Proportions

[Maurice]

Does anybody have any pictures of (or links to images of) a full stocked flintlock/caplock with a 30 in. barrel?  I am looking for some idea of how the lower and upper forearm lengths might look in relation to the barrel.  Or is this barrel length too short for a full stock?  Style is not important at this point.

[Mike Brooks]

Does anybody have any pictures of (or links to images of) a full stocked flintlock/caplock with a 30 in. barrel?  I am looking for some idea of how the lower and upper forearm lengths might look in relation to the barrel.  Or is this barrel length too short for a full stock?  Style is not important at this point.

Then it really doesn't make any difference.

[rich pierce]

A fullstock that length falls into 2 very different categories. Many European “jaeger “ rifles have that barrel length or thereabouts. And some late Leman trade rifles were full stocked and had short barrels. Not my cup of tea but you could look for them.

[little joe]

Google (Leman trade rifle photos)  a lot of full photos here.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Here's one with a 31" Getz .60 cal barrel.  Acer built one a few years ago with a 25" barrel, I think, and it looks great in full stock.

[okawbow]

Here is a .54 caliber rifle I built over 40 years ago. The barrel is 30 1/2” long and 1” straight. The lock is a small Siler. Has been my “go to” deer rifle since I made it.

[TommyG]

If your planning a build, probably a good idea to lay it out on craft paper or a piece of cardboard to see how it all works out.  I have been starting the lower forearm length at approx. 1/3 of the barrel length and then tweak it from there.  Of course it also depends on the school you are building as well.

[yip]

 try going to Track Of Wolf and get a full lenght drawing to get an idea, jang in there!

[n stephenson]

Here is a .54 caliber rifle I built over 40 years ago. The barrel is 30 1/2” long and 1” straight. The lock is a small Siler. Has been my “go to” deer rifle since I made it.

Looks like it work too!!

[axelp]

look on Jim Chambers kit website. He has that sweet English short rifle with a 31 inch barrel, and also I think a small fellow rifle that has a short barrel.

K

[okieboy]

 Irregardless of "proportions" I personally think that one wants to make the grip portion of the forearm long enough that you actually grip it and not the ramrod channel. Perhaps that is proportioning to your body dimensions, rather than the barrel length.

[Herb]

Here is a 24 inch Leman fullstock flintlock.  I think my post about this is in Black Powder Shooting on Feb 4, 2018, "Testing a short .58 Leman Elk Rifle".

[smart dog]

Hi Maurice,
I tend to like the forestock from the muzzle back to the step for the rear ramrod thimble to be between 60-75% of the total barrel channel length.  I tend to make it closer to 60-65% for short barreled guns and closer to 70-75% for longer barreled guns.  The photos below show two guns of English design exhibiting those proportions.  The short rifle has a forestock 61% of the length of the 31" barrel and the longer fowler has a forestock 74% of the total 42" barrel length.  These proportions are what consistently appeal to my eye for design.

dave




 

[oldtravler61]

   Dave I can see the animals standing inline to get shot by those two beauties......!  Oldtravler

[Maurice]

Thanks to all that responded with suggestions, dimensions and pictures. They definitely helped me avoid a design error in my first build from a stock blank.