rich pierce
70 Cal.
In our ML club we were blessed to have a lot of old timers who had been match shooting since the 1950s. These guys were simply following a tradition that never completely died out. As an example there’s a local ML shoot that has been an annual highlight since the end of the Civil War. One of our most esteemed members, Bob Favier, passed away recently. He was a fine shooter who took a lot of meat home over the years, with guns he put together from parts here and there, and barrels he rifled himself or re-cut the rifling on. He taught me how he freshed barrels.
I purchased a heavy-barreled percussion rifle from his estate. He had one focused goal when gunbuilding and that was to make a shooter while spending as little as possible. He was not about following a style or tradition. This rifle has a thick, 32” long, .45 caliber barrel of a gun made in Troy, NY in the 1840s or so. It has a back-action shotgun lock and set triggers he made himself. He stocked it in thick walnut and hung a TC guard on it. Right in his style wheelhouse. Weighs 11.2 pounds, just about right for a light bench gun. I prefer a longer sighting radius but we will see how this works out.
I unbreeched it and the rifling was rough. The muzzle was cratered. There were deep potholes in the bore. Over the past few days I recut the rifling. It’s now a .46 and the rifling is almost perfectly clean end to end. I have a .451 round ball mold so no worries. Tomorrow I’ll check it on the range. If I ever get to be half the shooter Bob was, I will be satisfied.
I purchased a heavy-barreled percussion rifle from his estate. He had one focused goal when gunbuilding and that was to make a shooter while spending as little as possible. He was not about following a style or tradition. This rifle has a thick, 32” long, .45 caliber barrel of a gun made in Troy, NY in the 1840s or so. It has a back-action shotgun lock and set triggers he made himself. He stocked it in thick walnut and hung a TC guard on it. Right in his style wheelhouse. Weighs 11.2 pounds, just about right for a light bench gun. I prefer a longer sighting radius but we will see how this works out.
I unbreeched it and the rifling was rough. The muzzle was cratered. There were deep potholes in the bore. Over the past few days I recut the rifling. It’s now a .46 and the rifling is almost perfectly clean end to end. I have a .451 round ball mold so no worries. Tomorrow I’ll check it on the range. If I ever get to be half the shooter Bob was, I will be satisfied.
