Author Topic: If you wanted to build a simple flintlock... (Read 2810 times)

AlbanyCO · « **on:** November 21, 2010, 06:45:26 AM »

What parts would you use?

I am thinking of building at least a .54 cal flintlock rifle. I want to build a simple rifle, no fancy triggerguards, encaps or engraving. I will be using this rifle for hunting. I've always wanted a flintlock, and when I was a kid I had alot of fun putting together a traditions deer hunter kit. I am not a skilled woodworker, so I would need a stock that was inletted as much as possible. Also, I want a rifle that does not have a big droopy stock. I was thinking of a stock shape along the lines of the mortimer flinklock. (I know theres a name for that particular style but it escapes me at the moment.) I don't want to spend a ton of money on it, maybe 4 or 5 hundred at the most. Do you think it's doable? If so, what parts would you use?

AtlLaw · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2010, 07:07:22 AM »

I was writing a response to this and really getting into it as it is a favorite subject of mine, then I lost it...

Oh well, I'll redo it later. $:-\$

Short Version - Go to Track of the Wolf and look around; you mostly discribed a Poor Boy Southern Mountain rife; Research the internet; what parts you will use is totally up to you - lock, stock and barrel!

Forestclimber · « **Reply #2 on:** November 21, 2010, 09:35:06 AM »

How about a T/C Renegade in .54 flint?

bub524 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 21, 2010, 01:28:30 PM »

You might take a look here
http://www.longrifles-pr.com/stockscomponents.shtml
I have done a bit of business with them and have been very satisfied. I always thought they were a bit less spendy then Track of the Wolf.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #4 on:** November 21, 2010, 03:22:50 PM »

Pecatonica River is another good one. I've bought stuff from them also.

Building your own BP rifle is great fun! As best I remember I spent about 250 hrs and $400 on my first one. Of course a lot of that time was making jigs and such that I didn't have on hand. Now I do!

Just understand, with modern rifles everything is built around the action. With ML's, everything is attached to the stock. Don't worry about your woodworking skills, you'll suprise yourself!

When it comes to rifle design, I felt like you the first time. Then as I went along I drifted into a desire to recreate the works of the old masters. Got a Lancaster in the works now.

Then one day, while sitting in a tree waiting for Bambi, I designed the perfect hunting rifle in my mind. With a few exceptions, what I envisioned turned out to look like a Leman Trade Rifle! So I got a set of full sized plans for the Leman percussion half stock.

If I ever build that rifle I'll use those plans except for a hooked breach and a fast twist barrel for 54 caliber Great Plains conicals!

Look up the Leman on the TotW and Pecatonica sites.

Whatever you do you'll have a grand time!

flintlock · « **Reply #5 on:** November 21, 2010, 03:58:22 PM »

I built one back in the '80s...I live in Central North Carolina and wanted a rifle that Daniel Boone could have carried into Kentucky in the early 1770s or could have been used in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse fought in March of 1781...By this time we had gunsmiths here in North Carolina, many had migrated here from Germany and through Pennsylvania so I went with an early Lancaster design...This gives you a straight comb and a wide, flat butt plate which helps with recoil...I went with a Siler flintlock, Davis double set triggers and a.54 caliber Ed Rayle barrel rifled 1 in 72 inches...

FLNT4EVR · « **Reply #6 on:** November 22, 2010, 02:05:08 AM »

Dixie Gun Works ,Has some nice kits for building a nice plain poor boy long rifle.If i recall corectly they were in 45 and 50 cal.

AlbanyCO · « **Reply #7 on:** November 22, 2010, 06:25:43 AM »

Thanks for the info! I hope to start at least getting some parts after the christmas craziness dies down.

coyotejoe · « **Reply #8 on:** November 23, 2010, 04:19:32 AM »

For a hunting rifle I'd second the suggestion for an early Lancaster or early Virginia with wide, flat buttplate and relatively straight comb with less drop than the Southern styles and without the severe crescent butt. I don't know if you could bring it in for $500 though. You could skip the buttplate, nose cap and entry thimble to save a few bucks and also save the time of fitting those parts to the stock. Don't skimp on the lock however, a poor lock is just frustration, I'd go for a Jim Chambers Deluxe Siler lock. Green Mountain barrels are the most common and they are good barrels. The lock and the barrel are what it's all about, everything else just holds those two parts together.

Winter Hawk · « **Reply #9 on:** November 23, 2010, 11:26:49 AM »

I just built a .45 flintlock from Deer Creek Products. It is basically the same as the CVA Mountain Rifle. They bought the barrel making equipment from Douglas Barrels when that company dropped muzzle loaders, and the barrel is excellent. They also bought the parts fro the Mountain Rifle from CVA when they stopped making those. The price is right - I think I paid $320 to my door. It took a little finagling to get everything right in the stock because the inletting was too deep and I had to shim the lock and trigger assembly to get them to fit right. The lock had a lot of slop on the frizzen, but a small washer took care of that. It sparks well and has good ignition, and I get nice tight groups with it. If I ever feel the need, I would replace the lock with a Davis. However, it is working perfectly for me right now so I see no reason to change at this point.

This may not be a Lancaster but it gets the job done and wasn't too hard on the wallet. They have various calibers available, including .54.

-Winter Hawk-

lakota · « **Reply #10 on:** November 23, 2010, 05:05:15 PM »

Quote from: flintlock on November 21, 2010, 03:58:22 PM

I built one back in the '80s...I live in Central North Carolina and wanted a rifle that Daniel Boone could have carried into Kentucky in the early 1770s or could have been used in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse fought in March of 1781...By this time we had gunsmiths here in North Carolina, many had migrated here from Germany and through Pennsylvania so I went with an early Lancaster design...This gives you a straight comb and a wide, flat butt plate which helps with recoil...I went with a Siler flintlock, Davis double set triggers and a.54 caliber Ed Rayle barrel rifled 1 in 72 inches...

Very pretty rifle. Whats that plug in the muzzle?

flintlock · « **Reply #11 on:** November 23, 2010, 11:33:09 PM »

I made a 5/8 diameter cleaning rod for her, that's the end...

Makes it easier to pull a ball...

coyotejoe · « **Reply #12 on:** November 24, 2010, 04:44:49 AM »

Must have taken a pretty good shove to get a 5/8" rod down a .54 bore, personaly I've never been able to get a rod larger than 1/2" to fit, not that 1/2" isn't plenty

AlbanyCO · « **Reply #13 on:** November 24, 2010, 01:56:59 PM »

I was looking at pictures of a Virginia rifle earlier....looks like the style of rifle I am aiming for. Maybe if I did it a little at a time I could swing it.

flintlock · « **Reply #14 on:** November 24, 2010, 03:17:40 PM »

Quote from: coyotejoe on November 24, 2010, 04:44:49 AM

Must have taken a pretty good shove to get a 5/8" rod down a .54 bore, personaly I've never been able to get a rod larger than 1/2" to fit, not that 1/2" isn't plenty

Correct, I was headed out the door and answered too fast, it was 1/2 inch...Dang, that was over 20 years ago...I killed another buck with her this morning...

AtlLaw · « **Reply #15 on:** November 24, 2010, 03:20:45 PM »

Quote from: AlbanyCO on November 24, 2010, 01:56:59 PM

Maybe if I did it a little at a time I could swing it.

Sure, that'e the way to do it! Study what's available; each part. Buy a barrel, Green Mountain is good, and the appropriate breachplug. You will spend a lot of time fitting the breachplug, cutting the dovetails and installing the front and rear sight. Also cutting the dovetails for and installing the thingies that pin the barrel to the stock. Bad CRS here... $:-\$

Then get the stock, fit the barrel. Then the lock, fit it. In other words, you can do it bit by bit as you can afford it and have many hours of enjoyment doing it!

I warn ya though, you build one and you'll be wanting to duplicate one from the Golden Age!

coyotejoe · « **Reply #16 on:** November 26, 2010, 07:02:26 AM »

Not necessarily. I've picked up a couple of home builds for considerably less than the cost of the parts and hopefully the seller learned his lesson and never tried to build another.

AlbanyCO · « **Reply #17 on:** November 26, 2010, 07:05:01 AM »

If I order one of these:
http://www.longrifles-pr.com/stockblanks.shtml

Is there a place I can find a pattern for the stock? I have a big ole' band saw so cutting the shape shouldn't be a problem.

AlbanyCO · « **Reply #18 on:** November 26, 2010, 07:13:08 AM »

Oops! Disregard last post, I found a fully shaped one.

AlbanyCO · « **Reply #19 on:** November 26, 2010, 07:14:40 AM »

Also I was just thinking, I wanted a big bore flinter but now I'm almost leaning towards a smallbore gun....32 or 36 cal gun would be fun I think and I would be able to use it more often. Oh man. Decisions, decisions.

coyotejoe · « **Reply #20 on:** November 27, 2010, 06:15:13 AM »

Well if a smaller caliber will do then you're in luck, I didn't mention this earlier because the largest they list is .45 caliber.
http://www.sittingfoxmuzzleloaders.com/k/K2%20Appalachian%20Poor%20Boy%20Rifle/K2%20Appalachian%20Poor%20Boy%20Rifle.htm

You might also check out their "Michigun", it's a half-stock but half-stocks do have their adavntages and it looks like an easy build.

AlbanyCO · « **Reply #21 on:** November 29, 2010, 01:59:37 PM »

WOW! That is exactly what I wanted!! I want to check the NYS regs but if I can get away with a .40 cal being considered smallbore.....will it do for deer also?

coyotejoe · « **Reply #22 on:** December 03, 2010, 05:53:09 AM »

By all means check your state laws. In most states .40 caliber is the minimum legal for deer so that should tell you something. Certainly a calm and careful hunter who takes only picture book perfect shots can do with even smaller calibers but I'd call .40 caliber "marginal". Heavy powder charges in a .40 caliber can exceed 1,000 ft.lb. of muzzle energy but roundballs are such a poor ballistic projectile that you'll have only about 500 ft.lb. remaining at 50 yards and 200 or so at 100 yards. The .40 caliber is popular as an offhand target rifle because they can be loaded up to high velocity (for blackpowder) to shoot flat without excessive recoil while not being quite so wind sensitive as the smaller calibers.
For small game I'd say .40 is marginal on the other side. For a true "squirrel rifle" I'd prefer a .32 or .36. Bigger calibers can be loaded with light powder charges for bunnies and varmints but I don't think much of launching big balls into tree tops since you can't really control where they may come down.

Hooker · « **Reply #23 on:** December 04, 2010, 05:44:40 AM »

Coyotejoe good advice.
But It has been my experience that 20grs of fff behind a 45 cal prb will not travel as far as a 36 cal prb with the same load of powder.
Plus the the 45 with that load will tare up less meat on rabbits and bushy tails than the 36.
Don't get me wrong I love the 36 and 32 in fact I'm piecing together a 36 Southern/Kentucky mixed breed build right now.

Pat