Carolina gun out of a pecatonica NWTG stock?

[Florida airgunner]

Hi guys

I really do love the looks of a carolina trade gun similar to the ones ken netting, jack brooks or rob miller have made (though not the Bumford guns with the thin wrist). I was thinking of building something that resembled them but my woodworking skills aren't super advanced, and I know I couldn't build one from a blank.

Pecatonica offers a northwest trade gun parts set. I'm wondering if it would be plausible for a beginner like me to swap out some of the parts in the pecatonica set and reshape their precarve to match a carolina gun. I do notice the barrel pecatonica supplies in the parts set are much much thicker than what I would like so I'm not sure what I'll do about that.

What do you guys think of this idea?

Pictures of Ken netting, Jack brooks and Rob miller carolina guns taken from other threads for reference

 

[Bnewberry]

It wouldn’t be “perfect” but I think you could get close enough to be happy with it as a project within your skills. I have the Petaconica NWTG kit that will be my next pr. The barrel is thick but unless you are willing to tackle the barrel inletting you are sort of stuck with it. I am going with 36” to reduce weight a bit.

 

[64Springer]

Very nice.

Surprised by the length of those things. Barrel length?

The bottom one is especially neat with the art work all over it.

 

[Florida airgunner]

It wouldn’t be “perfect” but I think you could get close enough to be happy with it as a project within your skills. I have the Petaconica NWTG kit that will be my next pr. The barrel is thick but unless you are willing to tackle the barrel inletting you are sort of stuck with it. I am going with 36” to reduce weight a bit.

Please do share your experiences building it. That would be tremendously helpful

 

[Flintandsteel]

NWTG’s and Type G’s are in no way similar.
Type G’s have much longer barrels, are English by style. Very long and slender.
My Type G, has a 48” 20ga barrel and weighs in right at 6lbs.

 

[Florida airgunner]

NWTG’s and Type G’s are in no way similar.
Type G’s have much longer barrels, are English by style. Very long and slender.
My Type G, has a 48” 20ga barrel and weighs in right at 6lbs.

I believe both the NWTG and the type G are English styled trade guns? Some pictures of your Type G would be nice too, I think those guns are very pretty.

 

[billraby]

Why couldn't you build one from a blank? It is actually a lot easier than building one from a pre-carved stock.

 

[Florida airgunner]

Why couldn't you build one from a blank? It is actually a lot easier than building one from a pre-carved stock.

I feel like that would be biting off more than I can chew.

 

[billraby]

Building from a blank seems more intimidating while a pre-carve looks half way finished. The reality is that the only difference is bulk wood removal. Pre-carves come 90% inlet with only 90% left to go. That is pretty much true. NONE of the parts are going to fit on a pre-carve. There is a hole where the lock is going to go, but the lock will not fit in it. You have to do that part. Difference with a blank is that you get to make that rough hole yourself. That is the quick and easy part. It is the fitting that takes the time. Same with the barrel and everything else. Pre-carve stocks come with a rough shape. Not a final one. You have to carve and shape every bit of the surface to final size. You cannot plan on pre-carve inlets being in the right place. Much more likely that you will have to move them around a bit. Cutting an inlet in a blank is much easier than moving a partially done inlet. The web between the barrel and ramrod is likely to be too thick. Once again you get to move a hole. With a blank you are working with a piece of wood that is squared off almost until the end. That makes a huge difference. With a pre-carve you are working with curved surfaces. Maybe they leave a few inches squared on the fore end. Maybe not.

Reshaping a pre-carve stock is likely to create a whole new set of problems. You don't need to be a super advanced woodworker to build a gun. Get some cheap maple lumber to practice with. Inlet the lock into a board. If you screw it up, do it again. When you get to the point where you can inlet a lock into a board, then inlet it into the gun. You can do that with every part.

When you know you cannot build a gun from a blank all you are doing is giving up before you even start.

 

[Florida airgunner]

Building from a blank seems more intimidating while a pre-carve looks half way finished. The reality is that the only difference is bulk wood removal. Pre-carves come 90% inlet with only 90% left to go. That is pretty much true. NONE of the parts are going to fit on a pre-carve. There is a hole where the lock is going to go, but the lock will not fit in it. You have to do that part. Difference with a blank is that you get to make that rough hole yourself. That is the quick and easy part. It is the fitting that takes the time. Same with the barrel and everything else. Pre-carve stocks come with a rough shape. Not a final one. You have to carve and shape every bit of the surface to final size. You cannot plan on pre-carve inlets being in the right place. Much more likely that you will have to move them around a bit. Cutting an inlet in a blank is much easier than moving a partially done inlet. The web between the barrel and ramrod is likely to be too thick. Once again you get to move a hole. With a blank you are working with a piece of wood that is squared off almost until the end. That makes a huge difference. With a pre-carve you are working with curved surfaces. Maybe they leave a few inches squared on the fore end. Maybe not.

Reshaping a pre-carve stock is likely to create a whole new set of problems. You don't need to be a super advanced woodworker to build a gun. Get some cheap maple lumber to practice with. Inlet the lock into a board. If you screw it up, do it again. When you get to the point where you can inlet a lock into a board, then inlet it into the gun. You can do that with every part.

When you know you cannot build a gun from a blank all you are doing is giving up before you even start.

Thank you for the words. Maybe a blank isn't out of the question then. Rob miller seems to be the expert here on building trade guns. This will be fun when i save up all the money for parts

 

[Rob M.]

Hi guys

I really do love the looks of a carolina trade gun similar to the ones ken netting, jack brooks or rob miller have made (though not the Bumford guns with the thin wrist). I was thinking of building something that resembled them but my woodworking skills aren't super advanced, and I know I couldn't build one from a blank.

Pecatonica offers a northwest trade gun parts set. I'm wondering if it would be plausible for a beginner like me to swap out some of the parts in the pecatonica set and reshape their precarve to match a carolina gun. I do notice the barrel pecatonica supplies in the parts set are much much thicker than what I would like so I'm not sure what I'll do about that.

What do you guys think of this idea?

Pictures of Ken netting, Jack brooks and Rob miller carolina guns taken from other threads for reference

Sure ya could bud ! If ya dont want to build from a blank . Some changes to the gun stock from.the mortices back , comb down lower , swoop under bottom of the buttstock from trigger to buttplate , nice and slim throughout , curve in B.P. and few other things ....you can make ya gun similar to the Carolina gun . If ya decided to do it hope ya post pics of your progress ! Best of luck...holler at me if I can help ya out some how

 

[Flintandsteel]

Florida,
While that is true, they are from different eras, designed for different parts of the world.

 

[Florida airgunner]

Sure ya could bud ! If ya dont want to build from a blank . Some changes to the gun stock from.the mortices back , comb down lower , swoop under bottom of the buttstock from trigger to buttplate , nice and slim throughout , curve in B.P. and few other things ....you can make ya gun similar to the Carolina gun . If ya decided to do it hope ya post pics of your progress ! Best of luck...holler at me if I can help ya out some how

Thank you kindly Mr. Miller. I notice that the carolina guns you make seem to have a pretty straight stock compared to other makers, and somewhat similar to a NWTG. Maybe just me idk

 

[Rob M.]

Thank you kindly Mr. Miller. I notice that the carolina guns you make seem to have a pretty straight stock compared to other makers, and somewhat similar to a NWTG. Maybe just me idk

He// if I know ! I just try and make em look like the picture hangin on my wall in the shop ! They look like Carolina Guns ta me ! LOL ! They must to other folks too ! Just sent this one to Massachusetts today ... I like it

 

[Florida airgunner]

He// if I know ! I just try and make em look like the picture hangin on my wall in the shop ! They look like Carolina Guns ta me ! LOL ! They must to other folks too ! Just sent this one to Massachusetts today ... I like it

awsome gun man! Now only if I could shape that gun from a precarve somehow. I notice the guns you make are extremely light, under 6 pounds. What barrels do you use?

Thank you

 

[ColonialRifleSmith]

Personally, never did like panted guns with stenciled designs. That's just me. Semper Fi.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Honestly it would be easier to use a blank. Send it off to get the barrel and ram rod inlet and do the rest yourself.
Call Hoyt and have him make you a barrel from my Carolina pattern. It's 20 bore and 48"long. Makes a gun that weighs 6lbs.

 

[Rob M.]

Ken Netting turns my barrels to my dimensions then I grind on the flats and such . Most modern barrels are just too heavy

 

[Florida airgunner]

Honestly it would be easier to use a blank. Send it off to get the barrel and ram rod inlet and do the rest yourself.
Call Hoyt and have him make you a barrel from my Carolina pattern. It's 20 bore and 48"long. Makes a gun that weighs 6lbs.

Thank you Mr. Brooks. How much do those barrels usually run for?

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Last one I got from him was $300 plus shipping.