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Author Topic: Nephew's rifle  (Read 7827 times)

Offline wattlebuster

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Nephew's rifle
« on: July 12, 2014, 06:58:19 PM »
I got a 17 yr old nephew that loves modern guns and is just starting to shoot and like some of my flintguns and the virginia I built for his dad. He  wanted one to hunt with and started saving for the parts. When we finally got all the parts in he of course could not afford a pro so I took it on for him. Did all I could do for him with the advise of Don Bruton and Curt Lyles. I want to thank them both. Don for being kind enough to let me copy as best I could his strap buttplate and  sideplate designs and Curt for giving advise how to age it up a little as the boy did'nt want it to look brand new but several yrs old.
  The parts are as follows. Barrel is a Charles Burton swamped 54 cal thats 38 inches with a 1 in 66 twist. I had him cone it also. The boy liked the smoothness and spark of the Caywood wilson lock on my Don Bruton gun so that is what he wanted.    The stock is from Pecatonica. I had them inlet the barrel and drill the ramrod and I did the rest. Ramrod pipes are from Track and trigger guard is from Knob Mountain. Its single trigger from Track and the front sight is a 1962 silver quarter that in  these photos has not been filed yet. I made the buttplate and sideplate and he di'nt want a nosecap. Ferric nitrate stain with lots of blo and several coats of Chambers oil finish on top. Ferric nitrate on the metal to pit then removed an then blued and rubbed back. Whitelightning liner drilled out to 1/16th. We shot it quite a bit last weekend and its fast and I think its gonna be a shooter. He is pleased with it and once he learns how to shoot a flinter I think he will be rough on the deer around his house. Ive got him going thru the motions with a wooden flint snapping off 50 to 100 rounds every night till he gets those sights steady after the frizzen opens up. Tried to build it as much by hand as could using only a drill press and cordless drill. The rest is just files a handsaw and chisels. Lot of cosmetic mistakes but it is what it is now.
 







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Nothing beats the feel of a handmade southern iron mounted flintlock on a cold frosty morning

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2014, 07:06:56 PM »
Let me be among the first to congratulate you on a very nice rifle.  It is all business, but with grace and terrific colour in the stain.  Just Ferric Nitrate, you say?  Nice red undertones, that I am unable to achieve, and curl definition.
..a sound hunting arm!
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Offline wattlebuster

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2014, 08:27:36 PM »
Taylor those tones did'nt show up or at least in my eyes they did'nt till I applied the Chambers oil. I did'nt know if it would look ok or not as I had never heard of anybody putting it on top of blo an I was kinda nervous bout doing it but I wanted the gun sealed as best as could so I tried it. I think it did OK
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Nothing beats the feel of a handmade southern iron mounted flintlock on a cold frosty morning

whetrock

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2014, 08:48:14 PM »
Yeah... I like that a lot. That's what I think of as a serious "don't mess with me" kind of rifle.

Can I ask about the boiled linseed oil? What exactly did you use (if you don't mind sharing your secrets!)? About how many coat of boiled linseed, and how many of Chambers?

« Last Edit: July 12, 2014, 08:50:40 PM by Whetrock (PLB) »
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Offline wattlebuster

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #4 on: July 12, 2014, 09:18:09 PM »
Whetrock it aint no secret or at least not in my eye's
I bought the only brand I could find in our local hardware store. It's Klean strip brand in a quart can. The way I did it is as follows
2 coats of ferric nitrate. The crystals dissolved in denatured alcohol. applied with a sponge ball applicator and heated with a heat gun. Let it sit overnight. I then sprayed it down good with ammonia hoping to kill any acid left. After letting it dry good I then Hand rubbed the blo very sparingly till my hand got hot rubbing the stock. It dont take but a few drops per application. I did this early in the morning and right before going to bed so 2 coats per day for 4 days IIRC
I then let it sit for a couple of days and decided to try the Chambers oil. I put on one coat of it per day and gently rubbed it back with 0000 steel wool for 4 days and thats all there is to tell. I made sure I got it in the barrel channel and lock mortise to keep out as much moisture as possible. I guess we will find out when he get caught out in a rain.
  Hope this helps and answers OK
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Nothing beats the feel of a handmade southern iron mounted flintlock on a cold frosty morning

Offline chrisdefrance

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #5 on: July 12, 2014, 10:41:43 PM »
You should have a very ecstatic nephew. He needs to do everything for you for the next several years. And say " Yes, Sir "and mean it. I am pleased to hear of young men and women that you think highly enough of to create a rifle like this. The young man should realize what you have done for him and how lucky he is to have family that is a real family. " Our family " seems to be falling by the wayside and it takes a lot of work to keep it from doing so. Again, this is good to see a real family.

You did have him work on the rifle ? Is he hooked now ? What a beautiful rifle. What are plans for the front sight ? Are you going to have him there through the process of sighting in ?
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Offline Frank Barker

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2014, 12:02:45 AM »
Hey Allen.....Congratulations on another nice rifle. I would love to see your Nephews face when he sees it for the first time. He is one fortunate young man to have an Uncle like you. He will cherish this gun for the rest of his life and I'm sure it will be passed down to his children when ever that comes about. I asked you awhile back if he had a pouch yet and you didn't answer that question. I have some made up already and I would love to donate one to the cause. Let me know.

Kind Regards   Frank Barker
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Offline wattlebuster

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2014, 12:36:49 AM »
Very nice gesture there Frank. I told him that but He has already laid claims to one of my first store bought from the early 80s that I got from dixie gun works. He thinks it looks cool but then he is young like I was when I bought it way back then. We had to get all the mold off it and get it back in shape but he likes it for now. Also gave him one of my old horns that I have had for yrs We shot it last weekend some and it seems to really like 80 grns of ffg so we made a river cane measure. Got the sights filed down pretty close. Im guessing he will be like everyone else and change accessories quite a bit till he figures out what he wants and what works best for him.
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Nothing beats the feel of a handmade southern iron mounted flintlock on a cold frosty morning

Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2014, 01:32:47 AM »
Very nice!!! I have a similar .54 and it is my trustworthy friend.  I have a fowling piece with that Wilson trade lock on it. It is a really sweet and fast lock for its size.  I love the finish! your nephew has every right to be very proud of the gun and its maker!!!
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Offline smart dog

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2014, 03:56:44 PM »
Very nice Allen!!  Your nephew is going to love it.

dave
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Offline moleeyes36

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2014, 04:16:17 PM »
As Taylor said it's "all business" but very nice looking without a lot of "bling".  It should make an excellent hunting rifle; good job indeed.

Mole Eyes
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Offline Curtis

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #11 on: July 14, 2014, 05:34:28 AM »
Great looking rifle, Allen.  The color of the stock came out rather nice.  I am happy for your nephew an hope he realizes what a lucky fellow he is!  I also hope he gets to bag a deer with it this fall...

Curtis
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dlbarr

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2014, 09:44:09 AM »
Very nice firearm there. Can't think of anyone that wouldn't be delighted to have such a weapon regardless the number of others already in the gun closet. I really like the simplicity and yet it's a thing of beauty as well.

Congrats to you & your nephew alike - many more memories will be created, I'm sure.
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Offline Ed Wenger

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #13 on: July 17, 2014, 03:05:48 PM »
I missed this somehow...  Nice rifle indeed, no frills and as stated before, all business.  Your nephew should be very happy!


     Ed
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Offline mountainman70

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #14 on: July 18, 2014, 05:29:59 AM »
Kudos here too,from West Virginia.Nice  color and look.Best regards,Dave F ;D
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Offline tlallijr

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #15 on: July 19, 2014, 01:52:18 AM »
 Very nice rifle. Love the stock color and the age patina to the metal.
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JB2

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #16 on: July 19, 2014, 04:00:21 PM »
Nicely finished, and she certainly looks like a hunter.  Thinking you should have told your nephew that it was his 'job' to age the gun, in the woods over the next few years. ;)  You'll have to share a pic of his first whitetail taken with it too. 
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Offline whitebear

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #17 on: July 19, 2014, 09:50:55 PM »
That's my kind of gun.  Plain simple work piece, nice job and a lucky young man.
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Offline WadePatton

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Re: Nephew's rifle
« Reply #18 on: July 20, 2014, 03:07:24 AM »
Super job on the rifle.  Hope he gets hooked and whomps a few deer with it this Fall.
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