"Squirrel" rifle coming along

[jh45gun]

I bought this as a project gun from a guy for 25 bucks. Barrel is a CVA "squirrel" rifle barrel that some one turned down the end to fit a Stevens Favorite 22 Receiver. Breech was threaded for a 3/8 x24 bolt. Need to put sights on it yet and make a forarm. Stock is a old Winchester stock that was on this when I bought it. This is kinda a goofy project but looked feasable. Bore is in decent shape some light pitting were their were machine marks were in the barrel in a line but I would guess that 95% of the barrel is shiney and smooth so I am hopeing it should shoot ok. I cleaned it out good with Bore Paste and that made it look pretty good. Folks that do not clean their muzzle loader barrels right from the get go really irritate me. :(

Well a friend and I used his lathe today to drill out the center of 3 3/8th x24 bolts and drilled and tapped them for a size 12x28 nipple Standard nipple is 1/4x28 so this one is a bit smaller. This nipple is the size used on the TC Senca rifle and the Ruger Old Army Cap and Ball Pistol. I was supprised to see that a #11 percussion cap fit on it snug I figured it may have taken a size 10. Glad to see it takes the larger cap. We left the bolt head on so it will come out of the breech easy with a wrench for easy clean out. I felt as long as we were making one breech plug might as well make a couple of spares too that way I should never have to worry about burning out one as I will have extras though I would suspect the only issue would be the threads of the nipple wearing out as they can do over time, Though I suspect that would take a lot of shooting. As you can see in the pics I am including here the hammer was altered when I got it with a hood or shroud what ever you want to call it to protect the cap area from flying cap metal. Here is a couple of pics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0028.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0029.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0016.jpg

[jh45gun]

Filed down a jamb nut to fit the gap between the bolt head and the barrel so it looks better and fills that gap and gives it more support.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0031.jpg

[Buckshot]

................Pretty amazing some of the things folks did in making muzzle loaders!

....................Buckshot

[Bret4207]

Not saying this will happen, but wear shooting glasses when you fire that. The Favorite hammer doesn't take much strength to cock and it's possible the force of the charge will pop the hammer back and send the cap flying into yer mug.

[jh45gun]

Thanks for the Tip Brett I wear glasses anyway. The spring on this gun has been altered to a heavy coil spring so Iwould guess that it should be sufficient. I hope so anyway guess I will find out when I shoot it. Considering the small powder charges I will be useing I think it should be ok. Still something to be aware of. Thanks. Jim

[shooter575]

Jh,cute project.The jam nut realy helps looks.You need some patena on them shiney parts then you can call it a confedrate made and get a couple grand for it at next gun show.<G>

[jh45gun]

Thanks Shooter that bolt and nut have been cold blued but still looks shiney compared to the rest of the barrel and receiver.

[Poorboy]

jh45gun, watch that cap, the gas may blow back into your eyes. I have a ,32 caplock and it will fragment the cap and dirty the HEAVY hammer. My squirrel load is 10 g. of Hodgdon "P", .310 rb, .015 lubed patch. Got five squirrels one moring with it. This a a light load, low noise and "dead right there", can eat up to the hole. Cann't bet it on them tree rats.

Poorboy

[shooter575]

I know a fella that uses a toilet bowel cleaner[acid type] to color replacement parts on old colts saa.He says he supends them over a open container and the fumes give them a nice patena.The brown that old blue turns.I have been allways wanting to try this on some scrap to see how this works.Just aint had the time. Might be worth messing with??? Would make a nice thread here with all the x spear a menters here :smile:

[jh45gun]

Interesting but I cannot stand chemicals that well so I would pass on it. It kills me to even clean the oven with that crappy spray oven cleaner. Poorboy I will watch that hammer but it does have shroud over it that was silversoldered on so I hope that will do it. I would think it would not be any worse than my side hammer.