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Lehigh County Style Rifle
- Thread starter Mulemauler
- Start date
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Hatchet-Jack
54 Cal.
Excellent! Looking forward to seeing your progress.
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2005
- Messages
- 1,147
- Reaction score
- 1,438
Let’s see your Lehigh profile!
Having been born in the Lehigh Valley, I'm interested in your build.
If you would, post photos of the details that make it a Lehigh.
I'm saving up for my final rifle (since it'll take all of my money!), and I want to know what details I like and which details don't matter to me.
So far, I like cast-off the most. It makes my poorboy so easy to aim!
The continuous curve of the stock is another detail I like.
My poorboy has a swamped barrel, and that makes it lighter.
Are you styling it after an historic maker, or more free-form?
I'll be watching your posts, so thank you in advance.
If you would, post photos of the details that make it a Lehigh.
I'm saving up for my final rifle (since it'll take all of my money!), and I want to know what details I like and which details don't matter to me.
So far, I like cast-off the most. It makes my poorboy so easy to aim!
The continuous curve of the stock is another detail I like.
My poorboy has a swamped barrel, and that makes it lighter.
Are you styling it after an historic maker, or more free-form?
I'll be watching your posts, so thank you in advance.
BillKilgore
50 cal.
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2021
- Messages
- 353
- Reaction score
- 590
Nice. I'm looking forward to seeing your build.
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
unless you understand Lehigh architecture, that .58 is going to beat you to a pulp.
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2005
- Messages
- 1,147
- Reaction score
- 1,438
What Mike said!
Col. Batguano
75 Cal.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2011
- Messages
- 5,034
- Reaction score
- 1,407
What style are you building? John Rupp and John Moll patterned guns (from the Central Lehigh county style) are the most often built. I also tend to consider them the trickiest to get right. I strongly suggest you get a copy of the Kentucky Rifle Assn Disc # 10 and study all 20 of the guns on it. Every nuance, and every detail. Not just the style you are building, but the others too. Look at what contemporary builder Allen Martin does too.
With that heavy of a barrel you're surely going to want to keep that web very thin, like 1/16" in the back, and 5/32" in the front. Side flat coverage should be about 30%-35%. RR coverage around 1/4 -1/3.
Just about everything on these rifles is different from just about every other style. It's really really easy to mess up the architecture. That's why it takes most builders about 4-5 tries at building one before they feel they get it "right".
One thing to be aware of, is that, unlike more popular styles like Lancasters, there are no static curves in most of the architecture. They are continuously evolving--getting tighter or looser as the position changes along the stock. For example; look closely at the toe line curve radius along its' entire length for (ignoring the double radius curve under the trigger guard of the Rupp for the moment). You will see that it starts out loose near the trigger guard, than gets tighter and tighter as you approach the butt plate. The top line of the wrist needs to be high. That's what I think is the biggest cause (wrist top line being too low) of a lot of contemporary Lehigh builds' architecture being "off".
Another very common mistake (with the Rupps and Molls) is to cut in the double wrist radius curve too deep, and /or of a static radius. That curve radius should be subtle, and have an evolving nature to be "right". That (static radius) results in architecture that doesn't quite "flow right" in the butt and through the wrist. Study the disc on those guns very carefully. It's a VERY subtle profile. It has to "fit right" in it's curve radius with the relationship with the comb nose, and comb curve radius. It's a very subtle thing. When you hit it, it's beautiful. When you don't, the result can look kinda clunky. By that, I mean that your eye should be naturally drawn to "sweep" along the length of the rifle in a visual manner giving the gun a graceful look. When there are distinctive areas that your eye tends to want to stop, (usually that's in the transition zones) and the curves appear to change direction abruptly, that's what I mean by "clunky".
So look at lots and lots of guns from all the resources. And, as important, look at them very critically. Try to identify what almost ALL of these guns got wrong in their architecture (and they all did to some extent) , and, what they got right.
The shape of the cheek rest rollover and concave portion of the cheek rest makes all the difference in whether the gun will be a cheek slapper or not. How will your head be aligned when you mount the gun? You want it upright and facing more forward than on other styles, with a rounder comb top than some other styles forward of where your cheek bone lands. That will let the gun kick out of the way and your cheekbone to slide off more when it's coming back rather than rise up to smack you.
With that heavy of a barrel you're surely going to want to keep that web very thin, like 1/16" in the back, and 5/32" in the front. Side flat coverage should be about 30%-35%. RR coverage around 1/4 -1/3.
Just about everything on these rifles is different from just about every other style. It's really really easy to mess up the architecture. That's why it takes most builders about 4-5 tries at building one before they feel they get it "right".
One thing to be aware of, is that, unlike more popular styles like Lancasters, there are no static curves in most of the architecture. They are continuously evolving--getting tighter or looser as the position changes along the stock. For example; look closely at the toe line curve radius along its' entire length for (ignoring the double radius curve under the trigger guard of the Rupp for the moment). You will see that it starts out loose near the trigger guard, than gets tighter and tighter as you approach the butt plate. The top line of the wrist needs to be high. That's what I think is the biggest cause (wrist top line being too low) of a lot of contemporary Lehigh builds' architecture being "off".
Another very common mistake (with the Rupps and Molls) is to cut in the double wrist radius curve too deep, and /or of a static radius. That curve radius should be subtle, and have an evolving nature to be "right". That (static radius) results in architecture that doesn't quite "flow right" in the butt and through the wrist. Study the disc on those guns very carefully. It's a VERY subtle profile. It has to "fit right" in it's curve radius with the relationship with the comb nose, and comb curve radius. It's a very subtle thing. When you hit it, it's beautiful. When you don't, the result can look kinda clunky. By that, I mean that your eye should be naturally drawn to "sweep" along the length of the rifle in a visual manner giving the gun a graceful look. When there are distinctive areas that your eye tends to want to stop, (usually that's in the transition zones) and the curves appear to change direction abruptly, that's what I mean by "clunky".
So look at lots and lots of guns from all the resources. And, as important, look at them very critically. Try to identify what almost ALL of these guns got wrong in their architecture (and they all did to some extent) , and, what they got right.
The shape of the cheek rest rollover and concave portion of the cheek rest makes all the difference in whether the gun will be a cheek slapper or not. How will your head be aligned when you mount the gun? You want it upright and facing more forward than on other styles, with a rounder comb top than some other styles forward of where your cheek bone lands. That will let the gun kick out of the way and your cheekbone to slide off more when it's coming back rather than rise up to smack you.
Last edited:
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
Check out Kettenbugs stuff as well as Martins. Easily the two best Lehigh men out there.
Col. Batguano
75 Cal.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2011
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- 5,034
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- 1,407
I would also add Erich von Aschwege to the list to check out. He builds styles other than Rupps and Molls as well.
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
As do the other two jolly gents mentioned.
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
Mike you are truly an artist! I especially like your fowlers, although I’ve yet to be able to afford one!
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
Thanks! I couldn't find a full length picture of that rifle. If I recall, it had a 48" .50 cal. swamped barrel. I think it was the last Lehigh I made.
Ha! At a 48” barrel, no wonder you couldn’t find a full length picture! Might have to take two pictures and splice them together!
Mike the lock is on the wrong side of the stock too. I guess it happens
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
I took that order in a weak moment. I turned down most left hand orders.Mike the lock is on the wrong side of the stock too. I guess it happens
Very nice!
Wow that's a lot of wood to remove! I didn't realize how much work is required. How do you get rid of the bulk of the wood? Rasp, band saw, sanders......
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2012
- Messages
- 1,798
- Reaction score
- 3,405
You do great work, with a bit of humor, no less. Very pretty gun. Dale
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