Bucks Co Rifle, finally finished!

[B Shipman]

P.S. My only critique is that the finish is dull.

[Vomitus]

  I think you nailed this one.Is it your intent to keep it for hunting or sell/sold? I really like the Bucks county and yours appears to me like it would handle nicely for shooting. Beautiful carving. I'd like to see the muzzle end.

[Lucky R A]

Hi Ed,
       I guess I am a little late to the party, but I sure would like to join the others in admiring your work on this rifle.  I enjoyed talking with you at the Lewisburg show.  The original that you and Curtis worked from is one of the nicer Bucks Co. guns that I have seen and handled.  I really wish we knew who built the original.  I hope that others turn up.  The gun and your copy show almost all the features we typically look for in a classic Bucks Co. gun.  Your carving is a bit bolder and deeper than on the original, but then it is 200 yrs. newer....Jim Chambers Golden Age Siler is a very close match for the original lock.  The original sure had a larger than "normal" lock, but it worked, as does your M & G.
Now you can get to work on a good Verner...idle hands you know..

All the Best    Ron

[Jim Kibler]

I like it Ed.  I really find the cheek piece side appealing and the incised carving is nice.  Great work!

Jim

[Don Getz]

Ed.....gun looks great, especially the incised carving.   Looks like it must have been a good, hard, piece of wood.  The subject
of the "long" foregrip was mentioned.   I am not being critical here, it looks fine,  but many guns will have a shorter foregrip
to make them look "longer", merely a cosmetic thing.  This is not your first gun to impress me, you posted one earlier that
kind of knocked my socks off........Don

[sweed]

Ed
 Great looking gun!! The carving is the first that I have even considered attempting. I'm not much for eye candy, but that really is appealing. I'm most interested in the side opening patch box, in my opinion the only practical design. I'm working toward a Gillespie rifle, and while I know it should have only a grease hole, in my eyes form follows function. That said I want to do a simple side opening (stronger) patch box with a grease hole incorporated inside. Could you please post some pictures of the patch box and its inner workings!

 

[Ed Wenger]

Thanks again to everyone for your comments and observations!

As requested, here are photos of the muzzle and of the patch box release.  Per the original, the push rod ends under the toe plate.  The toe plate is like a tab, and is pressed to release the catch.   Hope that helps!

Thanks again,

Ed

[t.caster]

Very WELL DONE!

[draken]

All I can say is WOW!
Beautiful rifle, Ed! 

[sweed]

  Thanks Ed for the lessons.

[acorn20]

Ed,

What a great looking rifle.  I think the large lock really makes the gun!  Nice work as always.  I wouldn't expect anything less from you!

Dan

[curly]

Beautiful rifle Ed. Everything is just right.

Curly

[Firelock]

Beautiful job Ed. It is a real inspiration to see it.

[DaveP (UK)]

I'm not competent to criticise, but there are no qualifications for responding to a thing of beauty, which this is. Thanks for the chance to see it!
I'd like to ask two questions:
Would I be correct in believing that the lock plate has been let in to about half its thickness?
I see two screw ends protruding behind the cock. I can't believe that this is an oversight, so, is this a case of following an historical precedent?

[Ed Wenger]

Again, many thanks!...

Dave,  the lock is inlet to the depth of the bevel, which is about half the thickness of the lock plate.  The two screws protruding through the lock plate, behind the cock, are accurate.  The are the ends of the screws holding the sear spring, and bridle.  Typically, you'll see either two screw ends, or one screw end.  Hope that helps...


         Ed