What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

Arrowhead_92 said:

Tried my hand at scrimshaw for the first time. Made a homemade tool and free hand etched this design. Practiced on this horn as it is a wall decoration and not serviceable, want to get good enough to write my name on the underside of my new horn…View attachment 297148

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Looks great. I keep seeing some great examples of scrimshaw on here and I'm feeling inclined to try my hand at it again.

Boberator.......Sounds like you could use a # 10 by 40 tpi....carriage bolt. They have a nice round , but flat head. The square shank on the #10 bolt can be easily removed. I use them for m/l rifle lock bolts.

Well, today I did my first carving on a second patchbox lid. I know have a greater appreciation for curl and what it can do to carving I think it went overall pretty well....but that brass end plate is going to be the challenge next.

Please excuse the photos, weather isn't too good right now!

I finished my Woodsrunner, it's a .54 cal. with a middle grade of maple,(thanks Jim for a great piece of wood)! I sanded the comb down slightly to make it a little straighter, didn't quite like the hump that it had, l left the barrel in the white and did a little bit of carving. I used aqua fortis to stain the stock along with a mixture I made up of aniline dyes, scarlet red and golden oak, I like a reddish color on my stocks!
Now I'm looking forward to some nicer weather to get to the range and try her out!

Well done @Hatman/2nd line!!

Cleaned up my bench and came across this covey of partially completed short starters. Guess I'll finish them up. I have no need for them. Just something that got started one day when I came across a bag of Hobby Lobby wooden balls.

Ordered from TOTW, extra flints for my Pedersoli .32 Scout Carbine and a five pack of 100 count bags of Hornady swaged .310" balls.

And I got to the farm and the confounded magnetometer somehow escaped getting into the Rav4 to get here.

TDM said:

Well done @Hatman/2nd line!!

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Thanks Thad!

Installed butt plate on my Kimber SMR. Got the broken screw out yesterday. Used a hole bit and plugged it with a dowel. Thanks for the tip!

Went to range with wife and Spiller, Spencer, and Snub nose. Started with Spiller & Burr: ended up at 10 yards, aiming 6 inches low of center. After two 6-shot rounds, I asked my wife to shoot. She had 3 shots just above center in a 3 shot row. She looked at me and said: "it's not the revolver, it must be you". Grrrr.
I next took the Spencer and ended up aiming 2 inches below and a smidge right of center. Shots grouped nicely considering windy day and 12 grains of powder.
My wife took the Snub Nose and loaded it with 20 gr and .454 RB and proceeded to group 6 shots just outside of the center circle within 6 inches of each other.
Now you know why I say "Yes, Dear" several times a day.

Old Grunt said:

I was rummaging around downstairs looking for some brass to reload and ran across these 36 caliber paper cartridges,I know they are at least 4 years old possibly 5,so being curious I grabbed the Pietta 1851 Navy that was laying on bench and stepped outside to see if they're still good,I wasn't sure they'd work since being stored at least 4 years in high humidity basement,I popped off 2 cylinders and all went off just like they was loaded yesterday.
I believe that was 2nd time I've shot the little Pietta,she needs some timing work and smoothed up,at 12 yards she's 3" high but windage dang close I'm going to have to piddle with her get action better and taller front sight

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I've never had a problem with black powder or black powder substitute, even containers of powder that were made back in the 1970s that we found worked very well, ancient cans of percussion caps have never failed either,

deerstalkert said:

i always thought it was 24! using all toes and fingers

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Some of us here are missing a few fingers, and some of us are also missing a few toes.

And some of us can count to 21 if we use our nose.

And then some take off clothin other than their shoes so that they can count all the way to 24,

Going to do some 10 to 15 grain squib loads and do some plinking at icicles today.

Nothing serious just having a bit of fun.

Like this short barrel 58 army for plinking at tin cans and old buckets and icicles.
I've been looking at some for sale and would like one of the brass framed ones with about a 2 inch barrel for just walking around plinking at things,
I saw a little snub-nosed 1860 army with a rounded butt on the handle I think they call it a bird's head grip that looks like it would be a heap of fun for plinking

sethwyo said:

And some of us can count to 21 if we use our nose

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I can count to 22!

I was able to get all 3 RR pipes finished and applied Jax yesterday, headed out to the shop today to rub them back and get at the trigger guard and butt plate of the WR or until SWMBO interrupts me with some part of her to do list like she did yesterday!

I cleaned the lock of my ''new'' approx 1850's made swedish matchlock. Not in shootable condition, as the barrel is pitted by corrosion and trigger spring is broken, but i will have this as a darned pretty decoration. I will forge a new trigger spring for her though. I would love to learn more about my rifle, all i know is what i heard from the seller that it was made in 1850's in swedish lapland.

Virtakuono said:

I cleaned the lock of my ''new'' approx 1850's made swedish matchlock. Not in shootable condition, as the barrel is pitted by corrosion and trigger spring is broken, but i will have this as a darned pretty decoration. I will forge a new trigger spring for her though. I would love to learn more about my rifle, all i know is what i heard from the seller that it was made in 1850's in swedish lapland.
View attachment 297573

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I’m certain autocorrect messed up your post as this is a percussion lock ignition, not a matchlock.

Snooterpup said:

I’m certain autocorrect messed up your post as this is a percussion lock ignition, not a matchlock.

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Ah damn, autocorrect didn't mess it up, i did it all by myself! I guess my signature stands it's mark!

Virtakuono said:

I cleaned the lock of my ''new'' approx 1850's made swedish matchlock. Not in shootable condition, as the barrel is pitted by corrosion and trigger spring is broken, but i will have this as a darned pretty decoration. I will forge a new trigger spring for her though. I would love to learn more about my rifle, all i know is what i heard from the seller that it was made in 1850's in swedish lapland.

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Interesting. I would have to think it was a private gunsmith...not much in Lapland and the Swedish Armory was a lot further south. I know there is a pretty strong military presence near the coast and I believe it has a long history there too...places like Lulea and Boden...might be a place a historic maker could have been able to get supplies. Let us know what you find out.

Gonna see if sugar based propellant works in my 1858. See "rocketcandy".