Pistol re-do

[Davemuzz]

Fat.....but getting skinner! Still...."on a diet".     (Pic on far left was the previous "done".)

   

[Rolf]

Dave (I think all named "Dave" should rule the world. Things would be much more stable!),

Thanks for the link. My wife was an art major in college....way back in the day....and focused on making metal jewelry. She knows all about peening flat metals into shapes.

That tutorial is done well. I guess I really need to think about a buttcap.

Dave

Heres a tutorial on how I did it. To get the left and right side of the cup symetrical, it helps to make a model and use it to make the swage block.
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=6615.0

Best regards
Rolf

[Davemuzz]

I'm now getting to the point of re-shaping the grip. I don't want to take any more wood away from where the trigger guard is inletted but I can take some thickness off the back.

So, my question is....I'm making the grip width 1.250". What should the approximate depth of the pistol grip be? (Depth = from back of grip to guard inlet. Measured in a perpendicular line from "back" to trigger guard. Is there a "standard" thickness....or even a ratio of width to thickness?

Thanks!

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

There is no standard, or formula/ratio.  Originals are all over the map.  Make it to feel good in your hand.  I'm sure that's what the smiths of the 18th C did.

[Davemuzz]

Thank you!  I believe the profile is good....but I need to remove more wood "at the 4 corners" of the round.....if you understand my saying. It's to "blocky" when I last left it. 

[Davemuzz]

Workin on the grip.....not there yet!!

[Daryl]

Careful you don't take to much off the flat parts and when rounded back again, the grip becomes too small.

[Davemuzz]

Thanks Daryl. I filed down the grips (flat part) to get the width that I wanted. 1.250"  I then began to file another flat on the inside corners as the existing grip was to bulky.

I can never be reminded to much to "don't over do it". OTOH....I don't want to end up with a bulky grip again. I think I have a good plan of attack this time.

BTW, I bought a new breech plug and via a grinder for the bulk stuff, and then a tedious filing with a good polish when I got the new breech plug fitted to the barrel. I inletted the tang to a straight back and it worked out well. For the offset screw I drilled and glued in a dowel rod to get rid of the offset screw hole, and then re-drilled a new tang hole and screw hole. Worked out well.

[Davemuzz]

I fitted the new tang.....even drilled the hole center this time!!  I'm going with the square back tang as this walnut is somewhat picky with small cuts. Even after a fresh stropping of my chisels. This looks better.....not perfect, but better. I am now in the process of removing that "block top" look from the first go-around.

 

[Davemuzz]

Slowly getting closer to where I want. But still much work yet to do.

[Davemuzz]

A question for you pistol build guys is this: I currently do NOT have a screw installed in the grip section of the trigger guard. The guard is pinned in two places and that secures it quite well. However, I'm thinking of installing a screw through the trigger guard on the grip side as that should (I think?) help in providing more strength to the grip itself.

I know that when I load this pistol, I never place the pistol grip on a hard surface when seating a PRB, for my concern of placing continued stress on the grip wood, which may ultimately lead to a cracked grip.

Any thoughts or input on this would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Dave

[Chowmi]

Dave,
I can’t help you with your above question, but just wanted to say that the pistol is looking so much better. Good work!  It’s starting to look slim! 

Can’t wait to see the result.

Norm.

[Pennsylvania Dutchman]

That is coming along very nicely! The new tang looks good as well! Do you still have a little bit of a hump just behind the end of the tang, or is it just the photo?
Mark

[Daryl]

Yes - cleaning up that hump by bending down the end of the tang and re-inletting it should clean up that inlet as well.

[Davemuzz]

Thank you for your comments!! 

Hump??     Yeah....the hump hasn't met the file yet. It's next. I'm working on the tang to side plate and then the hump is next.

I've got some ugly wood to metal gaps along the tangs side and one small one at the rear. I'm going to insert some wood slivers to close those gaps as well.

I still have a ways to go to get it where I think it needs to be....but I have time and I'm not rushing anything.

I did decide to install a screw as the original Kentucky's had them, and I think it will help or assist in the strength of the grip.

Dave

[Davemuzz]

Getting "closer".....AKA...I can see the finish line!!!

I took a few pics of the pistol completely re-assembled. At this point, I have a few minor things to do. Sanding off where my big paw prints got some dabs of Accuraglass (yes.....bedding was a must here) and I need to trim a few pins and patina the screw heads.

The pistol functions great....in fact better than before. Before the fix the lock plate was lower on one end than the other and when I tightened the screws it would bind the mainspring and the frizzen would not completely open because not enough force was striking it. That problem is now solved.

I also think my sights are much too high. The "new" front sight in brass has made the height really stand out. I'm going to file the rear sight down by .100, and accordingly the front sight down by the same amount. I did leave about .050 more on the front sight that the original front sight.....just to have some wiggle room to file\adjust it.

I know it's far from perfect. OTOH it's my fix of my first build. Better than it was but not perfection. I like it even with all it's flaws!!!  I'll post the final when I have several coats of finish on it.






Here are a few pics of the original build for comparison:

[Mick C]

Looking great!!  I'm enjoying watching your progress.

[Pennsylvania Dutchman]

Looking very nice. Well done. I would round the end of the forend a little more to take off some of the squareness.
Mark

[Chowmi]

As Penn Dutchman said, take out the squareness of the bottom of the fore-end.


Norm.

[Davemuzz]

Chowmi.......are you looking at the pictures at the top.....the "after" pic's....or at the bottom....the "before pics"?  The finial at the front of the lock plate use to be about 1". It's now maybe 1/8".

[Chowmi]

Chowmi.......are you looking at the pictures at the top.....the "after" pic's....or at the bottom....the "before pics"?  The finial at the front of the lock plate use to be about 1". It's now maybe 1/8".

You are correct. I wrote it, then looked at it again and tried to edit it and delete that bit before you saw it! 

[Chowmi]

Ok. I am now looking at the “new” pictures, I’m pretty sure...
Have a look at the bottom of the stock between the front of the trigger guard and the rr entry pipe. I think that needs some work.
Sorry, dinner is calling, no time to elaborate.......

Norm.

[Davemuzz]

Now that I stare at the pic of the bottom I think I see what you're saying. That area between the PG and the RR entry pipe could use a little more slimming. Also, staring at the pics I see the side plate finial needs a little better shaping to match the lock plate side.

[Davemuzz]

DONE!!  Perfect? Not so much. I had mistakes to "start" with and I attempted to fix those that I could or desired to. It's now a much better pistol than it was. It's also a hunting pistol which means it will get banged up a bit from going thru what I put my hunting firearms into. I'm pleased with it. I only had time to post these 3 pic's this am.

[Daryl]

That looks a lot better, Dave.