My latest smokepole

[Buckshot Bill]

Dad got me hooked on black last year and I have been buying smokepoles ever since. I got this one at the flea market this week. It's a .50 traditions fox river. It had a 24" barrel, the owner bought it, fired one shot out of it, and didn't like the recoil. He didn't bother to clean it either but luckily it was triple 7 so it wasn't too rusty, it scrubbed right out with a bronze brush save for a bit of pitting out near the muzzle. I bought it with the intentions of carbinizing it anyway so I knocked off 5" of barrel, that got rid of all the pitting and boy is she a shooter now! I relocated the ramrod pipe, shortened the ramrod and reinstalled the tip and re-dovetailed the front sight too. All a by product of chopping the barrel off. $80 and it came with 2 pounds of powder, couldn't be happier. I'm thinking about tacking the stock up a bit, always wanted one like that, and maybe a rawhide grip wrap. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e340/crosmansniper/100_3360_zps09uemutr.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/crosmansniper/media/100_3360_zps09uemutr.jpg.html)

[BPJONES]

Looks good and you got it at a pretty darn good price with powder included!

[54bore]

That would make a good brush gun, most of my elk hunting is done in really thick brush country, most of your shots being well under a hundred yards, a short barreled easy to maneuver rifle would be really nice at times! Good luck, and have fun with it

[Buckshot Bill]

heavy cover here too, most shots will be inside 50 yards and it still scoots a ball out plenty fast enough for anything I'll be hunting in my neck of the woods.

[bubba.50]

only thing I would change would be to make the under-rib full length. but still & all looks very nice and as my brother would say "handy as a pocket on a shirt".

[sharps4590]

Your bench is entirely too tidy. You ought to be ashamed of yourself....:mrgreen:

[bubba.50]

like most of us he probably just shoved enough stuff outta the way to take the "pitcher" :kidding:.

when ya get around to addin' the tacks & such you should go all out & stain the stock a nice early colonial red color with some faux stripin' like a Henry Leman gun.

[Buckshot Bill]

I do try to keep the work area somewhat tidy. I hate havin' to "look" for stuff.

I like a full under rib too (looks better) but it would add weight, I like how light it is.
I just got in from shooting it over the chrony. 100 grains is shoving a .490 out at 1500 fps. Entirely acceptable for a 19" barrel I think. I'll get around to reworking the aesthetics someday. I'm out of tacks right now. All I have is brass plated ones which I don't really want to use.