Last of the four long barreled pistols. Asking for critiques

[Rolf]

I've just finished the last last of four, more or less identical pistols. This one is mine and plan to case it in cherry. You have seen pictures of the three others. I hope I'm not boring you. I'm posting pictures of this pistol to get critiques and comments to improve my work.

The inspiration for the pistols was this one, made by Herschel House.


The one below is my attempt. 15" custom made barrel from Rayl, small siler lock, all the rest made from scratch. Stump cut curly maple blank from Harrison. All steel parts rust blued with home made nieder solution. Stock stained with vinegaroon and finish with BLO with lead white as dryer.























Best regards
Rolf

[oldfox]

That is beautiful!  Great workmanship!  Truly an heirloom...

[volatpluvia]

Rolf,
I have only one critique and it is purely personal, says nothing about your pistol.  I dislike double set triggers in general and despise them on pistols.  One can make a single primitive trigger light enought to be a joy.
But please, each to his own.
Otherwise, if you sent that pistol to me anyone who wanted it would have to pry it from my cold dead fingers. 
While yours is a little different than House's it appears to be of the same quality in fit and finish.
Enjoy your creation.
volatpluvia

[hortonstn]

I really like your work what finish did you use??
thanks for posting
paul

[tuffy]

Rolf... While I think this is a beautiful, well made pistol I must hold my final opinion until you send it to me to test for four or five years or more. Seriously, it is a very, very nice pistol. I love to see thin, long barreled pistols. It take real craftsmanship to pull off making one of these. And you've managed to do four. Great work.

                    CW

[smylee grouch]

Rolf, I too like your pistol. Can you elaborate on how you made the ramrod thimbles, like what is that silver and if so how did you do it?    

[Curtis]

Stunning work Rolf!  The pistol it quite beautiful.  I too would like to know more about how you made the thimbles.  My only critiques would be I think the front trigger could be slightly tapered thinner on the bottom and maybe some engraving on the lock would set it off.

You should be quite proud of your achievement!  Thanks for posting the pics.

Curtis

[Rolf]

I really like your work what finish did you use??
thanks for posting
paul

I boiled 5dl (1/2 a quart) raw linseed oil with 1 tablespoon lead white for a couple of hours, then added 8 crushed eggshells and let it boil for another hour. Let it cool and filter through a coffee filter. Made the lead white by hanging strips of lead in jar , suspended over 27% vinegar. Took about 4 months to get enough.

Best regards
Rolf

[Rolf]

Rolf, I too like your pistol. Can you elaborate on how you made the ramrod thimbles, like what is that silver and if so how did you do it?    

The thimbles were made from 0.04" steel sheet and shaped the same way as you would brass thimbles. All the trim is sterling silver. The thin bands are half round wire, I make by by pulling a round wire through a draw plate I have.  The band on the tail is 0.02" sheet metal. I file trenches in the thimbles were the silver fits snugly, paint the trenches with a little liquid flux. Bind the silver to the trenches with iron binding wire. Silver solder with a medium silver solder , flow temp 600 Celsius.  I use a propan torch, heat the part to flow temp, apply silver solder to only one side of the trench. If the heat is right and you have the right amount of flux. The solder flow down the side of the trench, under the silver and up the other side of the trench. To much flux and it gets clogged, to little and it won't flow. Be sure to file away all excess solder before bluing.

Best regards
Rolf

[smylee grouch]

Thanks Rolf, they look great.

[Keb]

Very nice. I never thought I'd say this about any barrel but they look too long, for my taste anyway.

[Gene Carrell]

Great looking pistol with a barrel long enough to be legal for hunting.

[Dphariss]

I can't see a problem with the pistols though I like the first one with the darker stock best. But this is simply preference.
One other comment.
I LIKE set triggers on flint pistols and shoot MUCH better with them. But many people base there opinion on crappy production set triggers and there are many of them on the market. The only set triggers I have that I have are two NOS Bob Roller Hawken triggers from the 1970s that I bought at a Gun Show way under retail  . They need no rework to be right.

But while DSTs are correct for the two pistols show here I like SS triggers on pistols and in fact I like this design even on rifles where its a better fit for the TG.


I think Davis is making a version of this trigger now.
There is a drawing of this trigger in George's "English Guns and Rifles".

These are what I would call "Bear Pistols" these were used in the SE United States when hunting bears with dogs. The dogs bay the bear the hunter then shoots it in the head with the pistol.
As you continue with your study and building who will constantly improve. More work and study simply improves everything and/or makes it easier.
I always enjoy looking at your photos, thanks for posting.


Dan

[Bob Roller]

Dan,
Many thanks for the kind remarks about my double set triggers.
That single set trigger looks like an English design that is only
adjustable by the tension on the sear spring in the TRIGGER,
not the lock. I have one of these that Lynton McKenzie gave me
in 1980 and while it is a finely crafted thing,the French have a
better one with the external adjustment by a tiny screw behind the
trigger.I made a few of these French types for the Germans in the
early 1980's. They were very labor intensive and a pain in the fanny.
Their word for them is Franzoesicherruckstecher mit Eisen abzugbugel.
"French pushed forward trigger with iron trigger guard".

Bob Roller

[JTR]

Rolf,
I've followed your work progress since you started here, and I really like the pistols you've made, and bet they're a blast to shoot!

Far be it for me and my abilities to critique your work, however, if I were comparing your pistol to the work of the top makers here, I'd suggest that you could work on improving your metal to wood inletting.
As is, you do a nice job, however to bump up to that top workmanship level, some of the gaps are a bit too noticeable.
Particularly, I'm referring to the pictures that show the metal to wood fit along the top side of the side plate, the tail of the entry ramrod pipe, and the upper side of the forward ramrod pipe.

One other thing, and it might just be the picture, but the trigger guard looks a bit thickly constructed. I know you made it from scratch and overall you did a fine job, but I think a little thinning of the metal around the bow area, and at the weld area for the back end tang would have made the guard look a bit lighter and more fluid looking, in keeping with the overall look of the pistol.

Little things, true. And just my opinion. But I suspect you're planning on being the best you can be!

John 

[davebozell]

I think they look really great!  Since you seem to have a pretty good handle on long pistols, it's time to take the plunge and start working on a "long" rifle. I'm sure with your skills, you will have no major problems.

[Rolf]

Thank you all for your kind comments and suggestions.

Curtis: I'd love to know how to do some simple engraving. Got most of the book, the Linsay sharpening gigs and Brooks engraving DVD. Just don't seem to able to do a line with consistent depth and width. Don't know what I'm doing wrong. Wish I knew. Can't find anyone who teaches engraving in Norway.

Dphariss: I agree about the stock color. I should have been darker and warmer. The funny thing is that it is stained with the same batch of vingaroon and the same amount of coats. It just would not get darker. Guess I should have tweaked it with some other stains.

JTR: I agree with your comments. The gaps on the side plate happend because I tried to cut the outline by stabbing with gauges. They did not fit the curve perfectly. Not going to do that again. Think the problems with the thimble inlets were caused by not sharp enough tools.  The triggerguard  and trigger edges could have beveled more. How "sharp/thin" are the edges usually?

Another flaw no ones mention, is that part of the bevel on the front extension of the trigger stands proud of the wood. I had it inlet nicely, then managed to ding the wood. Tried to steam them out. Did not work, so I sanded. Should have left it alone.

Best regards
Rolf