To cut barrel or not

[nekshot]

I am sorry if some of my posts seem scatter brained (the pain meds really play havoc with my communication skills) but here is this project I am trying to finnish and I think something doesn't look right (this is my first muzzle build). Should the barrel get cut to 1 inch of stock or is it ok as is?
Thanks for input, nekshot (I know this will be of opinoin and thats ok, because I don't have one on this deal)6786867869

[onegunred]

Put the Ram Rod in it and mark barrel 1" past the rod end. Hang a dark cloth over it and step back for a look. I like your avatar. Oh, by the way, the build looks good.

[Reverend Al]

I'd be more inclined to shorten up the forend and make it into a heavy barreled, half stock sporter, leaving the barrel just as it is?
Just sayin' ...
:popcorn:

[gnoahhh]

Ditto. I would cut the fore arm off about 8-9" in front of the trigger guard, to keep some perspective with that relatively short barrel.

[nekshot]

I never thought of turning it into a hawken type. I was so engulfed with trying to make this one a jaeger carbine that when the first stock cracked half way into build and until I got this other wood going I lost vision for what I am trying to do. To much thinking on sacrilegious flinter coming next!

[missionary5155]

Greetings
I was going to ask how long is the barrel now ? I prefer longer barrels personally especially with BP. I like 32 inches as my short side of barrels. As it is find you a bayonet and fit it !
Mike in Peru

[nekshot]

the barrel is 50 cal 1x32, 26 inches. I was going for military look until I simply gave up trying to make a band for it. Maybe I should look for a bayonet lug in my junk box as thats what this thing is made up of!

[swamp]

My first thought was the same as Reverand, shorten the stock. But then I am partial to half stock guns. I think they look more in balance.
swamp

[johnson1942]

years ago before deadwood s.dak. became a gambling center it was a nice little town in the mountains to visit. they has a historical gun museum of several hundred muzzleloaders from the old gold rush days. most were in pretty good shape and alot were like new. one thing i noticed, their was no consistant style or school of style to 98 percent of them. men went to the gold fields with what they could buy or had from where they come from. alot of the guns were put together from guns that wore out but had parts that were still good. so, what ever you choose to do will be correct as your will be like most gunsmiths of days gone by, building a gun with what you had avail. and what you felt like at that moment. their is no right or wrong in this, do what you feel good about. i often wonder what happened to all those guns up at deadwood, the museum isnt their any more and the gun collection would have made anyone reading this really happy to see.

[Edm]

I'd cut the stock back also.

[james8719]

It kind of has a musket look to it, you could leave it as is. What about adding a piece of wood, kind of like the two piece stocks on some of the Traditions long rifles?

[fouronesix]

Leave the barrel alone. And my first thought is to leave the stock length as is. Do a simple google search and look at all the various type of MLs especially the originals. From my perspective the only thing I might do is slim down the entire forend. It could take on a "musket" look (sans the oct barrel) as has been posted.

[nekshot]

All your input is helpful. The start of all my problems after first stock cracked was when I was routing out the ram rod cut I wanted to stop about 8 inches in front of trigger and bring the rod out in open, but I had my head elsewhere and the next thing I knew I routed all the way to tip of stock. The easiest way out of this mess is the hawken look(which I never thought of). I simply hate to lose that wood and its grain pattern. I could glue in a piece and get my original look but I don't know if it is worth it. How ever as my avatar says "now we wait"!

[fouronesix]

Still, I kind of like the "look"- go figure since my passion is muskets :)

The only problem I see is with ramrod clearing the staples for the pins/wedges?? If I'm understanding the design correctly. All the ramrod has to do is fit below the staples. The full length routed channel is of no practical consequence if that's the case.

[nekshot]

fouronsix, I am secure so I can really show my stupidity now on the ramrod. I am planning on a 2 pc ram rod. 2\3 of it fit in under barrel to wedge and the rest in buttstock. I have a h&r sidekick that takes a collapsible rod and it did not take me to long to think someday I will improve their method.

[Geraldo]

My first thought on seeing the pics was that it looks like a military musket. I'd be hesitant to cut a 26" barrel any shorter, but if you cut the stock it's going to look like a shortened Springfield/Enfield stock with an octagon barrel. I'd say leave it alone for now, you can always shorten either later on.

[fouronesix]

fouronsix, I am secure so I can really show my stupidity now on the ramrod. I am planning on a 2 pc ram rod. 2\3 of it fit in under barrel to wedge and the rest in buttstock. I have a h&r sidekick that takes a collapsible rod and it did not take me to long to think someday I will improve their method.

Hey, you can call it a "Plains Trade Rifle Musket".

I'm not seeing the reason for a 2 pc rod. Just get the forend shaped to rough final outline. Rout a channel from nose to maybe 10"-12" in front of the front lock screw. Drill the ramrod hole on back-- being sure to miss the front lock screw. You can weld some sort of extension onto a regular length drill bit for this. No need to purchase a very expensive long drill bit. Inlet pipes into routed channel.

[waksupi]

The nice thing about building a ML, you can always get another piece of wood and start in again. You really need a good book on building ML rifles, like
"The Gunsmith of Grenville County".

[nekshot]

Thanks for that book info, I will look into getting that. Getting educated is my what I do when the meds are working and I can't. I love learning it never gets old!

[Col4570]

I would do a two stage step on the stock at the Muzzle end.I think this would take away the bulky look.

[GrizzLeeBear]

As the others have said, don't cut the barrel any shorter. Cut the forend to make a half-stock rifle. With the style of the stock and trigger you have, do a google search for "English sporting rifle".

[nekshot]

ordered the book, wow those prices are all over the place . 45 to 157 dollars! I am a tite wad so I went for the lesser figure!