Some building questions:

[aflo]

Some building questions:

- The Track of the Wolf Kit instructions for installing the drum on my percussion cap rifle call for the drum to be quite near the end of the barrel, falling into the threads of the breech plug. This means carving into the breech plug quite a bit for the cavity. I have read elsewhere that the drum (and touch hole on a flintlock) should be forward so that there is no compromise of the breech plug threads. The latter idea makes more sense to me but what is the danger/disadvantage of the drum being into the plug? I will want to be able to shoot this gun.


- When finishing a stock, the barrel, ramrod pipes, lock, etc. can be easily removed for staining, etc. On the other hand, the decorative inlays including the patchbox and muzzle cap may already be installed. Is this okay? It seems like the sealer which protects the wood from moisture will be lacking under those inlays, subjecting the wood to damage later on. Is there some problem with pulling the inlays until after the staining, sealing, and final finishing? What do you guys do?

- The Joseph Long rifles I have seen in photos have a round cross section on the top of the comb, unlike some rifles from other builders who had a crisp flat there.  The flat, which ties nicely into the buttplate extension, looks very good to me. It is a crisp flat section on the toe of course. Would I be committing a design crime if I did that? This entire subject of honoring the original design/designer is an interesting question for me - the creative innovator vs purist historian

[rich pierce]

Have not done one of these in 30 years but the drum threads should be in front of the breechplug threads just like a flint liner.  If half the threads run into the breechplug it's going to be a mess in my opinion.

[bgf]

I think what you are missing on the comb is a flat to round transition on the comb extension of the buttplate (look at a Long in the Museum).  I've never seen a rifle run flats right into the comb that way (it may have happened, I've just never seen it), and I think a flat comb is not going to be very sweet to shoot if the corner ever catches you in in the cheek.  Just an honest opinion, as all I know about Joe Long is that there are certainly people who know more than I !

[aflo]

Thanks on the breach plug-drum issue answers. It seems the TOW approach is not so smart, just as I thought.
On the comb flat, here are a couple of Isaac Haines replica (from TOW website) that have a flat, although I can see that it definitely has significant crown on the section of the so-called flat. I do like the crisp look of that.
I know what you mean about the transition of bevels to round on the brass buttplate extension and that is a good possibility, just some fussy filing.

[Don Getz]

Aflo.........the comb on a Joe Long rifle is round.   Occassionally he would do a fancy brass inlay out over the comb of the
gun, starting at the front of the buttplate extension all the way up to the front of the comb.  As for the drum, you can
install it where Track requests it to be, but, all it will do is create a cavity that will be difficult to clean, will probably require
water to be flushed thru the area.  Apparently the guy that did the drawing never built a gun..............Don

[Bob Roller]

That TOW print is wrong. The threaded part of the drum should be about .030 in front of the face of the plug.That idea in the print would have to be done with a vertical milling machine to be accurate and even then it would booger the threads on the plug.

Bob Roller

[Dphariss]

Another reason I don't do drum and nipple percussions.

Dan

[aflo]

Thanks for the inputs, very helpful.
On the flat on the comb, I don't see much enthusiasm here so I will make it round.

[Karl Kunkel]

aflo,

The comb has a crown to it, corresponding to the curve of the butt plate heel extension.  Don't loose the crisp edges along the transition of the comb to the sides of the butt stock.

I have seen a few rifles where the builder had the top of the comb crown faceted with flats mimicking or extending the flats of the butt plate extension.

[JDK]

The Joe Long rifle he is trying to emulate has a rounded comb with with no crisp edges along the top.  The top of the comb should be Roman nosed and round in cross section.  J.D.