Didn't expect that

[c1skout]

I got a hankering for a squirrel rifle. I'm thinking 32cal percussion, so last night I started looking out here on the internet to see what's available. I liked the look of the Traditions deerstalker in 32 (no brass, straight-ish stock, and single trigger) but thought it may be a bit heavy to carry with a 15/16" barrel. It appears to be discontinued anyways.
I sure got a shock when I saw the prices! Over $500 for a Traditions Crockett. I have a Traditions PA pellet that I bought new the year they came out. I paid $229 out the door, now that same rifle is well over 400! Guess I've been under a rock too long..... I was thinking a squirrel rifle might be 250-300 new.:oops:

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

everything has gone up except wages.

[Lead Fred]

The prices have not gone up

The dollar has devalued

[Sasquatch-1]

Check your local pawn shops. I picked up a TC Seneca in .45 cal for $100. The shop I deal with doesn't normally buy side lock guns. They got this one in a package deal.

[Good Cheer]

Getting a small bore barrel is easy.
Finding a slender piece to put the barrel on, now that's not so easy.
Second hand 7/8 across the flats rifles with wood stocks are kinda becoming a resource.

[waksupi]

I find that the slender barrels don't have enough weight for me to hold them as well as a heavier profile.

[nekshot]

I saw 2 TC's sidelocks yesterdaw in local pawn shop. One was in the low 3's and the other almost 400. They looked like well taken care of 70-80 era percussion rifles.

[Good Cheer]

Next time I see good price on a Deerhunter with a wood stock I'm snagging it for a project gun.

[johnson1942]

waksupi is right, a gun has to have weight to hold steady. im not a big man but my 50 cal side lock and my 45 cal side lock with 1 inch diam barrels and 36 inches long on the barrels hold rock solid when i shoot them. i cant hold my sons 270 very steady because it is way too light for me. nothing wrong with weight. side locks that are well made are not cheap. my prices are going up. my cost of building them is really going up also. good luck in looking for what you want.

[mooman76]

Sidelocks are getting harder to get in the production models with less companies making them and even less in the small bores so prices are high but if you look around on some gun sites like this you can find a fair price but they usually go quick.

[nekshot]

why not get a extra barrel in cal you want for your original gun, call it the "original barrel swap" system!

[roverboy]

Check your local pawn shops. I picked up a TC Seneca in .45 cal for $100. The shop I deal with doesn't normally buy side lock guns. They got this one in a package deal.
The Seneca was a great rifle. To bad they don't make them anymore. They made a Cherokee rifle too. One of them was available in a combo.

[Good Cheer]

For swapping out barrels, flint is easy.
For percussion it's a matter of finding the right breech. Might be easy, might be not so easy.

[johnson1942]

if you dont mind paying a little, why not do this. send a good used h and r action to smokeless muzzleloader inc. along with a small cal barrel made from anyone you like and have them put together a perfect h and r action inline for you. you could even use smokeless powder like reloader 7 and 209 primers. still make it a a 32 patched ball gun. would make a perfect squirrel gun not in the old tradition but never the less a real muzzleloader that gets all the squirrel meat you want.

[c1skout]

Thanks for the comments and ideas.

Sasquatch1, I'm in PA so there is no such thing as a local pawn shop..... but I'm in all the local gun shops weekly to browse.

I had thought about a different barrel for my PA Pellet, but didn't know if any were available, and then my squirrel gun would be a flintlock. I don't have a percussion gun so was thinking of getting one to try.

johnson1942, I have a pair of NEF Huntsman inline guns now, and most all my other long guns that aren't army surplus are H&R or NEF. I'm sure that I would like one in 32 also, but I'd rather get a percussion side hammer. No hurry so I'll keep an eye open, I'm sure one will turn up .

[johnson1942]

another way to go is get a side lock you really like and have taylor or some gunsmith like him put a good 32 barrel liner in it. im going to reline two of mine when i get the time and money. a relined barrel is known to shoot very very accurately as they have very very little muzzle whip and barrel vibrations.

[Gtek]

If you can stand the imports, Deer Creek Products has 32 Squirrel barrels/some parts and also have locks and set triggers. About two bills and then find and make the furniture that fits you. I have a factory flint and a cap and I cannot really get my big fat head down on them, Grandson can't wait!

[cbashooter]

I played with 32 a bit but those little patches and balls were hard to deal with in cold weather.I now stop at .40 for smallbore.

[bedbugbilly]

chashooter - I'm with you on the 32s. When I was twenty years younger, I had a CVA Squirrel Rifle - it was a nice little 32 and was a good little shooter for small varmints and tree rats. Like a fool, I sold it but a few years back, I did some horse trading for a Crockett. It was a nice little rifle but my fingers just aren't nimble enough to play with the small balls so it left my possession.

I've had 40 calibers - I made several 40 caliber long rifles a few years back - 1 percussion and 1 flint. The 40 is sort of an "ideal" caliber to me. Small enough to do small critters with the "plus" of being able to use a 3/8 ramrod - makes things easy in the field and not the flex of a 5/16 rod.

As far as barrel heft . . . it's got to be heavy enough to give you good balance and keep you on target. Don't make the mistake I did though one time . . . I built a flint Virginia Rifle from scratch and decided to use a .36 caliber 7/8" barrel - 42". it shot very well but talk about getting tired shooting that heavy of a barrel! I put it on display on one of my tables at a gun show and a guy came along and made an offer I couldn't resist. I used Myron Carlson's hand forged furniture on it - I used to love to stop and visit with him at Friendship years ago - a very fine gentleman. Now, I wish I had that one back as well.

Anyway . . . yes, even the production rifles are pricey . . . . but remember you have other options besides a side lock. I have a H & A under hammer in .36 that Deer Creek made many years ago . . . it is one fine shooting rifle! They don't make them anymore but you can buy the under hammer action from Pecatonnica for I believe $150. Scoringe up a barrel in the caliber you want . . 32, 26, 40 and make an under hammer. If you have good basic skills - you can make your own buttstock and you don't really need a forearm if you don't want one. A shorter 13/16" barrel in any of those three calibers would make a awesome little tree rat rifle as well as a bunny gun. I like the under hammers because I have vision problems - am right eye dominant but now have to shoot left handed/left eyed due to the loss of my central vision in my dominant eye. The under hammer will let you shoot either left or right handed - they are simple and reliable to shoot and way more fun than they should be. I'm a "traditionalist" and like "authentic" rifles and the under hammer fits that bill - they've been around for as long as side lock percussion rifles have been. And talk about interchanging barrels - you can do the same with an under hammer. A small caliber for small varmints, a 45 - 54 for deer and a nice 20 gauge smoothbore for shot or patched round ball.

[cbashooter]

I've got an underhammer. 58 on the way.sorry to get off topic.

[Hanshi]

The Crockett and other good .32s are available for less than that from various sources. Check on-line adds, and companies that stock them.

[c1skout]

Gtec, thanks for mentioning Deer Creek, I bought CVA parts from them before and hadn't thought of them when I started looking online. They have a kit gun that I like the looks of. I showed it to the missus and gave her a Christmas hint.
Still open to other ideas and suggestions. I'm going to do some research into the under hammers now.

[johnson1942]

if your really looking for a good hunting shooting gun you cant get better than the underhammer. go to pecotonica river muzzle loaders and they have a simple kit to put together. very very well made. also if you dont want a round ball barrel just have a fast twist made by the oregon rifle barrel co in the cal and twist you want and send it pecotonica and they will use that for the kit. ive never heard anyone say bad things about their underhammers. their are all kinds of them out their. round balls, sabots and paperpatched underhammers. they are so easy to build.

[c1skout]

Merry Christmas everyone! My wife got me the Traditions 32 deerhunter kit. Now I get to put it together. Any tips for assembly, I've never done any barrel finishing other than cold blue touch up in spots.

[johnson1942]

how long is the barrel, will it fit in your stove oven? if it does i can tell you step by step how to rust blue it better that a pro job.

[mooman76]

Merry Christmas everyone! My wife got me the Traditions 32 deerhunter kit. Now I get to put it together. Any tips for assembly, I've never done any barrel finishing other than cold blue touch up in spots.

Take your time and don't rush. Casey Birchwood brown works well and is a good durable coat. If your barrel fits in the oven, it makes it easier and quicker to do a good job. You can also heat it with a torch. I have the Deer Hunter also. Got it years ago but mine was already finished.

[rfd]

i prefer all my ml barrels left in-the-white, to patina on their own, as was probably done with most rifles in their day.

as to assembly, i put it all together to make sure of alignment and function (which could require removing some stock wood), when it's together and the trigger and lock function, i'll take it all apart, fine sand the wood, raise the grain at least a few times and knock it down again, stain the wood, then i'll "paint" the stock's barrel channel and lock inlets with water thin cya (hobby shop quality super glue) to both strengthen and protect the wood, then clear coat with true-oil or minwax wipe on polyu. make Sure not to put too much finish into any inlet area like the lock - don't gob on any finish, 3 or 4 quite light coats are better than 1 or 2 heavy coats. reassemble, check for functionality, do a blank 10 grain test, head for the back yard or range with patch 'n' ball!

"Traditions 32 deerhunter kit" ... ? i thought the only .32 kit was the crockett???

[Kylongrifle]

Heres the deerhunter .32 kit..Ive got a Cherokee .32 but Ive thought about buying this kit just to try something different
http://www.deercreekproducts.net/store/p695/Deerhunter_Rifle_Kit_32cal._Perc..html

[rfd]

Heres the deerhunter .32 kit..Ive got a Cherokee .32 but Ive thought about buying this kit just to try something different
http://www.deercreekproducts.net/store/p695/Deerhunter_Rifle_Kit_32cal._Perc..html

ah, it's a cva and not a traditions, but both are made by the same spanish arms co.

it's basically a single trigger crockett with a shorter barrel and two piece stock.

[c1skout]

Looks like no trouble fitting it in the oven (don't tell the wife), what's the trick?

[johnson1942]

i will pm you simple details on how to rust blue or rust brown the barrel and metal parts so it is better than a pro job.

[c1skout]

Johnson1942, thanks for the instructions. Sounds easy enough, I just need to decide if I want to blue or brown it. I haven't shopped around yet but can't remember seeing anyone local selling any blueing solutions so I'll have to order whatever I decide on. My trigger , small parts, and lock are already finished. Only the barrel and tang block are in the white.

Ive refinished a few stocks with linseed oil in the past and had good results that are long lasting so I'm not as worried about that part. My trigger, lock and barrel all fit in the stock for test fitting so I don't anticipate much work there. I haven't tried the sights in the dovetails yet.

[johnson1942]

let us know how it turns out.

[c1skout]

I started dry-fitting my parts last evening. The stock needed some wood removed at the rear of the trigger guard, and the hole that the tang screw drops down through for holding the trigger guard needed modified. I got those issues sorted and moved on to the barrel tenon and hit my first snag.
The dovetails are awfully small! Those edges are really sharp too! I started out smoothing the flat base of the tenon and I got enough metal removed that it will start into the dovetail, but I need to remove metal on the sides also. I have triangle files..... but nothing with a safe side. I see I can order crazy expensive dovetail files, but will they be the correct angle for these metric dovetails?

[waksupi]

I started dry-fitting my parts last evening. The stock needed some wood removed at the rear of the trigger guard, and the hole that the tang screw drops down through for holding the trigger guard needed modified. I got those issues sorted and moved on to the barrel tenon and hit my first snag.
The dovetails are awfully small! Those edges are really sharp too! I started out smoothing the flat base of the tenon and I got enough metal removed that it will start into the dovetail, but I need to remove metal on the sides also. I have triangle files..... but nothing with a safe side. I see I can order crazy expensive dovetail files, but will they be the correct angle for these metric dovetails?

I reshaped a cold chisel to turn the metal up when fitting dovetails. Leaves the metal there, and can be peened down to help hold the tennon in place. Much easier and faster than using the files. Take too much off with a file, what do you do?

[c1skout]

Okey-doke, here's a progress report.
I got the dovetails fit with my needle files. No real problem but took me a good while. Had to drill some pilot holes for the barrel wedge plate screws, and the thimble screws needed to be shortened a good bit to tighten the thimble to the barrel. Here's the dry fitting completed.

156636

156735

Does this hammer strike look OK?

156736

the stock after sanding, staining, and 4 coats of hand rubbed BLO
156737

156738

Now I'm waiting for my browning reagent to get here so I can put a finish on the barrel. I'll work a few coats of 1/3 wax into the stock in the meantime.

[John Taylor]

Deer Creek also has under hammer actions. GM still has a 40 cal listed but they quit making the 32. I have a brass frame under hammer with a heavy 40 cal barrel that I started for a customer, he died before I got it finished.

[johnson1942]

c1skout, see your pm/s.

[Buckshot Bill]

everything has gone up except wages.

https://youtu.be/qWSnisluAIY

[c1skout]

Well the browning is done to my satisfaction, gun assembled and test-fired.
157479
I got out last evening before the sun went down. I fired 4 shots and my boy shot 1. We used Hornady swaged balls and prelubed Cabelas .10 patches, shot from a rest at 25 yards. I started out with a 38 special case full of Goex 3f. That shot hit centered but 6" high. Next shot I loaded a 9mm case of 3f and that one hit the 2" bullseye centered but about an inch high! My boy tried one and hit about 2" high and left, then I shot another that hit about an inch left of my centered bullseye hit. For my last shot I put up one of my squirrel targets and took a shot standing offhand from 25 yards.
157478
After supper I cleaned it, then built myself a ball starter. I'll try some thicker patches next time out, but so far I'm liking this gun!