Author Topic: Circa: 1780 "Haga" rifle (Read 16090 times)

Blacksmoke · « **on:** March 27, 2013, 06:25:54 AM »

I've just finished a complete restoration/ re-conversion of a"attributed to Wolfgang Haga" rifle. This was a truly "closet find"- it had not seen the light of day for 50 yrs. The project took about 6 months - over 650 hrs. of bench time. The gun has been brought back to what it should look like if it had not been badly abused and busted up. I have taken a number of photos - "before" and "after".
Wanted to post them here but have no idea how to get them from photobucket to here since they re-organized their site. I have tried everything I can think of but nothing seems to work! Any help would be appreciated - thanks, Hugh Toenjes

Blacksmoke · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2013, 05:42:05 PM »

Thanks Rich, for the help - still I can only post one photo it seems. But I have 10 photos of "after" and 8 of "before". Do I have to link each in seperate posting?

Blacksmoke · « **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2013, 06:00:51 PM »

The next set of postings will be the "before" photos. In the mean time please feel free to ask any questions about the restored rifle if you wish. At this time I wish to thank several KRA members who had some input on this project - Louie Parker for general advice, Steve Hench for giving me specs. on lock dementions and Brad Emig for doing the sand casted side plate. Thanks guys!

smart dog · « **Reply #3 on:** March 27, 2013, 06:57:38 PM »

Hi Hugh,
You don't have to use separate postings. Open ALR and then in your browser menu at the top of the screen, click on "File" and then "Open New Tab". Then open photobucket and you have both websites running simultaneously. In ALR, just start your post and add the image. After grabbing one from photobucket, click on another in your library and add it to the same post using the image function in ALR. Keep going until you have added them all in the same post.

dave

tallbear · « **Reply #4 on:** March 27, 2013, 07:11:07 PM »

Hugh
I fixed it for you.Thanks for posting the pics.While i know it's hard to tell if the finish is original but is it as red as it seems in the pictures.

Mitch Yates

Blacksmoke · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2013, 07:12:21 PM »

Now for the "before" photos

NOW I have the hang of it! Just goes to show that an OLD dog can learn new tricks!!??

I added paragraph breaks between the photo links to keep the page normal wifth (RP)

Blacksmoke · « **Reply #6 on:** March 27, 2013, 07:18:42 PM »

Mitch' If you are referring to the finish on the rifle after it was restored - there is only a new finish on the added wood. The rest of the gun still has the original hand rubbed patina. However I gave the whole gun a good coat of "Renaissance" wax which might give the look of all being refinished. Thanks for asking, Hugh Toenjes

tallbear · « **Reply #7 on:** March 27, 2013, 07:21:53 PM »

I was refering to where it was original in the before pics.Sometimes pictures don't tell the true story just wanted to know if it was that red in person.Thanks again for the pics and great restore,I'm fond of Reading guns so glad to see this on get the restore it deserved.

Mitch

Shreckmeister · « **Reply #8 on:** March 27, 2013, 09:16:44 PM »

Hugh, I really enjoyed seeing what you accomplished with this rifle. The workmanship looks great.
Can you elaborate on the story of it being tucked away for 50 years. Thanks for saving this one from
the point of no return and sharing it. 650 hours is alot of time and well worth it.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #9 on:** March 27, 2013, 09:42:16 PM »

Beautiful work Hugh!! That is scary!! Thanks for posting it.

Buck · « **Reply #10 on:** March 28, 2013, 12:02:03 AM »

Wow great work.

mr. no gold · « **Reply #11 on:** March 28, 2013, 02:20:13 AM »

Superb work, Hugh. Amazing what you did. You saved a good gun from future neglect and as a potential 'parts gun'. As it happens, I have the 'almost' twin of this piece, with the exception that mine is in untouched original condition. The finish on mine is a little blonder than this one and mine has no toe plate; the patchbox side plates are overshot as well. They do not terminate at the lid hinge. Same box though and probably identical carving. Likely, the same maker.
The best compliment that I can give you is that in the 'after' photos, my eye cannot detect the work you did on this old girl to bring her back. A fine artistic effort!!!
Dick

alex e. · « **Reply #12 on:** March 28, 2013, 02:36:51 AM »

Awesome! thank you for sharing it.

GrampaJack · « **Reply #13 on:** March 28, 2013, 02:52:41 AM »

Very nice, well done Hugh. I am curious as to what method you used to fill the hole left by the old drum. I have one to deal with some day and there isn't much material left there to work with. Scares my welding guy. Thanks for sharing your work. Jack

smart dog · « **Reply #14 on:** March 28, 2013, 02:55:14 AM »

Hi Hugh,
Very nicely done. What a save! I hope we can put those images in the ALR library.

dave

Larry Luck · « **Reply #15 on:** March 28, 2013, 03:11:18 AM »

Hugh,

That is quite a nice piece of work. Posting the after before the before made the "resurrection" much more dramatic.

Thank you for the post.

Larry Luck

Blacksmoke · « **Reply #16 on:** March 28, 2013, 05:48:47 AM »

Thanks guys for all the great comments! I also want to thank Mitch for his help in separating the photos once I got them posted and to answere his query about the color - yes this gun was quite red to begin with, as you can see in the "before" photos and it was stocked in red maple. To Dave- thanks for walking me through the new photobucket procedure - I learned a new trick today! As to the other questions: this gun is belongs to a client of mine and the story he tells me is that he inherited the rifle from his Dad 50 yrs. ago and it has been in the closet ever since. The conversion to percussion took place when his great uncle had it and that is when it was badly abused. Anyway the client wants to pass it down the following generations. Along with the rifle comes a very nice original powder horn from Berks Co. as well! I will post photos of it as well as soon as can get them into Photobucket. Art DeCamp and Louie Parker have authenticated the horn as it is not signed or scrimmed. The percussion drum hole and breech flats of the barrel had to be "tig" welded by a very delicate welder. Then I dressed down the welded area and rusted and carded and rusted and carded until I got the antique look that would blend in with the rest of the barrel. There are a lot of features about this rifle which were a surprise to me. However I will have to save those for another time as I am running out of steam here. Suffice it to say at this point that I considered it a supreme honor to apply my artisanship to that of Wolfgang Haga's! This rifle can "speak" again if the opportunity ever arises. Which reminds me - the client tells me that the original owner ( one of his ancestors) was a "rifleman" in the Colonial Militia during the Rev. war. More at another time. Hugh Toenjes

JTR · « **Reply #17 on:** March 28, 2013, 06:23:33 AM »

Nice job!
Do you have any more pictures you could show us?

John

Tim Crosby · « **Reply #18 on:** March 28, 2013, 02:40:31 PM »

Amazing

Tim C.

tallbear · « **Reply #19 on:** March 28, 2013, 03:49:00 PM »

Hugh
Thanks for the info.One last question if I may.Under the ugly percussion era side plate was there any evidence of the old side plate for you to follow or did you make a pattern following other related rifles.

Thanks!!!
Mitch

Blacksmoke · « **Reply #20 on:** March 28, 2013, 04:19:28 PM »

John & Mitch: Yes I have more photos and will post them soon - both before and after. When I removed the percussion era side plate low and behold there were the stab in marks from inletting the original side plate. Now I had the exact profile of the original from which I took a tracing and sent the pattern to Brad Emig to have him do a sand casting. So the one you see in the "after" is identical to the original and it matches others associated with Haga. Of course I had to do some "aging" to match it with the other brass furniture on the gun. Also Brad used the old brass recipe for pouring the sideplate as contemporary brass is of a different mix than what was used 200 yrs. ago. Something to keep in mind when doing a so called "bench copy" or restoration work. Hugh Toenjes

tallbear · « **Reply #21 on:** March 28, 2013, 05:20:56 PM »

Thanks Hugh
That's an important part of the puzzle for me.Appreciate it!!!

Mitch

GrampaJack · « **Reply #22 on:** March 29, 2013, 02:30:19 AM »

Thanks Hugh, I kind of figured that a Tig was used. One thing my welder is not is delicate (big dude). I think he can handle it. Appreciate the information. Jack

Blacksmoke · « **Reply #23 on:** March 29, 2013, 05:54:12 AM »

OK; here some photos of the old horn which came with the "Haga" rifle. The only restoration on the horn was to repair the "button" on the nose of the butt plug which was broken in half. The butt plug is turned out of American black walnut. The spout is a "screw tip" with an old violin peg cut down for a stopper. I added the violin peg to replace a tapered dowel of modern make which was adding to a split in the spout tip.

Hugh Toenjes

Topknot · « **Reply #24 on:** March 29, 2013, 11:37:19 PM »

Hugh, that is one great job you did on that rifle. A very beautiful rifle. Thank you so much for posting it.

topknot

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Author Topic: Circa: 1780 "Haga" rifle (Read 16090 times)

GrampaJack

GrampaJack