Just Off The Bench

[mgbruch]

I just finished this left handed Southern Mountain rifle for a friend.  She is stocked from a blank of Sugar Maple.  Finicky, with both hard and soft spots.  I do all the work on the wood, from blank to finish.

The barrel is Rice's Squirrel barrel, 44" long, and .40 caliber.  The barrel is just 13/16th across the flats at the breach, so she is VERY light.  I also used a White Lightning vent liner.  The L&R Durs Egg lock received some cosmetic attention, and a thorough tuning.

I make the butt plate, toe plate, trigger guard, side plate, ramrod thimbles, and sights.  I also make my own double set triggers; triggers, trigger bar, and springs.  I do buy the two little screws though.

This gun has a drop to heel of 3 1/2", a 13 3/4" length of pull, castoff of 3/16", and balances at the forearm transition.

It took four try's of stains to get what I was looking for; but I got it.  This particular piece of wood did not want to take color.  I ended up with two coats of Mr. Kibler's tannic acid (mixed to the instructions), one coat of Kiblers Iron Nitrate.  I let the stock dry between coats, and and then blushed the wood.  It didn't take much work with the purple ScotchBrite to get the running grain exposed to where I wnated it.  Next came a coat of LMF Maple stain, followed by a coat of their Cherry.  This is the first time I've used tannic acid, and Iron NItrate as well.  I've always used aquafortis before.  From here on I'll use the tannic acid and nitrate.  I'm pleased with the results.

The stock was not sanded, but was scraped and burnished.  I chose Chambers Oil finish for this gun, and I'm pleased with the results from that as well.  I have been using LMF Permalyn Sealer.  With my third coat of finish, I mixed a little of the oil finish with some of the LMF Cherry stain.  It kind of touched off the red I was looking for.  I used five coats of sealer in all. 

The metal was greyed using Jax Black.

I think she turned out nice.

[wattlebuster]

Very nice indeed. I like it

[rich pierce]

Very sleek and clean. I’m always impressed when makers fabricate a lot of the parts for a build and it adds a lot of individuality to the build. Great color too.

[Robby]

........and correct handed to boot!
Robby

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... great job... !!! ... a fancied-up East Tennessee style.. you have obviously held some original old ones and got the style correct... BTW.. of the probably 500 originals I have held, I have only seen one lefty.. congratulations on a fine build... CCF

[old george]

Beautiful rifle, just have to love that red.

george

[gusd]

Very Nice
Gus

[mgbruch]

Thanks for the good words.

Fidler, sadly I haven't held an original southern gun.  I grew up in the Mtn west, and have lived in the Northwest for over 30 years now.  Not too many originals out here; and the number of original long arms I've handled can be counted on both hands, I'm sure.  Of those, most were military arms.  The most memorable were; a very nice Pennsylvania rifle from the late flint period (still in use), and an original Hawken (probably late Hawken).

I study photos, descriptions, and measurements.  I, obviously, take the design elements I like from different makers.  Something about the lines and simplicity appeals to me.  Simplicity, done well, can be quite elegant... and that's what I strive for.

[aaronc]

Great build,..color is beautiful.

[hawkeye]

Very nice rifle, you mentioned tuning the LR lock,i,m a novive, so what,s needed to be tuned.gonna try to build a pistol with Bailes lock,so?

[moseswhite]

SWEET !!!!

[mgbruch]

What needs to be tuned on a lock?

Not an easy answer, and it depends on the particular lock.  Internally, every part of the lock needs/gets some attention...except the fly on this one.  You have to know how everything is supposed to fit and function before you take that on.

Good quality needle files and finishing stones are essential for working on all bearing surfaces.  I don't use power tools, but rely on my needle files and small stones, 400 to 1500 grit.

The lock plate will need to be filed to make sure it is absolutely flat.  Then sanded and stoned.  The tumbler on the Bailes will have those little shoulders on the spindles.  The shoulders are generally poorly cast, and will need to be dressed properly, as well as the spindles themselves and the corresponding holes in the bridle and lock plate.  The tumbler will also need to be checked for excessive side to side slop.  if it's there, the small bearing face of the bridle will need to be taken down, slowly, using care to keep the proper 90 degree angle on it.  The bearing surfaces of the sear also need to be dressed.  The bridle, and it's bearing surfaces on the tumbler and mainspring also need dressing.  The sear spring is probably too stiff, and will need some work... along with the end that bears on the sear.

Last, but not least, the full cock notch will probably need attention.  I go very slowly on this one, and I don't adjust the full cock notch for trigger pull until final assembly and fitting of triggers to the lock.  After that, every external part will need some attention as well.  All surfaces should be filed, and no casting seams should be left.

I'm probably forgetting something, and I'm not good with descritions and directions.  Like I said... knowing how everything is supossed to fit and function is essential.

Good luck.