Best of luck taco650! Looks like your off to a great start. Keeps us posted with you progress.
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not
"Thomas Jefferson"
The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"
Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!
Well, you CAN put it back on, by cutting and sanding filler stips to glue in. Much better to do it right the first time. The strips pretty much disappear on a finished gun.
Something novice builders tend to do, is to keep removing the inletting black from the sides as they inlet. This will lead to gaps. As long as you are seeing contact points on the lower three flats, concentrate on those for making clearance. Always look very carefully at the sides before removing any wood, as barrels tend to tip being put in and removed, leaving false trails to follow. It's not a bad idea to use some lacquer thinner and remove any indicators, and then put the barrel in VERY carefully when it comes to the sides.
For barrel inletting, I actually use chisels for 95% of the job. The only scraper I use is a 1/4" reshaped screwdriver, to remove indicator spots when getting nearly finished for final fit. I can go from plank to fully inlet swamped barrel in 6-8 hours.
The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"
Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!
Take a spade bit and file to octagon a little under size. Heat and bend and sharpen and viola. I have a set made in different sizes and have used them for the last 30 years or so.
A question for those "in the know"...
When figuring out the "drop" on a stock, where is it measured from and to?
I'm also trying to decide what kind of trigger to use. I like the idea of a simple, single trigger like a Bivens style but if I' going to stay in the Hawken vein, then a double set variety is more appropriate.
What do the masses say?
The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"
Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!
Latest progress
Got the ramrod hole drilled, barrel key slot cut & butt plate fitted. Starting to shape the stock but still need to get a few more parts. Those are a trigger, barrel key & escutions, nose cap & a few screws. TOW has all of it in stock right now but I don't have the $$$ just yet.
Sorry about the rotated pics, not sure how that happened cuz they're oriented correctly on my tablet.
Looking good
FYI, the screws holding the butt plate on are temporary substitutes until I can get the correct ones.
Ordered the last of the major parts for it tonight from TOW. Still need to get some screws for the butt plate and barrel wedge trim plate thingies... Anyway, once getting these I'll be able to make a firing rifle out of these parts I've been collecting.
Finally got the lock installed although it didn't turn out like I wanted yet still works. Guess I've got a lot to learn about parts orientation and placement. It will work but won't look right but I've always been more interested in function than beauty so...
Will try to post more pics when I can. I forget to take them while working on it, guess I'm more focused on getting the job done.
I use Poplar to build Patterns to make stocks on a duplicator.
And sometimes, I slap a barrel and action into the Pattern ,then go out and shoot it.
Sometimes to try out the feel of the stock shape.
Other times to have a rifle to shoot, or even hunt with.
So far ,Poplar has worked well for me.
It is the Softest Hardwood, but it can be shaped and finished to make a nice stock.
Looks wise, it isn't that great, but when you coat the stock with a coat of Fiberglass Resin, then paint it with Black Wrinkle Paint, they look great.
This is a Poplar stock , made as a Pattern, then fitted to a cut down Mosin Nagant, that I still shoot to this day.
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 |