Roger Sells iron mounted rifle on the Blog today

[PPatch]

http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/

His rifle looks like it wants to be handled and shot.

dp

[Dennis Glazener]

Great looking rifle, Roger always does nice work.
Dennis

[rsells]

Thanks guys for looking at the rifle.  It is a rifle that has been under construction for nearly five years between other builds.  A good friend of mine, the owner, and I worked together to pick out the characteristics used to build the rifle.  John Archer asked that I put a note on ALR with info on the rifle.  Several different rifle characteristics were used to produce this rifle.  Below is some info on the rifle:
-  The profile of the stock is similiar to the Bull family rifles.
-  Our goal was to build a Southern rifle that is early, so, the butt plate is a bit wider (1 1/2 inches) than normal and the final running from the heal up the comb came from a John Bull butt plate.
-  The thimbles were copied from a rifle made in North Carolina.
-  The nose cap is a design I make to use on iron mounted rifles, of no specific family.
-  The trigger guard is taken from the Bull family work with slighly less curl on the final and a longer trigger bow to accomodate the laid back rear trigger.
-  The patch box design started off to be similar to a captured lid box used by Edward Reed from upper East Tennessee, but evolved into the design used with a hidden hinge lid.
-  The lock is a copy of a Henry Nock lock made by Allen.  I rounded the tail a bit .
-  The barrel is a B weight 44 inch swamped .45 cal Green Mountain.
-  The moldings came from a Bull family rifle.
-  Rear sight from a Bull family rifle.
-  Side plate is from no specific rifle family.
-  Engraving is from no specific rifle family.
I hope this will be of help.  
                                                                               Roger Sells

[PPatch]

Roger I think it is a stunning firearm. I can see the lineage in its superb and well crafted architecture, the fit and finish the same. And as I remarked earlier it just begs to be handled and shot. Great achievement.

dp

[WadePatton]

Great lookin' gun.   

[Vomitus]

  What a nice rifle. I like the lock with it's big cock.Great gun!

[EricEwing]

I thought it was an amazing looking gun. love the shape of the wrist and the designs on the patchbox.

[John Archer]

Thanks Roger for posting this information...it is a wonderful rifle and it's nice to know where the some of the inspiration to build it came from.

Best,
John.

[MarkEngraver]

Beautiful clean lines !  Just an outstanding rifle.

My only suggestion would be some simple engraving on the moon inlay,  with the engraving touches else where, it looks forgotten.

Mark

[rsells]

In the works.  This rifle has been a work in progress for a long time, but close to being finished.  Jan took the photographs at a mini CLA show and the rifle was complete other than the engraving on the moon, a screw in vent pick being attached, and cutting the front  sight to sight it in.  I haven't done the moon yet because I wanted to practice cutting across the silver nails that hold the moon into the cheek.  The nails are formed from sterling rods, and are softer than the inlay.  I don't want to raise the edge of the bevel when crossing the edges, and want to make a clean cut when changing directions.  I thought about changing the design we planned on putting on the moon, but haven't made that decision yet.  A screw in vent pick has been installed on the rifle between the toe plate and rear final of the triggerguard, and the front sight has been cut to a much lower profile since the photographs were taken.  Thanks for the imput.        
                                                                                Roger Sells

[C. Cash]

Simple beauty.  Thanks for sharing that.

[J. Talbert]

Roger,

Very nice gun!  Can't find much of anything I don't like.
I was wondering where the lock came from.  Are they available?  Did you get it directly from Pete Allan? 

Thanks,
Jeff

[rsells]

Jeff,
I got the lock from Tip Curtis (615-654-4445).  The lock plate is a bit thicker than the late Ketland I usually use on my mountain rifles and it gives a wider profile throught the mortis areas.  This rifle is as fast as one built with the late Ketland.  It is a bit more sensitive to flint length than the Kitland, but I really like it.  This lock is patterned after a lock made by Nock and it is spot on in design.
                                                                                               Roger Sells

[J. Talbert]

Thanks Roger,

Jeff

[fullcircle]

ilove that rifle.The triggerguard is exactly what's been in my head  for awhile.did you make it from scratch?Great work.

[rsells]

Everything on the rifle is made by hand with the exception of the barrel, breech plug, front sight, lock, triggers, moon inlay, and screws.
                                                                                 Roger Sells

[WadePatton]

Jeff,
I got the lock from Tip Curtis (615-654-4445).  The lock plate is a bit thicker than the late Ketland I usually use on my mountain rifles and it gives a wider profile throught the mortis areas.  This rifle is as fast as one built with the late Kitland.  It is a bit more sensitive to flint length than the Kitland, but I really like it.  This lock is patterned after a lock made by Nock and it is spot on in design.
                                                                                               Roger Sells

that's the lock I'm working with (hanging on my rifle- mostly) presently.  Nock eh?.  I'll remember that.  I think he was out of them last time i was up there.  Maybe had the parts but none assembled-or was short some parts. I forgetted.

[rsells]

There was an article on Henry Nock's locks in Muzzleloader or Muzzle Blast a few years ago.  I  gave my copy to the owner of the rifle I used the lock on, and I can't remember which mag or the edition.  I will ask Bruce the next time we go shoot.  Nock made fowling pieces and used this type of lock on them.  It is very much like a lock on an original Unicoy county I own.
                                                                       Roger Sells

[rsells]

The article on Henry Nock's lock was in "Muzzleloader" mag in March 1992 issue.  It was written by Lynton McKenzie.
                                                                                      Roger Sells

[Bob Roller]

In 1980,Lynton McKenzie took the right hand lock off an existing shotgun
which was a Nock and sent it to me to study.It was 99% identical to the
Bailes/Manton locks being made today.
I traded TOW labor on 4 locks,the parts for which came from moulds they
gave for my labor charge.I made a number of locks from these,mostly for
a German shop for Boutete target pistols.I still have a few "bits and pieces"
for these locks and Les Barber who does assembly work for R.E.Davis now
has these moulds.I gave them to him several years ago as I have no intention
to make any more of these.The L&R small Manton is identical and the parts I
get from them are better than those I used for the Germans.
I remember Lynton asking me not to use the German cut flints in his antique
lock because they could ruin the frizzen but the lock fired fine with common black
flints.

Bob Roller

[jkpike]

Roger,
That is a beautiful gun. I am starting my first build very soon, a .40 Cal TN rifle with a walnut stock. Would you mind sharing how you finished the walnut stock on the rifle you built?  Aqua Fortis?
Thank you,
John

[rsells]

jkpike,
The owner and I looked at two options as far as stain, and I am having a hard time remembering for sure, but I think I used Fiebings dark brown leather dye.  I take the bottle of dark brown and pour out enough dye to lower the level to the top of the label and refill it back to the original level with Fiebings black leather dye.  The dye will put a dark finish on the wood.  Test the dye in the barrel grove and rub some stock finish on the area to see if it is the color you are want.  We also thought about using Laurel Mountain Antique Stain, but to the best of my memory we went with the Fiebings leather dye.  This stock blank was dark in color, and had a red tint to it, which has a bearing on the finished product.
                                                                                                   Roger Sells