.40 Cal Flint

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  • Last Post 22 April 2018
Pigslayer posted this 23 June 2012

For some time now I've had the components for my .40 Cal. Flint Rifle but haven't gotten at it. It's going to be a Tennesse rifle much like the Southern Mtn. that I built. Alike but different. Not as much drop at the heel. A little plainer in that there will be no escutcheons at the barrel pins. I'm using a Chambers small Siler lock & again a double set trigger assy.. Some time ago I browned the ramrod pipes, sights, patchbox, ramrod end & trigger guard. Just to get those parts ready for browning is a lot of work as they are rough cast steel. Much shaping, filing & cleaning up with emery is needed. I used Dixie Browning Solution for the finish. I had also fit the breechplug to the barrel. Today I drawfiled the breechplug tang even with the top barrel flat and polished it off with 600 grit emery. The tang is really long and I'm going to cut it back some. The buttplate is brass and as usual came in rough cast condition. With files & the use of emery it's starting to look pretty good but still needs a lot more work. After fitting the lock & trigger assy. I'll determine the pull length & fit the buttplate. It seems that power tools of any kind are not to be used in building these rifles. As much as I would like to use a dremel, there is too much chance of a slip. One slip and a expensive curly maple stock is ruined. An electric drill is Taboo. My first build was an Issac Haines in curly cherry and has developed a color which is absolutely beautiful. This stock is Curly Maple #3. Middle of the road as was my last. I allready have plans for a .36 Cal and I believe that after building this one I will have enough experience to dare to order the next stock in curly maple #5 . . . extra fancy! I have gotten my last two stocks from Pecotonica long Rifle Supply and they do produce a nice stock! Building these gems is not cheap and I am most certainly not well off & buy one part at a time. Pat

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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sharps4590 posted this 24 June 2012

Pat, can't wai to see the continuued progress and the finished product. That Bean style patch box has always appealed to me....nice.

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Pigslayer posted this 24 June 2012

Although the stock is pre-inletted for the Small Siler lock, there is still much work/inletting to do before the lock will actually fit. I worked on it for about two hours last night & finally got the lock to “settle in". I have read in several publications that lampblack is used in inletting to enable the builder to see where one needs to remove material. Lampblack is messy & gets everywhere. I use a large sharpie to coat the part which in turn leaves a black mark to show where stock removal is needed. Not messy & quickly comes off the parts with lacquer thinner. It may look like the lock assy is set to deep but it's correct in that the inside of the flash pan is in alignment with the flat of the barrel channel. I just have to bring the stock down a bit around the lock assy. Also once I do that the hammer will swing freely.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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delmarskid1 posted this 24 June 2012

I shot with Dick Greensides from Pecatonica rifles today. He is a fine man and an outstanding shot. I bought the parts to build a “chunk” gun from him. I do not have the patience for what you are doing and can appreciate the work that goes into this kind of a build. Remember now, no gaps under that lock plate! We want no bombs now! A friend of mine recommended street walker red lipstick for in-letting.

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Pigslayer posted this 25 June 2012

delmarskid1 wrote: I shot with Dick Greensides from Pecatonica rifles today. He is a fine man and an outstanding shot. I bought the parts to build a “chunk” gun from him. I do not have the patience for what you are doing and can appreciate the work that goes into this kind of a build. Remember now, no gaps under that lock plate! We want no bombs now! A friend of mine recommended street walker red lipstick for in-letting.

Oh no!! No gaps under the lock plate!! For sure. I make sure that when I tighten down the lock assy., the pan is tight to the side if the barrel. Excuse my ignorance but what is a “chunk gun"?? I've heard that name before. You know, in years past I've been known to be hard head & didn't listen. I had read & was told to buy a spring vise due to needing it when I dissassembled a lock. It is “taboo” to use a pair of vice-grips. But did I listen? Nooooooooo! I broke a lock spring! The cost & shipping for a replacement spring outweighed the price of a spring vice! I made that mistake once . . . on my first build. I now have a spring vice. Yea, those guys down at Pecotonica do a first class job! Wow! I'm impressed that you got to shoot with him. Pretty cool. Thanks for your reply.

Pat R.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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sharps4590 posted this 25 June 2012

A chunk gun is apparently a “west of the Appalachians” thing, yes, delmarskid? What is called a chunk gun here in the Ozarks is a very heavy barrelled ML, often with no forearm and either bar lock or back action percussion lock, a buttstock.. Here they use open sights and they are often shaded. Fired from a rest, a “chunk", and again, around here, at 60 yards. Ordinarily exceedingly accurate. Most of the matches around here are meat matches, at least they used to be.

delmar, how is it done in Wisconsin? (lovely state by the way, love it up there)

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6pt-sika posted this 25 June 2012

sharps4590 wrote: A chunk gun is apparently a “west of the Appalachians” thing, yes, delmarskid? What is called a chunk gun here in the Ozarks is a very heavy barrelled ML, often with no forearm and either bar lock or back action percussion lock, a buttstock.. Here they use open sights and they are often shaded. Fired from a rest, a “chunk", and again, around here, at 60 yards. Ordinarily exceedingly accurate. Most of the matches around here are meat matches, at least they used to be.

delmar, how is it done in Wisconsin? (lovely state by the way, love it up there)

"Chunk Gun” , “Over The Log Gun” . Al Edge in Ruther Glenn Virginia has made several of them for customers over the last 15 years .

A close friend has one as a matter of fact . Think his is 40 cal .

 

http://www.aledge.com/>http://www.aledge.com/

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delmarskid1 posted this 25 June 2012

They call it a chunk gun up here and it is used in the over the log matches just as you have described. I don't get to shoot often enough to get good at it. Mine is a 45 on a rigby stock so that I can shoot it prone without breaking my neck. The rigby is a straighter stock with about two inches of drop. That is going to be one fine rifle when you are finished with it. I love my flinter but again who has the time for ALL of the good things. How does the Dixie browning solution work out? I tried some stuff from Dick and got poor results. My technique no doubt. I ended up soaking parts in diet coke and salt. nasty business but the job looks blotchy enough to be real. Chortle, chortle.

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Pigslayer posted this 26 June 2012

delmarskid1 wrote: How does the Dixie browning solution work out?

I've used the Dixie browning solution on my last two barrels and I'm satisfied with it. It's best to hang your barrel over a large pan of water after applying the solution for faster results. You could even suspend it in a piece of 4” PVC pipe which is capped on the bottom end with water in the bottom. The more humidity, the faster the browing solution takes. It takes quite a few coats but takes only minutes to apply. First I hang the barrel by the screw hole in the tang from wherever I hang it from. I clean the barrel with alcohol & then apply the solutuion with a Q-Tip. The next day I lightly brush the barrel down with 0000 steel wool. Then I do the same process over again until I get the desired results. Don't “polish” the barrel because the browning won't take! I go as far as finishing with 600 grit emery & stop there. What we are actually talking about here is “controlled rust". The Getz barrels take to the browning solution the fastest. The Green Mtn. barrels take to the solution the slowest. I'm not a metalurgist so I can't tell you why.

Pat R.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Pigslayer posted this 30 June 2012

Spent the morning sharpening my carving tools & bench chisels. I use waterstones for sharpening . . . up to 8000 grit. My chisels were a mess as I haven't used or even looked at them for a long while. Surface rust everywhere! They are Japanese laminated chisels and hold a razor edge for a long time. So out come the water stones. I flattened & polished the backs then put the usual bevel on the cutting edge in three stages starting with 30 degrees. I check the edge by shaving the back of my hand(s). I have no hair left if that tells you anything. My carving tools only need a little touching up. Sometimes just putting the cutting edge on a buffing wheel is all they need. Dull tools are dangerous. Too much pressure needed & therefore more possibility of a slip. Slips are bad . . . & bloody! Keeping water stones flat is a necessity. Every so often I have too take 320 grit emery & lay it on a flat piece of thick glass & work the wet stone back & forth against it until it is flat. My stock had shruck a little since I recieved it and I had to open up the barrel channel with scrapers & sandpaper until the barrel settled in & out easily. so far so good. I shortened & cleaned up the tang on the breech plug & got the brass buttplate cleaned up as it is a very rough casting & needs a lot of work. I will keep inletting the barrel channel until the scribline on the barrel is lined up dead center with the flashpan.

Pat

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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delmarskid1 posted this 30 June 2012

Where did you find the water stones? I shave with a straight razor and I'm always on the make for a better edge.

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Pigslayer posted this 30 June 2012

delmarskid1 wrote: Where did you find the water stones? I shave with a straight razor and I'm always on the make for a better edge.

Well, if you want the very best quality you can go to Japan Woodworker online. But Grizzly Industrial also carries them & they work quite well. “King” waterstones are to me, the best.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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hunterspistol posted this 01 July 2012

Building these gems is not cheap and I am most certainly not well off & buy one part at a time.

 

      And apparently assemble them with lots of tender, loving care.  These are great photos, I don't see a lot of muzzleloaders here on the grasslands because of the fire danger.   Texas has too many droughts.   That does not mean I don't want one!  Maybe in Spring or Fall....... Gee.

    Thanks for the pictures and these threads, this is great workshop views!

     Ron

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Pigslayer posted this 01 July 2012

Got the barrel channel cut back close to where in needs to be and got the breech settled in. Now that I study my pics closer I see that the barrel has to go back another 1/16". The scribe line on the top of the barrel dictates the center of the vent or “touch hole liner” which will be just slightly ahead of the face of the breechplug. Next I'll install the breech plug on the barrel & inlet for that. I need to remove a little more stock under the lock assy. due to it being about 1/64” away from the barrel flat . . . can't have that. It must be tight against the barrel flat. Excuse my ugly bare feet. They always seem to get in the pics. 60 years old & still running around barefoot. Must be the redneck in me.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Pigslayer posted this 01 July 2012

Seated the breech back further about 1/16” & it's bedded pretty good as you can see by the “footprint” the barrel left by the black marks. I installed the stainless steel vent(touch hole liner) and then installed the breech plug/tang. When drilling the hole for the vent the drill bit started to drift but I caught it in time. Whew! Then I tapped the barrel to 1/4-28 thread. The liner extended into the inside of the barrel by about 1/8” so I had to cut some off from it. After screwing the vent in I filed it flush with the barrel. I used blue locktite on both the liner & breech plug. Now to inlet for the tang as it is attached to the barrel. The barrel & stock are starting to look pretty dirty from dirty hands, black Sharpie ink & layout die and it'll get worse before it's over. It ain't gonna look pretty until it's all done! But it will all clean up. This has sort of turned into a tutorial which I hadn't intended but if the moderators don't mind I'll continue. It's kinda fun sharing this project with everyone.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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sharps4590 posted this 01 July 2012

Thanks for the ride along Pig. It's always wonderful to see a fine rifle come together.

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Pigslayer posted this 02 July 2012

hunterspistol wrote: Building these gems is not cheap and I am most certainly not well off & buy one part at a time.

 

      And apparently assemble them with lots of tender, loving care.  These are great photos, I don't see a lot of muzzleloaders here on the grasslands because of the fire danger.   Texas has too many droughts.   That does not mean I don't want one!  Maybe in Spring or Fall....... Gee.

    Thanks for the pictures and these threads, this is great workshop views! I'm sure that there have been a lot of patched round balls fired on those grasslands during the not so dry seasons. I'm no expert but anytime you want to dive in & build one I'll give you all the help I can!

Pat R.

     Ron

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Pigslayer posted this 04 July 2012

Began inletting for the tang last evening & this morning. had to bend the tang to match the curve of the stock. Got it pretty close but may need a little tweeking yet. Getting to hot out in the shop even though I have a ceiling fan.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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RicinYakima posted this 13 April 2018

One of the great things about maturity is the ability to let things rest for a while. Then pick them up when the fancy strikes.

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Scearcy posted this 13 April 2018

You have serious skills! It is good that the rifle is progressing again.

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rhbrink posted this 13 April 2018

"One of the great things about maturity is the ability to let things rest for a while. Then pick them up when the fancy strikes."

I must be a really "mature" person I have a lot of projects resting!

Pigslayer you do nice work but please put some stain on those muzzle loader stocks, please?

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