Almost done

[Dphariss]

Still trying to figure out how he covered the four end keepers opposite the loading rod.
I also used taper pins to secure the barrels not screws.

[MeliusCreekTrapper]

Very impressive work. Stunning.

[Bill Madden]

Nice work, Dan. I can hardly wait to see it in person!
Bill

[Curtis]

That is almost too cool for words Dan!  You have done a great job with it.    I have an original J. Kuntz swivel breech that I hope to reverse engineer someday in the future.

Curtis

[J. Talbert]

Dan that’s some very nice work.
We’re there any previous posts about this project?  Did you make the swivel action, etc…?

Thanks,
Jeff

[Daryl]

That bottom swivel gun would be a cold one to hold, hunting today. Beautiful work, though.
Now that top rifle is THE HUNTING RIFLE.
Oh- here's the other side of that Nicholas Hawke Swivel Breech.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Really lovely rifle Dan.  ...quite a project!

Perhaps tapered pins to retain the panels wasn't a good idea...can't think of how to secure the panels except by machine screws threaded into reinforced bosses on the inside of the brass side panel...could even be blind holes on the receiving side.  The head side would be covered most of the time by the ramrod.  Need to see some close ups of the engraving...Nicholas Hawk's signature engraving.

[Daryl]

Don't know if this will work twice.
Not bad - click twice on the picture.

[Bill Madden]

Jeff, I believe Dan made the swivel breech action and almost everything else except the barrels and, perhaps, the cast trigger guard. I know he had to cobble together the buttplate using a couple of commercial castings and silver solder. There aren't many contemporary makers who are capable of doing what he has done. This is the first posting of the rifle that I have seen, and I hope Dan will give us a more complete description and some more pictures when he has the time. The project has been "in process" for a couple of years or more during which he has completed a few other guns, moved his home and shop and worked on restoring a military vehicle. He is a busy man.

[Daryl]

I've a WHACK of the build pictures, but figure Dan might want to post those.
I do have a question, though - what "make" are the barrels? Really nice groove to land width ratio.
Those crowns will only take about 15 seconds to  complete. Beautiful angle on the lands, already.

[Dphariss]

Dan that’s some very nice work.
We’re there any previous posts about this project?  Did you make the swivel action, etc…?

Thanks,
Jeff

The pbotos are in no particular order.
The only parts that are bought are the BP (heavily modified and a big piece added) the TG, the cock, pans and frizzens, frizzen springs, tumbler, sear and bridle but these other than the tumbler are more or less reworked.. Everything else is shop made. One thing I forgot was to cut flats on the rod pipes. I think I can file one and cut two flats flats on the mill with a 90 degree "V" endmill. Have not bothered so far. The front on has a flare... Barrels are 40 cal a weight 44" swamps with 4" cut off the breech most of the muzzle flare filed off. Stock is from Harrison. The double nut process is to pull the swivel bolt TIGHT and pull it square with the other plate so they fit together properly when rotated. The plate the barrels are pinned to is 5/16 the plate that is fit to the stock is 1/4". Both low carbon steel.

[Dphariss]

That bottom swivel gun would be a cold one to hold, hunting today. Beautiful work, though.
Now that top rifle is THE HUNTING RIFLE.
Oh- here's the other side of that Nicholas Hawke Swivel Breech.

That Manton style rifle is a great hunting rifle.
These are markers that predate Columbus its thought and run from Canada to Mexico. Usually close to a camp are with water etc. Some are much larger than this. I know of at least 5-6 in Sweetgrass County MT alone. One is about 4' Square and tall 7+ ft high and over looks the Yellowstone Valley from a few miles North. The one the rifle is leaning on allows a look of Granite Peak its that hazy thing at the Horizon. Highest in MT and its East of Melville MT. Granite peak is 70 miles south as a crow flies via Google Earth.
This high prairie country 5000 ft ground level and is little changed other than roads and buildings from probably the last Ice Age.
The second one is on top of a ridge in Park County a few miles East of the Paradise Valley (Yellowstone running North out of the Park) and was exposed by a forest fire a few years back. Which indicates that the pine forest was not there when the marker was made. But there is a nice grassy area with water just South East about a mile and 1000 or more feet lower.
Sorry I kinda drifted away there.

[J. Talbert]

Impressive work Dan.
Quite an undertaking.
Jeff

[FALout]

That rifle looks like there’s lots of work that has gone into it.  I look at that area for the ramrod, and all I can say is “oh my gosh”

[Dphariss]

Thanks for the nice compliments. Some of it was easier Thant I thought, the brass side panels that is, some of it was a real pain.
The action plates were easier than the first one I did which resulted in some stuff that got recycled. I did make 3-4 of the brass side panels since I still have one standing with they hickory rods in a corner….
BTW Alcobra metals in Spokane can cut brass sheet to about any length to 8 or maybe 12 ft.

Dan

[alacran]

Quite the undertaking. Very impressive work. How much does the gun weigh.?

[Mike Brooks]

That gun is nifty on a new level. What I'm really fascinated with is the stacked pile of flat rocks. We don't have those in Iowa.

[prairieofthedog]

Oh,we have them in Northeast Iowa! Beautiful rifle Dan.

[Randall Steffy]

VERY nicely done, Dan. That is no small or inconsequential project and you obviously have what it takes. That project and rifle is on my bucket list and you have set the bar way up there! Thanks for posting and your pictures have a familiar appearance to them. The early Wm. Antes project is on my bench right now.

[Daryl]

Dan, those rock piles are impressive. I had guessed at the bls. being .40, due to your note on the postal match thread,
 however I was curious as to the mfgr. of the barrels.

[oldtravler61]

  Dan very impressive work indeed..!  I always an still do want a swivel breech rifle...   Maybe someday..!   Oldtravler

[Tim Crosby]

 Good looking Rifle Dan. Weren't you working on a side by side rifle sometime back? I remember some posts about the barrels or is this it and I got it twisted up.

  Tim

[Dphariss]

Good looking Rifle Dan. Weren't you working on a side by side rifle sometime back? I remember some posts about the barrels or is this it and I got it twisted up.

  Tim

I have not done a side by side but my mentor Don King did several. I think they were full stocked Bedford flint. At least one was.

Dan

[Dphariss]

Dan, those rock piles are impressive. I had guessed at the bls. being .40, due to your note on the postal match thread,
 however I was curious as to the mfgr. of the barrels.

I just got in from some climbing of one about 30 miles east of these. Following 3 bull elk tracks that were fresh enough to follow. The smallest track did this up where they had bedded for a time. Apparently he had started it before the rut… Maybe he was trying to get the antlers off his head. I got about 1/3 of the way to the top and realized I needed to give it up. The last 1/2hour was pretty steep and it was not my first such experience.  The pickup is at the very bottom by the stream in this canyon. Did shoot a WT doe  on the East fork of this little river about sunset. This is the first year for a ML Season and the law does not admit inlines. Regular season ended the Sunday after Thanksgiving. First ML deer since they fixed my right eye its been several years because of “three front sight” syndrome before the new lens.  Using the 50  cal swivel. Good day. Nice sneak on the WT.