Chunk Gun Build

[okawbow]

I decided to build a chunk gun after attending my first over the log shoot in Jimtown, Indiana last October. I put a want ad here on the forum, and ended up with 2 barrels. One was a 1 1/4" x 54" Ed Rayle 48 cal., used barrel that I used for this rifle. The other 1" x 42" 45 cal will be used for an offhand rifle.

Went to a local sawmill and found a 30 year old walnut plank for the stock. I bought the L&R triggers from TOTW. Everything else was home made, including the breech plug, which I sawed out by hand from a piece of 1 3/8" cold rolled steel. I also made the side hammer lock by hand.

The used barrel had several sight slots I had to fill, but turned out pretty well. Before I finished the gun, I shot it about 25 times to work up a load and determine to sweet spot for the built in cant block.looks like it's a shooter.

I browned the steel with LMF and sealed the wood with bee propolis dissolved in acetone. Several coat of BLO and it's starting to look good. I'll keep putting more oil on for the next month or two.

Some of the photos are mirror images. The rifle is right hand.


image by okawbow, on Flickr
image by okawbow, on Flickr
image by okawbow, on Flickr
image by okawbow, on Flickr
image by okawbow, on Flickrimage by okawbow, on Flickrimage by okawbow, on Flickrimage by okawbow, on Flickr
image by okawbow, on Flickr
photo (20) by okawbow, on Flickr

[greybeard]

Good looking target ,good looking gun.    Bob

[ddoyle]

Wow that is an all business piece of work. Beautiful.

Curious about the bee propolis filler? Is this a common way to seal walnut? Any tricks or rules associated with the technique? If I seal my gun with it will it shoot as well as yours 

I really like the way the stock turned out.

[okawbow]

I started using the propolis on violins I have made. I buy raw bee propolis, which is scraped from bee hives. The bees produce it to seal the hives.
Dissolved in acetone, a yellow-brown varnish floats on top of the bees wax and junk. I brush on the thin varnish, and it really soaks into the wood and helps seal the grain. It also acts as a presurvative and smells good too. It also gives a slightly yellow stain to the wood, and acts as a good ground for the finish. 
I let the propolis dry for a day or two, and then rub in several coats of boiled linseed oil.

[frogwalking]

I made a functional but ugly side slapper when I was 19 or 20.  I would love to see more of the lock, including the internals and close up views of how it works.

[ddoyle]

Okawbow,

Thanks for taking the time to offer the explanation.

Now that you reveal yourself as a Luthier I understand the result you attained with this gun's finish.

[Bob Roller]

Okawbow,

Thanks for taking the time to offer the explanation.

Now that you reveal yourself as a Luthier I understand the result you attained with this gun's finish.

I have admired for more years than I want to admit the fine caplock rifle made by Whitmore for General Grant.
Just what was used to get that color? It is beautiful and I have heard that it may have been some kind of piano varnish.Anyone here have any ideas??

Bob Roller

[okawbow]

I made a functional but ugly side slapper when I was 19 or 20.  I would love to see more of the lock, including the internals and close up views of how it works.

The only "internals" on this lock are the sear bar and sear spring. Everything else is on the outside. There is no half cock position, as this is purely a target rifle. It won't be capped until laid down on the chunk pointed downrange. The set triggers are also only single stage. The rear trigger must be set for the gun to fire.

I sawed and filed the parts for this lock from an old iron bar I found on a farm I hunt deer on. All parts are case hardened until a file skates off them. I'm still working on the mainspring. This one is made from 2 strips of 1/16" O1 tool steel. It works ok, but I need to find a piece of 1/8" 1075 and make a better looking spring.

image by okawbow, on Flickr