Author Topic: Carolina Gun Completed (Read 19589 times)

Curtis · « **on:** October 31, 2011, 06:55:58 AM »

I have finally completed the Carolina gun, or "Type G" English trade gun that I started this June at the NMLRA gun building seminar. For those who would like to see pics from the class, here is a link to my original posting last June: http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=16971.msg159067#msg159067 The gun is based on the "Wilson" gun.

This is my second completed gun, and my first build from a blank. As I am a beginning builder aspiring to improve my work I invite any comments and constructive criticism. I am not particularly looking for "Only a moron would patina a perfectly new gun" comments but if that's all you got I have broad shoulders! I was originally finishing this as a gun "in the white" but was inspired by the artistry of works from Roy Stroh, Mike Brooks, Jud Brennan and others. It was fun experimenting with various patinas, no chlorine bleach was used and no laboratory animals were harmed by the experimentation's.

With the exception of the barrel, lock, bolts, and rear sight, all components of the gun were hand made. The barrel lugs and sights are dovetailed like the original Carolina guns. The butt plate, serpent, thumb piece and trigger guard are cut and shaped from sheet brass. The square nails were hand cut from steel stock, and the trigger cold forged from steel. The barrel channel and ramrod groove are hand cut, and the wood was scraped to a finish and not sanded. The ramrod is Osage Orange and was hand split, worked down from a wrist size split with a draw knife, spokeshaves and some occasional assistance from a rasp to about thumb size. The ramrod was then shaped and tapered using one of Acer's (Thomas Curran) excellent ramrod scrapers. My engraving is kind of sad, but fortunately most trade guns of this type were fairly crudely engraved.

The lock is a RE Davis, the cock and top jaw are castings from Jack Brooks, the rear sight is a Jack Brooks casting. The barrel is a Getz custom 46" type G barrel.

I have blabbed enough, so now for some pictures.

I am interested in hearing your comments, thanks for taking a look. More photos here: http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o177/gonzomann_2007/Carolina%20Gun/?start=all

Curtis

B Shipman · « **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2011, 08:02:34 AM »

Put me in the "like it a lot categority". Very coool.

Gene Carrell · « **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2011, 12:34:58 PM »

You may be your own worst critic. As for me, I think it looks great, except move the rear sight forward for my 'experienced' eyes. I think the finish you used overall helps set it off. Great wood!

James Wilson Everett · « **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2011, 01:50:53 PM »

Really super and beautiful, it is great to see the photos. Thanks for showing your craftsmanship. Keep up the good work. As for the sight, it really is very much too close for old eyes, but it is exactly as the originals and is in the the historically correct position. To my 60+ eyes almost any rear sight now looks like a brown cotton ball anyway - thats why I now like smoothbores with no rear sight at all.

Years ago I made one like yours, entirely hand made lock - stock - barrel. It was used in the movie "George Washington" MGM 1986 with Barry Bostwick, James Mason, Patty Duke Astin. The gun was carried by the Christopher Gist character (Lloyd Bridges) but he was not allowed to shoot it in the filming. Hollywood types would never clean it afterwards.

Jim Everett

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2011, 02:15:13 PM »

I like it, can't find anything to pick on. Why hedge apple for a ram rod?

mjm46@bellsouth.net · « **Reply #5 on:** October 31, 2011, 02:52:00 PM »

I like it a lot. My only concern would be the direction of the grain in the wrist. I don't care much for the ramrod. I very much like the treatment on the metal. What did you use to patina the lock and barrel?

little joe · « **Reply #6 on:** October 31, 2011, 03:07:19 PM »

Super fine job. The ramrod looks like a hand split, strong but not straight ,which is the way my hand splits usually turn out. My question is how wide did you make the butt plate?

rich pierce · « **Reply #7 on:** October 31, 2011, 03:07:53 PM »

I like it and you get extra credit for doing all the inletting (barrel etc). I'd think of the ramrod as a native or back-country replacement. It had to happen that a ramrod broke in the wilderness sometimes. Off topic, wondering what wood is correct for Euro-made guns?

Curtis · « **Reply #8 on:** October 31, 2011, 03:12:32 PM »

I really appreciate your comment, guys. Bill and Mike, I have admired your guns since I became interested in building - and Mike, your tutorial was a valuable resource for me when would get stumped on how to do something, such as fashioning the trigger guard.

I guestimated the rear sight placement based on a couple of barrels excavated here in Missouri from the site of some Osage Indian villages. I decided on hedge apple (Osage Orange) because I was trying to capture what a local may have used to replace a broken ramrod, and if it works for a bow it should hold up as a ramrod.

The patina on the lock and barrel was a rust brown using a home made ferric chloride solution, rubbed back with scoth brite, 400 grit sandpaper, steel wool and a wire brush, and a 50 gallon drum of elbow grease. Here is a pic of the barrel getting seasoned:

Curtis

smylee grouch · « **Reply #9 on:** October 31, 2011, 03:15:08 PM »

Yes indeed I like it too. Great color,finish and very unique. Smylee

Curtis · « **Reply #10 on:** October 31, 2011, 03:34:37 PM »

Rich, the wood is English walnut. If my research is correct many of the Carolina guns were either English walnut or beech.

You all should have seen the ramrod before I "straightened" it.

Here is a pic of the original split:

Curtis

Keb · « **Reply #11 on:** October 31, 2011, 03:37:49 PM »

Nice gun. You did a good job I think.
Ya. That osage orange is crooked wood.
I've got miles of it cut for bow staves. So much I even used it to make tent poles :/

Darrin McDonal · « **Reply #12 on:** October 31, 2011, 03:56:20 PM »

Really nice job Curtis!!! I like the way the walnut gives the gun a very natural "camo" look. The ramrod looks like it has a painfull droop to it .
Darrin

WyomingWhitetail · « **Reply #13 on:** October 31, 2011, 04:30:15 PM »

i don't know much about historical correctness and period correctness but it looks cool to me. Im just starting my first build and hoping mine turns out that good. P.S. i envy you guys with access to osage orange, been wanting to make some self bows but all i got is a couple osage staves that might make a bow if im lucky. Nice rifle.

hortonstn · « **Reply #14 on:** October 31, 2011, 05:59:33 PM »

curtis
i'm glad to see your finished rifle,i really like what you've done it looks great to me, keep up the great work, maybe sometime you could show me how to make and sharpen a graver
paul

Glenn · « **Reply #15 on:** October 31, 2011, 06:01:32 PM »

Very gun and very nice work. The wood figure is perfect for this one. Job well done !!!

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #16 on:** October 31, 2011, 06:22:27 PM »

I'm glad you found my tutorial helpfull, that's just the way I build them as it's easiest for me, others may do things differently. I like your ram rod, all the original rods I have seen were crooked as a dogs hind leg!

Dave B · « **Reply #17 on:** November 01, 2011, 04:50:56 AM »

Thats just awesome what you've done with the project. I think you pulled off the patina just perfectly. It is not over done. You know you will never have to worry about the ram rod falling out. I cant believe you got it as straight as you did. I keep getting the urge to start on my fowler project with all you guys posting your finished projects. I would love to take out after turkeys with one. Let us know how it shoots.

Curtis · « **Reply #18 on:** November 01, 2011, 06:07:16 AM »

Quote from: HORTONSTN on October 31, 2011, 05:59:33 PM

curtis
i'm glad to see your finished rifle,i really like what you've done it looks great to me, keep up the great work, maybe sometime you could show me how to make and sharpen a graver
paul

Paul, maybe when we get together we can have a few beers first, then I might be able to convince you I actually know how to sharpen a graver!

Curtis · « **Reply #19 on:** November 01, 2011, 06:13:08 AM »

Quote from: Mike Brooks on October 31, 2011, 06:22:27 PM

I'm glad you found my tutorial helpfull, that's just the way I build them as it's easiest for me, others may do things differently. I like your ram rod, all the original rods I have seen were crooked as a dogs hind leg!

Mike, it is a fantastic thing that you have taken the time to make the tutorials you have done for the sake of sharing knowlelge. You should know your efforts are appreciated and at least some of us can actually learn from them!

Curtis

Curtis · « **Reply #20 on:** November 01, 2011, 06:21:29 AM »

Quote from: Dave B on November 01, 2011, 04:50:56 AM

Thats just awesome what you've done with the project. I think you pulled off the patina just perfectly. It is not over done. You know you will never have to worry about the ram rod falling out. I cant believe you got it as straight as you did. I keep getting the urge to start on my fowler project with all you guys posting your finished projects. I would love to take out after turkeys with one. Let us know how it shoots.

Dave - I have shot it about a dozen times with 5 1/2 bird shot, 00 buckshot, and the two combined just for fun. It seemed to group fairly close to the point of aim. The patina on the ramrod is mostly from black powder residue acquired during use. I got some .62 Caliber round balls the other day and I hope to try them this weekend, if I do I will post some pics.

I was at a festival in Rocheport Missouri a few weeks back and talked to a bowyer who was working with Osage Orange. I asked him if he had any tricks to straighten out the kinks, and he said sometimes he uses a heat gun on the wood till it gets good and hot, then clamps it in a vice until it cools. It works pretty well as far as my experience goes!

Curtis

Curtis · « **Reply #21 on:** November 01, 2011, 07:13:39 AM »

Quote from: Darrin McDonal on October 31, 2011, 03:56:20 PM

Really nice job Curtis!!! I like the way the walnut gives the gun a very natural "camo" look. The ramrod looks like it has a painfull droop to it .
Darrin

Darrin, that is because the belled tip is so heavy.....

I can't wait to see how yours turned out!

David Rase · « **Reply #22 on:** November 01, 2011, 10:29:26 PM »

Quote from: Gene Carrell on October 31, 2011, 12:34:58 PM

You may be your own worst critic. As for me, I think it looks great, except move the rear sight forward for my 'experienced' eyes. I think the finish you used overall helps set it off. Great wood!

Gene,
I own a Jack Brooks Type G tradegun and when I first received the gun I too thought, how in the heck am I going to use this rear sight. Well, after a little run time with the sight I found out that it works great, and I have 56 year old eyes that have went through cataract surgery. The sight actually works like a peep sight, and once you get used to it that U shape will suck the front sight right down to the bottom center of the sight and your sight picture is clear as a bell. Those old timers knew what they were doing.
Dave

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #23 on:** November 01, 2011, 10:58:41 PM »

Curtis, I love it!!! Beautiful gun!! The patina is great and the story to go with it is good too. Can't wait to see your next one!

whitebear · « **Reply #24 on:** November 02, 2011, 06:18:24 AM »

Nice gun. My only concern is the wood grain in the wrist.

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Author Topic: Carolina Gun Completed (Read 19589 times)

mjm46@bellsouth.net

WyomingWhitetail