Starting a .62 Rifle build

[TDM]

@PathfinderNC a shallow dove tail should work fine for a small sight. It’s not going to take much to hold it and you can drift it. Then maybe a dab of solder when you have it dialed in. Don’t know if you saw my range report yesterday, but I was stunned at the positive difference the small rear sight made on my trade gun. It’s only epoxied on now, but I will dove tail it. Luckily I have the octagon to round barrel that makes it much easier.

 

[PathfinderNC]

I will probably go with the “7 inch from the breech” rule as described of the Baker Rifle. I don’t hope to need any solder as I think I will get a good snug dovetail fit.

 

[PathfinderNC]

This morning I dovetailed the rear sight in almost 1/16” deep. I placed it 7” forward the breech (following the Baker Rifle design ). This particular sight was the narrowest side-to-side that I could find and it looks like a good fit on barrel. I may file down those semi-buckhorns.

 

[PathfinderNC]

I received a stock from Pecatonica. It is Black Walnut, Early Fullstock Fowler model (I've used it on a "Bess" rebuild long ago for my busted Moroko), with the ramrod channel and hole done, and the barrel channel a straight 3/4" down the length, which will be fine for the rifle. There appear a few knots but they aren't in critical areas so I am hoping they wont interfere with anything.
No lock mortise inlet or anything else.
This will be interesting.

 

[PathfinderNC]

I hope to start inletting the barrel today …

 

[Pete G]

I think I would reinforce that wrist. Grain looks a little suspect in that area.

 

[PathfinderNC]

I got the barrel bedded down for the night

 

[TDM]

Looks nice and tight @PathfinderNC!

 

[PathfinderNC]

Looks nice and tight @PathfinderNC!

Thanks Tom. Yes, it is snug- but not too tight. I had a 3/4" bore channel to work with which was helpful.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Bob,
That should be a fun project. It is a very odd TRS offering. Your trigger guard, butt plate, and thumb plate are all from the pattern 1760 light infantry fusil. They were not used on any officer's carbines but did look similar to the 1745 Lord Loudon carbine that was made in very small numbers. Here are photos of the light infantry carbine.

I wonder if TRS put a collection of parts together calling it something to meet a need at the time and then later dropped it from their catalog because it did not fit into their mission of historically accurate parts sets. Anyway, it should be a nice shooting gun.

dave

 

[Rudyard]

'
No Govt Carbine of that period had sights of any sort other than the B net boss. But if' home stocked' full to the muzzle for 'Horse' just a barley corn foresight .Not any rifling . So what you got was a franken gun kit but the price was right. Such rifles as where prior to the 1776 ones are not a known pattern .The' 16 'Rifles with their B'nets & moulds ' are mentioned F&I period but what they where like is an unknown & My guess is they where on the German styles that seemed to vary very little from mid to late 18c stepped wrist affairs along the lines of the well known ' Pistor' rifle held at West Point. Ive made most Carbines of that period, nobodies kits so I have studied them a bit . Regards Rudyard

 

[PathfinderNC]

Thank you @Rudyard and @dave_person . I had been scouring the forum for your pictures of the 1745 Lord London carbine- so happy you’ve posted them here!
This info gives me an opportunity to be enjoyably creative in that I can use various selection of parts other than what was in the old box; I expect to use the Bess ramrod pipes as well as the nose cap, thumb piece and the butt plate but might like a more ornate side plate and maybe another (more fancy?) trigger guard…
But next I need to rasp down the forearm walls to about correct height so I can locate where the lock plate fits.
As Dave said, this should be a fun project though I foresee moments (hours more likely) of pure angst.

 

[dave_person]

Thank you @Rudyard and @dave_person . I had been scouring the forum for your pictures of the 1745 Lord London carbine- so happy you’ve posted them here!
This info gives me an opportunity to be enjoyably creative in that I can use various selection of parts other than what was in the old box; I expect to use the Bess ramrod pipes as well as the nose cap, thumb piece and the butt plate but might like a more ornate side plate and maybe another (more fancy?) trigger guard…
But next I need to rasp down the forearm walls to about correct height so I can locate where the lock plate fits.
As Dave said, this should be a fun project though I foresee moments (hours more likely) of pure angst.

Hi Bob,
It will be a very fun project and I know you will carry it off with style. My one suggestion is not about any historical correctness stuff. The light infantry trigger guard is very unusual and the rear extension flares toward the rear. That flare widens it and causes the mortise in the round stock at the rear of the wrist to have very thin fragile edges. If you have an English walnut stock, no worries but if black walnut, the mortise will be fragile. I recommend filing away the flare in the rear extension to make it narrower or better swap the guard out for an English fowler guard with either a large acorn or husk, or a British carbine guard with hazelnut finial (like a Brown Bess). All of those have the reverse curl in the bow, which was the norm for civilian and military guns. The guard for the Elliot carbine by TRS would be perfect. The Loudon and light infantry guards were very unusual and distinctive, and not seen on other guns.

dave

 

[Rudyard]

Phillip Ackerman a trader who did Friendship once had a Lord Loudon side plate with its elevated dish like 'thumb piece 'But I didn't recognize it I cant remember if the unusual guard was with it or the B' plate but the side plate stuck in my mind. He's dead now Mostly I made carbines but included the 1760 Light Infantry And a conjectural first pattern Royal Foresters none known till one turned up I was out 2 inches though ide cut short a brl that was that length. .Many years ago a friend had a Royal Foresters Dublin Castle that was rifled maybe as a trial . No rear sight an oddity so was the' owner but he's dead too. the only new musket I made was an E I Coy Lawrences . the first 39" barrel pre' Windus' Pattern the regular 'India pattern' so familiar to you all & wrongly termed' 3d model' I should send pics later. Regards Rudyard

 

[PathfinderNC]

Well, that project came to a quick ending. Lost my temper and smashed the stock into bits.
Oh well….

 

[TDM]

Well, that project came to a quick ending. Lost my temper and smashed the stock into bits.
Oh well….

Is this another April fool joke?

 

[PathfinderNC]

Is this another April fool joke?

Nope. I wish it was, Tom.

 

[TDM]

Nope. I wish it was, Tom.

Wow….. sorry that happened to you.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Wow….. sorry that happened to you.

Everything’s for a reason. Just sucks all the hours wasted.

 

[TDM]

Everything’s for a reason. Just sucks all the hours wasted.

Definitely.