Looking for my next flintlock, (something lighter)

[Tennessee.45]

I'm about half way done building my .58 42" "Virginia"rifle and absolutely love it so far, well except the weight hurts my non firing side shoulder from time to time (torn rotator) the recoil doesn't seem to bother it, just the weight.

I want to build an early (1750's-1706's) PC/HC flinty, but looking for something that is shorter and lighter. Would like to build a smoothie but not opposed to another rifle.

 

[steinauge32]

The "rangerized" Brown Bess with the barrel cut to about 30" is quite light.Mine weighs about 7 lbs.Otherwise you might think about a rifle of around 36 caliber with a 40X 3\4" across the flats barrel and a very slim stock.Sympathy on the rotator cuff injury.Painful and slow to heal.

 

[Tennessee.45]

I would like to see that! I was thinking about a jaeger but remember someone saying they are short and heavy...


Yes it's very slow, tore it September last year so it's taking a lot longer then I was hoping for

 

[jamieorr]

Take a look at a swamped, octogon to round barreled gun. I have a 46 inch barrel from Chambers and am surprised how light it feels compared to my 28 inch Lyman octogon barrel. I guess because the weight is mainly in the breech end.

Jamie

 

[Tennessee.45]

The rifle I have now has a swamped rice barrel, balances very nicely but days like today after about 30 seconds to a minute I'm ready to put it down, I haven't finished shaping it, it's a precarve with most of the work already done I just need to finish it

 

[robinsroost]

Have you thought about a squirrel rifle? Most of them are quite light, around 6 pounds.........robin :hmm:

 

[Tennessee.45]

Right now my rifle weighs about 8.4lbs and that's with out the butt plate, trigger, guard, nose cap and forward thimbles

 

[Vaino]

Build a Bucks County LR like the one shown below. Don't have to go w/ a .50 cal. 46" lg "B" weight bbl as pictured...use a 42" bbl. A lot less than 8 lbs....Fred

 

[vfisher93]

Take a look at Jim kiblers mountain riflekit.super light and beautiful rifles when finished.cal I think run 32 to 45.The weight on the 40 cal I beleave is just under 7 lbs.

 

[Tennessee.45]

I'm kinda thinking an Isaac Haines or a "southern mtn" with an A weight .40

 

[wattlebuster]

Tennesee my Mike Brooks A weight .40 has a 38 inch barrel an weighs in a little under 7 lbs

 

[Col. Batguano]

The heaviest component of any rifle is the barrel. If you pick the largest caliber in any profile that will yield you the lightest barrel. Swamped barrels have more meat on them toward the muzzle, so the further you can get the center of gravity toward the breech the lighter it will feel. For that reason if you went with a shorter tapered barrel that will move that center of gravity rearwards. You can also put weights in the butt stock, but that sort of defeats the purpose of getting a lighter overall gun.

 

[Vaino]

I think you meant to say that there's more "meat" on a swamped bbl towards the breech end?.....Fred

 

[MSW]

I'm going to join the consensus and come down on the side of a .40 caliber Southern Mountain Rifle. I used a swamped "A" weight Colerain barrel in mine and it feels just great to carry and to shoot.

Keep us posted, and remember; we love pictures!

 

[BrownBear]

I see you're in Tennessee, so your tastes might run to that region.

Being a westerner, I'm having a Leman Squirrel Rifle built along the lines of the original GRRW offering, but with a more slender 40 cal barrel. I could probably beat that weight with a light 45 if that was my aim. Even in 40 cal, the forecast weight is below 7#.

 

[ZUG]

I will be building a Peter Berry flint in .45 cal with a Green Mountain 38" swamped barrel for my youngest grandson in the near future and it "should" weigh in at no more than 7 pounds when done. I don't remember what the taper of the barrel was when I bought it as it was many moons ago ("A" or "B" taper) but it is thin at the waist. The breach measures at 0.990”, waist is 0.684”, and the muzzle is 0.862” it is a light weight barrel for sure.

 

[ZUG]

Mighty fine looking rifle there Flehto -- and by the look on your face you think so also :thumbsup:

 

[Tennessee.45]

The Tennessee, Southern Mountain and Virginia rifle are my favorites, my ancestors migrated to Va back in the late 1500's then branched off to NC, Ga and Tn.

 

[Vaino]

Bucks County LRs are my favorite builds...also do a few Lancasters one of which is shown below.

The BCs are very petite and even w/ 46" bbls are pretty light.

Thanks for the kind words....Fred

 

[ron wehmeyer]

Fred you are a talented man, very fine work! ,,DT