Intro with a southern mtn rifle first build

[WyomingWhitetail]

I thought I might as well do an intro post as I'm finally getting around to working on my first build.

I gathered the parts for this gun probably 5 years ago when I was still in college and haven't ever really gotten around to working on it. In the last couple of weeks I've gotten the breech squared up and the lock is almost fully inlet now, got maybe another 1/32 to go lowering the lock into the stock. The gun specifics are a chambers late ketland lock, a 13/16 straight barrel in 45, and a pre-carved stock I traded into. I'm shooting for a late flintlock period southern mountain rifle. I don't know exactly what the stock is supposed to be as it has a rounded cheek piece but I think it will fit the general theme ok.

I think that I am going to attempt to forge a trigger guard and buttplate for this rifle. I have a set of nickel silver Hawken type ones that I originally traded into but think it will turn out a lot better if it has forged iron mounts. I'm also considering doing a simple single trigger instead of the set trigger I have for it. It seems that set triggers are the norm for these rifles but the single trigger has my interest right now. I'm going with one lock bolt because of how I wanted to position the lock on the slim barrel. Right now I'm debating on how to attach the trigger plate, barrel tang, and trigger guard.

Well that about all, just figured I would say hi and introduce my project.

[smylee grouch]

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your build. This is a great place to ask questions and get a variety of good replies. If you run into problems, think it over and ask questions.

[WyomingWhitetail]

Ok I tried to upload a photo. Not a real great one but let's see if this works.

[WyomingWhitetail]

[greybeard]

Looks like you are in for a really good time. You came to the right place. Ask lots of questions and you will be sure to get lots if help.  Welcome.  Bob

[Joe S.]

Yup,plenty of fine folk here and plenty of knowledge and willing to share it.Good luck and enjoy your build

[Chowmi]

Whitetail,


Couple of questions now that you are progressing along:

I think you mentioned elsewhere your inlet of the lock has the flash pan centered vertically and parallel to the bore.  Do you know where the center of the pan sits in relation to the face of the breech plug?  On pre-carve stocks, they may or may not be built for a specific lock.  Also, if you removed wood to square up the breech, you may have moved the barrel back.  The relationship of the center of the pan and the face of the breech plug is important, and depends on whether you intend to install a touch hole liner, or drill a touch hole, or make it a patent breech (unlikely).  Most barrels you get have a 1/2 inch breech plug, but it is worth pulling it and measuring.  If you have not determined this relationship yet, and especially if you have not inletted the tang, now is the time to fix any issues with it. 

Also, hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like your barrel extends quite a ways past the end of the stock.  Most full stock long rifles will have a nose cap (muzzle cap or whatever you want to call it) that ends quite close to the muzzle of the barrel.  Like about 1/16th,  1/8th or 1/4  ish inch from the muzzle.  Some even closer.  Those nose caps are supported by the stock, as in, the stock is relieved and the nose cap is placed or formed around the relieved portion of the stock.  They are also usually around 1" to 1 1/4 or 1 3/4 inches long (rough guess).  Not usually more than that in order to look right. 

What I'm doing a bad job of trying to say here, is that you have a bunch of barrel sticking out of the stock.  It won't look right if you put a nose cap on the end of the fore-stock and let the barrel hang out in front of it.  It also probably won't look right if you add a new piece of wood to support a 3+ inch long nose cap to get it to the end of the barrel. 
Could you shorten the barrel?  Yes.  How long is it now?
Could you add a new piece of wood to extend the forestock and then put a normal size nose cap on it?  Yes.  It will likely show, but only on close look if you do it well.
Could you let the barrel hang out?  Yes.  And once you spend time looking at original rifles, you will kick yourself for doing that. 
If my interpretation of the picture is wrong, disregard all that!

Cheers,
Norm

[54ball]

 He's fine. In the photo the barrel and breech tang was in the channel.....thus sticking that length out ahead of the forestock.

[Chowmi]

Aahh,
see it now. 
A few less beers and would have seen it before I went through the effort!

Norm

[WyomingWhitetail]

Thanks for the comments. Firstly yes i located the vent liner position in front of the breech plug before inletting the lock. Secondly the picture with the barrel hanging out of the stock can be disregarded. In that picture the breech plug is installed in the barrel and it's just sitting in the stock prior to any inletting. With the barrel actually installed where it should be in the stock extends past the barrel an inch or so.

As far as books I have recreating the American longrifle as well as gunsmith of Greenville county and longrifle articles volume 1. On my list are both  the rifles of colonial america as we as the second longrifle articles and many others.

[Squirrel pizza]

My question is why? Except for maybe some of the smaller species of birds, .45 cal will just bounce off most of the kritters in Wyoming. Or is this gonna be a parlor gun?

[WyomingWhitetail]

Well technically a 40 is legal for big game out here. Although I know a guy that killed an antelope with one and wasn't terribly impressed. I'm thinking this will most likely be a deer and woods walking rifle. Of coarse I tend to hang out with people who shoot rocks tied to sticks out of other sticks at critters.

[Bob Roller]

Well technically a 40 is legal for big game out here. Although I know a guy that killed an antelope with one and wasn't terribly impressed. I'm thinking this will most likely be a deer and woods walking rifle. Of coarse I tend to hang out with people who shoot rocks tied to sticks out of other sticks at critters.

The last 45 caliber rifle I built was in 2003 and it was a Full English style long range 451 that goosed a 500+
grain bullet out from under the front sight using 90 grains of 3fg GOEX. For Eastern deer the round ball gun
is adequate but I wouldn't trust it for bigger critters.

Bob Roller

[n stephenson]

I always thought Wyoming would be a beautiful place to live and hunt and fish but, if those critters hides will turn a .45 then I`m stayin in Tennessee heck I wouldn't be able to skin em  . I`d starve to death.

[WyomingWhitetail]

Well our whitetail aren't all that hard to kill and I like to get close. The fun for me is to see how close I can get before I have to take the shot. I also shoot traditional archery though. Elk are a little different story, not like their hide is made of steel or anything but they seem to be able to travel an amazing distance in rough country after being hit even with a good shot. My plan is to eventually build either a 58 or a 62 for use in elk hunting, possibly a jeager.

You are right that Wyoming is a beautiful place to live, that is if you enjoy being able to look out across a diverse and open landscape and tell where you are. Took a business trip where I drove from Chicago to Cleveland via Detroit and central OH once and I felt uncomfortable the entire the time because I couldn't see anything. The only thing I seen on the whole trip was highway, potholes and trees. 

Someday I dream of building a .451 long range target gun. Need to get several other builds under my belt before I tackle one of those. Would love to hear some details on the parts used, or even some pictures.  Something about showing up at the range with a muzzleloader and outshooting the modern guys at the long range gongs just appeals to me.