Early Flint Rifle

[Ted Kramer]

Here is what I'll call an early style flint rifle. I've been working on this in between building rifles for others for the past 2-3 years. I intend to keep this one for my own use. It's not fancy and should have some engraving and better carving but it is what it is. It follows no particular "school" but is of a style I like and works for me.

It has a straight 7/8" X 38.5" .40 caliber Green Mountain barrel. A swamped barrel would have been more appropriate but I had this nice GMT 7/8" x .40 so used it. Browned with Wahkon Bay Tru-Brown.

The lock is a large Siler built from with the blank plate and shaped to have a bit more dog-leg shape. I added a roller to the toe of the frizzen.

Standard Davis DST's and after reading a recent post by Don Getz, I have to concur with him that a bit of modification of the triggers would look better and not be so standardized. Next time.

The maple stock is from a blank I bought from Dunlap. My friend William Young cut the barrel channel for me on his milling machine. The wood lid on the PB has the latch system I posted a picture of a few months back. The stock was stained using Wm. Young's (Wahkon Bay) Aqua-Fortis and there are now several coats of his Tru-Coat on it. The hickory ram rod has an antler tip, same length as the nose cap.

The rifle shoots well and is easy to carry and hold for shooting. The GMT barrel loads nicely with a .395 ball and .015 patch.

Please bear in mind that I'm not a good photographer so the pictures are not the best, poor background too.  I hope you enjoy them anyway.

I'm open to any advice on what to do better next time.

Thanks.

Ted K.

[greybeard]

Now thats a right handsome riflegun.    Bob

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Excellent workmanship Ted.  Plain is just fine.  That will be a rifle you'll love to shoot for a very long time.  Now, build another one. 

[northmn]

Plain is great. 

DP

[Blacksmoke]

Ted:  Did you color case the lock? or does it have "fake" colors?  Either way it looks nice! I like your overall interpretation esp. the lock fence back against the breech shoulder  ( at least it looks that way in the photo).  I agree with Don about the trigger modification.  All in all nice job!    Hugh Toenjes

[Jim Kibler]

Ted,

You have done some clean and careful work.  The stock has an appealing color to my eye as well. 

A couple of suggestions...  The lock and sideplate molding shape at the tail of each is a bit odd.  These sorts of  things are always difficult to describe, but it seems the beavertail or teardrop featur is on the same plane as the rest of the molding.  The teardrop is produced by carving into the previously shaped stock.  It's not really formed in the shaping process.  Now, some styles will cary the lock panel moldings back into the teardrop a fair amount, but only perhaps half of what you have.  Study original examples.  Rifles of Colonial America would be a good source.  One other item that could perhaps use a little improvement is the shape of the box lid.  It's kind of short and fat.  This is pretty common among those starting out.  A good example to reference would be a Rifles of Colonial America #94.  This Shroyer box has a very appealing shape to my eye.

Overall you have done some pretty good work.  Keep studying original or good contemporary examples as much as you can.  Your execution seems quite good.  Put this together with a little more familiarity in original style and design and you will be well on your way.

Good luck,
Jim

[david50]

really nice! the plainer the better IMO  the wood finish is excellent

[Maalsral]

I really like what you've done with the lock.  The shape of the lock plate really fits the rifle.

[Ted Kramer]

Thanks for the compliments and pointers guys..

Mr. Toenjes- It's fake! Glad you like it anyway.

Mr. Kibler- I did goof on those beaver tails on the panels.  No excuse. I have done others correctly but I got in a hurry to finish this rifle since it had been so long in the making and simply overlooked an important detail. Perfect example of why I should not have more than one building project going at once. I should know better. PB lid does look too wide but if narrower, a Snickers wouldn't fit in the cavity! Next one will be be made for a Butterfinger!

Mr. Sapergia- I'm working on one now and gathering the parts for another. 

Thanks again.

Ted K

[A.Merrill]

    Great job, thats a gun a guy can use for anything. I think the lock looks fine. What did you use on it? Keep up the good work.    AL

[Glenn]

Beautiful weapon.  The staining of the stock is perfect as is the browning of the barrel.  I hope the barrel I do turns out like that.  Everything looks perfectly contoured.  Nice job !!!   

[Ray Nelson]

Ted,

Looks very, very nice as usual! Let me know when you have time away from the fields and you and WCY can come up and we can try to hit the Trail Walk targets for the pure fun of it. Have brats ready and wait'n afterwards.

I finished my 50 cal project as well but hasn't been very dry outside to go shoot'n...grass keeps growing by inches daily.

Ray

[wattlebuster]

I think it looks great. I really like the stock stain

[dogcreek]

The metal finishing is excellent. And the wood finishing is very good as well. The gun has nice lines. You did a fine job. Thanks for sharing.

[Tommy Bruce]

Very crisp lines,  the carving looks great......just enough.  I like it a lot!

[FRJ]

Beautiful rifle!!!!!! It's hardly plain, subtle would be more definitive. Keep up the good work. Frank