Honey, I shrunk the Haga! (Thanks for the tip Eric vonA)

[Jim Kibler]

I like it, Dave.  It has a very credible appearance.  Great job!

[KLMoors]

Sweet work Dave. I especially love the carving.

[smart dog]

Hi and Thanks,
Jim, Eric, Kl, thank you for the compliments.  Coming from you guys it means a lot.  Eric, the only draw back to the small Siler is that it really needs flints no longer than 5/8" to have enough whip to produce good spark.  It can do that nicely but only with pretty short flints.  By the way, your Beck just blows me away.   
Pete G. - I agree with you and thank you.  I really wanted to test my level of skill to reduce the time and fuss I usually apply to my guns.  The training ground for that was my experience engraving metal, particularly metal parts that are already inlet and secured to a gun.  You have to be confident when you engrave them because you can't fix mistakes.  That experience prompted me to attempt an entire gun that simulates a man who used confident skill to economize his actions to make a living at the task.  It was a very enlightening endeavor and I humbly learned a lot. 

dave   

[E.vonAschwege]

Eric, the only draw back to the small Siler is that it really needs flints no longer than 5/8" to have enough whip to produce good spark.  It can do that nicely but only with pretty short flints. 

Dave,
   How old was your Siler lock?  A year or two ago Jim switched out the old tumblers with the tumbler from the Golden Age lock, which has its notches further back.  This allows for excellent clearance at half cock, and a long swing before the flint hits the steel.  It would be easy to swap it out to allow for better clearance - I need to do that with my Rupp/Kuntz pistol. 
-Eric

[Lucky R A]

Hi Dave,
     Late to the party, but I would like to echo the other compliments.  It adds a whole other dimension to building when you approach a project with the mindset of an original builder.  Most hobby builders don't understand the need to get "product" through the shop and converted to currency or whatever.  It also helped to helped to have several apprentices to do some of the work.  Interesting approach and great result.
All the best,  Ron

[Ed Wenger]

Late to the party as well, Dave, very nice piece!  Love the look of the finish...

     Ed

[Don Getz]

Dave.......I really like the overall finish, color, etc.   It seems that as I get closer to finishing a gun, the faster I seem to work.
That is actually the time that you have to slow up and work out all of the details of the finish.  I guess that's why I have been
relegated to doing barn guns.........Don

[bama]

Very nicely done sir. I love everything about this rifle, i would also join the club of folks that would love to shoot it.

[smart dog]

Thanks Jim, Ed, Don, and Ron.  I appreciate the comments very much.  Eric, you are completely correct.  The Siler on the gun was a kit bought from TOW.  I also happen to have a new small Siler (assembled) that I bought for another gun and that one is stamped with "C"s in circles so I guess it was actually made by Chambers.  The kit has no markings.  The tumbler on the kit is different without the deep depression for regulating a constant position of the sear at rest, half cock and full cock, and the notches are placed differently.  The new Siler has plenty of clearance for the flint at half cock.  Also, on the kit, the nose of the tumbler dropped 1/32" below the plate when the flintcock was at rest.  I had to reshape it to prevent that, which was very easy to do.  I will swap out the old tumbler.  Thanks for the tip.

dave  

[pushboater]

Dave, I really like the color.  How strong of a Ferric Nitrate solution did you use and how many coats?

Capt. David

[smart dog]

Hi Dave,
Ferric nitrate cyrstals diluted 1:4 (ferric nitrate to water) distilled water.  Applied first coat and blanched with heat gun.  Applied a second coat and heated again.  The stain was then rubbed back with steel wool at the wrist, hand grip (part of forestock) and cheekpiece.  Thanks for looking, dave.

dave