Big butt update

[hondo1892]

Here are some new photo's of the rifle I've been working on. It's been slow going because we've had lots of company lately. When my parents were down my Dad and I worked on putting siding on my gun shop. Then my sister and her husband came down and my BIL helped put siding on my forge lean to. So the rifle has been getting here and there work. It looks kinda goofy right now because I put stain on areas that I'm trying to get all the tool marks out of. My eyes miss a lot on naked wood anymore and the stain helps pop out the tool marks. When it is finished it will have a very dark finish on the rifle. Right now I'm carving and doing just a little bit of engraving on the patch box. The patch box is a double lid box. There is an original with a box like this from one of the Carolina's. I think that the smaller cavity may have been used for holding patch grease while the other had patches or cleaning gear. After everything is carved I will be putting a fake wrist repair on it to cover the big bark inclusion in the wrist. Any ways here's how she looks.

[DadsMod12]

Wow, that is a thing of beauty - and it's not even finished. I can't wait to see it when it's done!

[Pisgah]

Absolutely beautiful rifle! I don't think a lot of folks realize how popular big butts were back in the day (Kardashians aside!). I had this one built a number of years back by riflemaker Bill Rooks. It is an exact copy of the rifle my 5X-great-grandfather used in the Battle of Kings Mountain. How do I know it's exact? Because I lovingly and meticulously photographed and measured every piece of the original, which is in the possession of the local history museum, and provided Bill with all the info. .58 cal., swamped barrel, maple stock, hand-wrought iron trigger guard, very plain rifle, but wonderfully balanced and accurate.

[jkbrea]

Whew! I thought it was a Kardashian post.

Seriously though, that is looking awesome.

[plowboy 45]

Coming along real good
I've got a gun stock a fellow gave me that looks similar, big ol butt and very, very long I mean 6 foot or longer
If you don't mind I'd like to picture it on your thread, maybe you could tell me what it is or intended for
It's not finished or ever had any metal other than a buttplate installed

PLOWBOY

[GonnePhishin]

Very professional work. Very nice, indeed. What is the total length of the rifle-5 feet? Also how much does she weigh. Seems like it would be kinda hard to steady such a long beastie.
But again, very nice.

[Ysabel Kid]

That is just stunning! The is exactly the stock geometry I am looking for. Did you start with a blank, chunk of wood, or something in between?

[hondo1892]

Plowboy go ahead and post. I may not be able to tell you much but I can try. Uncle buck it is about five feet but only weighs about seven pounds. It has a swamped barrel and that makes for a well balanced rifle. The breech end of a swamped barrel is where most of weight is so they aren't nose heavy. Kid I start with a chunk of wood, barrel, lock and a bunch of steel bar and sheet to make my rifles. This rifle has a pewter nose cap on it but I also use steel for nose caps too. Pisgah where was your ancestor from? I had a great grandfather of so many greats that fought at King's Mountain also, he was from South Carolina. I found his name on a roster on one of the King's Mountain web sites.

[Rusty]

Hondo you do some really nice work. The last rock lock I had was a Cabin Creek Yorktown rifle. I miss it some times but just don't have the time for it any more.

[gamekeeper]

To say that I'm impressed would be a massive understatement.....

Pisgah, you too have a wonderful rifle.
I love to see historical firearms that can be safely used to give us a lesson in history. Just imagine woods walking with a flintlock and a hawk in those days!

[Pisgah]

Plowboy go ahead and post. I may not be able to tell you much but I can try. Uncle buck it is about five feet but only weighs about seven pounds. It has a swamped barrel and that makes for a well balanced rifle. The breech end of a swamped barrel is where most of weight is so they aren't nose heavy. Kid I start with a chunk of wood, barrel, lock and a bunch of steel bar and sheet to make my rifles. This rifle has a pewter nose cap on it but I also use steel for nose caps too. Pisgah where was your ancestor from? I had a great grandfather of so many greats that fought at King's Mountain also, he was from South Carolina. I found his name on a roster on one of the King's Mountain web sites.

He was William White of the Chester District of SC. Interesting to me is that Samuel Phillips of NC was also a direct ancestor on the maternal side of the family.

[M. M. Wright]

Hey guys, my Great Grandfather was James M. White of New Bern NC. Killed in the War of Northern Aggression. My Grandfather, James W. White and his brother were sent west on an orphan train. Any chance there is a connection?

[Griff]

Hondo1892, that's a great lookin' rifle! Psigah, your's also. Is that just a hole in the stock for lube? I've seen others like that and was told it was for patch lube.

[Pete44ru]

.

I REALLY like the inletted treatment of the forend tip !






You've done well, Pilgrim.......


.

[GonnePhishin]

"swamped barrel" same thing as a tapered barrel?

[Pete44ru]

"swamped barrel" same thing as a tapered barrel?

Nope - a tapered barrel is larger @ the breech end than the muzzle end; a swamped barrel's mid section is smaller than either end.

IOW, swamped bbls have a double taper.


Straight-tapered octagon (example):



Swamped octagon (example):





.

[Pisgah]

Hey guys, my Great Grandfather was James M. White of New Bern NC. Killed in the War of Northern Aggression. My Grandfather, James W. White and his brother were sent west on an orphan train. Any chance there is a connection?

Possible, certainly, but an awful lot of Whites came over in the Scotch-Irish migration, some in to the north (mostly PA) who then often came south, and also in to Charleston, SC. Mine came through Charleston in 1763 from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, William being 12 years old at the time.

[Pisgah]

Hondo1892, that's a great lookin' rifle! Psigah, your's also. Is that just a hole in the stock for lube? I've seen others like that and was told it was for patch lube.

Yep, that's for lube. It is perfectly sized for swiping a patched .58 ball over your grease.

[stew71]

Wow. Simply....wow.

(Applause)

[PriseDeFer]

Lovely and I'll wager she just hangs, suspended in space, front sight settled on the mark when shooting off your hind legs like the Creator intended. Prone position being something for other, lesser rifles.

[hondo1892]

Glad that you all like her. I'll get some more photo's when she is finished.

[GonnePhishin]

Silly question, what purpose does the larger muzzle end serve?

[plowboy 45]

Heres what ive got, don't know anything about it, other than I think it is an under hammer

[plowboy 45]

This may be something homemade, if so it's done very well
A friend of mine bought 2 of them at a country auction for 5 bucks
Gave me this one

[hondo1892]

Plowboy, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner but I've been in Maine for the last week. Yes your stock does look like it was made for an under hammer device. It was probably something that a custom maker made a master and had duplicates made up to make building quicker. Its not anything I have ever seen done commercially. I've never used an under hammer before but some guys really like them. Everyone that I know that has had them say you really need a really good fit with the cap and nipple fit if you hunt with it. You would probably have to make your own action to work in that stock. I have never seen an under hammer set up like it before.

[plowboy 45]

Thank for gittin back with me on that, had kinda been wondering