Good job, Lynn, noticing my typo. I've changed it - small ball it was, only a .495" actual measurement, some 40 of Speer's swaged balls and 50 of some cast by Taylor. i was dumbfounded by the location until we checked with a jab and found the ring to be at the front of the sight's dovetail and rear of the wedge dovetail.
Some time ago, Taylor sectioned a barrel that was rung - indeed, it looked as if there was some heavy metal moving - stretched and very rough- almost like it was melted - of coruse, we know it was merely stretched - don't we? there was 'some' force applied for sure.
When shooting, I had to wear a glove on the left hand - barrel's pretty cold on the hand compared to a longrifle's wooden stock up there. I almost tookthe longrifle instead, but wanted to try the .40 out. Glad I did. I'm sure I shot better with it than the .45 long-gun, even though it doesn't hold quite as well.
One interesting thing we found (maybe only interesting to me) is the lock Garry used when he made the rifle in the first place. The lock is a very old Siler - the balance between the springs must be perfect along with proper hardening of the frizzen. The throw is fairly short, but this lock is absolutely amazing. With well over 150 snaps on the original flint, at Hefley last August, shooting at the range and dryfiring in my basement- the flint was rounded with some flat edges along the striking face and very thick - perhaps .200" across the front edge, yet it was still sparking. I put on a new flint just because, and shot the day with it, never toughing the edge and it was still razor sharp after the day's shooting. The flint did fracture and lose about 1/3" of it's width, yet the remaining 'edge' is as sharp as a 'just knapped' flint and works perfectly.
