Well, I went and did it..

[Tony Rothrock]

While patiently waiting for Sitting Fox to straighten out my Jeager kit, (broken stock courtesy of USPS as well as some incorrect parts), I grabbed someone elses unfinished project from who knows how many years ago. 44 inch 45 cal G R Douglas barrel that on the inside looks like it's been fired very few times. It's got a number of problems though, but it'll give me something to mess with for a while. The barrel lugs are dovetailed and staked - one fell off, the other two are loose. front 2 actually protrude all the way through the stock into the ramrod channel and while there were holes, there were no pins! The barrel was only held on via a crooked screw through the tang all the way through the wrist to the front of the trigger assembly. It was probably fired in this condition given the looks of the tang. That trigger assemble is inlet a bit too deep I think (to accommodate that tang screw...) since it will not go into halfcock unless you set the rear trigger. Take the lock off, halfcock notch looked a tad weak but it worked. You gotta set the trigger to get the lock back in. As to the lock, not certain just what type/brand it is. I'll include some pictures. Ramrod tubes, nails used as pins. OK but a bit too big for the holes in the brass since they ripped all the way to the edges, those will need replaced. And let's not forget the patchbox. No latch, no spring, just a bunch of brass with a loose floppy part and Oh! No Box either! Hadn't been carved out. Of course, me messing around with the thing I end up catching that floppy lid on my shirt or something and screwed up the hinge. Just another thing to replace.

Just a question or two for those of you that have been in this for a while. How big is a touch hole/Vent hole supposed to be? This one is TINY! A pin will fit in it, but not a regular sized sewing needle and forget a forged pick, fine wire pick maybe. I can't seem to find my pinvise and bits to see if one of those tiny bits fits it. Hers's some pics of that lock if anyone can identify it. the numbers under the spring seem to be engraved with one of those vibrating engravers (303-07-9951?).

 

[SmokepoleSam]

The number is probably somebody's social security number.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Tony Rothrock, the suggested diameter of the touch hole is 1/16".

The trigger plate is being pulled too deeply into the trigger plate mortise. T hat can be shimmed out to provide clearance between the trigger levers and the sear. With just a bit of clearance, the hammer can be cocked to half cock and to full cock without requiring the triggers to be set which lowers the trigger levers.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Use some JB Weld on the dovetailed lugs. It's not all that big of a deal if they are slightly loose, because the stock will hold them in place when they're mounted together.

I would drill new stock and lug tenons together and ignore the old holes. If they are too close to the new ones you can always weld them shut. (Do that off the gun if you can.) An alternative is soft soldering to hold the lugs in place. Be careful with heat though not to get the barrel too hot.

The wood issues (like the kittywumpus screw hole) are best addressed by splicing in new wood (like a plug in the old hole) and re-doing it properly. You might have to choke the bit up close to the chuck a couple of times to lessen the chances of drill bit wandering in the wood as it's going deeper and deeper. Patience is a virtue, not. a vice. Vices are for holding your work.

 

[boberator]

Use some JB Weld on the dovetailed lugs. It's not all that big of a deal if they are slightly loose, because the stock will hold them in place when they're mounted together.

I would drill new stock and lug tenons together and ignore the old holes. If they are too close to the new ones you can always weld them shut. (Do that off the gun if you can.) An alternative is soft soldering to hold the lugs in place. Be careful with heat though not to get the barrel too hot.

The wood issues (like the kittywumpus screw hole) are best addressed by splicing in new wood (like a plug in the old hole) and re-doing it properly. You might have to choke the bit up close to the chuck a couple of times to lessen the chances of drill bit wandering in the wood as it's going deeper and deeper. Patience is a virtue, not. a vice. Vices are for holding your work.

Good suggestions.

 

[reddogge]

My only experience with completing someone else's project was when I finished a rifle my dad started in 1978. He actually did a decent job on it but nothing worked well, triggers, lock, etc. He had a filler piece under the buttplate, lost the side plate, lost the set trigger spring, and had a horrible finish on the wood, and no finish on the metal. I fixed all of the problems, refinished the stock, and browned the metal. It turned out to be a very accurate shooter and not too bad looking considering 44 years had transpired. But I'll never consider it my rifle.