Muzzleloader Build Pictures

[Buckskinn]

I have been searching for reference pictures while working on my rifle, even printed out a bunch. I think it would be very helpful to those beginner builders if we had a picture thread, maybe even as a sticky. Not only helpful, but interesting as well to see what has been created by other members.

Specifics along with pictures would be great!

Thoughts?

 

[Buckskinn]

or not...

 

[Dave Marsh]

Try this tutorial. Good luck.

https://americanlongrifles.org/PDF/tutorial.pdf

Dave

 

[Col. Batguano]

Some things are common to (almost) ALL guns, (Barrel inletting, lock, trigger, butt plate, trigger guard etc) and some relative to school are specific to it such as lock, lock panel shape and margins, fore end shape, comb shape, patch box, etc.It would help us a great deal if you could narrow down your request a little as to what it is that you are looking for.

 

[longcruise]

Here's another good source

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?board=329.0

 

[tenngun]

You tube has vids by our members Bill Raby and Duelist 1954 Mike Belivue very good stuff. I built my first gun about ‘78 and learned more in the last couple of years off there vids then previous thirty years.
Books are good but actually watching some one do it are great.

 

[Cruzatte]

I second the Duelist1954 videos.

 

[Brokennock]

Most, if not all, of Dave Person's posts here in the builders section have many, many, excellent quality photos. He also has a great tutorial on another previously mentioned forum.

 

[Carbon 6]

You tube has vids by our members Bill Raby and Duelist 1954 Mike Belivue very good stuff.
Books are good but actually watching some one do it are great.

Kastuck Bowcraft and Jim Kibler also have nice videos on youtube.
You can learn something from all of them.

Of course this is still my favorite build video.

 

[Buckskinn]

Here's another good source

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?board=329.0

Great source! I'm in the process of building a York from a Jim Chambers kit in 40 cal. But I just like to see the work of others. And being able to do so without digging through forums would be beneficial. I've looked at Raby, Duelist and Kibler videos and they are very helpful. Also have several of Person's strings on favorite...

 

[Vaino]

It seems a whole lot of builders do excellent work, but posting detailed, closeup photos by many isn't possible. You are presently building a York styled LR , but I've never built one so wouldn't normally post pics of other styles.....but shown are 2 pics that are detailed and closeup.....Fred

View attachment 26011 View attachment 26011

 

[Buckskinn]

That's gorgeous! Right now I am trying to figure out what to do around the rear pipe and tang as far as carving, simple carving that is...

 

[Col. Batguano]

What style of gun are you building? Do you intend to stay true to the school and time period you are building, or do you want to free lance? If staying true, look at some great reference books, like the RCA v1 & v2. If you want to free lance and fancy it up a bit, the book "Engraving Historical Firearms" has some stellar carving in it that may inspire you to do things you didn't think you could. Art is all about the vision and inspiration first.

But what ever you decide on, by all means draw it on paper first to see if you like it, and then in pencil on the wood. Take a few days to draw, erase, draw, erase while walking away from it for a while to see if you still like what you drew. It's a LOT easier to correct mistakes with an eraser than when it's whacked in to the wood.

 

[billraby]

That's gorgeous! Right now I am trying to figure out what to do around the rear pipe and tang as far as carving, simple carving that is...

Fancy carving is no harder to do than simple carving. It just takes longer. Find the carving design that you really like and just practice it on scrap until you get it.

 

[Buckskinn]

Where can I find Rifles of Colonial America V1 and V2? I see 2 available but not so much 1...

 

[Buckskinn]

I'm not really needing to stay true to time period, but since it is a York, I am considering one of George's tang and pipe carvings.


I have a pointed rear ramrod pipe. Will this look odd with the above carving?

 

[jfahlingsr]

Shumway's "Geo Schreyer Sr & Jr Gunmakers of Hanover" shows clearly that #1, #5 & #35 have his signature carving behind pointed tangs. He used squared off tangs on about 30 rifles and double radiused 3 times.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Yes a pointed tail on an entry pipe will look a bit "out of school" for a York as I know them. If you cut off the tail to square it up will it be pretty close to the length of the prototype? If not, buy another one. They're only $10-$15 from the guys like MBS or TotW. You're going to make plenty of mistakes in your build that you didn't count on. WE all do. Why start out making one that you could easily correct for just 1% of the total materials cost? If you mess up a $400 blank that's one thing. But a $12 store-bought entry pipe?

Most builders early in their building careers are best served if they try to make something that looks just like another gun they like from a particular maker. You can deviate a little, like fancifying carving and engraving, but don't go too nuts.

 

[Buckskinn]

Well, it was a Chambers kit and pipe area was precut, so not much I could do about that. Aside from the fact that all of the furniture on the gun is now completely inlet.