Fixing up a scabby old Trade Musket

[Sunbeam]

Hi,

Just thought I'd share my project with you guys.

I'm in the UK and this is my first Musket re-build.

All the parts I am making by hand from sheet stock brass or bar stock, nothing bought in except the new sling I'm having made in white leather.

I bought this nasty old cheap 50's (I think) Trade Musket a few months ago.
I sent off the barrel for re-proofing and now it has come back with a nice new UK proof mark on it, I felt it was worth fixing up.
I've re-carved the stock a little for a better look.
I've tuned the lock to work very well with a good trigger feel and it actually locks now on half lock!
All the nasty old stock steel was binned and I'm now working my way through it all making it in brass with a much nicer look and finish.
I have added a locking patch box, I'm rather pleased with this as I'd never made a hinge in brass! It works very well with no slop or stiffness.

If anybody is interested, I'll keep posting up pics as I progress over the next couple of weeks.
What you see below is about two weeks work so far and I think I'm about half way through to a finished long arm

https://ibb.co/DkjRtFfhttps://ibb.co/P16GvrShttps://ibb.co/Bs9gCCFhttps://ibb.co/nw1LWdmhttps://ibb.co/tqrPdWhhttps://ibb.co/7ystcD0https://ibb.co/x8DbnSzhttps://ibb.co/CPn4y81https://ibb.co/bHXMZH2https://ibb.co/hZ7HZhbhttps://ibb.co/JQ6zVymhttps://ibb.co/56tMWGGhttps://ibb.co/G9Ct4K3https://ibb.co/TwR9Ctrhttps://ibb.co/fQxXNtxhttps://ibb.co/kSMfTB4https://ibb.co/x3rGRvShttps://ibb.co/rd6C4vthttps://ibb.co/yy1gzqzhttps://ibb.co/zm362DLhttps://ibb.co/2kbK9GPhttps://ibb.co/MkKBZzXhttps://ibb.co/BtsTVHZhttps://ibb.co/V38hn2khttps://ibb.co/YjNVqcmhttps://ibb.co/XSRjkR0

 

[Zonie]

If it's possible to do, when you get to the point where you are finishing your rifle, try to replace those Phillips head screws with straight slotted head screws.

Phillips head screws weren't in use until about 1938 and they were first used by Cadillac.

 

[Sunbeam]

Think you need to look at all the pics
Crossheads are just for set up.

https://ibb.co/yy1gzqz

 

[Zonie]

It was just a friendly suggestion. I really don't have the time to examine 25 different pictures at the moment. (Yes, I see one where the screws have been replaced.
I also understand this rifle is not meant to be a 100% accurate reproduction of a pre-1865 gun.)

The work you did looks very well done

 

[thomas]

Excellent work!
Thomas

 

[Nazgul58]

Very nice!!

Don

 

[Treestalker]

Really nice work, Lovely inletting and reshaping. It looks like what I want to do with a .58 cal. Springfield American Civil War repro barrel I have had opened to .60 cal. smoothbore. Should make a hell of a shotgun. Mine is percussion. What bore size is yours? Thank you for sharing! George.

 

[OldRust]

Very well done sir ! Thanks for sharing

 

[Sunbeam]

Really nice work, Lovely inletting and reshaping. It looks like what I want to do with a .58 cal. Springfield American Civil War repro barrel I have had opened to .60 cal. smoothbore. Should make a hell of a shotgun. Mine is percussion. What bore size is yours? Thank you for sharing! George.

Thanks Guys,
This musket is 75 cal and will be shooting patched round ball

 

[Sunbeam]

Ooop's 67 ca,l typo.

 

[Sunbeam]

Made the wrist plate today.
https://ibb.co/qkLRMBJhttps://ibb.co/grDF28rhttps://ibb.co/551psyK

 

[gabedard]

looks great!
Thanks for sharing....keep us posted on your progress!

 

[Sunbeam]

If anybody knows of and engraver, I need an R engraved onto the wrist plate.
One of these
https://ibb.co/QJ4fxHC

 

[rickystl]

Great work. Was this musket originally a full stock ?

Rick

 

[Sunbeam]

No, the brass end cap I am making actually makes it longer. The stock was quite mashed up on the end and finished badly. Once all the old re-finishing was removed, there was very little to work with.

Please look at the first 4 pics on thread No1.
These first 4 pics were my starting point.

 

[DaMitch]

Very nice to see the Old Gal brought back with some very good work.

 

[toot]

you rely did one HELLUVA BANG UP JOB! pardon the pun. use a piece of leather or lead for the flint in the jaws.

 

[Sunbeam]

you rely did one HELLUVA BANG UP JOB! pardon the pun. use a piece of leather or lead for the flint in the jaws.

Thanks

Yes

That is how she came to me and I fully intend to use lead or leather as you say. She sparks really well, even with the really nasty bit of flint that she has now. I did put a little black in the pan and test, the rag caught on fire

I was very kindly given a huge lump of good UK flint to have a go at when I'm ready. So that'll be another learning curve Already watched many YT videos on it.

 

[toot]

the rag caught fire, wonder how that happened?? HA,HA,HA, that's the cats meow!!! I think that is the funniest thing yet! rely a fine specimen. CUDDOS TO YA.

 

[Jeff Kaufmann]

Nicely done, your progress is impressive! Thank you for sharing!