Build number 2

[Bill Ladd]

Trying one from a blank now.  Going for either expensive kindling or a "Barn Gun" based on Hermann Rupp plan drawings by Eric Von Aschwege.  .30 cal 42" 13/16" barrel.




Been burning up the new Gunsmith of Grenville County dvd to get this one maybe a little more proper than the last.

Made this barrel channel scraper out of an old Model T spring.  Routed a 3/4" half-round channel then the scraper made very short work of letting in the barrel!






Y'all feel free to give advice, or tell me I'm an idiot, or tell me to get a job. Whatever.  

[Willbarq]

How long did it take you to make the scraper?

[Bill Ladd]

How long did it take you to make the scraper?

Maybe ten minutes on my belt sander.

[Willbarq]

not used a file to get those edges?

[Bill Ladd]

not used a file to get those edges?

Oh yeah, you're right - but only a few strokes to square up the two inside corners.

[Bill Ladd]

Willbarq - I used one of these.  I inherited it when my Dad passed away.

Awesome for quickly shaping metal. Now that i have it, I can't imagine building a rifle without it!

[Bill Ladd]

I decided to use an english lock, based on these originals by Angstadt and Boyer:





So I bought a used L&R late english lock from a forum member.  First thing I thought to myself when I opened the package was "boy, this lock is huge."

Any way I'm going to be able to make this fit? Should I even try? Thanks for your thoughts.

[bob in the woods]

I'm not claiming to know much about Rupp, but I don't believe that lock comes anywhere close to being suitable for that rifle. 

[Bill Ladd]

I've only ever seen one H. Rupp - on the KRA Lehigh Valley 1780-1820 disc.  But, yes, pretty much every rifle on there (Rupp, Moll, Kuntz, etc...) has a Germanic lock.

I was just thinking since it is a fantasy gun (are there any H. Rupp schimmels out there?) I could get away with it.

Guess I should just go ahead and get that Dickert from oldtravler61.

[Eric Krewson]

Grizzly sent me a sale catalog with that sander on sale for $49.95, I have one headed my way. I was at a friends house straightening cane arrow shafts when he showed me his sander and told me how handy it was. Ironically, the sale catalog was in my mailbox when I got home, I took this as an omen that I needed one. I hadn't seen your reference to the same until after I ordered the sander.

[bob in the woods]

The lock plate's too big. Looks to me like it doesn't fit, regardless of style.

[smallpatch]

Rupp rifles used Germanic locks. A Siler with the tail slightly shortened, and the tail dropped just slightly, with a small "teat" filed on the tail.  The locks are also set way ABOVE center on the barrel flat, to keep,that wrist flat and slender.
The KRA makes an invaluable CD of Lehigh Valley rifles that any builder of Lehighs just can't live with out.

I'd suggest, there are MANY more details that are going to be questions before you finish this gun.  You'll do yourself a big favor, by getting this CD before you go much further.

But first..... Order a Chambers Siler!!!

If you want to see some great contemporary Rupp rifles that are done right ......... Go to Allen Martins site.

[Bill Ladd]

...I took this as an omen that I needed one...

Yes! I reckon you'll love it.  Big box stores stock the belts too.

[Bill Ladd]

The lock plate's too big. Looks to me like it doesn't fit, regardless of style.

Gotcha.

[Bill Ladd]

The KRA makes an invaluable CD of Lehigh Valley rifles that any builder of Lehighs just can't live with out.

I'd suggest, there are MANY more details that are going to be questions before you finish this gun.  You'll do yourself a big favor, by getting this CD before you go much further.

But first..... Order a Chambers Siler!!!

If you want to see some great contemporary Rupp rifles that are done right ......... Go to Allen Martins site.

Thanks. I have the CD.  I've also spent a lot of time on Allen Martin's site.  In fact, I think it was on his sight I learned of the "schimmel" rifle.

[Mike Brooks]

Good luck with that particular model of lock. I used 2 of them decades ago and never could get them to work to my satisfaction.

[Bill Ladd]

Good luck with that particular model of lock. I used 2 of them decades ago and never could get them to work to my satisfaction.

Dang. Oh well, another 100 bucks or so down the drain.

[Curtis]

Good luck with that particular model of lock. I used 2 of them decades ago and never could get them to work to my satisfaction.

Dang. Oh well, another 100 bucks or so down the drain.

Your mileage may vary....  I have one on my deer rifle, purchased the lock and used it for the gun 6 or 7 years ago, never had a problem with it.  Only things I did to it was polish it up inside and out, then deepened the pan considerably.  Sparks well, goes boom.

Curtis

[Bill Ladd]

Good luck with that particular model of lock. I used 2 of them decades ago and never could get them to work to my satisfaction.

Dang. Oh well, another 100 bucks or so down the drain.

Your mileage may vary....  I have one on my deer rifle, purchased the lock and used it for the gun 6 or 7 years ago, never had a problem with it.  Only things I did to it was polish it up inside and out, then deepened the pan considerably.  Sparks well, goes boom.

Curtis

Cool, thanks Curtis.  I think I'll put this baby on eBay anyway - this rifle I'm working on has a 13/16" barrel and my other project has a 44" A-weight. Looks like this lock is better suited for a big-barreled gun.

[smallpatch]

Bill,

You could easily make that lock fit.  But why would you want to?  It's an English lock, not Germanic.  If you're gonna build a  Rupp, build a Rupp .

[Bill Ladd]

I hear what you're saying smallpatch, and thanks.

My thinking was that I'm already so far off a true Rupp rifle in choice of barrel size & caliber (13/16" straight, .30), and style (I haven't found a precedent for a Rupp schimmel in my limited research) that this really is more of a Lehigh-styled fantasy gun. That and I prefer the rounded lock profile, just like I'm a sucker for the roman nose.

That being said, my choice of locks was a bust so now I'm waiting to hear back about an L&R Dickert available here on the forum.

That way I should have a lock that will better fit the style of gun and the slender profile.

Oh, and I hope I don't sound argumentative. That is not my intention at all. Just explaining my harebrained ideas.

I post here to learn from you experts.

[thimble rig]

Hi guys newbie here.Reading this post and im also gattering parts for a new build for a herman rupp rifle.Would a early ketland or dale johson lock work barrel would be oct to round 42 in long

[Bill Ladd]

Yessss!  My first ramrod channel and hole.  Success!!  (Plus I got to fab another tool!)

I was really sweating this as I'd read a lot of ramrod runout tales of woe.

Since my barrel is .30, I need a 1/4" rod.  None of the suppliers I saw carry a RR drill that small so i made one.




After hand cutting the channel, I clamped it up like this:




Then I was able to drill it straight as an arrow.




Thanks to everyone who shared their experience here in the threads I searched.  Couldn't have done it without you.

[Dave Marsh]

Bill, how did you make the drill bit.  I have one to drill but am building up the courage to do it and I need to find or make a drill bit.  This one is for a 50 cal.

Dave

[Bill Ladd]

Bill, how did you make the drill bit.  I have one to drill but am building up the courage to do it and I need to find or make a drill bit.  This one is for a 50 cal.

Dave

Dave - On my lathe, I reduced the shank of the drill bit, then bored out the 1/4" steel rod I got from the hardware store.  This bore was a smidge oversize of the drill shank reduction.  I then drilled a few holes through the rod where I'd bored it and then brazed the drill to the rod.

After cleanup on my handy tabletop belt sander, it was ready to drill.