My new squirrel gun.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Well I finally got around to taking pic of my new squirrel rifle. It is inspired by "David Crockett's First Rifle". I bought the plan on-line and it is a scale drawing. This is an interpretation of the Crockett because I wanted it in a small caliber and a little shorter, with a few personal twists because I plan on keeping this one.
Specs:
42" Colrain B swamp, in .36 Cal.
Curley Cherry stock
Modified Knob Mtn. Beck butt plate
Modified TOW Fordney Trigger Guard
The stock was a Curly Cherry Blank that I got at the CLR Silent Auction in 2011
I made everything else:
The cool patchbox with the Indian head in the finial and the semi-hidden latch button.
The Ram Rod pipes, side plate, nose cap (1 piece) trigger and toe plate.

















Well there it is. I wanted to post this in the squirrel gun thread but it was a little long.
Hope you like it.

[PPatch]

A handsome rifle Miach, and yes, I like it. Well appointed and that cherry figure is distinctive. Waiting on the range report. How was that cherry to work with? How did you finish it?

dave

[david50]

very nice! what caliber?

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

 It's a .36 Cal. how did I forget to put that in? I just added it. I wish I had gotten an A profile barrel. It turned out a little heavier than I expected.

As for working on the Cherry stock, I thought it was much more difficult than curly maple. I think cherry's a little softer than hard sugar maple but the grain is much more unpredictable. It also tends to be much chippier (if that's a word) or brittle even, when the grain changes it doesn't come right back up for quite a while. Need really sharp tools and go reallllllly slow with tiny little chips. I think it will be a while before I do another, but it looks beautiful when it's done.

I stained it with LMF Lancaster Maple ragged on let it dry then ragged on a coat of American walnut. A soak coat of Permalyn, after 20 minutes wiped it off and let it dry. Then went to wipe on coats of Chambers Oil finish, several coats dried and 0000 steel wooled back. The last couple of coats rubbed on a drop at a time with my finger, dried and rubbed back. and a final couple of coats of Renaissance Wax which gives it a nice sheen.

[KLMoors]

Very nice Micah. How does the patchbox release work?

Also, I love that Indian head- I didn't notice it at first but that's a nice touch. 

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

The top side plate of the patchbox has only 1 screw, where the second screw would be is the release button.  The latch is basicly a backwards L with a small spring like a sear spring (that I made from a piece of hack saw blade) as a return spring, When you press the button the door releases. The front end of the side plate is a wedge shape and fits under the hinge, the back end of the side plate is inlet slightly into the buttplate. It won't come off, even with no screw, till you remove the buttplate. The plan I had didn't mention the latch mechanism only showing the button position. So I did some designing and came up with a mechanism. May be different from the original somewhat, but it's simple and unique and I bet it's close.   

[KLMoors]

Ahh, got it.

Thanks!

[wattlebuster]

Very sharp. I like it

[stuart cee dub]

I loved the head on the patchbox very Mayan looking ''Kukulkan-esque ''
Those little touches make your work.Great little detail.
The long bow on the triggerguard looks comfortable as well .
Thanks for showing it.

Stuart Cee Dub

[MarkEngraver]

Very nice, Micah.
I like the Indian head very much.
Your description of working with cherry is much the same as my recent experience with the wood. I found it to be "chippy" also, but I do like the look of the finished product.

Mark

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Thanks guys, in my opinion cherry looks real nice finished, but for the near and not so near future, I think I'll leave all the cherry stocks to you gents with much, much more experience than me. It just occured to me that i don't recall seeing many or any precarve stocks in cherry. Maybe there's a reason. 

[Acer Saccharum]

Sweet lookin' gun. I think the squirrels may be so curious about it, they will come out of the trees to get a closer look. 

Cherry is notorious for carving difficulty. Nice work.

Tom

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Gee Tom, I hope you're right. Wouldn't that be great!

[rmatt]

Very,very nice. I have a soft spot in me for the small calibers. Did I say very nice.
Bob

[der mike]

very nice indeed:  the indianhead and the moon are my faves. would love to see it in two- hundred years with a nice patina and battle scars. With that 42" barrel you can just poke them critters outa the tree tops with the muzzle,save lead.........der mike

[BrushCountryAg03]

My God, that's a beautiful rifle!

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Very nice Micah!!   Ah yes Cherry is sooooo much fun!  That's a nice little rifle. So lets go find some squirrels!!

[boman]

very well executed rifle, style, engraving, etc ,  looks like it will be comfortable to shoot.  Micah can you give me the Tow number on that triggerguard, I don't see a Fordney reference in the catalogue and it looks like it will really let me wrap my hand around the grip comfortably due to the length of the guard behind the bow.

Steve

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Boman
I'm sorry, it seems I mis-identified the Trigger Guard I used, after actually looking at some receipts, here's the link to what I really used:

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/932/1/TG-ARM-1-B

It's an Armstrong TG, I was searching for a Guard that matched my plan as closely as possible and then modified it somewhat. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[boman]

no need to feel sorry as no inconvenience   I thought that was the one.  This guard and the Becks are the only ones I have found that have an extension that bends up to the wrist which is more comfortable to grip in my opinion,especially on a large bore hunting rifle with heavy charges.  I've not built a rifle with this guard but the longer extension looks like it will be even more comfortable than the shorter Becks.

Thanx Steve

[dogcreek]

You're a careful craftsman, Micah. That's a gun to be proud of, very beautiful and unique. Good work!

[PPatch]

Very nice Micah!!   Ah yes Cherry is sooooo much fun!  That's a nice little rifle. So lets go find some squirrels!!

I you and Micah are wanting to squirrel hunt you are welcome to visit the home site here - they would benefit from a bit of  thinning.

Dave

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Well now Dave... we might just need to have a little rendezvous at your home site!      have you got plenty of acorns??

[PPatch]

Well now Dave... we might just need to have a little rendezvous at your home site!      have you got plenty of acorns??

Why don't you plan on it Dr. Tim.

Squirrels have plenty of foodstuff to munch on including corn that is put out for the turkey, deer, birds and squirrels. You could snipe them right off the porch, but that wouldn't be jake, now would it. To the east is a creek across a large field, it runs along the base of a high wooded hill - ripe with squirrels, rabbit, turkey, deer - coyote's. The land across the creek is owned by a paper company but they don't care.

dave

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Ok, this weekend I will contact Micah and you so we can pick a time!!