Chopping down a Bess.

Maverick---Yes indeedy save that barrel section. You might want to make a pistol out of it especially when packing in Grizzly country. Can you imagine your rifle and a backup flinter pistol (in the same caliber) to smack down a bear!? bang. bang.

Yes, as long as you are happy! I like shorter shooters myself. Can't wait to see the photos!

maverick3855 said:

tg said:

"I wept! Finally I just bit the bullet and grabbed the hacksaw."

I would suggest saving the cut off section, these work well for experimenting with various barrel and funiture finishes/aging/patina. Good luck with the short gun when hunting season opens.

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Thanks.
I kind of chickened out on my original 31 inch plan though.
It's a pretty normal 36-1/4 inch barrel now.
Not even what you could consider carbine length.
I like it a lot better though.
And I really should practice my sight soldering skills on that barrel section. :wink:

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Actually, in the days of the Bess, that was considered carbine length. Carbine bore was about .66-.67 caliber.

The Bess probably had a 42" barrel, so the cut off section would be less than 6" long. And the wall thickness that close to the muzzle is likely too thin to thread for a breech plug anyway.

Darn!

Oh well...

Although just musing---A 75 caliber with 5-6 inch barrel even just loaded with 35-40 grains of powder would be a stopper gun.

But yea that cut off section probably has too thin of walls to work with.

So, do we have any pics of the finished product?

I have a Dixe brown bess that was a kit.the 42"barrel was alittle too tall for me.The wood around where the nosecap was tobe looked under- sized to me.I thought it should have been beefer,so I trimmed it off and trimmed the barrel down to 37"s.Ive hunting with this musket for about 15 years,the shorter barrel has worked well on all the game for me. :grin:

hey guys, how do you solve the metal ramrod issue in the Bess?

i think about chopping down the part of the barrel to make it even with the stock - more of a XVII Century "fullstock" Musket design

how should i proceed with the ramrod ?
get a completely new one or modify the nose cap and front part of the stock to fit ?

I actually dont use the ramrod at all for loading - just keep it in so it looks nice but for hunting i will have to - no point carrying my loading stock which is brass 110cm long

I had to file and sand down the ramrod to fit.

paul, thanks for the insight on carrying the loading stock

i still need to keep the ramrod for the looks during re-enactments and need to use it too during shows

file it down to a lower caliber or replace with a wooden stock with some brass ending ?

I think I'm going to invest some money in a hacksaw company..... :wink:

maverick3855 said:

I also have a friend in Colorado who gets his deer every year with a 24 inch barreled Northwest "Canoe Gun" He doesn't seem to have accuracy problems shooting round ball out of a short smooth bore.

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I'm actually new to the smoothbore arena,having used a 50 cal fullstock flintlock I built in 1991.

I actually have a 24" Northwest gun in the work. I was going to use it for an "Across the Saddle" cannon and small game hunter, but if its working on deer in CO then I might have to give it a try on the deer and hogs here in TX.


Bob

Well, first of all, it is YOUR gun so you can do whatever you want to do with it. Since it is a reproduction and not an original, you will not loose all that much resale value. Also, given that you received it as a gift from your wife and you are not ever going to sell it and she is okay with your proposed modification, go for it! :hatsoff:

Unless you know what you are doing and have the needed experience and machinery to do the job properly, take it to a gunsmith to have it cut and re-crowned. A bad cut and re-crown can cost you big time in accuracy. :nono: :shake:

I think, for your purposes, you have a great idea. Go for it! :thumbsup:

having read all the posts i will offer my 2 bits.
cut it off and enjoy the gun. the sight plane issue is not valid unless you have a rear sight. there will be no noticeable loss of velocity. Hell,a differance in touch dia. can be more of a power loss than barrel length. you might run in to a problem with an off center bore though. correct with front sight placement and crowning of barrel to correct.
why would anyone be so petty as to bring gun value for the widow?? wth?

why would anyone be so petty as to bring gun value for the widow?? wth?

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Having worked on and off for the biggest gun auction house in the country I have seen this too many times. Guys collect guns, lots off them. They think they will live for ever but their wife generally out lives them and gets stuck selling off the collection. Altered guns bring very little money compared to guns left in original configuration. Just what I've observed, take from it what you will. :v

Mike's point is well taken and I would add this Caveat.Too many collectors under represent what they paid for a given gun or for that matter accoutrements and antiques of any sort so that when the guns have to be disposed of in the estate they are often under valued by the heirs or someone not competent to value them.The result is a windfall for a buyer.There are those collectors who hit up the heirs especially the widow almost immediately after the death of the decedent and before a proper appraisal had been made.I recommend keeping an up to date appraisal made by a competent professional in a secure place for the benefit of the heirs and/or anyone who has to be well informed if necessary.
Tom Patton

Perhaps the widow would be selling the gun for what her husband told her it cost.

After I'm dead, I don't give a ;#@% what my guns sell for. :shake: :shake:

Ed Osmar said:

After I'm dead, I don't give a ;#@% what my guns sell for. :shake: :shake:

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I do, and so does my wife since it will be her money.

Mike Brooks said:

Ed Osmar said:

After I'm dead, I don't give a ;#@% what my guns sell for. :shake: :shake:

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I do, and so does my wife since it will be her money.

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Mike and Okwaho are correct - a good man WILL take care of the ones that are left behind, otherwise he is, well, the word "worthless" comes to mind.

:yakyak: :surrender: :shake:

Holy cows guys.......

Maverick; Its your rifle...Do with it what you want