My Second gun build

[steven baker]

Hi Folks,
Just like to share with you like-minded folk a quick progress update on my latest project, a SMR iron mount. Since I'm still green on gun building, I chose a cap lock 32. straight tube (Douglas barrel), plain maple.This one is for go not show, I plan to get it dirty. At this stage the basic stock shaping is almost complete. I made furniture myself and the lock is a reworked L and R lock. Maybe somebody could give me a few pointers of advice on how to slim down the woodwork to give it the slim long rifle feature (barrel is not swamped). Any comments would be mighty helpful.

Take care,
Steven.

[mikeyfirelock]

Lookin’ good !    Keep it up !    ( looks a WHOLE lot better than my 2nd gun)
Mikey

[Clint]

Nothing 'green' looking about your furniture or your fit up. The single most important thing about the slimness of a rifle is the thickness of the wood between the bottom of the barrel and the ramrod grove. Each rifle you make you dare the wood to be a little thinner. The other two things that will thin a fore stock is to expose a bit more of the barrel and the ramrod. You can do this even as the rifle approaches finishing. If you sand or plane the top surface of the barrel channel the top edge will get wide and you can further thin it out by re-establishing the knife edge. Nice looking rifle by the way!

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Well Done!

Cory Joe Stewart

[B.Barker]

I see you have a bit of a gap on your lollipop at the end of the tang. They will move back as you let them down in the wood every time. Ian taught me to file more of an angel on the lollipop so when it marks the wood it will be farther back. As you inlet it will settle in and will usually not get a gap in the front part of the  lollipop. Overall the rifle looks very nice and long tangs are difficult to inlet well. So you picked one of the harder things to do on your second build and did well pilgrim.

[alyce-james]

Steven Baker. Sir, second attempt ---- great job----. When completed this rifle will be a great piece and fun to shoot, field or target. Post again when completed. Thanks for sharing. AJ.

[hanshi]

Nice job.

[oldtravler61]

  Very well dine indeed....hope mine turns out this nice...
    Oldtravler

[577SXS]

That's a mighty good build for your second one especially if you made all the furniture.

[Not English]

That's a rifle to be proud of. I don't think caplocks will ever catch on though.