Knocked a chip out of my squirrel rifle

[Terry Reynolds]

Out last weekend and managed to knock a chip out of my favorite squirrel thumper. Been studying what to do about it and thought I would ask what others here would do before I screwed it up. Would appreciate your thoughts and thanks.

[Bob McBride]

Do you have the chip? If not, it seems to be nosecap time...

[Terry Reynolds]

No chip, actually went back and tried to find it.

[Bob McBride]

Well, you have a narrow series of options it seems to me. You might be able to chisel a piece of wood out of the bottom of your patchbox large enough to glue it in, let it set, trim it to shape, and stain and finish. It’ll show some. You can nosecap it. You can reshape the end and do a full refinish. You seem to have plenty of wood at the muzzle. You could contract someone to do any of the above for you. Or you could leave it. I might touch it with some stain for now and make a sober decision after squirrel season.....

[scottmc]

Shape that nose down as it should have been originally and that chip will he a thing of the past.  As Bob said, you have plenty of wood there so just taper it down as if there was a cap but without using a cap.

[smokepole45cal]

Scott maybe a visual could help me understand the taper you're mentioning. You mean like on a schimmel barn gun?

[Bob McBride]

Something like that. It would be different based on the style but here one of Mike Brooks. The nose will typically be treated similar to how it would be if it had a Nosecap, in as much as it would be a smaller diameter than the rest of the fore end and the transition shaped.

[Tizzy]

The way i see it, you have three options....
1. Let the chip stay as it is.. reduce the chip edges with fine sandpaper to smooth them out to appear as wear, then rub it with some real linsead oil and let it add to the character of your rifle....which by the absence of a nose cap I assume it to be a working mans rifle by design anyways...will only add to character

2. Reshape the area....

3. Add nose cap....which could detract from original intent of simplicity of the rifle.

OK....option 4...I dont like it...but you could try and patch in a wood dutchman and refinish
Just my unqualified opinions....

[Joe Schell]

[scottmc]

Scott maybe a visual could help me understand the taper you're mentioning. You mean like on a schimmel barn gun?

Here is an example.  Basically, your ramrod groove will all but disappear the last two inches or so as the nose area steps down.  You may not want the roundness at the very end but you see the idea.  I like the end of the one joe posted.  I hope this helps you some.

[Bob Roller]

It's an honest "battle scar" and it wouldn't bother me at all. A little dark stain
of some kind and then forget it.Bumps and dings on a working meat getting rifle
can be expected and unless the stock is broken in a fall I would not be concerned.
Bob Roller

[rsells]

I would reshape the wood at the muzzle, stain, and apply finish.  If I build a mountain rifle without a nose cap, I always shape the muzzle end of the stock similar to what other folks have suggested. If you shoot the rifle a bunch, it will not take long until the newly finished area will look normal.
                                                                           Roger Sells

[Top Jaw]

Since nosecaps and refinishing have been mentioned, another option on that front would be to pour a pewter one with some open designs on it, that would be less obtrusive.  Might fit the character of the gun better if you go the nosecap route.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

This is how I finished up my Kibler rifle;  simple, elegant and not quite as fragile as yours.  But reshaping yours would involve refinishing the entire forestock, if not the whole rifle.

If it were mine, I'd likely just smooth it off a bit, stain it very dark, and call it a day.  Some folks pay good money to have that sort of thing done to their NEW rifles.

[Mike Brooks]

I'd leave it alone and move on with life.

[Terry Reynolds]

There is no doubt it’s a squirrel getter and a accurate one at that. Thanks for all the advice, think I’ll just leave it be, the squirrels won’t know the difference.

[Mike Lyons]

I would leave it too.  I have a rifle from my grandpa that has a couple chips in it.  I wouldn't dare touch them up. 

[westbrook]

A Beauty mark!...Carry on!

[Ky-Flinter]

Since nosecaps and refinishing have been mentioned, another option on that front would be to pour a pewter one with some open designs on it, that would be less obtrusive.  Might fit the character of the gun better if you go the nosecap route.

I second Top Jaw.  Pour a pewter nose cap.

-Ron

[hanshi]

Just leaving it as-is sounds like the easiest way to go.  If any squirrel foolishly says something derogatory about it, well, you know what to do.

[Terry Reynolds]

Just leaving it as-is sounds like the easiest way to go.  If any squirrel foolishly says something derogatory about it, well, you know what to do.

LOL

[scottmc]

Yep, your rifle so I'm good with whatever you decide.  I also agree with the others that it adds character.  Touch it up and call it a day and continue to make meat the old fashion way😉

[Bob McBride]

Squirrels on the Barbie taste better with a dinged up rifle says I. 

The Grey Whistle Pig has spoken.

[Prospector8083]

I was reading some old posts and saw this one. As I will be dealing with this matter soon I was wondering if some folks would put some pictures of what a southern mountain "muzzle" should look like. I am still designing mine and still would like to have a pretty floral steel one but only if I can justify doing it in an historical context. Has anyone ever seen a toeplate using the circular/screw pattern? thinking about making one. It would be normal but have one or two miniature screws that look like the tang if you can picture that. What do you think,not authenic?

[WadePatton]

I was reading some old posts and saw this one. As I will be dealing with this matter soon I was wondering if some folks would put some pictures of what a southern mountain "muzzle" should look like. I am still designing mine and still would like to have a pretty floral steel one but only if I can justify doing it in an historical context. Has anyone ever seen a toeplate using the circular/screw pattern? thinking about making one. It would be normal but have one or two miniature screws that look like the tang if you can picture that. What do you think,not authenic?

I'm confused as you inquire about the muzzle and then start talking about a toeplate, opposite end of the gun.  Short answer: look at originals, in books, in our library, in the antiques thread here.  Contemporary works can lead one astray (depending on the maker, and his notions). 

And, probably need a new thread for this topic. 

Also, "Southern Mountain" is more of a notion than a defined school of guns as I understand it.  I see it as a "catch all" for guns that don't quite fit other schools or more specific regional references.