Progress on an Edward Marshall Rifle FINISHED

[smart dog]

Hi,
It is finally done.  It was a real adventure but I sure love the rifle.  I finished it with polymerized tung oil and some light glazing with bone black.  I also tarnished the barrel and brass a little.  I left some chatter marks from the final scraping and basically attempted to make it look like a product of the 18th century.  Now I have to shoot it a bit before handing it over to its owner.

dave

[Big Bubba]

Beautiful rifle.

[Stoner creek]

I might have a problem letting go of that piece!

[Acer Saccharum]

That's gorgeous on all accounts, Dave.

[rich pierce]

You rocked it, for sure.

[smallpatch]

Dave,
A fine, fine looking piece!

[Dave Marsh]

Dave, that is a beautiful gun -- stunning to me is probably more accurate.  I could not let that one go if it were mine. 

Dave

[RJD-VT]

Real nice Dave. And I do hope you get to shoot it some before it goes. Just not today. Better weather Saturday 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Really nice work Dave.  I love this rifle.  But I'd have had to move that rear sight forward about 3 1/2".  This is a real hunter's rifle!

[blienemann]

Dave, thanks for taking us along on this special journey back in time! Bob

[tallbear]

Great work all around Dave!!!!!!!

Mitch

[smart dog]

Hi,
Thank you all.  Please don't hesitate to critique it.  I did my best but I can always improve.  I was initially ambivalent about building the rifle because so many other folks had made versions, Jim Chambers makes a nice kit, and of course there is the spectacular version by Jud Brennan.  I felt about it like I do Isaac Haines guns. You know, so many have done them what can I possibly contribute to the milieu. Well, a year ago a client asked me to build his Chambers Haines kit and try to make it as close to the iconic original housed in the PA State Museum as I could.  So I dug into it deeply and WHOA!!  Haines could carve as well as any European master and he wasn't a bad engraver either.  So I made that gun a historical adventure and loved the project.  Then along came the Marshall rifle and as I dug into the details I really was enthused. Then I saw the fantastic photos of the original posted by Jud on his blog and by Bob Lienemann in his latest book.  I was hooked.  There were so many challenging historical details to think about.  So off I went and I had a lot of help.  Jud's detailed photos of the original gun are essential and so are those published by Bob.  I benefitted greatly from insightful e-mails with Bob. I also had previously visited the Mercer Museum and took notes on the original gun plus Mitch Yates sent me his measurements of the rifle.  With all that help, I think I did OK despite not having the original rifle in hand.  I really like this rifle a lot.  It shoulders and feels like the best late flint English rifles and that is the highest praise I can bestow.   

dave     

[TommyG]

Absolutely wonderful!  I love everything about this gun from the entry swell to the finish.  Great work Dave.

[Curtis]

Sweet!

Curtis

[Dwshotwell]

Such a great rifle. Quite inspirational and your write - ups are great for those of us trying to learn.

[Monty59]

Hello smart dog, very nice rifle and you did a great job all and a great finish too !

Monty

[alacran]

Dave yours is one of the finest interpretations of this rifle I have seen. I really like the color. You are right about the 260 year old patina. Makes one wonder if the original was stained at all.

[Ed Wenger]

Great job, Dave!  Did you use Ferric Nitrate to stain?  Am curious as to any particular technique for the color.  Again, very nice rifle!  Best,

         Ed

[smart dog]

Hi Ed,
It was an awful experience.  I wanted to reproduce the honey color of the original.  So I tried various dilute solutions of ferric nitrate even going as far as 20 parts water to 1 part ferric nitrate.  On scrap wood from the stock, I finally thought I had it just right.  So I painted the stock and let it dry.  When I heated it the blush looked like magenta spray paint very thinly applied on gray wood.  It was horrible!  No amount of heating increased the red brown color.  Rather than take a gun and blow out what little brain I had left, I decided to try lye water.  BOOM!  A beautiful reddish brown resulted.  It was not exactly what I wanted but I was so happy I saved the color, I did not care.  I think the color of the Marshall rifle is partly the result of 260 years of aging.

dave   

[t.caster]

YOUSER! That turned out just right! What a beautiful early rifle!

[Daryl]

My only critical point, is the wide lands, narrow grooves.
Good work, Dave.

[J. Talbert]

Nicely done,

Jeff

[smart dog]

Hi,
Thank you all for the comments and interest.  I worked hard on this gun and am happy with the way it turned out.  Thanks Alacran and Flinchrocket.  I really tried to match the original, which I believe has no artistic or design flaws.  It was made by an 18th century master. I had to compromise on some dimensions because my barrel was 1.125" at the breech and the original was 1.23" at the breech.  It is interesting to me that the slight reduction in dimensions at the wrist and breech on my version correspond exactly to the difference in breech dimensions.  What that means is I matched the proportions of the original well.  Let me add one more observation: imagine how the usual locks used for this rifle with their curved, almost banana shapes change the whole gun.  Again, thank you all for your interest and comments.  I appreciate them very, very much.

dave

[Ed Wenger]

Thanks, Dave..., does sound like an experience!  Great save, I can’t say with any confidence that I would have thought of the lye.  Thumbs up!   Best,

        Ed

[bama]

 Beautiful rifle Dave, excellent craftsmanship all the way around.