frank bartlett rifle

[snapper]

I just picked up a Frank Bartlett built .40 cal flintlock.

The rifle was built in 1983, getz barrel, long lock.

Was able to get it sighted in at Friendship.  Seems to shoot about as well as it looks.

The rifle is very nicely done, and pay attention to the patch box spring and the sticker inside of the patch box.

The rifle I doubt has been shot much.  Not a mark on the stock and at 50 yards it was around 11" high and left.

The engraving inside the patch box shows that the rifle was made for Richard Mushlity, built by Frank Bartlett, engraved by LH Harrison.


enjoy....

Fleener

[T*O*F]

Also, all the silver inlays are real silver, not German silver.

[Mike Brooks]

That's quite a gun. Unfortunately, time and climate change hasn't been kind to some of those inlays. But, that's they way it goes with older guns.

[EC121]

That was Frank's standard lid spring and sticker.  He put a bar code sticker in mine.  Told me it came from a Kotex box.  He was a joker.

[snapper]

one of the interesting things about his rifle is that the patch box is fairly flush towards the barrel, then transitions to above the wood at the butt.  The brass that is near the butt is the release for the patch box, you push on it.

The eagle on the other side is the same way, flush then above the wood.

There were 3 makers at Friendship that looked at the rifle and they concluded that it was supposed to be that way.

fleener

[Mike Brooks]

one of the interesting things about his rifle is that the patch box is fairly flush towards the barrel, then transitions to above the wood at the butt.  The brass that is near the butt is the release for the patch box, you push on it.

The eagle on the other side is the same way, flush then above the wood.

There were 3 makers at Friendship that looked at the rifle and they concluded that it was supposed to be that way.

fleener

That sure seems odd. I figured that was wood shrinkage.

[sqrldog]

Since this an early Bartlett rifle and Frank is no longer with us we'll never know for sure, I can say that having seen and looked at around seventy-five or so of his rifles I've never seen one with metal proud of the wood. The original owner if still alive would know. I suspect the metal was flush or close to flush when the rifle was finished in 1983. My earliest Bartlett is 1987 and it and all subsequent riflse made by Frank I have examined were fit and finished to a T. Just one of the mysteries. As Frank would say "that's the beauty of a handmade product". Rest in peace my friend.

[sloe bear]

even with all that said it's still one great  rifle .real eye candy.

[sqrldog]

I agree it is a great rifle. One to be proud of by a fine gunsmith.

[Mike Brooks]

Houston Harrison did the engraving? I wonder why. I had always assumed Bartlet was probably a helluva engraver . That is a pretty incredible rifle, can't imagine the amount of hours that went into it.

[sqrldog]

Mike
Frank was only a so so engraver by 1983. Houston Harrison and Frank were friends and as friends do often interacted with ideas and work. At this time (1983) Houston was an excellent engraver as well as anything else he decided to do. Frank developed his engraving skills and by 1990 was a really good engraver at least in the area of muzzleloading rifle engraving. He never said he could engrave but that enscratched okay. Since this rifle required fairly sophisticated engraving Frank probably let Houston have that honor. At least he didn't pass it off as his work as is evidenced by the brass plate. The Rezin Bowie rifle copy Frank made that is featured on the cover of the July 1993 Muzzle Blasts was all engraved  by Frank. His engraving ability improved a great deal by 1990. In 1983 Frank may have still been building part time as he was in the dry cleaning business.

[wpalongrifle]

The Patch Box spring is awesome!! Wonder if that was a request? or just two Buddies Havin Fun!!!

[EC121]

Frank did the spring in a lot of his rifles.

[bama]

I would bet a $100 bill that the metal was not proud when that rifle left Frank's shop. Now why it is the way it is now is a good question  but "IT AIN"T SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WAY" and Frank would have a duck it if saw that rifle today. All be it he would have a completely good natured smarta$$ remark involving star alignment or the current price of whiskey having something to do with it.

Frank was a very good builder and I enjoyed meeting and knowing Frank and I am proud to say he was a friend. I am forunate to have one of his rifles in my collection. I had one of his early rifles, a Ed Marshal copy that I believe was dated 1983. That must have been a good year. You are a lucky man to have such a nice rfle by Frank.

I hope he is building rifles in that great gun shop in the sky.

[snapper]

I was working on the trigger on this rifle tonight.

I ended up turning down the screws on the patch box, and it pulled the metal down into the wood nicely.  So all you guys that were adamant that the metal should not be proud were spot on.

I also took a plastic dowel and with lite taps from a hammer was able to get the various metal piece that were sticking up to go down a little bit.

I took off the tripper bow and pulled the triggers to see what was going on with the set trigger.  I thought that I was getting the set screw worked loose, but ended up twisting it off.  I ended up taking the trigger apart and filing down the set screw a little to shorten it.  Having the set screw break off flush is not all bad, it was sticking so far down it was in the way of my finger.

Anyway got the rifle back together and it seems to be working well.

Fleener