1/2 stock target rifle

[chapmans]

    It's not flint or a full stock but thought some of you may be interested. It was built for a lady that will only use it for target shooting, it is equipped with adjustable open sights as well as Redfield target sights.
   I delivered it to Friendship last week, the rifle has already won some medals, and cut a card in the woods walk, she only shot it with opens this time!!  It is a .40 cal. 36" 7/8 GM bbl. it has a 12 1/2" lop Davis set triggers and an L&R Bailes  lock. I really enjoyed building this rifle for her, she had no idea she was getting it, the look on her face when she saw her name on the trigger guard was worth the trip!

[Ken G]

I'm not a target shooter but that's one nice looking rifle.  I'll bet getting the rifle made her trip especially since she already won with it.  You did a great job.
Ken

[angus]

Hey chap,
What stain and finish did you use?
That colouring really makes the shiny stuff pop out. Looks great.

[Larry Pletcher]

I had a chance to handle this rifle before Steve delivered it to Friendship.  To me the stock finish is superb.  I think Steve has a real handle on stains.  While the gun is very well done throughout, I keep coming back to the color and finish.  I'd like him to do the finish work on a Vincent that I have in progress.  Great job, Steve!

Regards,
Pletch

[P.W.Berkuta]

I would like to here more about the sight system you have on that rifle - how did you attach the rail to the barrel, what type of peep sight is the rear and front globe? What type is the iron sight and how do you address the front globe sight with the mid iron sight? Some pictures would help.

[stuart cee dub]

Steve, Thanks for showing us your pictures .Your finish really is good, I like a soft satin finish.

I also like your simple line engraving on the cast cap especially .The meandering line does a great job of breaking up the mass of a cast cap along with your softened filework .
 
There are so many top end makers on this site who are really excellent engravers (Bioprofs recent Forneys  come to mind )that the thought engraving can be intimidating to me anyway.
We forget that many of the original makers did simple line engraving and simple gets the job done .
If this rifle had been left plain it would not be the same .

I have a soft spot for good half stock rifles .So many of these were made and remained in the midwest ,they were the first original muzzleloaders I had seen and handled when I was first starting to be interested in old guns .Some of them were quite finely made and were still shooters .

[frogwalking]

Beautiful rifle.  Can you tell us what load she used, including bullet dia.,  patch thickness and powder charge?  It might save me some time with my bbl, which is identical to this one.

Thanks,

Frog

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Steve, That is very nice!! I bet she was getting rave reviews all the time at Friendship.

[chapmans]

Thanks everyone for the remarks, it was an enjoyable build, I have built more 1/2 stocks than full stocks, but not by much.

  The stain is Homer Dangler's (James Klien) Reddish brown put on very heavy  let dry steel wooled then a heavy coat of MBS colonial maple stain over that, kind of a honey color, then steel wooled again. I used Tru oil for the finish at least 5 coats steel wooled between coats.

 The load was 45 grs of fffg goex  with a .395 cast ball, and .017" drill for patch, spit for lube. This is the load she used in her old rifle with a GM barrel, she likes it because she doesn't have to clean between shots. My pet load is 55 grs of Swiss fffg, .395 ball with .020" teflon patch, this load will keep them in the X ring at 50 yds, 1/2 " groups with both my GM and my Rice bbls, but you have to clean.

  As for the sights, there are dovetailed bases on the bbl  that the Redfield's go on, when you take them off the opens are above the bases far enough, to get a good enough sight picture, to shoot the opens.
This particular gun has an old T/C Renegade rear sight with a steel blade up front, I normally use the Spence type rear sight but again she already was used to this sight so that's why we used it.
  I can't post any more pics of the sights on this rifle because it's 450 miles away but I can and will take a few of my rifles when I get a chance, it'll be a few days because I have to work the next 3 days 12 hrs a day.

  These sights are ; front Redfield Olympic, rear Redfield 75. I use the same front but most of my rear sights are Redfield, Olympic, International, and Palma, I thought the 75 looked better on this smaller rifle because it's a smaller sight, also uses a different base.

  I made all of the bases.

 Feel free to ask more questions!

  Thanks again for the compliments.
  Regards, Steve Chapman

[Gene Carrell]

Really great looking rifle and thanks for the finish information. 

[Charlie B]

Steve: Nice rifle for a nice lady!

[Curtis]

Cool rifle, Steve.  Nice job for sure - love the colors.

[Roger Fisher]

So, you figured out the best way to catch a gal out there!

[chapmans]

Thanks for the kind words.

 Roger, she has already been caught, her husband is a serious bench shooter @ Friendship, she likes offhand so I've been helping her out. I would build one for my wife but she's never fired a muzzle loader only .22's. I would like to remedy that but she really doesn't like the mess or the smell! We've only been married 30 yrs so maybe there's still a chance in the next 30!

 Roundball, Thanks for the compliment (I think) the only thing in common with a T/C would be it's a half stock.

[chapmans]

Roundball,
   That is a very nice looking T/C !!
  Regards, Steve Chapman