Traditions Mountain Rifle .50 calibre "assembly".

I just cannot bring myself to call this a real "build" after seeing what many other members have done, and are doing, so let's call this an "assembly".

Many of the same techniques and tools will be need to do this assembly, but you need to learn how to deal with what you have been given, vs. doing what is correct or right.

OK, on to the assembly.
I finally received the kit that I bought back on November 27th. today, (12-15*2018) after it had traveled many miles and so I just had to dig in immediately.

First thing to do is inventory.
Everything made it here, there, then back again, with the except of two small wood screws for the endcap..... no biggie, so onward.

I always begind by dry fitting literally everything to get a feel for what needs to be done, and develop a game plan.
There is some fitting needed to be done, though what you get in this kit, is pretty darn close to fitting right out of the box.

The triggers literally fit perfect, but the lock plate was tight and did not fit on the top and bottom to my taste.... well, I would have had to hit it with a hammer to get it in. Also it was a bit proud of the wood on the stock, and to be honest, I wish they had left more wood in this area for me to play with on the outside.

If I sink it down more, the hammer will not hit the nipple very well, so only minor adjustment was available as far as wood on the stock to remove to sink the side lock.


After some very minor wood removal, it was better, but I am not satisfied yet.




Next was to see how the barrel actually fit...…. not so good.



I needed to trim the wood from the stock back a good 1/6th inch to move it back enough to drop down into the correct position under the hammer.

After trimming and moving back 1/16th.


This created another problem with the bolster setting too high and causing the barrel to rock in the stock front to back. After dropping the bolster, and moving back, I am getting good fit of the barrel to the stock, and the bolster is level, but with quite a bit of wood left to be removed. Yay, that is a good thing!


The nose cap needed to be ground down internally on the brass casting to make it fit correctly. There were some what I call parting line or reveal marks where excess brass was still inside the casting causing it to not fit properly.

After grinding internally.


Yes, yes, yes, I like all that extra wood and can now understand why you all start with a blank vs. a kit like this.
It allows you to do what needs to be done in the best possible way vs. making due with what you are given.

So, I am right around 6 hours into this assembly, and mentally feeling pretty good, but to be honest, the old hands, fingers, and wrists are starting to complain, even with 6 "Leinie's" in me ….Heheheh, so I may just take a day or two off...

To be continued I promise!

Guess how far you get in 6 hours if you are starting with a blank!

Shhhh! now he's gonna need 6 more linnies LOL

Looking good. On the trigger assy? Looks like too much wood was removed in the rear? Could be my eyes. Also looks like holes drilled at the lock not meeting? Do you have to drill through the stck to secure the lock? My kits all fit a bit better and all holes were pre drilled.

You decide to blue or brown the barrel? I have always preferred brown myself and the barrels fit inside a grille to do all outside and all at once with my favorite plum brown.

billraby said:

Guess how far you get in 6 hours if you are starting with a blank!

Click to expand...

Agreed, better results as well. That trigger plate inlet looks horribly off. As does the tang/ barrel hook which needs to set back square against the shoulder of the breech end of the stock. Looks like the barrel needs dropped down further in the channel a good deal. The lock mortise appears to have enough wood removed that a rendezvous could be had inside. The more wood left in the lock mortise the better due to needing the extra strength. With what I personally see, back to traditions it would go for a refund. Not trying to be negative but being honest. If I had spent my hard earned funds on that piece I'd certainly not be happy. Already your going to spend more time fixing those things that need fixed, definitely fitting that tang properly which will also move the pre drilled tang bolt hole on the trigger plate. If keeping it is your decision I'd certainly fit the barrel correctly and get that tang/ barrel hook properly seated and adjust the trigger assembly accordingly. Then fill the pre drilled tang bolt hole and drill another. Allot of work to be done...

Crewdawg445 said:

Agreed, better results as well. That trigger plate inlet looks horribly off. As does the tang/ barrel hook which needs to set back square against the shoulder of the breech end of the stock. Looks like the barrel needs dropped down further in the channel a good deal. The lock mortise appears to have enough wood removed that a rendezvous could be had inside. The more wood left in the lock mortise the better due to needing the extra strength. With what I personally see, back to traditions it would go for a refund. Not trying to be negative but being honest. If I had spent my hard earned funds on that piece I'd certainly not be happy. Already your going to spend more time fixing those things that need fixed, definitely fitting that tang properly which will also move the pre drilled tang bolt hole on the trigger plate. If keeping it is your decision I'd certainly fit the barrel correctly and get that tang/ barrel hook properly seated and adjust the trigger assembly accordingly. Then fill the pre drilled tang bolt hole and drill another. Allot of work to be done...

Click to expand...

Totally agree with all of the above, and looking at the barrel to stock fit, you are right on point.
I will be lowering it, and moving it back some more once I dig back into it.
The hammer is falling a little too far forward as I look at it today, so good call.
Thanks for watching Crewdawg445, I was hoping you would check in.

azmntman said:

Shhhh! now he's gonna need 6 more linnies LOL

Looking good. On the trigger assy? Looks like too much wood was removed in the rear? Could be my eyes. Also looks like holes drilled at the lock not meeting? Do you have to drill through the stck to secure the lock? My kits all fit a bit better and all holes were pre drilled.

You decide to blue or brown the barrel? I have always preferred brown myself and the barrels fit inside a grille to do all outside and all at once with my favorite plum brown.

Click to expand...

Good to see you too azmntman, the trigger is what it is, as that is how the kit came, I wish they would have left more wood for me to work with, but alas, they did not.
All the holes on this kit were pre drilled, so no credit to Tradition's for that either..... would have been better left to me to do from what I can see, but I will make it better as I go.

Good question on the blue or browning. If it was above freezing out I would brown it, I have a full bottle of Birchwood Casey Plum Brown, but due to the somewhat toxic fumes, and all the critters we have in the house, I am going to do a quick blue on it for now, and then on the next warm days we get, this, the Kentucky, and the Hawken will be all browned on the same day.....

I actually like the Crockett blued...., so that one is staying blued.

Now as far as the Lienie's…. heheh, I have a 12 and 24 in the fridge already, so raring to go tonight if I get motivated.

billraby said:

Guess how far you get in 6 hours if you are starting with a blank!

Click to expand...

Thanks for stopping by too billraby, I am still watching your videos, so another huge thanks for taking the time to do them!

I was actually thinking about that last night as I was starting to post this, and the honest answer I think is I would be driving somewhere to drop off a blank to have a person that knows what the heck they are doing, has the proper tools and experience to do it.... so, a 6 hour drive would be worth it.... Heheh

PS: In the picture of the trigger assembly, it was just laying in the slot and not mounted yet.

It does have an odd shape to it, but that will be explained possibly later today or tomorrow.
It fits just fine when mounted which I had not done yet in the above picture.

Absolutely, please don't take any of the critiquing as negative!!! Some people on here can't distinguish constructive criticism for what it is! Even though it's a traditions and it's clearly obvious I'm not a fan of them you will do that rifle justice.

Crewdawg445 said:

Absolutely, please don't take any of the critiquing as negative!!! Some people on here can't distinguish constructive criticism for what it is! Even though it's a traditions and it's clearly obvious I'm not a fan of them you will do that rifle justice.

Click to expand...

Heheh, trust me, I am "a crusty old thick skinned lizard", and I know everything everyone posts is not negative and intended to help.
That is one of the problems with a forum vs. a campfire.

Spent another 3 or so hours today fitting and getting ready to either modify, or complete the stock for staining.

First up to do was my arch nemesis the end cap... heheh
I think I did good on this one for a change.
I left the brass on the stock as a guide so it will either need to be polished or aged... I am leaning towards ageing it at this point.



Worked on the Butt plate also, fairly satisfied with the results here also.



While sanding, I noticed the patch box was steel, more than likely going to blue for now, and then brown or heat temper it a nice shade when the weather allows.

I then moved on to fitting the barrel tang to the stock at the lock area.....
This fitment has been bugging me quite a bit, as it just did not look correct to me.

I spent some time viewing videos that had close ups of factory completed Mountain Rifles, and guess what.... they all look like this except....
my stupid shaky old hands made the slot towards the rear too large.... manure, I am not sure what to do about it, but will wait until final sanding and stain to see just how obvious it will be.
I just may do some sort of brass insert in that area if I can come up with something that looks correct... and I don't mess that up also.... Heheh…..
I do like the little brass insert on the Crockett.... it gets my attention when aiming, but not in a negative way.



I did have one other "oops" moment today also.
When fitting the actual barrel to the stock, the bolster fits up nicely against the stock the way it should, but I was having a bad time getting the first wedge pin (nearest the triggers) to fit properly.
After at least 10 times of pulling the barrel out, adjusting the brass end cap (it was holding the barrel high again just like on the Crockett) and slightly relieving the stock near the trigger end it was extremely tight, I noticed this...….. duoh!



I had that particular wedge tang in backwards.... sheesh, how many of these have I done already?
I should have known there is an offset to them and should have paid attention to the direction I was installing it last night.
Easy fix, but just another "duoh" moment.

Also I played around with the actual trigger guard today.

This is a picture I took last night before getting the barrel to butt up against the stock at the rear, but it shows what I was fighting with today.
As shipped and installed, the trigger guard virtually made the set trigger useless and non functional.



A little creative clamping, and the trigger is now functional.
It will need just a touch more finesse, but at least it works now.




Also, here is a shot of the triggers actually mounted as a bonus pic!



Well, that's it for today's adventures kids, and remember, I am always open to suggestions, comments, etc...…
now if I use them or not, is a whole 'nother story.
Heheh

Total of 9 to 10 hours "invested" so far.
6 yesterday, and 3 to 4 today.....
Only 2 Leinenkugels today, and I am just now starting on the 2nd one as I type this..... slow day I guess. Heheh

That barrel still needs to go back... Since your tang/ hook is the problem, not being seated on the shoulder will result in BIG problems.

Crewdawg445 said:

That barrel still needs to go back... Since your tang/ hook is the problem, not being seated on the shoulder will result in BIG problems.

Click to expand...

The barrel is back now, I used an older picture above when showing the trigger guard being messed up and contacting the set trigger last night.
The tang now is seated against the stock (you mean that would not work as a recoil cushion? Heheh).

The hammer lines up perfectly with the nipple now that I moved everything back that extra 1/16th of an inch to get the tang and barrel contacting the stock properly.
Makes a nice little pop when a cap is in it every time!



Thanks for having my back on that though, many would not even consider the consequences and leave it as is in the raw form.

This is one of the reasons I think it is important to do an assembly presentation like this, even though it is not a true build.
To show others that these kits are really not just slap it together and shoot kits.
You still have to do it "right" for it to be a safe and functional rifle.

Below is a quote from the assembly instructions.....
(I do really hope anyone assembling one of these does take the time to read them, they are actually pretty good even though their parts drawing does not match what is in the kit by part number and description …… gonna have to contact them about that also, as it could confuse someone.)

Here is the actual copy and paste quote:
Bold and italicized are by me.

" Note:
Once all the problem areas have been removed and holes
aligned proceed to the next step.

9. Set the hammer in the half-cock position. The barrel bolster
should be positioned concentrically into its cut-out in the lock
plate and the lock plate should be snug against the barrel.

10. Insert the tang screw through the hole in the corresponding
tang and pass it through the stock and into its corresponding
hole in the trigger assembly.

11. At this point the hammer should be positioned so that it will fall
squarely onto the nipple. If it does not one or more of the
following steps may be taken.
• Remove wood from bottom of lock recess, until lock is flush.
with the barrel.
• Remove wood as needed from under and behind the barrel
channel, including tang area.
• Check that the lock plate and lock plate screws are snugly
fitted into the stock and the lock is properly positioned in its
cut-out.
• If proper alignment is not obtained with the previous steps, the
hammer may be bent slightly by removing it from the lock,
heating it and by bending it carefully to obtain the correct
alignment."

Not sure about the bending the hammer thingy above.
I personally would remove the wood behind the barrel tang to move that back to line up the hammer and nipple, but that is just me as long as it does not throw off the stock wedges location.

Nothing done to the Mountain rifle today, but I did pick up this!
Price was right, and even if I can only use it for light work and cleaning my rifles and handguns, it was worth it.
Plus, it has that "cool" factor going for me, and I will not have to use one hand to do the light work, while holding the stock with the other so it does not move around.

Made by Titpon if anyone is interested in one.

Now I just need to mount it solid to my real workbench instead of sitting on the old wood burner in the basement…. heheh
This is where I do all of my staining and light assembly stuff, along with taking pictures....
hmmm, need to clean up the surface on the table a bit.

The past 24 hours have been a rather furious flurry of activity here!
Nothing was rushed, and everything was done with quality and safety in mind first and foremost.

The new vice has really aided me in getting this to the point so quickly, so if you have the opportunity, git 'yerself one!

I did not think that I needed to bore everyone with final sanding, fitting, yada, yada, yada, pictures..... so here is where I am at today.
Fit, sanded, and stained...





Everything is fit and functional.
I only have 1 coat of boiled linseed oil on it in the pictures above, and will continue to add more until I get the final finish that I am happy with.

Also, I have found that if I linseed oil it within 1 hour of staining, it will distribute the stain to create a much more even finish, as the linseed oil will lift the oil based stain and move it to lesser stained areas, and remove it from over stained areas ...…. (heheh, really brown hands when doing this, but worth it in the end!)

Shots have been fired safely.... !!!!!
Heheh, if that is a concern for anyone?
I am still alive and here to post, so that says quite a bit, and I must say, it shoots just fine but needs the sights adjusted just a wee bit. No pics of the target though...… (forgot to do that), but it is low to the left about 1" and with a very tight pattern (within 1" with my shaky old hands) at 50 yards with 75 grains.

The flurry of activity was motivated by something else I have a keen interest in that I plan on doing / starting very soon, and I just may be taking a 6 to 7 month "vacation" from building anything else.
This will allow me to check into the oh so many other builds available, and decide on what skill level I really want to tackle.

I know what I am about to say here is not going to sit well with a few, but if I could find a "Traditions Shenandoah" kit that has not been touched and is raw, I would be a very happy camper!

Out of production for a while now, and I find it quite attractive!
Heck, 200 years from now it just might be worth what I pay for it...….. Heheheh!

I will be checking in with you boys to see what all of you are up to fairly regularly, and do appreciate you all putting up with me so far and the advice and critiques!

Just think of me as being "on a new quest"...… and it is related to this forum for sure!

"The Wall" as of today...… In order of "assembly"!
I am very proud of the variations in color / depth I have created so far, and feel like I have learned quite a bit from everyone here, so thank you all from the bottom of my...………. Leinenkugel!

(Only 3 Leine's have been sacrificed over the past 24 hours!)
Heheh

Nice work Railshot! Curious on your new endeavor...

Buckskinn said:

Nice work Railshot! Curious on your new endeavor...

Click to expand...

Yes, looks good, what ARE you up to?

azmntman said:

Yes, looks good, what ARE you up to?

Click to expand...

Let's just say it has to do with local history, cap and ball rifles and revolvers, and hopefully a bit of mentorship on my part to others.

Looks like a job well done to me.

For those sore hands you might try taking turmeric in capsules. I take 3,000 mg daily in two doses. It does seem to help with the arthritis pain in my hands. The antiinflamatory med the doc prescribed doesn't seem to help a whole lot. The hardest thing I've done with my hands today is to carry a couple of small boxes, yet my hands are really aching now.

Anything that will help with the pain interests me if anyone has other ideas.

kansas_volunteer said:

Looks like a job well done to me.

For those sore hands you might try taking turmeric in capsules. I take 3,000 mg daily in two doses. It does seem to help with the arthritis pain in my hands. The antiinflamatory med the doc prescribed doesn't seem to help a whole lot. The hardest thing I've done with my hands today is to carry a couple of small boxes, yet my hands are really aching now.

Anything that will help with the pain interests me if anyone has other ideas.

Click to expand...

Thanks kansas_volunteer, and in typical fashion, I have already refinished it to a darker stain color this morning.... heheh.
I do like that Varathane Kona stain I was talking about in a different post, and probably should have just went with that in the beginning, but of course I do like to experiment, so I tried some Minwax dark Walnut penetrating stain yesterday.... not dark enough for the look I prefer, oh well, now I know.

Also, thanks for the turmeric tip, I will have to look into that tomorrow when I am out and about.
Funny what pain can limit you / me to doing or should I say, not doing.

Doctors and I do not see eye to eye on much of anything lately, well actually my whole life.
They just do not seem to be interested in healing, but just "masking" things.

I have found that things like Varathane and Minwax work real good for book cases and tables as long as they are not pine. Not so good for any gun staining though.

As I mentioned in at least one post, IMO, one should NEVER use those dam factory "all in one stains" on a gun. They never look right and because the color never actually penetrates into the wood, applying more coats of them, one on the top of the other won't improve the looks.

'Course, that is just my opinion.