old ardessa

[eggwelder]

got this couple of years ago. decided it needed a facelift. it takes a .449 ball with dry "dutch" patch, and this thing is super accurate, especially after i got the crud ring out

little bit of work and i have this. a few modified parts, some leather dye, dropped a minimum 3/4 pounds of wood from the stock.

<a href="https://imgur.com/NThUNCf"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/NThUNCf.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

 

[eggwelder]

can't seem to load any more pics.

 

[Ames]

Looks like a whole new gun! Well played.

 

[Ricochet]

Wow, great job on that!! It does indeed look like a different gun now

 

[nit wit]

Nice work!
Nit Wit

 

[Cowboy]

I Love it !!

The transition is amazing my friend!! Very nice indeed.

Thank you for sharing.

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[eggwelder]

Thank you all. I really enjoyed the process myself.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Nice job.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

That looks really good ! I have one (CVA), resting behind a door in pieces. It was given to me over twenty years ago. An older gentleman started to build it from a kit. He lost some pieces and 1uit work8ng on it. I started to fiddle with it. I pick it up every now and then... and then I get distracted. Your rifle gives me some encouragement.

 

[eggwelder]

thanks. these comments mean a lot.
i was at it off and on(mostly off) for a year and half. lots of distractions.
the brass is polished to 1500 grit wet dry paper, then 0000 steel wool. after that a piece of felt with some tripoli compound.
the wood is finished with Feibings medium brown-2 coats. then 4 coats tru-oil rubbed with 0000 steel wool between coats.
i had to narrow the butt plate with a hammer near the toe, took off some wood and the butt plate didn't fit right. i annealed it and tapped the sides in. i was quite happy it worked. i started to reprofile the trigger guard, but kept running into voids/bubbles. filled those with pewter, and stopped filing the thing.
the entry pipe has a bit of brass soldered on and forged shaped. it was a pita to get it to fit tight to the wood. i may in the future file those to octagon, but not for now.
chunk of missing wood added to the toe, used maple because i don't have any of what ever the stock is made out of. Beech wood maybe.