Out of the ashes! A couple of questions.

[Char-Gar]

Many years ago, 1956 to be exact, I bought a very old cap lock rifle in the Plains pattern. It has a half stock, shorter barrel, a Lehman (Lancaster) brass lock and took a .360 patched ball. I figured it was some sort of small game rifle. All of the hardware is brass except the forend cap which is pewter. It shot quite well.

Thirty years ago, it fell a long distance to a hard floor and the stock was splintered to smithereens and beyond all repair. I was sick, sick, sick when it happened, but I kept the remains all of these year.

Now that my shop if up and running and I have some time on my hands, I would like to make a new stock and bring the old girl back to life. There is enough of the stock left, for me to get the critical dimensions. Now the questions.

1. Where can I get a semi-finished stock for such a critter?

2. Where can I get the barrel "freshened" these days and times?

[docone31]

Dixie gun works has semi-finished pattern stocks.
Other folks know who does freshing.

[mooman76]

I was going to suggest Dixiegunworks also. They have stocks in verious stages of completion from blank cut outs to 95% finished and in verious grades of wood. Don't know about the barrel freshining but unless the barrel has deteriated allot I'd just clean it up good and shoot it especially since it's an old piece.

[FL-Flinter]

Since you already have a good idea what the stock size & shape is that you like, I'd suggest starting with a plank. The biggest complaint with any partially shaped and/or inletted blank is poor fit either to the existing parts. 0.010" difference between the barrel nominal and actual barrel OD doesn't sound like much but it'll be ugly slopping around in the barrel channel; same with the lock. If you make the inlets to fit the parts you have, it's a whole lot easier and makes for a much nicer job.

I don't know off hand who freshen's barrels anymore. If it's not real bad, I'd lap it and see how she does; if it is real bad, I'd consider getting it re-bored, lined or just replacing it depending on how much that particular barrel means to you.

[StrawHat]

chargar,

These guys supply most of the rpecut stocks to the trade.

http://www.longrifles-pr.com/stockscomponents.shtml

How bad is the old stock splitered? Epoxy is a good fix for most stock damage, even the old wood glue works well for splits and such.

There is also the possibility your stock could be put together and a new stock turned from it so as to duplicate the original.

There are a couple of guys who can fresh out a barrel, if it needs it. How did it shoot before the fall?

PM if you have any questions.

[Char-Gar]

Guys..guys the original stock is beyond repair. You are going to have to trust me on this one. The barrel has plenty of rifling left, but also plenty of pits. a patch goes down smooth enough and it shot as well as I could aim with the thing off hand at 50 yards when I shot it years ago. I don't know enough about these muzzle loading barrel to know when they are dead. If it were a cast bullet centerfire rifle, I would give it last rites, but that may not be the case with a patched ball. I just don't know.

Thanks for the input.

[mooman76]

MLs are a little more forgiving than a normal gun. Deeper rifling, lower pressures, you usually shoot with a patch. All these play a factor. It (the inside)should have not changed all that much since you last fired it unless you either left it uncleaned after firing or left it in pour storage conditions. I'd clean it up and shoot as is, after replacing the stock of coarse and if it doesn't shoot to your liking, you can still work on getting it reconditioned or whatever is needed. I've heard horror stories about guns being left uncleaned for moths or a year and people clean them up and still get them to shoot reasonably well. Shoot it, it might surprize you!

[Jim]

0.010" difference between the barrel nominal and actual barrel OD doesn't sound like much but it'll be ugly slopping around in the barrel channel; same with the lock. If you make the inlets to fit the parts you have, it's a whole lot easier and makes for a much nicer job.

What helps me a lot with understanding thousandths is the average sheet of paper is about .004.

[flounderman]

if you have all the old pieces, fiberglass does wonders

[northmn]

A Ml barrel will shoot surprisingly well with a strong patch even if slightly pitted. Restocking is about as much work as making from new parts. Is this a repo rifle or an original? You stated it had a brass lock marked Lehman? In 1956 there were not a lot of repo makers. Typically the originals had very heavy barrels. Just curious.

Northmn