Author Topic: Christian's Spring rifle (Read 10852 times)

coopersdad · « **on:** November 17, 2016, 11:24:56 PM »

I've finally completed a Christian's Spring style rifle. I started this two years ago (I'm slow....) in Jack Brooks' class at the NMLRA seminar at Bowling Green, where I got the basic architecture done. I brought it back to Jack's class this year, where he helped me finalize it and then he taught me wire inlay. I can't praise Jack and all the instructors at the NMLRA seminar enough. If you can manage to do it, go!

My goal was a rifle that could have come from the Christian's Spring shop while John Christian Oerter was master. The decoration is very much like that of Oerter's RCA #44. The stock profile is the profile Jack took from the wonderful Oerter "Griffin" rifle, and the 44" .54 cal Ed Rayl barrel also has the same dimensions as that rifle. The buttpiece and trigger guard were Jack's castings, and the lock is the Davis one-screw Colonial. I made the other parts. Most of the wire is brass, with a few pieces of silver in a couple spots. The stock was stained with Ferric Nitrate, and after blushing it was a bit too light for me, so I toned it with some LMF Lancaster Maple and Nut Brown stains. Finish was Jim Chambers finish, followed with some 4f pumice and mineral oil on a toothbrush. I used the pumice and oil on the brass as well. The barrel and lock were finished with cold blue, rubbed back. All comments and critiques are very welcome. Thanks for looking!

Mike

wattlebuster · « **Reply #1 on:** November 18, 2016, 01:00:14 AM »

I like it.

smart dog · « **Reply #2 on:** November 18, 2016, 01:03:06 AM »

Nicely done.

dave

Pete G. · « **Reply #3 on:** November 18, 2016, 01:03:34 AM »

Excellent. I like the attention to detail.

Ed Wenger · « **Reply #4 on:** November 18, 2016, 08:18:15 AM »

Very nice in all aspects! Great job on the wire. I would echo your sentiments about Jack and the gun builders seminar. Thanks for sharing!

Ed

Joe S. · « **Reply #5 on:** November 18, 2016, 01:28:22 PM »

Very nicely done,like your wire inlay.

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #6 on:** November 18, 2016, 04:14:01 PM »

Nice, very crisp. Your wire work is very good.

n stephenson · « **Reply #7 on:** November 18, 2016, 04:56:59 PM »

GOOD JOB ! Keep going

Daryl · « **Reply #8 on:** November 18, 2016, 09:19:48 PM »

Along with Jaegers and English guns, the Christian Springs rifles are probably the best style for a hunting rifle.
That is a rifle anyone should be proud and happy to hunt with

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #9 on:** November 18, 2016, 09:27:22 PM »

This is a very nicely made and totally believable rifle. The colour is lovely too, but I have had bad experiences with LMF's stains. They leach out when the rifle is subjected to wet weather, and are very sensitive to UV light, causing them, again, to fade badly. Perhaps with a base of Ferric Nitrate, that won't be as noticeable. But I do like the rifle. I have a D weight Rice barrel set aside for just such a build.

greybeard · « **Reply #10 on:** November 18, 2016, 10:21:18 PM »

Very nice.The pattern on the cheek rest side reminds me off the carving on the Edward Marshal gun.
Great Job sir. Bob

coopersdad · « **Reply #11 on:** November 18, 2016, 11:31:48 PM »

Thanks for all the nice comments! I think my lousy photography hid some stuff.... Bob, based on my limited knowledge, that design was used a lot by the Moravian gunsmiths in Christian Spring and perhaps elsewhere. Carved on the Marshall rifle as you said as well as RCA 42 and 43 (I understand there is debate about maker/location for the Marshall Rifle and RCA 42) and in wire in Oerter rifles RCA 44 and 45. Mr. Lienemann posted a really cool photo here of another Oerter buttstock with wire recently, I think over on the Contemporary forum.

Taylor, now that you said that about LMF stains, I've read that here before. Some say that have issues and some don't. Hope I don't. I wanted to stay with just the Ferric Nitrate, but I just wasn't happy with the color it gave me with this piece of wood.

Mike

Chowmi · « **Reply #12 on:** November 18, 2016, 11:44:48 PM »

Mike,
That turned out great! I love the wire inlay.

It was pleasure to watch you do the fore stock moulding and the wire inlay in class. Great to see it turn out so well.

Cheers,
Norm

bama · « **Reply #13 on:** November 18, 2016, 11:48:53 PM »

Very nice rifle. I love these early rifles. You did a great job.

B Shipman · « **Reply #14 on:** November 19, 2016, 07:35:48 AM »

Very nice all around. The flow of the wire is right on.

Mick C · « **Reply #15 on:** November 19, 2016, 05:40:45 PM »

That's a work of art to be very proud of.

t.caster · « **Reply #16 on:** November 19, 2016, 06:35:40 PM »

I think you did a BEAUTIFUL job on this seldom reproduced/inspired piece. It is a very difficult job to accomplish correctly.
My only comment is in agreement with D.Taylor about laying down an Aqua Fortis base first and then using LMF stains to enhance the color and darkness.

Hemo · « **Reply #17 on:** November 19, 2016, 07:12:50 PM »

Very neatly and cleanly done! Nice job all around.

Gregg

coopersdad · « **Reply #18 on:** November 20, 2016, 03:53:47 AM »

Thanks all, very much appreciated. I can get real brave trying new things with someone like Jack Brooks in the room to bail me out!

Yes, these early rifles are addictive.

Norm, hope to see you in Bowling Green next year!

J. Talbert · « **Reply #19 on:** November 20, 2016, 07:22:42 AM »

Great job,

Very believable.
Not surprising that if you follow Jack Brooks' instructions, good things will happen.

Jeff

SingleMalt · « **Reply #20 on:** November 20, 2016, 08:55:23 PM »

Very nicely done. I've always liked the Christian's Springs rifles.

Chowmi · « **Reply #21 on:** November 20, 2016, 09:56:50 PM »

Mike,
I will see you there!

Hoping to make progress on mine before I go, but I want to finish my Isaac Haines first.

By the way, where did you get the pumice?

Cheers,
Norm

coopersdad · « **Reply #22 on:** November 21, 2016, 01:25:08 AM »

Norm, I got the pumice from Amazon. I believe Rio Grande and other jewelry supply places have it as well. I think a pound was $12.50 and that should be a lifetime supply for me. I just used mineral oil from the hardware store. Poured a bit of oil on a plate and a pile of pumice and dipped an old toothbrush in them and lightly scrubbed. It didn't use much pressure at all, I think you could easily overdo it on the stock and cut too much.

Chowmi · « **Reply #23 on:** November 21, 2016, 03:18:23 AM »

Mike,
thanks for that. I have just put the final coat of Chamber's traditional oil finish on my SMR and have some streaks that need to go away. I'm not sure if I will be successful, as some of them might be in the undercoats. I hand rubbed in the oil, but didn't quite get it as nice as I would like.

I'm considering all options for knocking it back to get the streaks out. I'm a bit reluctant to use steel wool and dull the finish too much.

Cheers,
Norm

coopersdad · « **Reply #24 on:** November 21, 2016, 04:50:14 AM »

I'm not sure how to deal with that. The pumice may work to even stuff out? I found this thread about Chambers finish streaking, don't know if that helps.
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=27636.0

Good luck! My next project is an SMR, so post photos when you're done!

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Author Topic: Christian's Spring rifle (Read 10852 times)

n stephenson

greybeard

Hemo