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Hi Flinch,
Probably most good makers have made guns that mix styles and periods at some point in their careers. Sometimes it may be out of ignorance at the time, sometimes to experiment with new designs and methods, and sometimes just because it looked good. It all depends on objectives. When my client wants an historically accurate piece, I do everything I can to make it look as it should in every detail short of reliving history as I make it (meaning, I'll use an electric drill and modern lights). Even then, if the gun is engraved or carved, unless I am copying an original gun, the designs are historically inspired but they are my own. It that sense it is still a fantasy piece. However, I have studied decorative styles from the 15th through 19th centuries and know what I am doing to keep within the right historical parameters when designing my own work. At times my client may be a shooter who does not really care much for historical context, so I might build a John Noll inspired rifle with an L&R Durs Egg lock. It is not HC but it looks good and the shooter happened to like the style and wanted the lock. It all depends on my objectives.

dave
 
flinch said:
How many of you (if any) have just built a gun, part Lancaster, trade gun or whatever, not following a specific time period, say a trade gun with a maple stock?

You may like to know the original builders mixed styles and/or parts, as well, though the stock and/or any carving or decoration was normally their own style when they built the rifle or smoothbore.

One of the most unusual types I can think of is on display at the Valley Forge Visitors Center. It is the bottom rifle in a tall case of rifles, back against a wall. The only description they had for this rifle was that it supposedly was built in Virginia. (I even asked their firearms curator and that's all the info they had on it.)

The rifle first appears to be a somewhat more expensive rifle than may have been common - with a stock in curly maple with some nice carving, a nicely made four part patchbox and even wedges instead of barrel pins. However, I almost fell over when I noticed it had an early French or more likely Dutch flintlock lock with a teat on the rear. That lock style was at least 30 to maybe 40-50 years earlier than the rifle.

So, there is an original rifle with a lock that is far too early for it (normally) and barrel wedges that were not real common in an AWI period rifle. Yet the overall effect and stock style looks correct for an AWI or just slightly later period rifle.

Rich Pierce has a name for such period authentic/original guns assembled from disparate parts, that for some reason I just can't remember. So I will describe it as a composite rifle gun.

Gus
 
I have wondered how many local gunsmiths made their own local style which were never documented. I have a Virgina fowler that looks like a termite inlet the lock. My first lock inlet. I've always wanted a Tulle but being on a fixed income I have trouble affording one. So I intend to purchase a pre-carved stock and put my parts into it. It will not be HC, I've read where different guns were used for their parts to make a new gun of a different style. :idunno:
 
I’m doing that now! A friend’s son is 14 and is really into hunting and BP shooting, but is a lefty. It took me a year, but I assembled a ”˜hodge podge’ of parts into a half-stock flintlock LH build.

It will be a CVA stock, brass mounts and dbl-set trigger, a Traditions 50-cal barrel, with a Lyman/Investarms LH flintlock assembly and tang - one of kind build- a Frankenbuild really - but it is a lefty BP rifle made for a LH’d kid. There was some inletting, patching & machinging to do to get the mixed parts to all work nicely together, but it worked out well!

The CVA stock is a beech stock, so I played around w/ dyes, but I am very happy w/ the final color! There’s some final fitting to do, plus add more hand-rubbed oil coats. I also need to add traditional sights and plan to finish the barrel off in a darker French gray with a faux Damascus striped look.

My total parts co$t outlay was ~$165 ... cannot beat that, huh?
 
Flint62Smoothie said:
...a Frankenbuild really - but it is a lefty BP rifle made for a LH’d kid. ...

My total parts co$t outlay was ~$165 ... cannot beat that, huh?

That's for sure gonna take a deer as well as any other flinter out in the woods!!
 
I am not smart enough to post pictures. I may have built a few from a kit and 5 from a blank, am darn sure no expert, I like to think I can build a shootable gun, can not compare my guns with the guns you guys build. I have not did any carving or engraving on any of the guns, am to afraid I will ruin what I have, I have no problem with that. Maybe one day I will get brave enough to try it. I think it was last week a guy showed his first build, (forgot who) I thought it looked great, I think I will order a plain maple blank from Dunlap and go from there. I will try not to stray too far. thanks for the replys, chuck
 
The key to good carving and engraving is good drawing. You can't carve or engrave what you can't draw. If you're nervous about your carving, the practice on a scrap of hardwood of similar hardness and shape as your target stock. Likewise with engraving, but most surfaces there are pretty flat (lock plate, side plate, toe plate, patch box, tang). Just practice on practice plates there.

Once you draw your design on your stock set it down and walk away from it for a while before you pick up the chisels. Odds are that you'll want to get out the eraser a few times before you get out the chisels anyway.
 
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