone to wacking your cheek.  Might give you the best of both worlds.