Thanks to the examples set by 'newbie builders' here and encouraged by many, I just set out on my first build. It will be a non-historically correct left-handed French Fusil de Chasse from the Tulle factory.
It will have a 44" barrel, ~1/3rd octagonal (with the transition flats, to the single wedding band and then tapered round. The stock will be walnut and it is not the true pied de vache profile. The hardware will be iron. I bought the kit 'used', but unbuilt from a forum member who bought it years ago and never touched it. I couldn't pass it up for the price. And being left-handed ... I decided to make it a true lefty, even though they didn't exist in this configuration, for this arm.
Less the lock 'hand', I am trying to mimic an arm produced from the Tulle factory between 1721 (when this barrel config took over) to 1741 (when they change lock styles). I have been using the historical books by Bouchard and Hamilton as my guide.
I will say I, even though I bought a few books on building muzzleloading firearms, I don't think I would have attempted this without Mike Brooks' excellent Gunbuilding Tutorial. Thank you Mike :thumbsup: ! Also many thanks to Tg and Okwaho (Tom Patton) who have given me advice on the model and other specifics.
So here she is ... what started as a kit from Ray Franks at Sitting Fox. I made up a true barleycorn sight and it is silver soldered 4.3" from the muzzle per Bouchard's book. I still have a long way to go, but the lockplate is inletted, the tenons are on and inletted, and the buttplate is 90% done. Man, that was work! How do you ever inlet a fancier buttplate with many 'wings' to the finial end?
Sitting Fox 20-gauge Fusil kit:
Shown with it is a great knife I just got from Two-Bellys. And yes ... I took the sheath apart and re-sewed it to be left-handed too!
Davis left-handed lock:
Rifle Shop French Lock:
My soon-to-be French Lock:
It started as a Caywood trade lock. I find their locks well made and extremely fast. Anyone who has ever seen my Caywood Wilson shoot can't believe how fast it fires.
The lockplate was round-faced when I got it and there was no flat on the hammer/cock. I will also add the TVLLE to the lockplate.
So ... with that ... wish me luck and I'll be sure to post photos when done! One thing I will do is make her as trim as trim can be.
It will have a 44" barrel, ~1/3rd octagonal (with the transition flats, to the single wedding band and then tapered round. The stock will be walnut and it is not the true pied de vache profile. The hardware will be iron. I bought the kit 'used', but unbuilt from a forum member who bought it years ago and never touched it. I couldn't pass it up for the price. And being left-handed ... I decided to make it a true lefty, even though they didn't exist in this configuration, for this arm.
Less the lock 'hand', I am trying to mimic an arm produced from the Tulle factory between 1721 (when this barrel config took over) to 1741 (when they change lock styles). I have been using the historical books by Bouchard and Hamilton as my guide.
I will say I, even though I bought a few books on building muzzleloading firearms, I don't think I would have attempted this without Mike Brooks' excellent Gunbuilding Tutorial. Thank you Mike :thumbsup: ! Also many thanks to Tg and Okwaho (Tom Patton) who have given me advice on the model and other specifics.
So here she is ... what started as a kit from Ray Franks at Sitting Fox. I made up a true barleycorn sight and it is silver soldered 4.3" from the muzzle per Bouchard's book. I still have a long way to go, but the lockplate is inletted, the tenons are on and inletted, and the buttplate is 90% done. Man, that was work! How do you ever inlet a fancier buttplate with many 'wings' to the finial end?
Sitting Fox 20-gauge Fusil kit:
Shown with it is a great knife I just got from Two-Bellys. And yes ... I took the sheath apart and re-sewed it to be left-handed too!
Davis left-handed lock:
Rifle Shop French Lock:
My soon-to-be French Lock:
It started as a Caywood trade lock. I find their locks well made and extremely fast. Anyone who has ever seen my Caywood Wilson shoot can't believe how fast it fires.
The lockplate was round-faced when I got it and there was no flat on the hammer/cock. I will also add the TVLLE to the lockplate.
So ... with that ... wish me luck and I'll be sure to post photos when done! One thing I will do is make her as trim as trim can be.
