This is posted with Dennis's permission.
Some of you may know I do volunteer work for an organization called Hunts For Healing. It was founded by Melinda Piccotti ,an Air Force and Vietnam Veteran, to take wounded soldiers from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts on hunting , fishing, rafting and family camping trips. I am mainly involved with their flintlock deer hunt every January.
On past hunts, myself and a few others would loan them our guns. After our most recent flintlock hunt, the Board of Directors approached me about the organization buying their own guns and a “shooting kit” for each gun. They were looking at two guns this year, and hopefully two more next year. They were looking at Traditions Flintlocks that would cost almost $400. each. I couldn’t see them spending that much money (their budget is tight to start with) on guns with cheap locks and 10 pound triggers so I volunteered to build them two. I would like to do more but I don’t think I have the time this year.
What I’m leading up to is asking if anyone would be kind and generous enough to donate some gun parts or a monetary amount towards some parts for guns for our wounded warriors. I will be building two plain, no frills, short barreled half stocks, around 32”. Some of the soldiers who are physically unable to walk the woods hunt from shooting shacks. These shacks are not big or high enough to swing a 42” barreled rifle. I learned this the hard way this past season and unfortunately cost a soldier a shot at a deer.
I am donating my time and labor to build two rifles plus the small parts, screws, pins , finish etc.. Dave Keck, Knob Mountain Muzzleloaders, is donating castings and his time to inlet the barrels and shape the stocks.
All monetary donations are tax deductible, below is the web site or you can PM me for the director’s email and/or phone number if you need more info about taxes. I’m not involved in that part of the organization.
What I need are: (I’m hoping for two identical guns)
2 short blanks, walnut or cherry, wood that doesn’t require stain. (I don’t want to use maple because it’s too hard to touch up scratches. Past experience showed me some of the guys are pretty hard on guns)
2 locks, Chamber’s Late Ketland locks
2 Davis #4 double set triggers
2 Barrels, 15/16 straight, .54 caliber, round ball twist, 32” or longer. I can cut them to length
2 breech plugs for above barrels
2 under ribs for above barrels
2 plain front sights, silver blade
2 rear sights, adjustable
2 White Lighting flash hole liners
2 3/8” ram rods and tips
2 small bags, ball starters, flints, round balls, powder measures, cleaning jags, etc, any miscellaneous shooting and cleaning supplies
.
I will be at the Lewisburg Show at Knob Mountain’s booth, both days, if anyone has any questions or would like to discuss this further. If you can’t make the show, my email is in my profile or you can PM me for my phone number.
Below are some photos from this year’s hunt with the soldiers I was involved with. I'm the handsome one with the grey beard.
There are many more pics on the web site. Here’s the link.
www.huntsforhealing.orgMore info on the organization:
Founded February 2009, Hunts for Healing was created to establish a fund to sponsor wounded soldiers returning from military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and veterans who have successfully completed the Wounded Warrior Program at the Military Advanced Training Center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center; allowing them to participate in outdoor programs including, but not limited to, hunter safety, clay target shooting, pheasant, upland and small game hunting, fishing and camping.
Thank You all,
Bill Daniel
Matt, Sergeant, Army Ranger
Mark, Captain, Army
Dwight, Sergeant, Army
Mike, Dan and Matt, Army Rangers
Dan, Sergeant, Army Ranger
Brad, CWO5, Marine
