Berlin Smoothe Rifle (no photos)

[George F.]

Has anybody out there built the Issac Berlin smoothie with the 16 flats barrel section available from the print? That's one of my unfinished projects that I'm trying to get finished. Barrel, lock.side plate butt, plate trigger and trigger guard are done. Have to make thimbles and muzzle cap yet. Oh, the thing I don't really enjoy ...soldering the lugs and pinning the barrel yet have to be done. I started with a 3" blank and there's allot of shavings and saw dust on the floor. If anybody's done one... fess up, wanna hear from ya.   ...Geo.

[rich pierce]

Don't know which smoothie you mean but would love to study it.  Where has it been printed?

[T*O*F]

Don't know anything about the print, but here's a couple.
The shiny one is a .50 cal smoothbore turned down from an 1-1/8" blank and the flats hand filed.  It's not done yet, but the 16 flats will transition round into the wedding band.

The other one is a 20 ga smoothbore as made by the Sharon Barrel Co.  They are just milled in and stopped flat-ended at the band.

[George F.]

I purchased the print originally from Dixon's back in "94. When I got around to building it I missed placed it and had to order another from Muzzle Loaders Builders Supply about 4 years ago. I believe Track of the Wolf also has it, probably also Tp Curtis too. Well back to the smoothie... The barrel is a 20 gauge and has a wedding band between the 8-16 flats and another between the round and the 16 flats. It's very appealing to the eye.It has an early wide butt plate. and a wooden patchbox. A  round face lock, front and rear sights. Very nice incised and relief carving. The buttplate and trigger guard are available from Reeves, but I chose not to use them, opting to modify other castings. When I get more done, I'll try to post a few pictures. BUT HAS ANYBODY BUILT ONE?....Geo.

[Stophel]

The gun is in RCA.  Number 83, I think.  I wonder if this gun isn't the work of the father, Abraham.

I've drawn out a couple of guns based on this one, but as yet, haven't gotten around to building one.  I did do one several years ago rather loosely based on this gun, and much plainer.  I wish I had that gun back, I could make the wrist much thinner.

[rich pierce]

Is this Shumway's gun that got burned?  Amazing Euro-quality rococco carving behind the cheekpiece?  Very sweet gun in oh so many ways.  Patchbox is a replacement but well done.

[George F.]

Yes I think that is the one. I know that the patchbox lid is a replacement, It is such a eye catcher, I'm surprises that there aren't made more often.

[Stophel]

I think most people are intimidated by the carving.

[Mike Gahagan]

I have an order to build one when the barrel arrives,but I just finished a version that is combination of it and another I.Berlin that George Shumway did an article on in "Muzzleblasts" back in 1995.It had carving behind the cheek piece similar to the other one,but had a cast brass side opening patchbox, a full octagon barrel,different buttplate,and lock.