Chambers Late Ketland Percussion Conversion

[Bob McBride]

Anyone have any secrets on converting the Late Ketland to percussion? I was Jonesing to give Barbie a call (she is a day brightener) in the next few days but I thought I’d see if I could pick the collective ALR brain first. I’ve ended up with 2 barrels and two locks for my old model Kibler SMR. My second barrel is a .45 and I thought it may make a dandy percussion conversion. I haven’t seen anyone do that yet. Sounds like fun. Thoughts?

[galudwig]

Back when Jim Kibler introduced his SMR kit rifle, ALR members started talking about the possibility of a percussion version. I recall that David Rase had converted one of the Chambers Late Ketlands to percussion. Here is the ALR discussion thread.

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=37648.msg410332;topicseen#msg410332

Dave Rase and Taylor Sapergia had some good insight the conversion process. Their comments are on the last page of the discussion.

[David Rase]

Bob, Here is one from a rifle I built a few years back  Jim Chambers built it for me.  The cost was way less than buying a late Ketland, removing all the flint parts and buying a new hammer.
David

[David Rase]

Bob, I might also add that I bought a 5/16-32 die and made my own powder drum anticipating that my client would change his mind and want the gun to be flint.  I was successful at "flint shaming" him and while the rifle was still in the white we converted it to flint and installed a white lightning liner.
David

[Bob Roller]

Bob, Here is one from a rifle I built a few years back  Jim Chambers built it for me.  The cost was way less than buying a late Ketland, removing all the flint parts and buying a new hammer.
David

 
 I have a much better looking hammer designed by Bill Large and never used
for $20 including shipping if you want it,
Bob Roller

[varsity07840]

Anyone have any secrets on converting the Late Ketland to percussion? I was Jonesing to give Barbie a call (she is a day brightener) in the next few days but I thought I’d see if I could pick the collective ALR brain first. I’ve ended up with 2 barrels and two locks for my old model Kibler SMR. My second barrel is a .45 and I thought it may make a dandy percussion conversion. I haven’t seen anyone do that yet. Sounds like fun. Thoughts?

TOW had one for sale about a year ago.

[Hungry Horse]

 Here’s my two cents on percussion conversions. If your going to make a conversion that virtually eliminates all the “flintness” of the lock why not just build a percussion instead? I really have a thing for field conversions, with cleverly designed work arounds that allowed someone on the frontier with little or no tools to get the job done. Small pieces of brass rod, or copper wire, can be hammered in to fill the extra holes, and still scream “I was once flint”. And the flash fence, Why in the world would you cut that off? I love converting flint cocks to percussion hammers too, the cruder the better.
 I’ve had quite a bit of practice thanks to so many of the import replica builders being pretty much unable to build a good looking functional flintlock. That means there’s lots of raw material for cap conversions.

  Hungry Horse

[Bob McBride]

I’ve got you HH. I’m sort of getting my mind around what I’m after right now but Jack Duprey got me going in a conversation we had a few days back. His latest rifle got my wheels turning though I’ve been considering this for a few months. Here’s a pic.

[Bob Roller]

That hammer HAS to have some sort of a name
that can be used with presentable language.
Bob Roller

[Hungry Horse]

Hey Bob, wickerbill comes to mind. I really like this one. I can just see some old backwoods smith cobbling this thing together.

  Hungry Horse

[Bob McBride]

Hey Bob, wickerbill comes to mind. I really like this one. I can just see some old backwoods smith cobbling this thing together.

  Hungry Horse

I can just hear it.

“Make my old gun into one of them fancy percussion guns.”

“The new locks will be in next month.”

“Next month! I’m not going to be back with another run of liquor until the fall!”

“Well, leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do..”

[tallbear]

Here's a percussion conversion on an original New England Rifle in my collection that's one of my favorites 

Mitch

[flinchrocket]

That's to chilly.... I mean, how easy can you make it.

[Bob McBride]

Here's a percussion conversion on an original New England Rifle in my collection that's one of my favorites 

Mitch

Wow. I am blown away and I’m not sure why. I’d love some more pics. Thanks for sharing Mitch. That would be one of my favorites too. For sure.

[Marcruger]

"That hammer HAS to have some sort of a name   
that can be used with presentable language.
Bob Roller"
 
That's easy Bob...….AARDVARK.