Author Topic: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted  (Read 1900 times)

Offline Rick Rhodes

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Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« on: July 09, 2023, 04:00:19 PM »
What was the barrel length  and caliber  of the "feather" rifle?  Thinking of building one .
« Last Edit: July 09, 2023, 04:07:44 PM by rich pierce »

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2023, 06:07:50 PM »
The barrel is 43", I didn't record the caliber. I have the buttplate and triggerguard castings.
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Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2023, 07:14:02 PM »
And the lock on that rifle is awesome.  Pay very close attention to that lock.
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Offline Dennis Glazener

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2023, 07:44:52 PM »
The barrel is 43", I didn't record the caliber. I have the buttplate and triggerguard castings.

I think that is the one where Reaves Goehring owned the original, if so Fred Miller made a pattern of the stock and Ed Rayl has the barrel template/ specs I think it was 54, maybe 58 cal but not sure. Reaves also had casting for the BP, TG and lock, I built a copy and got the casting from Reaves but at the time the only lock castings he had was a lock plate casting. I used the lock plate to modify an early Ketland to look close to the original. The plate length falls between an Early Ketland and a Siler lock. I chose the Ketland because it was an English lock like the original while the Siler is Germanic. I had to really thin the bolster on the Early Ketland to be able to use it with Fred's pattern! I had to take some off the main spring AND mill the barrel in order to get enough clearance. Realy made a nice handling rifle. I wish I had kept it but sold it to a guy in AZ.

Knob mountain has the stock pattern now, assume Reaves daughter still has all the castings.
Dennis
« Last Edit: July 09, 2023, 07:49:12 PM by Dennis Glazener »
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Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2023, 08:00:00 PM »
ummmmmm...  The lock on the Feather gun is about as German as it gets.  In fact, it's really what the Siler "should have been."  You can use a Siler kit as a base to get the Feather lock out of it, mostly, but you're going to have to do a lot of reshaping and also a couple of replacement parts.  It's not clear whether it's a German import lock or an American-made copy.

I'm pretty sure there are pictures of the lock 'out there' somewhere.  I might have some, will have to go check.
Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2023, 08:16:48 PM »
Was guslers woodsrunner the one with the English lock? I believe that's the one I have a pattern for.
NEW WEBSITE! www.mikebrooksflintlocks.com
Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Offline Dwshotwell

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2023, 08:53:41 PM »

Feather Rifle lock pic.

Here’s a link to the thread where I found this:
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=49261.msg488005#msg488005
« Last Edit: July 09, 2023, 09:23:44 PM by Dwshotwell »
David Shotwell

Offline Ian Pratt

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2023, 09:58:26 PM »
Was guslers woodsrunner the one with the English lock? I believe that's the one I have a pattern for.

Yes

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2023, 10:54:47 PM »

Feather Rifle lock pic.

Here’s a link to the thread where I found this:
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=49261.msg488005#msg488005
I made a JP Beck copy using that lock plate. Siler internals. Works great. Customer furnished the finished lock.
NEW WEBSITE! www.mikebrooksflintlocks.com
Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Offline Dennis Glazener

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2023, 01:10:04 PM »
ummmmmm...  The lock on the Feather gun is about as German as it gets.  In fact, it's really what the Siler "should have been."  You can use a Siler kit as a base to get the Feather lock out of it, mostly, but you're going to have to do a lot of reshaping and also a couple of replacement parts.  It's not clear whether it's a German import lock or an American-made copy.

I'm pretty sure there are pictures of the lock 'out there' somewhere.  I might have some, will have to go check.

Then the one I am talking about was not the feather rifle. If I remember correctly Reaves thought his came from the Shenandoah Valley area of VA.
Dennis
"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend" - Thomas Jefferson

Offline Rick Rhodes

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2023, 02:08:13 PM »
Thank you for all the input,very helpful

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2023, 04:24:17 PM »
ummmmmm...  The lock on the Feather gun is about as German as it gets.  In fact, it's really what the Siler "should have been."  You can use a Siler kit as a base to get the Feather lock out of it, mostly, but you're going to have to do a lot of reshaping and also a couple of replacement parts.  It's not clear whether it's a German import lock or an American-made copy.

I'm pretty sure there are pictures of the lock 'out there' somewhere.  I might have some, will have to go check.

Then the one I am talking about was not the feather rifle. If I remember correctly Reaves thought his came from the Shenandoah Valley area of VA.
Dennis
I have a pattern from the one with the english lock, I was confused about what pattern I had. The guns look incredibly similar in architecture.
NEW WEBSITE! www.mikebrooksflintlocks.com
Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #12 on: July 10, 2023, 05:17:10 PM »
Oh now I know what you're talking about.  I don't think I have pics of that one but everyone I've ever talked to about it seems to think that it and the Feather rifle were clearly made by the same guy.
Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

Offline Jim Kibler

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #13 on: July 10, 2023, 07:13:40 PM »
Follow the link above and it will show the original that is often referred to as the "Woodsrunner".  This is the one Wallace owned.

Jim

Offline c deperro

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Re: Gun building -Feather rifle details wanted
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2023, 03:27:03 PM »
Rick I built one years ago off of Fred Millers Pattern. I think Dave Keck at Knob Mountain Muzzle loading has the pattern.