Ready to build, kit or plank?

[whetrock]

Louie,
Here's a link to an Armstrong in the ALR virtual library.
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=5565.0

The 11th photo from the top shows the top side of the buttplate, and helps illustrate the important detail you were explaining.
Whet

[Paddlefoot]

So its like a tapered tenon with a stud sticking out of it?

[galamb]

Toyed with the idea of building an Armstrong so I vacuumed up whatever I could as far as specs that would help with a build.

As far as barrels, this is what I found - not much beyond caliber and length, but may help you decide:

(flint) 470 bore diameter, 46" octagonal-to-round barrel. 18" from breech are some nice turnings separating octagonal-to-round (No Further details).

(flint) 44-1/2" full octagon 48 Cal. rifled and flared bbl signed "J. Armstrong" (meaning tapered? or swamped??)

(flint) 43 5/8" .485 smoothbore - straight 15/16"

(percussion) .36 caliber, 43 1/4-inch octagonal rifled barrel

(percussion) OAL..........58"----------BBL .......42 11/16----------cal.40 ----breech.....31/32  tapers to 7/8 flares to15/16 (swamped or just filed that way? - how much change before it's considered swamped? - my questions/thinking here)
 
(percussion) Rifle has a 41-3/4" full octagon 44 Cal. rifled bbl signed in script "John Armstrong"

(percussion) .45 caliber, 43" octagonal barrel


(percussion) .45 caliber, 42 1/2" barrel 31/32" across the flats

If you are looking for an "off the shelf" lock, the Siler is close and can probably be made to look really close with a bit of work.

I also found the Chambers Golden Age percussion looks pretty close (almost a perfect match for a Christian Hawken) and again, could maybe be "tweaked" a bit if you are looking for something that you don't have to totally build yourself or have built..

[GANGGREEN]

Thanks galamb, that's interesting info. 

[galamb]

I do have some pictures to go with the ones I posted up above. They were "scavenged", not the kind you would take if you were trying to pattern a build, but if interested I could throw some up, or email to anyone interested.

[louieparker]

Whetrock, Thanks .   I had forgotten those photos.. what's the old saying about a picture and a thousand  words....LP

[galamb]

Looked through my collection of pictures and of the 8 rifles I have and only one did NOT have the insert in the butt plate.





So you could probably go "without", but that is probably "rare"...

[whetrock]

This rifle with no iron insert (the second of galamb's photos) has been for sale this weekend. The experts at James Julia's Auction house suggest that this is the earliest signed Armstrong known. Here's a link to their site, which includes more photos.
http://jamesdjulia.com/auctions/view_lot_info.asp?lot=2346-346

[galamb]

Yes, the other thing I noticed on the one with no insert was that Armstrong's signature was engraved right into the barrel, not in the "more typical" brass insert that he used on all the other examples I have...

[bama]

Louie, I knew you would know how the iron heel was done, thanks for the info. That early rifle in the auction is an awesome rifle. I may have to consider something along that line one of these days.