These would be fun to build : ) "The Sliding Patch Box" The more ornate the better

[Just Duke]

Would Pewter be to soft?

[DIRT Farmer]

To have a truly beautyful rifle, one needs to see beyond the lines. I can build a serviceable gun but as Helmut Moluer (sp) told me, only an American would shoot an ugly gun. Most that I know are notso blunt but I know it is true, and I have handled guns he builds, for a German target rifle of the archaic age they are deceptively light from their apperance.
In other words I can cut away most of what is not a gun, but if I go futher I get expensive fire wood.

[nanuk]

I'll take a quality flintlock anyday but make it a poorboy with a simple open tallow hole please...all that itching,scratching, mauling and carving makes a nice rifle into mighty fancy pretentious looking firewood.....that is MY opinion...I just happen to find all that ornate carap offensive to my eyes and absolutely without use. On the plus side a good cabinet scraper could fix most of em.

I feel exactly the same way about checkering on any modern wood stocked firearm available today.

simply NOT needed, and usually has flaws that I'd rather not see.

there even was on shown in a gun rag by Stan Troniec (?) made by the "Gun Makers Guild" guys, for his section. The inletting was scary bad, and the checkering not only attrocious, but gaudy also. You'd think on a $5000 gun, the guy would take a few extra minutes to do it right!

Nope, nothing more beautiful than a nice piece of wood, with a smooth finish, and a well applied oil finish.
And I can't even tell the difference between oil and other finishes... some look as nice as oil.

[nanuk]

....Helmut Moluer (sp) told me, only an American would shoot an ugly gun.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I have seen some ornate engraving that makes a beautiful gun look horrid.

the most engraving I'd ever want would be a simple game head.

leave the "completely covered in scrollwork" for coins or something.

[waksupi]

Duke, I'm suspecting none of us have had experience with pewter furniture, but I am sure it must have been done sometime in the past. It would of course look like dull lead after some time.

[Just Duke]

Duke, I'm suspecting none of us have had experience with pewter furniture, but I am sure it must have been done sometime in the past. It would of course look like dull lead after some time.

So it was just polished metal? Like polished like a knife so it somewhat resists rust?

[fouronesix]

I'm not waksupi but many times on the originals the smith or maker just left the iron polished without any further finish. During rushed wartime production that was very common. That is called 'bright' or something similar. Some makers however treated the iron to produce what we call a blued finish of sorts and sometimes they would brown the iron parts for a browned finish. When left bright and polished I don't think is was meant to resist rust necessarily but maybe it was easier to wipe down and oil. Over time those bright parts and/or barrels take on a thin film of rust patina. But that type bright finish sometimes doesn't corrode or rust evenly. Fast forward 100-200 years. Even if wiped and oiled and cared for- the bright iron can take on a blotchy appearance. As long as deep rust pitting hasn't attacked the metal it doesn't bother me so much. If on the other hand the metal and likely the bore has deep pits, I shy away or simple call it an artifact or wall hanger.

[wch]

I'm interested in building a "poor boy" or Appalachian Mountain style flintlock from a kit.
Any suggestions as to where to find kits that are of good quality?

[fouronesix]

Hmm no replies? There are at least two custom makers here that might chime in. You can get parts from several different sources around the country. You can mix and match parts but if you don't have a lot of experience building these things I'd stay with a kit. I've built a few over the years for my use but am no custom maker by any stretch. I think for the average handy type amateur builder, a kit from one source and with support from the one company is a good idea. I think Track of the Wolf is as good as any. You can search their site for all manner of info and photos and current examples. Here's a link to a series of photos of a Southern Mountain type (also called Tennessee type, etc.). It is cap lock but you can glean style ideas when looking at the comparable flint kits. I'd really study the kit parts and options then when ready call on the phone and talk to a rep.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Catego...E-TENN-16-PERC

[Just Duke]

I found this fella here on the forum. Nice rifles.. http://www.jimfilipski.com/

[Just Duke]

We sent them packing. lol

[M-Tecs]

Would Pewter be to soft?

IMHO yes - I have done 6 or 7 pewter nose caps for Hawken style rifles. Relatively easy to damage them. I can’t see pewter being durable enough for a butt plate.


http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/Ya...num=1366388037

I have always liked the real French Gray not the current plated

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/...p?topic=3353.0


http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/Ya...num=1266957960

[Col4570]

The Brown Bess Musket was kept clean and bright.troopers where issued with Brick Dust to scour the metal work, when mixed with water brick dust will polish the metal.The mixture usually seeped into the Stock imparting a dark red to brown colour.When linseed Oil was applied the finish became permanent.So from a plain utility weapon the cleaning and oiling transformed the Bess into a thing of beauty.

A piece of crushed and powdered House Brick is abrasive and makes a good scourer.

[Just Duke]

Is it free to dream or window shop today? I hope so. I'm broke at the moment.

[Just Duke]

http://www.jimfilipski.com/rogersbg.html

[6bg6ga]

Granted they look pretty and back in their day they were somewhat usable because there wasn't anything better but with todays technology why would you want one? A lot of work for something to gather dust as it sits in its holder above the fireplace?

[Ajax]

Who lets them sit lol. Use it and enjoy it.


Andy

[N4AUD]

Granted they look pretty and back in their day they were somewhat usable because there wasn't anything better but with todays technology why would you want one? A lot of work for something to gather dust as it sits in its holder above the fireplace?

You've got to be kidding. I love to shoot these types of firearms.

[doc1876]

We used to use a piece of chared wood from the camp fire for polishing the barrel on the Springfield musket during down time

[Just Duke]

Cool!!!!!!!!!!!!