Wally nut hunting carbine

[Mike Brooks]

Well, sort of a carbine compared to what I have been building the past few years. I don't have my Shumway vol. 1 handy but this is inspired by an early gun featured there. Believe it or not, this is an Alabama grown piece of wood. It is dense, has great color and some curl. Inlet and carved well as well. Rice 38" .54 barrel. Are they still pulling a carbide ball through these? This one doesn't look like it. Fine barrel though. Chambers Dale Johnson lock with super secret special stuff done to it by L.C. Rice. Buttplate was worried from sheet brass by me. The guard is a casting from a casting of a Reeves casting.......

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Perfect deer hunting rifle Mike.

[One Eye]

Beautiful work, and it is perfect for the Pennsylvania woods here.
One Eye

[bones92]

Beautiful.

[Mike Brooks]

Beautiful work, and it is perfect for the Pennsylvania woods here.
One Eye

I suspect it may be used in the Alabama woods most of the time. Not saying something like this wouldn't work in PA..... or anywhere else for that matter.

[sqrldog]

Mike
The rifle is exactly what I hoped it would be. Soon as it gets here (it's on the way) I'll give it a workout at the range and post a report. With it I hope to help lower the deer and hog population in the Patsilagi River swamp. Thanks again for building a great looking rifle. Tim Cosby

[smylee grouch]

Great looking gun. I like the way the Johnson lock transitions into the wrist.

[WadePatton]

Doggone have to put that one up the hill to reload it.  Did you make a holster too?

 

but then you had me at Wally Nut.

[Mike Brooks]

Great looking gun. I like the way the Johnson lock transitions into the wrist.

Yep, it's a great lock. With the curve in the plate it makes it real easy to line up the front lock bolt. You'll notice the "non factory" blind screws at the tail of the plate and the unbridled frizzen, nifty features for an early export euro lock. I'd like to see the same lock at about 6" or a bit less.

[Mike Brooks]

Doggone have to put that one up the hill to reload it.  Did you make a holster too?

 

but then you had me at Wally Nut.

HAH! with the sling swivels you could sling it and it won't drag on the ground...unless you're vertically challenged.

[wattlebuster]

Excellent work Mike. An I thought the only thing we could grow here in hotabama was skeeters an cottonmouths. Beautiful gun you'll have there Tim

[sqrldog]

Thanks Wattlebuster. The walnut was cut in Hale Co not too far from Greensboro. It grew on a hill in some of the poorest soil for growing a tree in Alabama. This meant the tree grew slow and dense. I can't remember the reason it was cut but a friend owned the farm and gave me a couple of boards. Been drying since the mid 1980's. I have one blank left without a barrel inlet in it. One day maybe we'll get another rifle out of the old walnut tree. My friend has passed but I feel sure he would approve of Mike's use of his walnut.
By the way Wade most of the time you would hard pressed to find a hill. Any place higher than where you are standing is called a ridge.😊

[smylee grouch]

I had not seen the changes to the lock until you mentioned it. Great job on that too. What size screw did you use for the frizzen if you used something different than a longer unthreaded shank regular sized screw ?

[Mike Brooks]

I had not seen the changes to the lock until you mentioned it. Great job on that too. What size screw did you use for the frizzen if you used something different than a longer unthreaded shank regular sized screw ?

L.C. Rice did all the work to the lock. All I  did was stick it in the gun.

[sqrldog]

Smylee the frizzen screw is a 10-32 timed to tighten and leave room for the frizzen to move freely but not slop from one side to the other. Most bridlelesslocks use a this method although some use a shouldered screw. L C did a great job of assembling a little different looking lock for this project. It helps to be friends with a great lock assembler.☺

[hanshi]

That looks like a rifle really wanting to get into the brush and swamps.  And I love that fine, dark walnut.  Maybe not eye candy but looking at it definitely does sweeten the view.  Very handsome rifle and I would love to have it's twin.

[One Eye]

I suspect it may be used in the Alabama woods most of the time. Not saying something like this wouldn't work in PA..... or anywhere else for that matter.

Please don't tease me.
One Eye

[B Shipman]

Nice looking. I always enjoy your stuff.

[Ky-Flinter]

Hi Mike,

That's a great looking rifle!  Love the finish.  What was your process for filling the grain and finishing?  I'm assuming no stain was used?  I'm working on a wally nut stocked pistol and could use some tips.  Thanks.

-Ron

[BOB HILL]

Nice rifle Mike. Like that butt plate. How thick was the sheet you made it from?        Bob

[Mike Brooks]

Hi Mike,

That's a great looking rifle!  Love the finish.  What was your process for filling the grain and finishing?  I'm assuming no stain was used?  I'm working on a wally nut stocked pistol and could use some tips.  Thanks.

-Ron

  Probably 5 coats of Formby's tung oil finish followed by Flat black spray paint removed with steel wool followed by ebony colored Bri Wax.

[Mike Brooks]

Nice rifle Mike. Like that butt plate. How thick was the sheet you made it from?        Bob

1/16"

[BOB HILL]

I love that briwax. I've used it for many years. Hard to find locally.     Bob

[Ky-Flinter]

Thanks Mike.

-Ron

[EC121]

We took the rifle for its first shot ceremony today.  It shot really well once sqrldog installed the back sight the way it should have been from the git-go.  Fast ignition, great trigger, weighs 7.5lbs.(my 13/16" .40cal. weighs more), and accurate once we sighted it in.  It looks nicer in person.  This is my last shot from the bench on a center fire sighting in target at 50yds.    We quit on that center shot.  A bit more practice for Tim, and it is ready for deer season.