Long gun vs. pistol build time/labor

[webradbury]

Someone told me awhile back, and I read the same opinion in a recent post, that the construction of a pistol is more laborious and time consuming than a long gun build. Granted, these are opinions, but never having built a pistol myself (and I'm wanting to very badly), I ask the ones with experience in this matter to express their opinions. Seems to me, there is a lot more "real estate" to carve, sand, polish and curse over on a long gun build than a pistol.

P.s.  I will be finding out from first hand experience in a few weeks anyway.

[little joe]

Go to it and if you find any short cuts let us know.

[sz]

There is less time involved to inlet an 8" barrel then there is a 42 inch barrel.

The lock and side plate inletting is the same. So is the trigger guard and the trigger, 

The butt cap can be a LOT of work if it's the old style butt cap with the long langets going up the sides of the grip.  So that can take a lot more time than the inletting of a butt plate on, say, a Lancaster rifle.

There is one less pipe to inlet on a pistol than a rifle.  Sights and muzzle caps are about the same.

Carving takes less time just because there is less to carve.

Engraving is about the same for all parts except for the fact that many rifles have patch boxes and pistols don't.

Finish work is a lot less time consuming on a pistol because there is less area to finish.

So yes, pistols do not take as much time as rifles, but they probably take more time than most folks would think. If a pistol is 1 foot long and a rifle is about 4 feet long it would seem the rifle would take 4X longer, but not so.  Maybe 2X, but not 4X.

[B.Habermehl]

A pistol usually takes me about 3/4 the time it takes me to build a rifle or a bit more. A pistol spends all its time between your hands, and the standard of craftsmanship needs to be higher to satisfy my eye. Just my humble opinion. BJH

[Chowmi]

Man, I'm gonna have to cobble-up one of those for finishing:  best solution I'd come up with for my surroundings has been hanging them from the garage ceiling by a thin wire attached to a screw in the buttplate screw hole.  Not very satisfactory, as can be imagined.

It's also nice to see that I'm not the only one around here, building rifles inside the house.

Dave,
It's my suspicion that you meant to reply to the post above this one that had a gun finishing jig.

Norm.

[WKevinD]

The issue I have with pistols is holding them on the bench. I can secure a rifle stock and work on it a heck of a lot easier than a pistol and then there is inletting trigger guards, it takes me three times as long to inlet a pistol guard than a rifle or fowler guard.

Kevin

[dbraw]

I have built 35 pistols and 31 rifles. Pistols take less time and are not any problem being held in a vise.

[Bob Roller]

The issue I have with pistols is holding them on the bench. I can secure a rifle stock and work on it a heck of a lot easier than a pistol and then there is inletting trigger guards, it takes me three times as long to inlet a pistol guard than a rifle or fowler guard.

Kevin

As I have stated in earlier posts,I am NOT a real gun maker but I have made 4 (I think, pistols)
and they are a pain in the fanny even if they are a short stock so the barrel can be easily handled in a vise.
Helmut Mohr has made up over 100 Boutet style pistols over a period of several years and said they are
harder to make than most rifles.All of them are short stock with no rib or rod.
An expanding mandrel can be made to go into the bore and hold the pistol firmly while shaping a stock and would be very
useful while fighting with a full stock.
Have fun and to ALL on this forum we wish you a very Happy,Healthy and Prosperous new year.

Bob&Brenda Roller

[Mike Brooks]

The issue I have with pistols is holding them on the bench. I can secure a rifle stock and work on it a heck of a lot easier than a pistol and then there is inletting trigger guards, it takes me three times as long to inlet a pistol guard than a rifle or fowler guard.

Kevin

There you go. I find them hard to hang on to as well. Trigger guards can be time consuming as well until you learn how to do them. Getting the architecture right can be a challenge too. I've handled a lot of contemporary pistols, most don't fit the hand well and would be difficult to shoot well.

[David Rase]

[/quote]
Getting the architecture right can be a challenge too. I've handled a lot of contemporary pistols, most don't fit the hand well and would be difficult to shoot well.
[/quote]
That's because most people don't realize that just like in rifle building, pistols have a length of pull that must be met in order to get them to "fit".
David

[Mike Brooks]

Getting the architecture right can be a challenge too. I've handled a lot of contemporary pistols, most don't fit the hand well and would be difficult to shoot well.
[/quote]
That's because most people don't realize that just like in rifle building, pistols have a length of pull that must be met in order to get them to "fit".
David
[/quote]
 I prefer a '51 navy in hand or a '73. Hard to do that with a period correct muzzleloader, but I'm going to try again soon!
 I have handled some antique British flint pistols that were great. Of course The Brits were fair serious about dueling each other to death.....

[oldtravler61]

  At the last CLA show. They had a large display of pistols. I brought down one by Dave Rase. His pistol had great balance in the hand. After handling several I see no problem in balance an grip. An I have small hands...jmho

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I'd like to hear Mark Wheland's and Allen Martin's opinion on this one.  I suspect they will agree that a pistol takes less time, but is not an easier build.  But I was wrong one other time.

[bama]

You have to do the same construction on a pistol as you do on a rifle so the build will be similar. Holding a pistol is a little more difficult while you work on it but is not that difficult. The architecture is a little more difficult to get right as has been mentioned. I always try to make the pistol fit my hand comfortably as I feel like I have pretty much an average sized hand. Many of the original Kentucky pistols that I have had the opportunity to hold have had handles that I felt were to small to be comfortable. Most of the precarved pistol have the same problem in that the curve is a little to tight for my hand but most have enough wood that I can modify it where it will fit me.

The way I feel about a pistol is there is just as much work to build a pistol as it does to build a rifle but nobody wants to pay as much for me to build a pistol as they would a rifle. True the initial material cost is less but not by that much and the labor is about the same but every one thinks that they should only have to pay maybe a 3rd the cost of a rifle. So I don't build many pistols.

Now with that said I do enjoy building an occasional pistol. I have 3 to build this coming year and I hope that they will turn out as well as I envision them in my mind. Time will tell.

So the only way for you to know for sure is to build one and find out for yourself. I bet you will find yourself agreeing with many of the comments made here on your post when you are finished.

[webradbury]

I'd like to hear Mark Wheland's and Allen Martin's opinion on this one.  I suspect they will agree that a pistol takes less time, but is not an easier build.  But I was wrong one other time.

I thought I was wrong once too, but I was mistaken!

[webradbury]

You have to do the same construction on a pistol as you do on a rifle so the build will be similar. Holding a pistol is a little more difficult while you work on it but is not that difficult. The architecture is a little more difficult to get right as has been mentioned. I always try to make the pistol fit my hand comfortably as I feel like I have pretty much an average sized hand. Many of the original Kentucky pistols that I have had the opportunity to hold have had handles that I felt were to small to be comfortable. Most of the precarved pistol have the same problem in that the curve is a little to tight for my hand but most have enough wood that I can modify it where it will fit me.

The way I feel about a pistol is there is just as much work to build a pistol as it does to build a rifle but nobody wants to pay as much for me to build a pistol as they would a rifle. True the initial material cost is less but not by that much and the labor is about the same but every one thinks that they should only have to pay maybe a 3rd the cost of a rifle. So I don't build many pistols.

Now with that said I do enjoy building an occasional pistol. I have 3 to build this coming year and I hope that they will turn out as well as I envision them in my mind. Time will tell.

So the only way for you to know for sure is to build one and find out for yourself. I bet you will find yourself agreeing with many of the comments made here on your post when you are finished.

Well said Bama. Thank you all for your comments

[smallpatch]

I've built over 100 long guns, from scratch and kits.  I've built around 7 or 8 pistols.
To me, they are a PITA. 
As you can tell by the ratio, I'd rather build a rifle.