LAGS is up to something again

[armoredman]

Remember this picture? One of the barrels didn't get used.

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Well, let's have @LAGS tell the story...

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[LAGS]

Thank you Armoredman.
It is true.
I don't let old parts go to waste.
The new pistol is the cut off section of the rifle from the Bubba'ed barrel thread.
That stock I am building is made from a old piece of a Mesquite Tree Branch that broke off one of my trees a year ago.
The lock is a Philadelphia Derringer lock that I made a new side plate made to fit the barrel with a drum installed instead of the patent type breech plug.
This is a .54 cal and will be fun to shoot.

[Hannibal]

Interesting! Looking forward to seeing this project progress.

[Nobade]

Gotta love projects like that!

[LAGS]

I love that a friend post pictures of my projects.
I would like to inspire others to do this kind of work themselves.

[Texas by God]

Philadelphia Thumper!
Watching this; thanks for sharing it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LAGS]

I have another "Salvage" project going on also.
I have a TC Renegade barrel that had a stripped breech plug thread where it was rusted bad inside the barrel.
I replaced the breech plug with a flintlock style breechplug, and intend on installing a drum on it for the nipple instead of a standard breech plug that I don't have.
The bore is rusted also.
So I am going to send it to Bobby Hoyt and have it rebored from .50 cal to .54.
When I get it back.
I have a TC lockplate that is really rusted.
I intend on modifying that lock to fit the barrel with a drum installed nipple.
Then I will either modify a Renegade stock to fit the modified barrel and lock.
Or just build a New stock for the rifle.
I also have 7 TC rifles that I intend on Restoring them.
Plus three New rifle Kits that I intend on building.
But I love doing the Salvage Projects just for the challenge of using my skills to build something nice.
Rather than just being like a Parts Replacing type of Gunsmith.

[Nobade]

I heartily applaud your efforts. It's things like this that keep the trade interesting.

[725]

I love to follow LAGS and his efforts. Photos are always so instructive.

[LAGS]

There are a bunch of Ticky Tack things I have to do on this project.
Like
The barrel I am using was from a barrel that was Bubba Built from an expensive kit by somebody else.
The dovetail for the front sight was hand filed in and all messed up.
So,
I had to refile the dovetail so it was usable.
Refiling it made the dovetail larger than standard sights will fit.
So I had to make my own front sight with a larger base to fit the wider dovetail.
Once the stock is finished , I will install a dovetail for a rear sight.
I may just build the rear sight too.
Why buy , when you can build.

[Hannibal]

If you would, ask Armoredman to post some photos of those sight builds. I've been thinking of going that route but haven't yet. I'm always interested in seeing how someone else decides to approach a job.

[LAGS]

I will send him some pictures of that new front sight.
But I didn't realize that people might be interested in how they were put together , or I should have done pictures as I built them.
But that is a thought for if I build the new rear sight.
I haven't decided if I want to build one that is elevation adjustable for a pistol.
But it is a thought.
Now remember.
I no longer have a mill.
All my parts are shaped with a hand file and hack saw.
And maybe once in a while with a Dremel tool.

[Hannibal]

I will send him some pictures of that new front sight.
But I didn't realize that people might be interested in how they were put together , or I should have done pictures as I built them.
But that is a thought for if I build the new rear sight.
I haven't decided if I want to build one that is elevation adjustable for a pistol.
But it is a thought.
Now remember.
I no longer have a mill.
All my parts are shaped with a hand file and hack saw.
And maybe once in a while with a Dremel tool.

Well as a machinist once told me power equipment doesn't make you any better, it just allows you to screw things up a lot faster.

If you're going to build a rear sight that's adjustable for elevation by hand I'd definitely like to see how you approach that. Cool guy stuff in my book and I ain't blowin' smoke about that.

[HamGunner]

Well as a machinist once told me power equipment doesn't make you any better, it just allows you to screw things up a lot faster

Now that is for sure.

Nice work LAGS

[armoredman]

Ask and ye shall receive...

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[LAGS]

That is the new front sight that I made.
I will do the final shaping and finishing once the pistol is close to being finished.
The brass blade will be thinned , and filed to the correct height once the rear sight is installed.
I line the sights up and adjust the height using a laser bore sighter to get them close before the test firing.
Doing that on other pistols set the sights close enough to be with in 6" of the bullseye on first firing at 25 yards.

[armoredman]

I notice the barrel is now flush with the wood.

[LAGS]

I am installing the trigger right now and starting to shape the stock.
I haven't decided if I am going to install a nose cap on the stock.
If I do.
I will have to cast my own to fit the stock.
Since I don't have my furnace set up at this house.
I won't be able to cast it out of brass.
But I might cast it out of old Zinc Wheel Weights.
I have done that and butt plates out of Zinc before.

[Hannibal]

Thanks for the sight pictures. I definitely appreciate it.

[LAGS]

I got the stock fit for that trigger that is shown in picture #1.
Now I have to work on that trigger.
The trigger is fairly new.
But it is not a high class trigger.
The trigger flops around side to side a lot because it was built sloppy.
So I will remove the pivot pin and replace it with one that is larger diameter that fits well into the trigger lever better.
I may even solder some brass washers to the side of the lever to make it fit better in the trigger plate with less side to side play.
I am not trying to make some Olympic quality trigger.
But since it is apart , why not just improve it some.
To give you an idea of what I mean.
The trigger pivot pin is .118" dia.
The pivot hole in the trigger lever is .135"
That let's the trigger flops around a lot.
Plus the trigger lever is made of sand cast brass.
So any wiggling around will cause the hole in the trigger lever to widen out even more in a very short time.
The trigger lever is .112" wide.
The slot it fits into on the trigger plate is .135" wide.
So I can just solder a brass washer or two to the side of the trigger lever to make it fit the trigger plate slot better.