Making a Pattern 1760 British Light Infantry Carbine

[smart dog]

Hi,
Thanks Richard and all.  Daryl, it is a very light gun, probably 7-8 lbs.  That was its weakness because it could not stand hard service and by 1778 or so, it was replaced in most light infantry units by pattern 1769 and 1777 short land muskets.  Its significance is that almost all light infantry companies were armed with them at the beginning of the Rev War.  The 2 British units at Lexington were light "Bobs" from the 4th and 10th regiments.  Therefore, the first British shots fired on April 19, 1775 likely were from these carbines.

dave

[smart dog]

Hi,
Well lads, I am almost done.  It has been a while since my last post on this carbine.  I've been too busy to take photos and post them.  I'll catch up now.  This has been a really fun project despite the problems with the stock.  I managed to correct all of them with one exception, TRS should have left more wood on the butt of the stock.  I cannot make it quite as bulbous and rounded as the originals.  So be it.  I did resolve one important issue.  The parts set comes with a brass Bess-type trigger plate and the stock was machine inlet for the plate. The pattern 1760 light infantry carbine did not have a trigger plate.  The trigger was slotted into the wood but its front butted against a rectangular  iron nut into which the tang bolt was threaded. As far as I know, this was a feature unique to this carbine and its predecessor, the pattern 1745 Lord Loudoun carbine.  I could not just file away the inlet for the trigger plate but the issue really bugged me. Soooooo , I used the brass trigger plate as a gauge, and filed a piece of walnut to it.  Then I glued the walnut into the machine inlet cutting it off at the front of the trigger slot. Then I made a rectangular steel nut to fill the forward space and threaded it for the tang bolt.  It came out really well. The fitted wood is so tight that when stained and finished, the seams will disappear.



I polished the lock internals and tuned the springs.  I had to cut a new full cock notch closer to the half cock notch because the throw of the cock was absurd given the existing full cock notch. It can back so far that the bend in the cock would never clear the stock no matter how thi you made it.  I wonder if the tumbler was cast from a correct lock.  Anyway, I cut a new notch and it works perfectly.  The lock is superb even for a musket lock.  It will perform very well.



Well, here is where I am.  I suggest the pattern 1760 light infantry carbine (fusil) is one of the most elegant British muskets ever.  It will be about 8 lbs compared to 10 or 11 for a Brown Bess musket.  My problem now is that I tend to finish military guns too finely.  It is too easy for me to shape the stock, cut moldings, and other features with more exactness than they actually did.  So here is what I am going to do. From the current condition of the stock, I will use files, scrapers and coarse sandpaper to finish the stock ready for stain in one 8-10 hour work day.  At the end of that day, I am done and ready for stain and finish.  I'll do no whiskering but will stain the stock to make the American black walnut look like English walnut. Then I will apply thick coats of oil-varnish.  I did something similar building a Rev War period Reading rifle and the look was good.   
Enough for now.  I am off to Lewisburg.

dave 

[thecapgunkid]

Dog....this isn't a thread anymore.  It's a tutorial.  I wish I had some of your skills.  You're gonna continue posting...right?

[Craig Wilcox]

Dave, to avoid too fine of a finish, send it to me - guarantee it will NOT be up to your usual standards!

[smart dog]

Hi,
Well, I am back at it.  I final filed, scraped, and sanded the stock in one work day.  I used coarse and fine files.


I then scraped the stock with a carpet scraper blade and used 60, then 120 grit paper to clean up tight areas.  I was now ready for stain. 



The stock is American black walnut and a rather dodgy piece at that.  To make it look "old new stock", I made a dilute stain of black aniline dye and water.  I stained the whole stock black and then scraped and sanded off the black. The dye showed any scratches but also embeds in the grain. After scraping and sanding the black still colors the grain and will make the stock look like the originals even when new.  I think British ordnance valued speed and economy so cleaning the stocks up before finish and clean varnish probably were not priorities. 





I then stained the stock with pure yellow aniline dye.  That kills the cold purple-brown tone of black walnut and warms it up to look much more like English walnut.
Then I stained the stock again with alkanet root infused in mineral spirits.  This imparts a deep red tone making the stock more orangey brown.  After this stain, I rubbed the stock lightly with a maroon Scotch Bright pad and burnished it with a polished deer antler tip. That smoothes the finish and gives it an old, mellow look as well as creates a sheen on the wood.  The stock will require fewer coats to fill the walnut grain.
















post image
Tomorrow I will put sealer coats of thinned Sutherland-Welles polymerized tung oil mixed with some alkanet root stain to add a little more red color. Once sealed, I'll just used unthinned tung oil to build up a fairly thick varnish-like final finish.  While that is drying, I'll polish the rest of the brass, make the ramrod, and start work on a Brown Bess lock.

dave 

[smart dog]

Hi,
I could not wait until tomorrow so had to put the first coat of finish on this evening. 

[SingleMalt]

That's a nice looking stock, Dave.  Well done!

[Daryl]

Elegant!

[Adrie luke]

Smart dog

I found this link, good place for your topic.
Nice work, I like the color.

https://books.google.nl/books?id=sIFiDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA204&lpg=PA204&dq=British+1769+Pattern+Short+Land+Musket&source=bl&ots=5LLkNPShsI&sig=ACfU3U0F7JbPjdA3i3ED1Hwj32rDrq-W1A&hl=nl&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi6quych73nAhWMDOwKHQF6AFo4ChDoATADegQIChAB#v=onepage&q=British%201769%20Pattern%20Short%20Land%20Musket&f=false

[Pukka Bundook]

Very bonny work (as always) Dave!

Very attractive stock in design, colour and finish.

[B.Barker]

You have done a really nice job on that kit. Looks like it may have been more work to fix everything than starting from a complete blank. Thanks for sharing it with us SD. I don't know much about fowler or military arms but you seem to have a much knowledge about them.

[smart dog]

Hi,
I am getting the lock ready for case hardening.  It still requires a little more polish and then I'll pop the frizzen, cock, top jaw, and lock plate in the oven.  The casting from TRS was marked "FARMER" and "1759".  Farmer was a major lock contractor but none of the surviving light infantry carbines for which I have documentation were marked "FARMER".  I suspect TRS uses the same carbine lock casting for a lot of different guns despite documentation.  Anyway, the data I have indicates lock contractors Grice, Galton, Edge, Haskins, and Vernon are identified with surviving pattern 1760 carbines.  I chose "Vernon" and a date of 1757 for this gun.  During the process of filing and polishing the lock, I wiped out the old markings and most of the decorative double border. So I had to engrave the contractor name and refresh the double borders on the plate, cock, and frizzen.  The engraving should not be banknote quality.  Understandably, it is pretty hasty looking on most British military guns.  I chose "VERNON" and "1757" because those markings are found on several pattern 1760 carbines in my reference collections.  I then copied the lettering and borders found on originals.  My purpose was historical accuracy.  It came out well.  I have to do a little more polishing and them the parts get case hardened.  After hardening I will polish and burnish them like the originals.  This was fun.

dave   

[Daryl]

Nice! The long shanks on the 7's really show well.

[smart dog]

Hi,
Much is done.  The carbine is almost finished.  It just needs some more coats of oil-varnish.  I used Sutherland-Welles polymerized tung oil for the sealing and initial coats.  Now I switched to S-W's tung oil wiping varnish, which is polymerized tung oil mixed with polyurethane varnish.  This should fill the rest of the grain nicely and provide an authentic looking slightly glossy varnish finish.  The lock is finished, tuned and polished.  I am very pleased with it.  It turned out to be a very fine lock and one I have no doubts would pass British Ordnance inspections, unlike our Italian and Indian repros.  I included photos of the lock from a Pedersoli Brown Bess for comparison of size and quality and I also included an India-made "Ketland Officer's fusil" lock. 




The mainspring gives the lock a stout pull to half cock but the next step to full cock is like drawing a compound bow.  Sparks sizzle in the pan and I will give the lock my "quartz rock from my driveway test" after snow melts. The sear bar returns to the exact same position at rest, at half cock, and at full cock. That means the trigger can be adjusted for a light pull without any trigger rattle.  I sharpened or reestablished all the cast in engraving, including the crown, and added the "Vernon 1757" .  I polished and then burnished the outside so it has the mellow sheen of the originals.  No over buffing wheel-polish and dished screw holes like the India-made piece of junk shown below my lock.
The photos also show the cartoon stamped or "cast in" quality to the engraving on the Pedersoli lock.











Unfortunately, none of our modern commercially made repros represent the quality and skill shown by the highly skilled 18th century workmen in the gun trade. They do those skilled and admirable workman a great disservice. I have to replace the top jaw screw with a correct one.  The screw that came with the parts set is wrong and too small to modify.  I have some Brown Bess top jaw screws coming that can be downsized for the carbine.  All of the brass hardware is polished and I have to make the ramrod. The originals were made of ash so I bought some white ash blanks.  I will attach a tip for a modern cleaning jag on the inner end but the correct brass tip for the muzzle end. If  the eventual owner wants a more historically correct rod, I can easily make one with just a tapered wooden end or with a tow worm attached.

More to come.

dave   

[Kingsburyarms]

Stellar job Dave  -  I'm taking copious notes for my officers fusil. Thank you for the history lesson, the comparison, and the exceptional build tutorial.

Jon

[smart dog]

Hi Jon,
Thanks for the comments.  I will be building a rifled officer's fusil based on examples by John Hirst and John Twigg.  Not many were rifled but a few were.  This one will have a flat-faced lock and a short bayonet that is stored in a butt trap behind the butt plate.  It will be 1770's vintage and include a checkered wrist.  I have a nice English walnut stock blank for it. I hope to have it done in time for sale at Dixons.   

dave