Pistol project finished

[Bob Gerard]

I wanted a rifled pistol for target shooting and I really like the fit of my “Sparrow” smoothbore that I had built from MBS parts last year. So I ordered much of the same from Ryan and requested the .50 rifled barrel. I just finished bluing parts and this morning. In a week or so the varnish will have cured and I will apply some wax, but it’s basically finished and ready to shoot now, so I will be sighting it in today or tomorrow

[HSmithTX]

I like that a lot Bob, really nice.

[Bob Gerard]

Thank you, HSmith!

[Angus]

Looks great!

[Bob Gerard]

Thanks! First five shots test-firing at 12 yards with 25 grains and a .490 prb. I can work with this.

[Rolf]

Great looking pistol. Very clean lines.  I like it a lot.

Best regards
Rolf

[Daniel Coats]

I like your pistol Bob but raise that target about 2 inches!

[Bob Gerard]

Thank you Rolf and Daniel !
Daniel- I will try using heavier lead next time 

[Steeltrap]

Very nice pistol. Nice shooting as well. I love the lines on it. Great job!!

[Daryl]

Very nicely built, Bob. Gotta love lightly swamped barrels.

[Bob Gerard]

Thanks Steeltrap and Daryl ! I don't know the barrel maker but it is a nice one.

[A.Merrill]

Looks great.

[2 shots]

 a beauty indeed.

[bama]

Looking good and shooting good, you can't beat that! 

[smart dog]

Hi Bob,
You did very well indeed!  I really like the narrow lock panels and the shaping of the handle.  Those are not features easy to get right.  How well does it fit your hand? 

dave

[Bob Gerard]

Thanks fellas!
This was a really enjoyable build for me and with very low stress.
Dave- thank you- I have been far more focused on lock panels after reading and seeing all the advise in the forum. It’s where my eye goes first when looking at a muzzleloader now.
As to its fit- since this is my second of this model, I thought of how the first one held and that gave me guidance on this one: I thinned the grip and sloped it a bit more in the palm and did away with the more pronounced aprons at the base of the panels which allowed the grip to be even more comfortable. It points really well, good balance and seems to be pretty accurate.

[smart dog]

Hi Bob,
Let me share something with you although it won't help with this pistol but maybe a future one.  From my examination of British dueling pistols there is a design formula that seems to work for most people unless you have hands like Lurch.  If you draw a straight vertical line down from the top of the breech to the bottom of the handle and then another perpendicular to it going straight back from the breech to the distance of the back of the handle, they will outline an almost perfect square when the other connecting lines are added.





I call it the "Wogdon Box" and it seems to work for fitting the handle to most people. You just have to determine what the dimension is. Anyway, great job on the pistol.

dave