General discussion > Gun Building
Making an early Peter Berry
smallpatch:
David,
Don't think Ive ever seen that original before. What a beauty!!
I know you'll do it justice!!
duca:
Awesome build Dave.. look forward to following this.
Anthony
Osprey:
I can't wait to see what you do with this one, I remember you posting about it when I was taking my stab at it. Whether you go dead on or add your own style I'm sure it will be impressive. I tend to take the things I like and suit it to my needs or tastes, but certainly appreciate bench copies.
I used a 38" Oct/Rnd .58 Colerain (D weight?) on mine, which got the weight down to just a hair over 6lbs. Same lock as you, although I didn't touch the internals. Shaped the plate a bit to match better, but that was all. The lock doesn't feel as snappy and tight as most I've tried, but never had a misfire or problem with it going off and it's my main hunting rifle, too. The patchbox is neat, not sure what I'd do there, but obviously I was in the mood for a wood box when I built it and thought this was a nice continuation of the theme. I took some measurements and my wrist is 1 3/8" tall and the buttplate I used is 5 3/8" tall (was the tallest I could find at the time, and I think I remember hammering the toe out to get a bit more out of the sand cast one I got from TOTW). I worried about the wrist too, but no problems. The original in the pic seems to me to stem more from grain orientation than thickness.
Has anyone noticed the funky panel ahead of the lock? Can't call it a beavertail! Quirkiest carving there of any rifle I can remember, but I like it. ;)
bama:
Dave listen to the wise words of Ragin Cagun. The little quirks that this rifle has is what draws our eyes to it. Fixing the quirks is not always the best idea. You are a talented builder and I am sure you will do a fabulous job regardless.
smart dog:
Hi,
It has been a while since I could get back to this project. I was gone for a week and then had a lot of other work to do unrelated to making muzzleloaders. Thank you all for your thoughts and insights. Bama, I listen, particularly to folks who know what they are about. That is the great joy of this website because those folks participate. The patch boxes on these rifles were not added later but were a signature style for Berry (or Berrys) and to ignore that would miss the mark. However, there are 3 rifles of this early Berry style of which I am aware and at least one has the patch box interrupting the lower butt molding without running the molding line through the brass. That is what I will do. When I am done it should scream Berry but I am not going to risk a weak or poor handling rifle. I am a pretty good designer and I think I can pull this off.
I worked on the lock and installed all the new parts. The first step was to fill the old holes. I do that by deeply counter sinking both sides of the hole, threading in steel rod and clipping it off about 1/8" high on either side. I peen it down into the countersinks and then use my gas welder to melt it into the countersink and hole.
Then I file off the excess and old holes are gone.
Next I fitted a Siler tumbler, bridle, sear, mainspring, sear spring, and the flintcock.
I have to polish up the springs and clean everything up. Then heat treat the works. I annealed the frizzen to clean it up and I will eventually case harden it and many of the parts. The frizzen required fitting to the pan after filing off the "waterproof lug" on the bottom of the pan cover. That lug really serves to hide the gap between the frizzen and pan, which I removed. Tomorrow, I will clean up the lock and get back to the stock. Oh, and the sear bar of the lock remains in the same position on the plate at rest, half, and full cock, yet to has a nice light release at full. I initially wanted to copy the original lock, which shows no screws behind the flint cock on the outside. However, the Siler tumbler does not permit a long sear spring tucked behind the flint cock and the L&R plate was too thin to hide the sear screw.
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