sometimes junk shoots:
Here it is: 30 yds, 10 grains of 3f, .340 caliber ball, .020 pillow ticking. With this 40 inch barrel and such a small charge of powder, gun is quieter than a .22 short when it goes off.
I'm am probably more happy about this than i should be! I'm sure any squirrel hunters on this forum can relate to my enthusiam. (I used to kill 75+ a year when I had more time as a kid).
Funny though, I had to track down some .340's because it doesn't seem to start .350's at muzzle, even when using thinner patches. But man, how can I possibly complain about that?
In most people's eyes, gun would be about as worthless as it comes, mismatched lock, stock, and barrel. But, it looks good, it shoots good, balances okay, and was purchased specifically as a tool to keep squirrels in my freezer, and not much else. I won't have to feel bad about getting it scuffed and dinged up. I have nice guns already.. I don't need anymore guns to keep nice. I'm simply after reliable junk.
Right now my only problem is the hammer. Wherever this gun came from, all the parts are mismatched. The hammer falls slightly-off centered towards right of cap. So it doesn't ignite caps very often. About one in three tries, but man when the cap ignites, the GUN GOES OFF. I shot it about 20 times today. And that small powder charge doesn't seem to foul the bore much at all, especially in that long barrel. So much potential for squirrels: safe shots, and low noise means I can go in just about anywhere and clean out the squirrels without bothering a soul and there's no excess energy to worry about.
Here's what I'm thinking:
It's a right handed gun, hammer falls slightly right of center on nipple, and I gotta make it hit square.
Definitely can't shim it. That will move it farther to right. So gotta bend the hammer. Will it break? It looks like pretty crappy steel to me. Nothing like the steel in my lyman.
Who used to make these locks?
Ive seen them before. Nothing special about them at all. Never really thought I'd have one. It's on the tip of my tongue but I just can't think of it. Can't seem to find any info online either
but I KNOW I've seen this exact lock before in auctions. It's driving me nuts:
I just want to try to bend the hammer and be able to find a backup part if I screw it up or break it. Wouldn't mind to find a backup sear spring too so I can try and thin it.
Perhaps someone else would know the name of the company or pitch in with a trick to bend it?
Man, if I could just figure out how to fix this last part I'd be in business. I've got a whole oak grove full of fox squirrels that nobody else hunts but me, and I don't use anything but blackpowder anymore. I enjoy it too much.
Here it is: 30 yds, 10 grains of 3f, .340 caliber ball, .020 pillow ticking. With this 40 inch barrel and such a small charge of powder, gun is quieter than a .22 short when it goes off.
I'm am probably more happy about this than i should be! I'm sure any squirrel hunters on this forum can relate to my enthusiam. (I used to kill 75+ a year when I had more time as a kid).
Funny though, I had to track down some .340's because it doesn't seem to start .350's at muzzle, even when using thinner patches. But man, how can I possibly complain about that?
In most people's eyes, gun would be about as worthless as it comes, mismatched lock, stock, and barrel. But, it looks good, it shoots good, balances okay, and was purchased specifically as a tool to keep squirrels in my freezer, and not much else. I won't have to feel bad about getting it scuffed and dinged up. I have nice guns already.. I don't need anymore guns to keep nice. I'm simply after reliable junk.
Right now my only problem is the hammer. Wherever this gun came from, all the parts are mismatched. The hammer falls slightly-off centered towards right of cap. So it doesn't ignite caps very often. About one in three tries, but man when the cap ignites, the GUN GOES OFF. I shot it about 20 times today. And that small powder charge doesn't seem to foul the bore much at all, especially in that long barrel. So much potential for squirrels: safe shots, and low noise means I can go in just about anywhere and clean out the squirrels without bothering a soul and there's no excess energy to worry about.
Here's what I'm thinking:
It's a right handed gun, hammer falls slightly right of center on nipple, and I gotta make it hit square.
Definitely can't shim it. That will move it farther to right. So gotta bend the hammer. Will it break? It looks like pretty crappy steel to me. Nothing like the steel in my lyman.
Who used to make these locks?
Ive seen them before. Nothing special about them at all. Never really thought I'd have one. It's on the tip of my tongue but I just can't think of it. Can't seem to find any info online either
I just want to try to bend the hammer and be able to find a backup part if I screw it up or break it. Wouldn't mind to find a backup sear spring too so I can try and thin it.
Perhaps someone else would know the name of the company or pitch in with a trick to bend it?
Man, if I could just figure out how to fix this last part I'd be in business. I've got a whole oak grove full of fox squirrels that nobody else hunts but me, and I don't use anything but blackpowder anymore. I enjoy it too much.
