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J Dickert barrel

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Zonie, I appreciate your ideas of a trade and such but I am not really after a new rifle. My father and uncle split my grandfather's collection up when he died in '59 and I have access to plenty of guns although none are a flintlock. I am more interested in getting back into making guns (back meaning I built a pistol years ago) and sort of following in their footsteps. I will do nothing with the barrel now. Actually, after watching some video I am more interested now in building a barrel from scratch. I have lots of blacksmithing equipment and have dabbled in that for years. I love a challenge most recently having built a violin.
 
Zonie, I went to the site you posted but it isn't valid.

http://http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/forum/index.php#1

I would like to send pictures of the barrel to the site you suggested if you can correct the address.

thanks, steve
 
tg, that's what I originally intended to do, make a Dickert rifle around the barrel. Not to fool anyone but just to give the barrel a home again. I am a history freek and don't like to disturb anything of historical value and maybe building a new rifle around it wouldn't be the best idea. On the other hand, I am not a gun fanatic and if I hung the barrel on my wall absolutely no one in my circle of friends would understand it's significance so that may be a wast also. I will just enjoy if for what it is for now.

steve
 
Having learned to build a violin....leads me to believe you MORE than capable of building a very nice flintlock around a piece of American History.
Document all of your work and make a grand piece for yourself as well as others to admire :wink:
If you wanted to build it to use you could always have it Xrayed for metal fateague for your own safety and piece of mind.Good luck whatever you decide, :hmm: I bet your grandfather would have like to seen it brought back to life! Just a thought.
 
Sorry I've been gone so long. Getting kids out of HS and into college. I recieved the 50cal muzzle loader and some muzzle loading pistols that my grandfather built from my dad and I've been shooting the heck out of them so I'm getting back into it. Anyway, I've been in contact with my Uncle who sent me the Dickert Barrel and he told me my grandfather DID bore the barrel to fit the insert. This would have been done in the mid to late 50's. I have some other projects to finish first but if I decide to go ahead and sweat in that insert could somebody tell me how that is done please. It is a snug fit. Thanks in advance. Steve
 
Just because Granpaw nearly wrecked a piece of history, ( common for the era...remains of fine longrifles found in coal bins...we are better educated on the significance of artifacts now) why finish destroying the remaining historical significance.

I have some other projects to finish first but if I decide to go ahead and sweat in that insert could somebody tell me how that is done please. It is a snug fit. Thanks in advance. Steve

If you have to ask that on an internet forum, you are not qualified especially for this ill advised project.
 
Take Dan's advice and leave the barrel alone. It is a piece of history and putting it in a modern-made stock with a modern-made lock and running the risk of destroying it is wrong. I know that in the early days of 20th c. muzzle loading, guys did that but then these things were more plentiful and you had little choice if you wanted a shootable muzzle loader. This is no longer the case and I hope you will consider his comments, mine and others who have urged you not to use this barrel to make a gun.
 
History isn't some dead thing to be preserved at all cost, history is what we are doing now. If grandfather started fixing up this barrel for a gun then your grand children will want to see your input in the process. If you mark it so they know great great grandfather had his hand in it to then that makes it even more special.
 
I really have mixed emotions about this. I am proud I live in a country where a person has the right to make George Washington's pistol into a lamp if he owned it, and he so desired.

The question is should he do it, even though he has the right? That's a personal decision. If steviejake wants wants to make a nice digging bar out of a signed Dikert barrel, it's his so be it.

As a student of 18th century rifles I personally think it' a treasure..like it is. The OP does not really know for sure it has been bored. Maybe it has or maybe the uncle just thought it had, really does not matter. The way it's made is intriguing to me, the flats the dovetails, the lugs, I can appreciate that, others may not care.

As far as lining to shooting condition...That needs to be done by a pro, just because Granpaw shoved a pipe down the bore does not mean it's the right liner. That needs to be done by an expert like Bobby Hoyt. If I was going to line it and I've made clear I wouldn't, I would have a proper rifled liner installed by a pro... If you are going to do it, have done right by someone that knows how.

One thing to consider, maybe the grandfather knew better after he thought about it and that's the reason it was never completed.

I'm sure steviejakes grandfather was a great man but things have come a long way since then and if he is going to proceed it need to go to a pro.
 
Find as Dickert lock and build a gun just date it under the but plate . Then Hang it on the wall. :2
 
I would have a nice Dickert rifle made from it. They don't need to do anything that would damage it to build a rifle. Send it to Bobby Hoyt and have it cleaned out. I have an original Nicolas Hawk barrel with the fancy brass inlay and signature. I would love to get a replica made from it.
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It was a fairly common practice with some of the better makers. John Armstrong and Jacob Kuntz used it often.
 
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