Reworked old gun of mine

[Stophel]

I built this gun well over 10 years ago, I'm sure. Probably close to 15. It's the only gun I have of my own! (at least that's actually together and functional!) Since I made it, I have reworked it twice already! This it the third and last time. It is not my finest work, but at least I took care of some of the more egregious errors and it's tolerably passable now for me. :wink:

It was too fat around the breech tang and below the lock panels, so I flattened that off, cleaned up the carving some (it still ain't great), reworked the nose of the comb a little and added carving there, filed the triggerguard a little, fixed a few spots here and there and restained and finished it. It now has one application of linseed oil, with many more to follow.

It's a .54 smoothbore gun, made when the "smooth rifle" was all the rage (still is, I guess) and I wanted to shoot patched round balls from it... :hmm: I need to see how it will do with shot, since that's what smoothbores are for!

A big, meaty gun, and somewhat heavy. Big sculpted cheekpiece and heavy mouldings. The downturned lock makes for some quirky wrist architecture, but it's a quirky gun. The lock is a somewhat modified Chambers lock, that at the time, was being assembled by "R&R Lock Co." And by the way, I greatly prefer the original tumbler and sear over the Siler set they use now!

 

[wulf]

Certainly nothing to be ashamed of...Looks great to me. I especially like to see you have the patch box cover lined up correctly...Toe just below center line and the butt end slightly above
center..
Wulf

 

[azmntman]

:hatsoff: Looks very very good indeed. JUST the right amount of carving! Ya done real good :thumbsup:

 

[Wes/Tex]

I'd say your baby turned out very well! You are the only person who has to be happy with it!! :thumbsup: :wink:

 

[Patocazador]

I really like the design of the tang. Very stylish.

 

[Cheyenne]

:hatsoff: nice lookin' iron there!

 

[TLanoy]

Congrats and that is a fine looking rifle! :hatsoff:

 

[Captjoel]

A very sweet looking rifle Chris! Do you have any before pictures of what it looked like? I am glad that I am not the only one who has "gone over" an earlier build. I reworked a rifle that was one of my first builds from a blank from probably 12 or so years ago. It seems that we pick up period correctness over time and once in a while under all of the excess wood find something a lot better underneath! :wink:

 

[Pete G]

Isn't it strange how that the longer we have a rifle the more flaws we seem to notice; quite the opposite of a wife.

 

[Stophel]

I MAY have some "before" pictures that will show differences, I'll look when I get home later. I've often looked at pictures of old guns of mine and wished I could have them back just so I could rework them and thin them down!