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Thread: Cutting Dovetails by KSCO

  1. #21
    Perm-Banned
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    extreem northwest ne.
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    their is a gun smiths wife up in the blackhills who does all his dove tails by hand, huge number every year and they are perfect. she inspired me to do my own. they arent as good as hers which are perfect but they are as good as a machine does it. if i, get tired of it i just lay it down and come back to it later but it really doesnt take that long saves me money when i do them my self. good post and pictures.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master

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    Feb 2007
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    I find it much quicker with a mill and a carbide dovetail cutter. I can cut dovetails on most barrels for $15 each and make money.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master kenyerian's Avatar
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    Dec 2011
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    http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-to...s-prod698.aspx The dovetail files are not cheap.

  4. #24
    Boolit Buddy X-man's Avatar
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    Apr 2005
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    Good stuff guys!
    "Only accurate rifles are interesting."
    - Colonel Townsend Whelen

  5. #25
    Boolit Bub concho's Avatar
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    Apr 2009
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    I must comment ! Great job , My milling and cutter for dovetails would have not done better .

  6. #26
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Yes you can John but I started making muzzleloaders with a post drill, a forge and hand tools, in fact other than rifling the barrels I did it all myself just as it was done 200 years ago. One rifle took me over 2 months to make including forging the small parts. I have a mill and use it for a lot of work, but if I am doing a restoration I want the tool makrs to be right to, and when the electricity is off I can still make guns.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    943
    Question ?
    I am wanting to cut a dovetail on an 1858 for a front sight.
    The sight is suppose to have a 74 degree angle but most files seem to be 45, 60 or 65 degree.
    I see Brownells has a cutter but not a file in 74 degrees
    Failure is not an Option

  8. #28
    Boolit Buddy
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    Feb 2012
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    NH
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Taylor View Post
    I find it much quicker with a mill and a carbide dovetail cutter. I can cut dovetails on most barrels for $15 each and make money.
    I use the Bridgeport for the depth and top width and finish with a safe sided file.

  9. #29
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
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    3
    your gonna size them and lube them again why bother standing them up.



    บาคาร่า

  10. #30
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    Texas by God's Avatar
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    A steel slot blank can be made from an old rear sight or ordered on line. Better looking than an aluminum one IMO.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

  11. #31
    Boolit Mold
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    Jan 2021
    Location
    PA Deutsch Country
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    18
    I've hand cut a couple on my 44-40 barrel swap into a Marlin 1894. I didn't want the full length magazine tube. For a filler blank, a bevel gauge and a protractor gives a good reference on any bit of steel you've got laying around. My background is wood, so dovetails don't scare me, only the materials and tools are a little different. Take your time.

    A good hand with a mill and a sharp cutter I'm sure can do it quicker, but at what cost? Don't forget, someone built that first lathe by hand. Working on some fine antiques over the years, and building boats, sharp hand tools in skilled hands are remarkably efficient for one-ofs.

  12. #32
    Boolit Buddy JLF's Avatar
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    Apr 2021
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    Alvarez (ARGENTINA)
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    Nice job. Tidy. I congratulate you
    "When the homeland is in danger, everything is allowed, except not to defend it."

    Gral. Don José de San Martin.

  13. #33
    Boolit Buddy muskeg13's Avatar
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    Mar 2007
    Location
    Houston, Alaska
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    399
    This is a very useful sticky post. I followed the instructions, took my time and cut/filed a good dovetail the first time on a piece of barrel stub. My only problem was not taping off the top of the barrel adjacent to the work and letting the hacksaw get away from me when making the initial cuts. My failure to maintain firm control caused the teeth to skid out of the shallow groove and scratch the barrel. If it had been "for real", I could easily polish the area and re-blue, but that is why you should practice first.

    I'm working with a round barrel, and to find top center, found a scope reticle alignment tool with a spirit level to be useful.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check