Allentown nose cap rivets

[BeanStationgunmaker]

I`m building my first Allentown rifle and got every thing pretty well researched and going smooth.I know how to form a open ended nosecap but not sure where the rivet placement should be.It`s a straight octagon barrel.Advice would be appreciated!

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

With the nose piece inlet tightly, you have two choices...drill down through the barrel channel's bottom flat right out through the nose piece.  Depending on the cap's length, one or two copper rivets is what I'd use.  Or, drill through the 45 deg. flat of the channel - one each side, out through the cap, and again, copper rivets in brass look fine to my eye.  I've also made rivets out of brass cutler's rivets or brake shoe rivets.

[BeanStationgunmaker]

Thanks,wasn`t sure if either placement was correct.Guess I`ll go through the bottom flat since it`s familiar to me.First rifle build in 25 years and enjoying it immensely,so want to do a decent job and keep it correctly styled.

[smallpatch]

Bean,
Most Lehighs have a pronounced, deep Vee nose cap that is open, and wraps around the fore end.
Not sure that a single rivet through to the rod groove is going to hold that all together.
Two rivets  on the 45s would do a better job. IMHO! 

[BeanStationgunmaker]

I`ll see how it lines up.Thinking about it, 2 makes sense.I`ve built mostly Lancaster and Tennessee style rifles,plenty of time before I get started on the nosecap.Sure helps having a forum like this,when I was building back in the `90s Foxfire 5 and a few other books were my only research available.

[Gulf state gaurd]

On the open nose Amos Benfer that I have he used 2 steel rivets that it appears he may have lined up with the lower edge of the 45s (so the rivet is on the 45s but along the edge with the bottom flat) on just either side of the bottom barrel flat.  From front to rear he aligned them just to the rear of the halfway mark of the nose


free gif sharing

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

On my Kuntz rifle, which incidentally is more like a Lehigh/Allentown rifle made in Philadelphia, I used copper rivets through the rod groove in the nose piece.

[Gulf state gaurd]

Nicely done.

[BeanStationgunmaker]

Thanks for the advice everybody,The original rifle by Amos Benfer and the Kunz rifle photos are helpful in seeing exactly how the placement should go.