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Barrel has arrived!

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Walkingeagle

54 Cal.
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
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Well folks, after watching and searching for far too long, I finally decided that finding a 20ga smoothie for my TC Renegade platform was unlikely here in Canada so I’m gonna have to build. Thus I ordered one from Pecatonica in very late December, and it has finally arrived.
The reason I say “TC Renegade platform” is that the only thing TC is the trigger, lock, hooked tang and currently the Renegade barrel. I also have an old (I bought new in about 2002) .54 GM IBS 32” 1:70 twist barrel. The stock was hand done by myself from a Walnut blank bought also from Pecatonica back about 2004. The furniture is all sand cast steel from TOTW. This muzzleloader is far from perfect and by no means picture quality, but it was all done by myself with basic hand tools and no vice nor drill press. It shows! However it carries very well and does exactly all I need from a trusted friend.
Now to the new barrel. It’s a 36” Octagon to Round 20 gauge breeched for percussion. My plan is to make an obvious switch barrel system which will end up looking more like an English influenced half stock plains rifle/fowler, without the luxury of the bling. Built tough to meet the demands of the Western fur trade in 1840’s era in what is now Alberta.
Anyhow, excited to actually be building finally, and trying not to be too excited such that I’m rushing.
Walk
 
Well folks, after watching and searching for far too long, I finally decided that finding a 20ga smoothie for my TC Renegade platform was unlikely here in Canada so I’m gonna have to build. Thus I ordered one from Pecatonica in very late December, and it has finally arrived.
The reason I say “TC Renegade platform” is that the only thing TC is the trigger, lock, hooked tang and currently the Renegade barrel. I also have an old (I bought new in about 2002) .54 GM IBS 32” 1:70 twist barrel. The stock was hand done by myself from a Walnut blank bought also from Pecatonica back about 2004. The furniture is all sand cast steel from TOTW. This muzzleloader is far from perfect and by no means picture quality, but it was all done by myself with basic hand tools and no vice nor drill press. It shows! However it carries very well and does exactly all I need from a trusted friend.
Now to the new barrel. It’s a 36” Octagon to Round 20 gauge breeched for percussion. My plan is to make an obvious switch barrel system which will end up looking more like an English influenced half stock plains rifle/fowler, without the luxury of the bling. Built tough to meet the demands of the Western fur trade in 1840’s era in what is now Alberta.
Anyhow, excited to actually be building finally, and trying not to be too excited such that I’m rushing.
Walk
Rebuilt an old T/.C hawken on a Pecatonica stock not the prettiest girl in the room but its my main go to. Shoots well. Have fun with yours, and dont rush! It is tempting to.....best SM
 
Some pictures of what I started with for this project....
Cast breech plug acquired from a forum member...
D8CEA246-7582-40EA-AA65-BCD84EA8D756.jpegBC50EF77-29AC-4129-976E-5EE420C11C65.jpeg

After preliminary filing to remove rough cast marks...
8FF61AAA-0341-46D0-A349-501AC878E0FB.jpeg7483BE20-BA56-4E57-A099-BD739D39CB64.jpeg

Barrel as received, breeched for flint...EC13FC98-B04D-4FFC-9615-B4B523B485F1.jpeg

Walk
 
Cut in dovetail for my underlug installation. Used a poor mans barrel vice to secure things. Kinda backwoods ingenuity but got the job done. Used a miterbox. Lol
DE37D07A-A466-4BF0-9E2E-00C993B1F75C.jpeg566E3FDD-F77C-4921-B9F8-718A087CA6D0.jpeg

10758D2D-3FA4-4013-BECE-449D61FCDF97.jpeg
64E3A281-57A0-46DF-B5C9-2F7D69A89A7B.jpeg

Filed to 0.080” depth. Made a safety 3-corner file and ilnetted the dovetails.
CB1AF130-CD76-459A-B9FB-0C58990CAE9A.jpegEAC28F9A-6BF3-48EB-AECC-B92A717836D3.jpeg

Long day and shutting down. Next step, 150 then 220 grit sanding on Octagon portion followed by RR pipe soldering. Tomorrow’s work.
Walk
 
Thanks guys, but not even close to quality often seen within this site. Had a rough sleep last night as I worried over whether or not I went too deep with the dovetail. I think I won’t know until I shoot it. Sigh...
Anyhow, sanded to 150 grit and now time to think about RR pipes.
CC1A2F39-5CFB-42CB-997E-344B0E78C604.jpeg

Thinking about no under rib, just small short segments to act as bridges (spacers). Gotta think more...
Walk
 
Update everyone,
I was a bit worried about the depth of my dovetail, and rather than continuing to work I stopped until I could “proof” things. Well today that was accomplished. My good friend Old Ugly accompanied myself and we managed to run it through the trials. After working up in stages we stopped after 90gr 2fg and two patched balls. Absolutely no issues. Time for work to resume!
Walk
 
Not much accomplished today. Had other commitments and starting into the latter part of my monthly chemo regime, so get quite tired at times. However I did decide that my heavy old desk downstairs that I use for reloading unmentionables would likely make for a better workspace than my lap, so I set it up as such in addition to its current role. I also ordered up a good quality drillpress table milling vice (3.5”) to use on my “new” workspace top. Had to try things out so started on one of my pipes. Will hopefully finish them both up tomorrow and solder into place.
Walk
 
Finished up both pipes, one to be installed 3” from the muzzle to the nose of the pipe, the second 13” from the muzzle. Aligned and placed everything, c-clamped into place, marked out the borders and slid a temporary brass range rod into place. Oh oh, problem... my mid-barrel pipe is too tight to the barrel. As the stock, and subsequent RR channel, were built and drilled for a 1” full octagon barrel, and this barrel is an octagon to round, with the round section tapered to the muzzle, having the mid pipe in place misaligns things. After getting my better halves opinion, decided to run just the single muzzle pipe for now and make a decision on if a second is necessary later on. So, completed the solder installation, cleaned things up and reinstalled into the stock. Stole the RR from my Isaac Haines temporarily to see how things look.
Still need to install front sight and figure out what to do with the forestock at the transition, as the wedding band is about an inch behind the end of forestock. Quite the dilemma as this remains a switch barrel gun.
Thoughts anyone?
Walk 06DB8D25-C9D5-48C0-836B-4400DA3F7145.jpeg8B8EC4FD-4EB9-4281-A854-54B0C3F0E7E4.jpeg176DC8C5-824D-40D7-8919-B312D93EBB5C.jpeg
 
Didn’t like the look of only a single RR pipe so decided to build a shim and solder it to the pipe base then clean it up and solder the assembly onto the barrel as the mid point between the forestock and front pipe. Cleaned it up once cooled and things look better now. Tomorrow front sight installation followed by a final sanding with 220 grit emery in preparation for barrel blueing.
Walk
D9BD2328-C663-454B-A6B3-351D3D3E9F32.jpeg0CBD3A3F-BA18-475B-A4C2-6EE9A589DE8B.jpeg
 
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