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Short Barrelled Single Shot Pistols

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Have you thought about putting a short section of rib under the barrel to mount the ramrod thimble ? :cool:
 
Rat
Yeah I like the half round barrel also. I was thinking about my half stock 45 doing the half round barrel but I don't have access to a lathe anymore so it stays like this till I get access to a small lathe again.
DL
View attachment 8656 View attachment 8657
I have "half rounded" pistol barrels with out a lathe and frankly considering set up etc, It really did not take much more time than using a lathe. I removed the sights and mounted the barrel in a padded vise. I mounted only the rear third of the barrel. Then I draw filed the barrel corners starting at the part where the barrel stuck out of the vise. I pressed down extra hard as I got further toward the muzzle. I turned the barrel after about every thirty strokes to work on the next corner. When the flats from removing the corner at the muzzle was about half the width of a flat before fling, I turned to the next corer. Eventually, at the muzzle, the barrel looked like it had 16 sides. I started to draw file those 16 corners beginning at the one third from the breech point toward the front. Turning the barrel every ten or twenty strokes. Eventually, I had a barrel that was octagon at the breech for one third of the barrel, then the middle one third transitioned from octagon to about 32 sides and the forward third was totally round. Very little metal is removed and it takes an hour tops with a good new mill file. I have done 3 or 4 this way and even one smooth rifle barrel (on the smooth rifle, I started a 5th of the way from the breech and changed to full round by the 2/5 point.
 
rodwa
I plan on rounding the butt like a Pioneer pistol, Plains pistol, and Mountain pistol. My half stock 45 feels good with how I reshaped the grip but my Mountain Pistol grip feels so much better. This Kentucky I am going to use has some meat in the grip area I can use. That top pistol is a J Worley 5" barrel in 38 caliber, an original.
DL
 
How do you get that reddish color stock like on the top pistol? I like walnut but that is really appealing. I will be working with beech wood I would assume. Advise is most appreciated here.
DL
 
Ok now,the stock I assume is beech, being a CVA. I want a reddish tent to the stock like the first picture. I got walnut stain but this one I want a little different. Need some suggestions on staining types and prcedures. Thanks guys. I am gonna make this happen. 6" it is , round grip, full stock.
DL
 
I have found that giving the stock a coat of greatly thinned Mahogany stain will add red to wood. I say greatly thinned because the Mahogany stain unthinned can overpower the walnut and give more red tint than I usually want.

I'm using alcohol based stains sold under the Solar-Lux. Although Solar-Lux has a "reducer" for a very high price, denatured alcohol works just as well to thin it.

By the way, Beech does not absorb any of the oil based stains worth a hoot but the alcohol based stains work great on it.

Here's a color chart showing some of the colors Solar-Lux comes in.

solarluxcolorchart.jpg
 
I have a older CVA Kentucky that I slapped together 30+ years ago. So far I've resisted cutting it down a few inches.But I do think a swell looking "shorty" could be made from a cut-down and a make over. This thread is giving me ideas!
 
Does the mahogany go on after the walnut or as the first coat?
Thanks in advance.
Also would reducing it 4 to 1 be good?
It doesn't make any difference which color you put on first but I usually go with a thinned coat of my primary color (usually walnut) first and then add the "toning" color.

4 to 1 would be good or even 6 to one for the "reduced" or "thinned" color.

The nice thing about alcohol based stains is, you can apply as many coats as you wish. Each coat will darken the wood a bit more. This allows you to "sneak up" on the color you want to have.
Just a word of warning about the way the stained wood will look. The true color and darkness of the finished gun will only show while the stain is still wet.
When it drys, the darkness will look much lighter so don't be fooled by looking at the dried stock.
If you want a temporary glimpse of what the finished gun will look like like out in the sunshine, take an old rag you don't want anymore and dampen it with water.
Then, using this rag, moisten the surface of the wood. The wetness will show the same color and darkness that will be there after you put on the finishing oil.
(Don't use oil to do this. Applying oil at this stage of the game will keep the wood from accepting any more stain.)
 
I found some Red Mahogany water based stain at Sherwin Williams locally. It is mixed at the store. I will try this. So lay down a layer of walnut then start tinting with the mahogany stain n I believe that is what you meant.
DL
 
I found some Red Mahogany water based stain at Sherwin Williams locally. It is mixed at the store. I will try this. So lay down a layer of walnut then start tinting with the mahogany stain n I believe that is what you meant.
DL
Is the walnut stain an oil base? If so the batter base won't go over it well, if at all.
 
No the stain I use is Birchwood Casey walnut and is water based also and I will True Oil the final coats.
 
I don't know yet. I like nice finishes and blue black steel, but I also like patina and worn, handled wood. May just strip barrel, lock, let age with use. Beat the stock up a little and wear the finish down. My daddy used to say "What do you mean PATINA , boy that's RUST". Right you are pop.
Semper Fi pop.
 
I don't know yet. I like nice finishes and blue black steel, but I also like patina and worn, handled wood. May just strip barrel, lock, let age with use. Beat the stock up a little and wear the finish down. My daddy used to say "What do you mean PATINA , boy that's RUST". Right you are pop.
Semper Fi pop.
You can antique it as a well cared for original. And it is the best of both worlds.
 
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