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

[Just Duke]

With a pair of Bausch & Lomb visor magnifiers I would have no trouble building rifles like these.
http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html
Here's a good book source. Moravian Gun Making of the American Revolution by Bob Lienemann and Steve Hench
http://kentuckyriflefoundation.org/krf-store/#moravian


http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/1%20TERRITORIAL/BP%20RIFLE/DSCN6640.jpg

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/1%20TERRITORIAL/BP%20RIFLE/DSCN6642.jpg


http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/1%20TERRITORIAL/BP%20RIFLE/DSCN6633.jpg


http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/1%20TERRITORIAL/BP%20RIFLE/DSCN6634.jpg



http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/1%20TERRITORIAL/BP%20RIFLE/DSCN6635.jpg


http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/1%20TERRITORIAL/BP%20RIFLE/DSCN6636.jpg


http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/1%20TERRITORIAL/BP%20RIFLE/DSCN6637.jpg


http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/1%20TERRITORIAL/BP%20RIFLE/DSCN6638.jpg


http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/1%20TERRITORIAL/BP%20RIFLE/DSCN6639.jpg

[waksupi]

Definitely my favorite type of rifles to build. I won't build some other types, but will always accept a traditional flint rifle or fowler project. The wooden patch boxes are easier to do than most think. I think I can actually do one from scratch, faster than inletting a metal patch box.

[Marvin S]

Those are beauty's for sure. I look on that site from time to time and marvel at the workmanship. There are some top names by them guns.

[Just Duke]

Those are beauty's for sure. I look on that site from time to time and marvel at the workmanship. There are some top names by them guns.

<yawn> Remember this is 300 year old technology. ;) No reason you couldn't build your own if one follows certain applicable guide lines. It's like coloring book. You just have to color with in the lines. Also remember the gents that built the originals were very young. Most back then didn't live past 36 years old. The gunstock was always inside the tree, you just have to remove the rough edges. ;)
Also remember the men that built the rifles pictured are very much trying to replicate rifles the innovator's created. An anachronism.
These are much simpler than one of those nutso complicated WWII radial engines. lol
Barbie oogles these all the time. I figure I should post them here.

[Marvin S]

I have put a few together from parts sets from TOW and the like. Some turned out pretty decent. I do think one needs some artistic ability for the upper grade guns which I seem to lack but would have better luck building the engine. If making guns as nice as those where easy everybody would be doing it. Look close at the inletting and arcetecture.

[Just Duke]

If making guns as nice as those where easy everybody would be doing it.
One would first before anything have to have the desire to build these. ;) You can make anything you want if you have the desire to do it.

[waksupi]

We are in the second Golden Age of rifle building. Today's builders are far surpassing the quality of the majority of the old guns.

[Just Duke]

We are in the second Golden Age of rifle building. Today's builders are far surpassing the quality of the majority of the old guns.

That's good to know. By all the salt and pepper pictured it looks like we don't have much time left. ;)

[Just Duke]

Do you think this is silver plated?

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad54/LEVERACTIONSHOOTERS/1%20TERRITORIAL/BP%20RIFLE/DSCN6642.jpg

[Marvin S]

It's hard to tell from the pictures. If it is silver it is not plated but solid German silver. Could just be steel in the white but still just guessing.

[Mike Brooks]

Looks like polished steel. Guys capable of this caliber of work would use sterling, not plate or german silver.

[waksupi]

I'm pretty sure it is iron, as the other furniture appears to be iron.

[starmac]

No doubt they are beautiful. I have always wondered how accurate compared to those built today by craftsmen of the same ilk.

Even cheap massed produced muzzle loaders have shot pretty good for me, accuracy wise, but there are lots better shots than I am I reckon.

[waksupi]

The problem of building a real high end rifle, is finding a customer afterwards! Quality costs money.

[357maximum]

The problem of building a real high end rifle, is finding a customer afterwards! Quality costs money.


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. :lol:

[Just Duke]

The problem of building a real high end rifle, is finding a customer afterwards! Quality costs money.

Myself I wouldn't need a customer. They would be for us.

[Mike Brooks]

The problem of building a real high end rifle, is finding a customer afterwards! Quality costs money.
There's plenty folks out there with the cash, thank God!

[fouronesix]

With a pair of Bausch & Lomb visor magnifiers I would have no trouble building rifles like these.


Well, the parts are available. Nothing preventing you from building one.

[fouronesix]

[SIZE=4]Do you think this is silver plated?

Agree with others. To me looks like iron finished bright.

[lmcollins]

These are early rifles, and if I remember correctly German Silver was not invented until something like 1830. Coins were flatened at times for small inlays. I cnnot remember anything about streling silver.

These fitting must be polished steel. In this period the originals would have probably just been plain polished iron: without the carbon cooked into it to make it into steel. That would have been way too expensive wouldn't it it for rifle fittings in America?

[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. :lol:

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/Categories/GunKit.aspx/618/1/KIT-ANTIQUE-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

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Goldenmeister/assaultrifle_zps5c77f793.jpg

[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/YaBB.pl?num=1366388037

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

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=3353.0


http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?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

http://www.jimfilipski.com/images/RogersBulletRifle.jpg

[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!!!!!!!!!!!!