Let's try a Buck's County

[Jason C]

Picked up a Rice .36 44" 'A' profile at CLA; just because.
Since I'm lazy and don't really have the time(let's be honest, desire) to inlet it myself, I sent a PM to Looper as I had noticed one of his topics and he was in-letting for people.  He sent a few suggestions of the patterns he had and I chose to try a Bucks County. He did a really good job of shaping and in-letting so here we go. Planning to use a Chambers Golden Age lock unless someone has a better suggestion. This is going to take a while but hopefully be fun for a relative newbie.



 






P.S. Looper has been a pleasure to work with thus far, if you need a pre-carve or just an inlet I can recommend him; EXCELLENT communication.

[rich pierce]

Nicely packed too!  Keep us posted.

[Mike Brooks]

Good lock choice.

[smart dog]

Hi Jason,
Looks like it will be a nice gun.  I urge you to draw up plans after some research on Bucks County guns.  The Golden age lock is a good lock but it is more than 1/4" longer than a large Siler.  That does not sound like much but it will make a difference in proportions.  That is why it would be good to look at as many photos of originals as you can.  I bring this up because I am currently working on a Chambers Isaac Haines kit for a client.  I don't normally do kits but he wants the full blown Haines decorative treatment on this one so it will be a challenge.  Anyway, the kit includes a Golden Age lock.  Because the barrel is much shorter than the original this was loosely based on, the longer lock looks out of proportion to me.  The original rifle has a lock very close to a standard Siler and I wish the kit used that lock instead. So my point is check out dimensions and proportions before buying the lock and any other components.

dave

[Jason C]

Hi Jason,
Looks like it will be a nice gun.  I urge you to draw up plans after some research on Bucks County guns.  The Golden age lock is a good lock but it is more than 1/4" longer than a large Siler.  That does not sound like much but it will make a difference in proportions.  That is why it would be good to look at as many photos of originals as you can.  I bring this up because I am currently working on a Chambers Isaac Haines kit for a client.  I don't normally do kits but he wants the full blown Haines decorative treatment on this one so it will be a challenge.  Anyway, the kit includes a Golden Age lock.  Because the barrel is much shorter than the original this was loosely based on, the longer lock looks out of proportion to me.  The original rifle has a lock very close to a standard Siler and I wish the kit used that lock instead. So my point is check out dimensions and proportions before buying the lock and any other components.

dave

Thanks for the advice. I already have the lock but obviously haven't inlet anything yet so I have time to change my mind. I have been looking at the ones in RCA I as well as some on the internet in various places and have a general idea of where I'd like to go. I found one with that lock that somebody else had done and it looked pretty good to my untrained eye: http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/TomCurrie8758/lockside_fullview.jpg

[hanshi]

The GA lock is without a doubt a good choice.  One is on my .50 and it is incredible.

[smart dog]

Hi Hanshi,
Yes the GA lock is pretty good but that does not make it a good choice for this gun unless of course Lehigh, Bucks, Lancaster, Reading, etc are just labels to be ignored.

dave

[westbrook]

By all means, take liberty in exploring all the options and put the proper lock on that rifle....and be thankful your not left@#%handed!

[Ed Wenger]

This is a photo of a Bucks gun I built utilizing a Davis Early Colonial lock (which is a big lock)!  It was done from plans that Jack Brooks made, taken from an original rifle he restored.  I started the rifle at the WKU Gun Building Seminar several years ago, and we used the Davis lock because it was an almost perfect match of the original lock.

                Ed

[rich pierce]

“Bucks County” could encompass quite a range of dates and builders.  Most precarved BC stocks appear to have been based on Verner and/or Shuler rifles.

[A.Merrill]

    I think I would try to keep things a little more in proportion to what your building. A small barrel will make a slender gun. The pictures your looking at, what size barrel is in the guns ?  On a A weight barrel I would use a small Siler or the M&G lock Davis sells. But its your gun. Good luck.    Al

[flehto]

Top pic is a BC w/ a  Golden Age....the next 2 are BCs w/ Late Ketlands and the bottom  pic is  of a buttstock made from the Shuler template. The pic below my sign off is also a BC buttstock from the Shuler template.

Both the Chambers Late Ketland and Golden Age fit nicely in a BC LR.

Looper's BC buttstock is similar  to my Shuler template......Fred

[flehto]

2 pics of a BC presently  in process....top pic is  of another Golden Age and bottom pic is a buttstock from the Shuler template. Hopefully all  these  pics will help somewhat....Fred

[Jason C]

2 pics of a BC presently  in process....top pic is  of another Golden Age and bottom pic is a buttstock from the Shuler template. Hopefully all  these  pics will help somewhat....Fred

Thank you, very helpful and VERY nice work!


What buttplate is that in the  bottom picture?

[flehto]

It's a sand casting I bought from Dru Hedgecock  and it had a faceted tang which was rounded and a thumbnail was filed in. Used this Bplate on all the later builds. Would have liked to use the Shuler  Bplate and TG sold by a supplier.....I forgot who. These items weren't available when I started building BCs. Don't think Hedgecock is still in business.


The TG is a Goehring #47 which is a Verner made to look like a Shuler by filing thumbnails on both finials. .....Fred

[BOB HILL]

Looks like an nice blank you’re starting with. Looper does do a great inlet job. I have two of his inlets waiting in the corner now
Bob

[Jason C]

Looks like an nice blank you’re starting with. Looper does do a great inlet job. I have two of his inlets waiting in the corner now
Bob

Yeah he picked me out a pretty nice blank, I just hope I don't mess it up completely.

[Jason C]

Shaping the tang took a bit longer than I expected, wasn't as easy to get the point centered as I anticipated.

 

[Ed Wenger]

The little things..., looks good!



           Ed

[Mike Brooks]

This is a photo of a Bucks gun I built utilizing a Davis Early Colonial lock (which is a big lock)!  It was done from plans that Jack Brooks made, taken from an original rifle he restored.  I started the rifle at the WKU Gun Building Seminar several years ago, and we used the Davis lock because it was an almost perfect match of the original lock.

                Ed

I gotta tell ya Ed, that is probably the best contemporary Bucks gun I have ever seen. You have any more pics of the gun?

[Mike Brooks]

Looks like an nice blank you’re starting with. Looper does do a great inlet job. I have two of his inlets waiting in the corner now
Bob

Yeah he picked me out a pretty nice blank, I just hope I don't mess it up completely.

I wish you would have talked to me before you decided on a precarve. A couple stints at the Brooks College of Knowledge would have given you the skills and confidence you need to do the gun from a blank.

[Jason C]

Looks like an nice blank you’re starting with. Looper does do a great inlet job. I have two of his inlets waiting in the corner now
Bob

Yeah he picked me out a pretty nice blank, I just hope I don't mess it up completely.

Brooks College of Knowledge

Not only a Master gun maker, but a poet(a rhymer at least)




Yes, I lack confidence.


Does your school offer online courses?




What do you dislike about the pre-carve?


Next one may be inlet only, I'll call and pester you constantly

[Mike Brooks]

Stoner Creek actually coined the phrase "Brooks College of Knowledge", wish I was smart enough to think of it. Online? YES! Check out my building tutorial, every thing there is what I teach here. Precarves limit your choices. Pestering is a normal part of my life. I'm constantly annoyed anyway...

[Jason C]

LOL, one of these years I'm going to attend MBCK either in Iowa or at the sattelite campus at Stoner's Forge.






Not my best tang inlet ever but I think it'll do.
 

[Mike Brooks]

I should offer classes at Stoner Creek when I'm down there....