Quality Baker Rifle Replica?

Well now THAT'S an interesting aspect -- tell us more!

Well. Long story short, I have always had a love of history and a love of two particular historic things. Sailing ships, and swordsmanship.
In 2011 I had been working an entry level job full time for three years after finishing high school and had no idea what to do, was miserable, etc.. A friend of mine told me of a company in Victoria that owned two large traditionally rigged schooners and I checked out the website that night. Soon I registered as a paying trainee for 2 ten day sailing voyages up and down Vancouver island hoping that if it wouldn't change my life, it would at least give me a fresh positive outlook. I can tell you it did more than that. After those trips I kept going back to help clean the ships and volunteer to do maintenance, lived on the one all winter making sure systems were running, volunteer of course. Since discovering that you could actually still sail on these tall ships as they are referred to these days my new goal was to find the biggest "square rigger" I could and get on as crew. As there are basically none of these in Canada I applied to the Brig Lady Washington in CA, and the Brig Niagara in PA, and ended up getting volunteer positions on both of them. So began an epic 7.5 month rebirth of my life as a tall-ship sailor in the US. Now I went to the states not knowing how complicated the immigration system was, never having traveled before, and made a couple mistakes, assuming I would be able to get a work 'Visa' if I showed that I was a tireless dedicated seaman, always willing to learn. But 7.5 months of volunteering proved my ambitions wrong. Both companies wanted to hire me but expressed that the visa process is simply to difficult. So after plying the west coast of Washington, California, The Puget-Sound, San Juan islands, Georgia Straight, Lake Erie, the Detroit river, and Lake Huron on traditionally rigged sailing ships I ended up getting sort of a consolation prize getting hired by this company in Ontario to be the SVMO, essentially the Boatswain on the Fair Jeanne which is one of two brigantines they use for sail training. I could spend a long time elaborating on this stuff but it one of those cases where a picture or video is worth a thousand words. Many many adventures in and out of various ports, I am absolutely in love with a girl I met and spend a great deal of time with in Northern Cal. We are trying to figure out the realities of how to eventually live together, and unfortunately the US doesn't make these things easy.
here is my youtube channel for your enjoyment.
www.youtube.com/user/tallshipspacific

Go down to Mexico, sneak across the border, get the girl pregnant, when has the baby in a Ca clinic, names you the father...and Presto!...and you'll get all type of things free!!!!

Sad that the US politicians makes it so difficult for honest hard working folks.....but if your coming in from the south :youcrazy:

I too got outta school " lost" and spent time on things like riverboats and semi-truck driving.......I learned ALOT in those few years :shocked2:

Hey guys, help him out... What's the expression our lawless Justice Department has illegal alliens telling police so they can't be arrested and/or deported? "I'm a dreamer"!?

Yesterday I heard a news report about an illegal Mexican immigrant who ran over and killed two kids playing in a pile of leaves. "I'm a dreamer." An hour later she was eating ice cream at WalMart.

To all:


If you want to talk about political things do it in the Non-Muzzleloading Discussion area.

If you don't have access to that, become a "Premium Member".

Old thread I know. There's just one option for obtaining a quality 1800 pattern Baker rifle. That's the parts set offered by The Rifle Shoppe. Build it yourself or have it done. You'll love the results. Here's mine, built by The Rifle Shoppe. It's one of just a few made with a left-hand lock. It was ordered with the only two options offered, a browned barrel and English walnut stock:

tsmgguy said:

Old thread I know. There's just one option for obtaining a quality 1800 pattern Baker rifle. That's the parts set offered by The Rifle Shoppe. Build it yourself or have it done. You'll love the results. Here's mine, built by The Rifle Shoppe. It's one of just a few made with a left-hand lock. It was ordered with the only two options offered, a browned barrel and English walnut stock:

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Old post, yes ... just everyone be aware ... that TRS is no longer doing complete builds for anybody - completed lock builds only.

That’s a shame to hear. The Baker just has a great look to it. Love the lines.

And tsmgguy, yours is no exception! Very nice.

Here is a TRS parts set I recently completed. Be warned these parts sets are not suitable for beginners. I would not have attempted it without my milling machine and lathe.

Loyalist Dave said:

Welcome. What do you consider "proper" rifling?

Currently there are commercially made barrels for the Baker Rifle which are 1:66 twist rate, but none other than a custom barrel come in the 1:120 twist rate as specified by Captain Barber in The Duke of Cumberland's Corps of Sharp-Shooters ; Instructions for the Formation and Exercise of Volunteer Sharp-Shooters c. 1804.

Some Baker rifles are sold smooth bore for lower costs, and some are sold that way as the major market is in Europe for those rifles, and many of those countries will not allow the importation of a rifled piece without a lot of paperwork.


The site that you referenced provides "copies" of Baker rifles fashioned in India, and while they would be good for historic reenactment they would not be called "quality copies".

You are probably looking at having something made from Rifle Shoppe parts.

LD

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The 1:66 twist was chosen by The Rifle Shoppe for its inherent accuracy. Even if you specify the more original 1/120 rate, you're not going to get a true Ordnance pattern barrel.

I have a pal who has a Model 1776 British Rifle he used re-enacting. He and 3 other guys got together, bought 4 sets of parts from TRS, and two were assembled by one 'smith, and two by another. They were used during the Bi-Cen up until recent times. He's retired now from enacting, and may be selling the rifle at some point, which I've let him know I'm interested. It is rifled, and the assembly on his is excellent and tight. Would love to score it someday!

tsmgguy said:

The 1:66 twist was chosen by The Rifle Shoppe for its inherent accuracy. Even if you specify the more original 1/120 rate, you're not going to get a true Ordnance pattern barrel.

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Well actually you'd probably want the 1:66 twist rate even if you could go back in time and get an original just coming out of the maker's shop.

The rifle was designed for repeated firing before swabbing and use of heavy loads, hence the slow twist rate. The standard for accuracy was striking a 6 foot tall by 2 foot wide rectangular target at 200 yards in any supported position, and 300 yards prone, for five of 6 consecutive shots..., and ANY impact on the target counted as a "hit".

LD