Author Topic: Boy's Rifle build ? (Read 8298 times)

Harms Way · « **on:** December 30, 2012, 01:02:14 AM »

Has anybody done a build thread on a "Boy's Rifle",.. also am looking to see if there is a search function on this forum.....

Thanks guys,... yep these are dumb newbie questions,.... sorry

tallbear · « **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2012, 01:10:58 AM »

There is a search button at the top of the page.

Here is a link to a boys rifle I built a while back.I would be glad to answer any questions you might have.

Link;http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=8764.0

Mitch Yates

Harms Way · « **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2012, 01:20:53 AM »

Mitch,.... what a stunning rifle !... I am going to try to build a Hawkins style rifle I have had the parts stashed for over 30 years, built my last rifle 34 years ago and hope I still have it in me. I have two Grandsons so far, and want to bring them along shooting traditional guns....

This may sound odd, but I was going to go for a slightly smaller scale, I would be grateful if you let me pick your brain about it, If I still have the skill and can get through this first build... Thanks !... any other information from all others would be greatly appreciated.

tallbear · « **Reply #3 on:** December 30, 2012, 01:56:40 AM »

The rifle in my post was made for an 11 year old.The barrel is only 34" with a 12 1/2 " trigger pull.It fit him well as an 11 year old.How old are your grandchildren.

jamesthomas · « **Reply #4 on:** December 30, 2012, 02:26:32 AM »

Quote from: Harms Way on December 30, 2012, 01:02:14 AM

Has anybody done a build thread on a "Boy's Rifle",.. also am looking to see if there is a search function on this forum.....

Thanks guys,... yep these are dumb newbie questions,.... sorry

Well if you've got the time just start from the beginning. Does'nt take to long to scan through 305 posts! like I just did.

Took a couple of days but it had a wealth of information. I really liked all the posts about .40 cals.

Bob Roller · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2012, 04:39:49 AM »

I built a scaled down Whitworth boy's rifle using a Green Mountain 40 caliber
barrel 13/16x29 with hooded front sight and a folding tang sight. Shotgun style
stock.single trigger and my lock.There is no reason a Hawken style can't be scaled
down as well.The Whitworth is easier to do because of no rib or rod or crescent
butt plate. I may have some pictures (maybe).
The only "dumb questions"are those that don't get asked so ask and ask again.
Bob Roller

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2012, 05:52:28 AM »

This gunne I made for my boy Sam, when he was 10. He's now 22.

A boy's gun should be fun.

Sam's now gone to college and graduated from SUNY ESF (environment, science, and forestry). Same place Rich Pierce went. And I went to Syracuse the same time Rich did. But we didn't know it at the time.

Kermit · « **Reply #7 on:** December 30, 2012, 08:21:22 AM »

Acer, I can't see too much of that wee piece. It's simply brilliant. It never would have happened if you'd been building to a particular "school." Bravo. Again. H.C.? Humbug.

Harms Way · « **Reply #8 on:** December 30, 2012, 09:45:34 AM »

Quote from: aka tallbear on December 30, 2012, 01:56:40 AM

How old are your grandchildren.

My oldest Grandson is 6 right now, But considering I also build Traditional Hot Rods, I won't be working on these projects every night. I know the full scale Hawkins rifle will take a while as I try to get the rust off of 34 years of not building rifles,... trying to get back up to speed.... I am shooting to build both rifles in a 18 month period. And hope I can still do it.

Looking at the quality of the rifles posted on this sight, It looks like I have a very high hill to climb, And hope I am still up to the task. I originally planned on a Kentucky/Pennsylvania style rifle,.... but for the sake of being less fragile.... I am thinking of a Hawkins style rifle....

But I see a lot of obstacles,... Who is suppliers of barrels and locks that are smaller caliber and scale?.. I dealt a lot with Numrich and Dixie back in the 70's as well as Green Mountain ? and a Amish mill in Pennsylvania for Curly grain Maple.... I like doing as much fabrication as I can ( On the guns and the cars).
Not to mention the last ML Rifle I built was when I was in my 30's ...... And the quality some of the guns posted on this sight truly intimidate me.. Looking at all my old tools, I am a little concerned they, like there owner may not be as sharp as they once were.

Well I won't know until I give it a try...... So guys .... If I get rolling on this,... bare with me, cause I am sure there is a lot I forgot or possibly never knew. I will be leaning heavily on all your experience.

Gene Carrell · « **Reply #9 on:** December 30, 2012, 02:17:03 PM »

For your smaller cal and scale barrels, Rayl is hard to beat. 3/4" atf bbls in 25 to 40 cal. In my experience with the grandsons, 40cal will fill most plinking and target needs, including trailwalks.

B.Habermehl · « **Reply #10 on:** December 30, 2012, 06:18:24 PM »

Children's guns present some unique issues. Getting the length of pull to the best compromise, and barrel weight, caliber. I built three different guns for my children and grand children. The first attempt was using Fred Millers small Beck pre carved stock. I shortened the length of pull to 12 in. And used a light straight tapered Getz barrel. The guns total weight was seven lbs. in .45 cal. It worked out nicely and is still in use as one of the family youth rifles. The second was also based on Fred's Beck. Also using the same tapered .45 cal Getz barrel. The first gun use a small Siler flint lock. The second used a small Siler percussion lock. This gun also worked out well. Using both of these guns in youth field days and Boy Scout events led me to discover some deficiencies where smaller framed kids were concerned. First was LOP second was weight. This led to the third youth gun. I decided to build a mini trade gun. I used a custom Getz 32 in .45 cal smooth bored barrel using a 13/16 breech. Then I worked out a pattern for a mini type G stock. Dave Keck did the barrel channel and RR groove and drilled the RR hole, leaving me with the 5/32 web I requested. I used sheet brass for all the mounts, and slimmed the gun to the proper "toothpick" dimensions. I also used Jim Chamber small round faced lock. Total weight 5.5 lbs. LOP 11.5". After use by my grand kids and use at youth field days, plus Scouts I think I have found the best compromise yet. Recoil has not been a problem with any of these guns even with sensible deer hunting loads. BJH

B.Habermehl · « **Reply #11 on:** December 30, 2012, 06:29:20 PM »

I got to handle Toms sons gun at Dixns, it is even more impressive in hand. BJH

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #12 on:** December 30, 2012, 08:16:13 PM »

Bob Roller asked me to post a couple of pictures of a boy's rifle that he built so here they are. I trust he will comment on them in the way of explanation.

Bob Roller · « **Reply #13 on:** December 30, 2012, 11:27:11 PM »

The larger rifle is a full size English style with a .375 Hoyt barrel
and the little one is a boys rifle with a GM 13/16x29"x40 caliber.
It was made from a piece of walnut that was not really much good
but I finished it any way,shot and it worked and then sold it and the
.375. I do much better at lock making than rifle making and these
prove it.

Bob Roller

cmac · « **Reply #14 on:** December 31, 2012, 01:21:55 AM »

I'm working on a rifle for my kids in between other builds now. I picked up a custom swamped 36 cal. Rice barrel and stock at the CLA show. Its a Bucks or Verner pattern pre-shaped butt. I'm starting them on a percussion but am going to make it convertable to flint. Its slowly coming together. Gona make a dandy youth gun while it fits them.

smylee grouch · « **Reply #15 on:** December 31, 2012, 01:32:40 AM »

Acer, was the barrel on your sons rifle turned round when it was made or did you turn it before you made the rifle?

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #16 on:** December 31, 2012, 04:41:51 AM »

Smylee, that was a straight Oct, then I turned it. I think it's .36 cal.

If I scrunch up pretty good, I can shoot it.

Long John · « **Reply #17 on:** January 01, 2013, 05:58:12 PM »

When you are building a rifle for a child you need to remember that they are NOT little adults. Their proportions are different. Since a child's head is larger in proportion tothe rest of their body the drop at the comb and drop at the heel must be a little greater in proportion to the length of pull than you would select for an adult. The cast off can also be proportionately greater if you want. But these adjustments mean that perceived recoil will be greater so I stay with the lighter calibers. Also, kids do not have the upper body strength that adults do so rifle have to be proportionately lighter.

Here are two kid's guns I built years ago.

9 inch LOP, 28 inch 40 caliber barrel

10 inch LOP, 28 inch 40 caliber barrel

They worked out well. On the ones I am working on now I am using a 36 caliber 28" swamped barrel . It brings the finished gun down to just over 4 pounds and 36 is legal for small game here, 40 is not.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

Best Regards

James Rogers · « **Reply #18 on:** January 01, 2013, 07:21:26 PM »

A larger percentage of kids have a smaller distance from the eye center to cheekbone so most I have fitted needed less drop at the nose if comb than most adults.

Herb · « **Reply #19 on:** January 01, 2013, 09:25:23 PM »

For a Hawken, a 15/16" breech plug and tang is the smallest I know of. Either the hooked or a solid "Hawken Squirrel Rifle" plug and tang. I have used both, with a 7/8" .40 and .50 barrels. Filed the plug down to 7/8". Here are two of them. The left one is a .54 and the right one is .40, about 9 1/2 and 7 1/2 pounds, I think.

Here is a .50 caliber scaled down, 13.5" LOP. 7 pounds 6 ounces. 32" barrels for all.

docone · « **Reply #20 on:** January 01, 2013, 10:00:43 PM »

Herb, Those be some fine rifles. Probably better than originals.
Great work.

pushboater · « **Reply #21 on:** January 03, 2013, 02:12:09 AM »

This is a little Lehigh Squirrel Rifle I built a few years ago. Although not made specifically for a child the dimensions and overall size of the rifle would work well for a young adult. It has a .36 cal hand swamped barrel that's 38" long. You can gauge the overall size from the photo of the rifle beside my Chambers Early Lancaster. It's quite small and light. It weighs around 6 lbs. and the LOP is around 12.5". The last photo shows me with my fingers around the barrel and forstock. I'm 5'7" and have small hands! I used a small siler lock which worked quite well. Naturally the LOP could be shortened even more. After I had swamped the barrel I sent it to Fred Miller who had the pattern for the stock. I purchased the wood from him and he inletted the barrel and drilled the ramrod hole for me. I also purchased the buttplate from him to fit the stock.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #22 on:** January 03, 2013, 04:42:04 AM »

Great thread for ideas.

Robert Wolfe · « **Reply #23 on:** January 05, 2013, 03:52:03 AM »

This is not a "boys" gun since I did it for my daughter a few years ago.....

It has a 31 inch 45 cal Rice barrel, small Siler, a Reeves Goering trigger guard. The trigger pull is just over 12 inches. Nothing fancy but certainly functional. It was a fun build.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #24 on:** January 05, 2013, 10:36:03 PM »

Now, there's a happy young lady! Thanks for the pictures.

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Author Topic: Boy's Rifle build ? (Read 8298 times)

Harms Way

Harms Way

jamesthomas

Harms Way

docone

pushboater