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  1. D

    Burst Barrel

    I've seen this barrel and know both the shooter and OP. Both experienced shooters. It was a round ball. The dark spot a few inches back from the muzzle looked like old rust to me. As mentioned a few posts ago, possibly an old short start minor crack or possibly just bad metal. There is also...
  2. D

    T/C Hawken .50

    Hi, Bottom line, how did it shoot? I haven't looked here for a few days otherwise I would have chimed in with the shoot it to clean it bit myself. Of course you have to clean powder fouling after you shoot, but as for rust, once you do a basic cleaning shooting is the best way to get rid of...
  3. D

    Weighing Hornady round balls

    I toured the Hornady factory several years ago. They cast the lead into round ingots roughly 4-6" diameter and maybe 10" long. Different mixes of alloys for different types of bullets. These ingots go into a very heavy press which then extrudes wire of whatever diameter is needed for the...
  4. D

    Looking for a ramrod for .32 caliber

    I use a carbon arrow shaft. It is stiff but can flex a lot before it would break. It is also black so it would take a close look before someone would realize it isn't traditional. Since an arrow is too short for my 38" barrel I used two shafts with about 3" of 1/4-20 threaded rod JB welded at...
  5. D

    Gunsmith of Williamsburg

    Hi, I recently purchased and watched Gunsmith of Williamsburg with Wallace Gussler. Excellent film but I am wondering if it is an edited version of a film I saw in high school shop class in the mid-70's. The two films are very similar in most parts such as the test firing, welding the barrel...
  6. D

    .710 ball

    A quick and easy way that will get you within a couple grains for a pure lead ball is to cube the diameter then multiply by 1505. ie, .495x.495x.495x1505=182.5 Dale
  7. D

    T/C Hawken and Conical Bullets

    Maxi balls are hard to beat. A long time ago I had a T/C Hawken with a 1-48 twist and it shot very well with Maxi balls. More recently I had one of those unmentionable type guns with a 1-28 twist that also shot Maxi balls very well. I have even tried a few in my flintlock with a 1-72 barrel...
  8. D

    Muzzle Velocity Calculator

    Here's what I get. Flintlock, 36" Green Mtn barrel, 1-72 twist, .490 ball, pillow ticking patch, spit lube, Goex 3F. Measured across my Chrony Beta. 70gr 1645fps 80gr 1785fps 90gr 1875fps 100gr 1945fps
  9. D

    ok, where do I start?

    Hi, Kit or not, read the gun building tutorial by Mike Brooks. There is a sticky about it in the beginning of this section. He does some fancy work well beyond what you probably would want to do on a first build but there are also a lot of basics there as far as how it all goes together and...
  10. D

    How long should I make my barrel?

    Hi, I have pretty much the same thing, 13/16, .32 cal. It's a flinter I built and finished in Feb. I also had to decide how long to cut the barrel for weight purposes. I settled on 38" but I should have gone a little shorter, maybe 36". It's very accurate and manageable but still a little...
  11. D

    Light, end of barrel

    I use one of these lights from Coast. Just bend the neck and stick it in a few inches, not the whole light. It is small enough to work in a 32 cal. If I remember correctly $10 or so from Lowes. As I mentioned earlier being able to have light reflected off the breech plug is my gauge of...
  12. D

    Looser loads and accuracy........

    Yup, I want hunting loads that I don't need a short starter for. I carry enough stuff as it is. My new 32 cal will shoot 3/4" groups at 40 yds with a .315 ball and a .010 patch. It starts easily. My 50 uses either a .490 or .495 ball and pillow ticking (about .015-.018), it's fairly snug...
  13. D

    Light, end of barrel

    Hi, The goldish color is most likely very light rust. For me it shows up a day or two after cleaning but doesn't seem to get any worse, just a light color. I find that having the face of the breech plug clean is the biggest help in seeing down the barrel. A clean plug reflects light back up...
  14. D

    Reasonable Accuracy Expectations With A .32

    Here is a picture of my test target, 40yds off the bench. Goex 3F, .315 ball and a .01 patch. I tried a thicker patch but accuracy was about the same so I might as well use one that is easier to load. In all honesty I am probably at my limit of accuracy with my eyes and iron sights. I blame...
  15. D

    Reasonable Accuracy Expectations With A .32

    Hi, I finished building a 32 cal long rifle two weeks ago. With 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 grain loads of 3F and a .315 ball and .10 patch most groups at 40 yards off a bench were under 3/4 inch. I tried 10 grains but it was too light, it shot low in a large group. 50 grains grouped the same as...
  16. D

    chrono and flintlocks

    Interesting. I enjoy trying to analyze details like this. In my 50 cal flinter with a 36" Green Mountain barrel I get an even 80 fps faster at 70 and 80 grains. I'm sure some of the difference is in loading methods, patches, lube and chrono set up. I'm surprised the results are as close as...
  17. D

    Mating new breech without damaging barrel finish??

    I haven't tried this but it seems like it would work. One of those, "it makes sense to me" kind of things. Get a washer or shim big enough to fit around the breech plug. Set it up so your plug is tight but a half turn from where it is supposed to be, or at least lined up with one of the...
  18. D

    1st poured nosecap - pics

    Looks good so far. Be sure to follow up and show us the finished product.
  19. D

    Inlay update

    For those that remember my post a couple weeks ago, thanks for your input. The responses were about 50/50 as to whether or not to put a screw in the inlay or just use the glue. Since I didn't really want to put in a screw I did it the way I wanted. Here is the final result. Three of the...
  20. D

    Securing an inlay

    Hi, I'm currently working on a 32 cal flintlock. I just installed this inlay of water buffalo horn with brass outline. The horn is from the broken handle of a knife I got in the Philippines 25 years ago. The inlay is approximately 3/16 thick, I was afraid of breaking it if I got it much...
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