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Personalizing YOUR Rifle

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bowbender68

32 Cal.
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
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Hello Again,
In a thread I just posted a bit ago, I explained that I just oredered my first muzzleloader....a percussion Lyman .54 GPR. Since it isn't a fancy custom gun, or one I built my self, I would like to somehow personalize it, as I will likely be handing it down to my kids someday. What are some ways you guys personalize or customize your guns to make them unique?
 
You can put some brass tackes on it, strip and refinish the stock and barel, add a capbox, it depends on how deep you want to go and what your tinkering comfort level is.
 
tg,

I ordered myself some tacks from Dixie they are going on a CVA Plainsman. This is the plainest plains style rifle i've ever seen.

Jay
 
If you have a little blond wood like birch or oak handy you can make a very simple little inlay like this one:
GPRDIAMOND.jpg


All it takes is a little imagination a little planning and some time.
 
tg has it. The sky's the limit, just depends on your tinkering level. Search for pictures of old plains rifles. there are a bunch of pictures out there of rifles with tacks. You could even do a "repair" in the wrist area with rawhide maybe.
 
YOu can put an inlay on the wrist, or on the belly of the stock and have your initials engraved on the inlay. That makes a tasteful addition, and personalizes any gun. Mount the inlay at the wrist where your thumb would naturally cross, and the inlay will " save " the wood from being worn down. If you use the inlay at the bottom of the stock, or " belly ", put it about 3-4 inches up from the toe of the buttplate. When you stand the gun upright in a gunrack, the inlay is easily seen.

Less often seen, some others put inlays on the forestock, forward of the trigger guard. I suspect that because there is so little wood between the outside of the forestock, and the bottom of the Ramrod hole, most people don't dare try to inlet an inlay there. But, its been done. You also can remove the factory forend cap, and cast your own from pewter.

And, of course, a " Star " inlay, or wire inlays on the cheekpiece are another common way to personalize a factory gun, particularly when the stock is straight grained, and shows no fiddleback( tiger striping).

Use one or two of these ideas, and don't overdo it. Otherwise, the gun will look like you got if from a gypsy peddler. :blah: :rotf: :thumbsup:
 
You could hang a feather and some beads from a ramrod ferrule or the trigger guard.
 
I second the capbox, but try to stay in period and for the sake of matching up, go with steel as opposed to brass or nickel brass. Also second the cheek piece inlay also trying to stay with something appropriate to a late plains rifle.

You did not mention if it was a kit or built? If it's built, I suggest stripping the stock down to bare wood and finishing with oil without staining. Get rid of the blue on the metal with naval jelly and put a nice cold brown finish on it.

Could also replace the barrel pin escuteons with something a bit more stylish without going overboard. Suggest steel again and make them yourself by first putting the slot in them and then cutting all four to match so that they cover the old inlet.

Have fun!! :)
 
I'll vote for browning it. The job is easy using LMF browning as described in the gun building section. I just think it looks a lot cooler than bluing, but there's a bonus. In my use in a wet climate, either it's not as prone to rusting or you just don't notice it on a browned gun. I'm sure it's the latter, because in fact LMF browning is actually a controlled rusting process. Sure looks and works good, even if it involves that dreaded "rust" word.
 
There's enough extra wood to do a little re-contouring of the stock, especially in the buttstock and forearm. Small changes make for big differences in appearance.
 
What kind of oil finish do you recommend on the stock? Also, navel jelly will remove the bluing? Do I just rub it on with a rag?
 
I used boiled linseed oil or its commercial derivatives for over 40 years and like that fine. Or at least I thought I did till I tried tung oil. That's all I'll use now.

NJ will remove the bluing, but not well enough in my book. It leaves the surface kind of a smokey gray, which won't take browning well. I use it for convenience, but then sand or file anyway.
 
After a long winter and a bag of tacks (and having no talent for carving or engraving) I futzed around with my New Englander and turned a simple rifle and shotgun kit into a simple kit rifle/shotgun with tacks on it. :v

HPIM0377.jpg


HornandNE.jpg


It does help in the winter with mittens or gloves to get a better grip.
 
So, I can use Naval Jelly to remove the factory bluing from a Green Mountain GPR drop in barrel? LMF one of the best ways to go for browning?
Rangertrace...
 
Naval Jelly does eat bluing. Wipe it on and wash your hands well or use nitrile gloves, and then wipe it off after a short while. It may take several applications.

LMF makes great stains but I've never tried their browning solutions.
 
Just follow the instructions on the jar and the naval jelly will have your blueing off in about 20minutes. Heed BrownBbear regarding the gray after the job is done. I just redid a GM barrel and it needed sanding with fine paper before browning. I used Plum Brown on that one but the fumes are miserable and it's difficult to heat the barrel. I'll use the LMF next time around.

I have used Tru oil on quite a few walnut stocks without staining and they have all come out with a nice finish and a pleasing color. If you wipe your stock with water when it's ready to finish it will show you pretty much the color that it will be with the oil finish on it.
 
Strip it down and refinsh the steel and wood.

Tho I did make this myself, nothing fancy. Casy's browning solution & lots of hand rubbed tung oil.

Lock.jpg
 
Just a word of warning about the tacks. If you have a full beard, the tacks will catch on individual hairs and pull them out when the recoil pushes the gun back. My Bess had tacks for about 4 shots when I decided enough was enough.

Many Klatch
 
Man!....With everybodies suggestions here, you mize as well throw the thing out and buy you all new parts and build it from scratch! :rotf:

Personalize?...Take the butt plate off and stamp or carve your name or a message into the wood. Then replace the butt plate! Only you and the person you give it to will know your personal "little secret"!.... :thumbsup:

Rick
 
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