Chunk Gun

[FG1]

I'm wanting to build a chunk gun and would like to see what others have made if you wouldnt mind sharing your ideas and photos.
I have a Douglas 45 calx7/8"x44"that I am going to use and a heavy dense piece of Oregon Myrtlewood that it is now inlet into .
I have spent several hours searching through old posts but cant find much.

 

[B Shipman]

FG1, first off, you want to chop at least an inch off the muzzle of a Douglas barrel and recrown. This gets rid of runout. A chunk gun is nothing more than a heavy longrifle. Some leave a square piece of wood near the muzzle to lay on the rest but some rules prohibit this. The style should accomadate lying down. A straight stock style. A 7/8 in. .45 is very light in fact.

[Dphariss]

I'm wanting to build a chunk gun and would like to see what others have made if you wouldnt mind sharing your ideas and photos.
I have a Douglas 45 calx7/8"x44"that I am going to use and a heavy dense piece of Oregon Myrtlewood that it is now inlet into .
I have spent several hours searching through old posts but cant find much.

 

1" X45 would be better.
1 1/8 better still.
Long as possible.
Dan

[David Rase]

The 7/8" .45 caliber is light but that is what you have so use it.  When you start shaping your gun in the butt stock area keep test fitting it i the shooting position.  You will want to decrease the amount of drop that you like for an off hand gun and you will want the butt plate, if you use one, to be fairly flat.  These were two mistakes I made when I built my first chunk gun.  I built my chunk gun out of cherry in the style of John Bull.  I like leaving a section of the forestock flat to act as the rest/cant plate.  Other then those two suggestions, have at her.
DMR

[Roger Fisher]

I like the perch belly shape in the toe area to help make the butt plate line up with the ground (Am I explaining this properly?/) Anyhow, fit her with shaders and as you shape that toe line lay down on the floor with her (I refer to the rifle ) to imitate the prone position and it will help you shape that line.  I built mine with a portable cant bar, so I can go with the flow if I end up at a shoot that doesn't allow them.

My shooter is a 1 1/16th straight 39 1/2 barrel in .47 caliber.  (that's a long story)

[FG1]

FG1, first off, you want to chop at least an inch off the muzzle of a Douglas barrel and recrown. This gets rid of runout. A chunk gun is nothing more than a heavy longrifle. Some leave a square piece of wood near the muzzle to lay on the rest but some rules prohibit this. The style should accomadate lying down. A straight stock style. A 7/8 in. .45 is very light in fact.

When you refer to runout are you talking of off center or constricted bore at muzzle ?

Thanks for the input . As for the cant block I think Ill try an figure out a removable one.

[Ryan McNabb]

I'm doing the same thing.  Finally getting around to building a dream of mine for a long time, a proper chunk rifle.

Any chunk-specific sight advice?  I'm used to historically correct round bead silver blade and shallow low notch sights, which I shoot fine, but is there a better sighting setup, without getting too historically incorrect? 

I've seen one excellent original chunk gun and it had ordinary traditional sights on it.

Going to use a 50" wrought iron barrel, about 1 1/8" inches across the flats.

Who forges the best Bean style hardware out there that will forge up a set?

[b bogart]

How about you chunk gunners show us wanna bes some examples of chunk guns? I would like to build one too, and have a few ideas you all have provided but there just aren't many pictures ( that I'm able to find) on actual chunk guns.  Ther are a few matches in my neck of the woods, and I'd really like to join in the fun! Thanks in advance!!

[Steve Bookout]

Here is my baby chunk gun, Diana.  She's a bona fide spider killer.  Weighs about 14 pound, sports an uncut 44" Douglass barrel in .50 cal., with home forged hardware and triggers, and a modified Siler Mountain Lock.  Has an integral foot/cant near the muzzle.  Sights are traditional and set up as detailed on my website.  First picture is a small overall view, the second, her dainty little foot, and the last is a closeup of the lock/butt area.  Cheers, Bookie
 

[FG1]

Thanks Bookie ! Shes a beaut!  I was on your website and couldnt find it , must be blind 

[Steve Bookout]

Thanks for the kind words, FG1.  Her barrel is only 1" across the flats.  Sure wish it was 1 1/8" and 48 inches long.  She uses a .495 ball, .018 patching cut at the muzzle on top of 91 grains of FFg.  Don't use precut patches.  Consistency is the name of the game.  I chose a fifty the better to buck the wind that we often have here in the midwest.  Cheers, Bookie

[FG1]

I have a Davis , Goulcher percussion lock I plan on using on it . Seems to be a pretty good lock .

[B Shipman]

FG1, runout is the opposite of a constriction. A slight constriction has been used by some barrel makers (Greenriver) to increase accuracy. Runout is an inconsistent groove depth, deeper than the bore, at the muzzle. It is not universal on Douglas barrels, but common enough that Douglas recommended the blank be cut. This is why they were not crowned at the factory. Runout can also describe the boring process, the difficulty in boring a hole through an octagonal blank and having it come out dead center on the other side. Most barrels today, of course, are bored, then set up on centers and milled or ground to the desired shape rather than trying to drill through a predetermined shape.

[mgcrumster]

Greetings FG1,

   My chunk gun is of the southern style, in curly maple, full-stock, and has a Bill Moody 40 cal. barrel, 11/4 dia., 48 in. long, with a 1x72 twist.  I ordered the slow twist to allow very heavy charges to push the small bullet as fast as I could, this should lessen wind drift, and allow for a flatter shooting bullet, seems to work so far anyway!

   I added a wood, and horn anti-cant bar to the muzzle end, about 7in. back, which is attached using a screw, and glue, some matches don't allow anti-cant bars, wanting to use only traditional rifles, not
purpose built rifles for their matches.  The lock on my rifle is a standard front throw Davis Hawken , and double set triggers.  The hardware is of southern style in Iron, and browned using the slow rust method. 

   The sights are notch rear, and pin head front, and so far, have worked out well.  You should also make a set of sight shaders to keep the sun from glaring off them, light tin, or thin brass would work.


                                                             Good luck with your build!     mgcrumster

[Don Getz]

To clarify a few point made above.    "Run out" is the matter of the drill not coming out of the barrel dead center.   In the
case of Douglas barrels, they were drilling octagon shaped steel, and would hide the run-out under the breech plug.
If you got a Douglas barrel with xxxx or xxx, it meant that it had very little, if any, run out.   If it didn't have those x's
you had better take a close look at it, and, if you still planned to use it, make sure the runout was up or down.....this
would make it shoot either high or low which you could correct with sights.   Also for Ryan.....I know those old silver blades
and low sights look great on a typical kentucky, I would recommend some higher, square type sights.......in chunk shootiing, sighting is everything.   Also, I know those old southern mtn. buttplates, with their big curves, and pointed heel
look great.   I have one that Ron Borron built for me and always found that sharp heel always punching me in the shoulder.   I ended up building my own gun and had a nice flat butt on it, much more comfortable..........Don

[FG1]

I had already breeched the barrel name stamp down from old habits. Don , what you say on the runout it what I had read also .
Now , on the muzzle end , I ran a tight fitting patch through from breech to muzzle and cant feel any tightness or looseness at muzzle end . The bore and grooves look very uniform .

[David Rase]

Bruce,  Here are a couple pictures of my chunk gun.  Cherry stock, 1 1/8" x 46" .45 caliber Getz barrel, L&R lock, integral cant block, hand forged furniture in the style of John Bull.
DMR

Butt stock area

Integral cant block

Rear sight

Front sight

[B Shipman]

Fg1,  I repeat. The muzzle of Douglas barrels are often less than perfect. This is what Douglas TOLD it's customers. Cut an inch or two off the end and crown. You're trying to rationalize because you're worried whether you can do the task. Cutting off the barrel and squaring it up is brainless and you have to crown it in any case.

[Ryan McNabb]

Thunderous great rifle, Dave.  Well done.  Are cant blocks accepted practice at all shoots, or are there restrictions?

How thick is that front sight?  What's the reasoning for having it so thick?  What should the sight picture in the rear sight look like?  (It looks like that front sight would completely fill the rear notch - is that the plan?)

Thanks

[Don Getz]

Ryan.....those thick, square sights are somewhat like pistol sights.   The rear should also be a square notch, wide enough
that you will have a slight amount of daylight on either side.    I then used a sighter target that is basically a black square
which is about as wide as your front sight appears at 60 yards.    Mine was about 4 1/2" square.    When shooting, you
would align the sights, front and back being even at the top, then take a 6 o'clock hold on the square spot..........Don

[David Rase]

Ryan,  The front sight is about .090" thick.  I think the camera angle makes the rear sight notch look small.  The sight picture is just as Don described, sighter target included.  In fact, it was John Getz who mentored me on how to set up a chunk gun when I first got into it and I am sure John learned from his "pop."
DMR

[Roger Fisher]

Ryan,  The front sight is about .090" thick.  I think the camera angle makes the rear sight notch look small.  The sight picture is just as Don described, sighter target included.  In fact, it was John Getz who mentored me on how to set up a chunk gun when I first got into it and I am sure John learned from his "pop."
DMR

Dave that rear sight is great.  Did you use an original sight as a 'guide'  If so off of what style or maker??

If she were mine (and only due to old eyes) I would consider a fine ball and grind that round depression deeper to go paper thin with the notch; but darn carefully. 

We see all kinds of shaped spotters and colours in the traditional chunk matches.  I find the 5 inch black square on white/white  (or even orange) paper and 6 O'clock hold works for me (sometimes)...

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Regarding cant blocks...the ALR chunk match that is sponsored by Daryl requires ONLY hunting style rifles.  Special chunk guns are not allowed, so that more people can play, and the playing field is level.
Even so, I can see another project ahead for me....

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Which lock did you use, David Rase?  Looks like the Ashmore/Hawken.

[FG1]

Fg1,  I repeat. The muzzle of Douglas barrels are often less than perfect. This is what Douglas TOLD it's customers. Cut an inch or two off the end and crown. You're trying to rationalize because you're worried whether you can do the task. Cutting off the barrel and squaring it up is brainless and you have to crown it in any case.

Whoa back...............do the task ? No problems there with two lathes and knowledge to use them . So Im brainless for not wanting to remove two inches of barrel if not absolutely neccessary . Thank you for you confidence .