OT: Made a new front stuffer

[86er]

I've been threatening to make a muzzleloader for over a year now. I just never got around to finding the right parts or a kit and having the extra cash at the same time. On Thursday a package arrived from my friend Dale. It was a .50 cal octagon barrel for a muzzleloader, and a lockplate, trigger assembly and hammer. A Spanish barrel with Italian lock parts and trigger mech. Will they forgive me? Now I figured I am gonna have to make this into a rifle. I called my friend B. Harvey and asked him if he'd make a stock for me. He said he would "trace" and existing muzzleloader stock's profile and send it to me so I could fit it as necessary. He did ask for the barrel dimensions and profile. I guess he didn't want to mess with making the stock for me because FedEx delivered a next day package on Friday and it was a stock, inletted for the barrel, completely unfinished. Friday after work I fit the lockplate to the wood and started metalwork. I filed out a tang block, a dovetail loop (to hold the barrel to the stock), turned some screws and fit some existing springs I had (both leaf and coil). Some other shotgun parts yielded a sear cam and other necessary lock parts and a trigger elevator or lifter. I got the lock working with the trigger and began the woodwork for fit everything to the stock. Meanwhile I blackened all the metal and began color case hardening the lock. Needless to say I was in the shop late Friday night. Early Saturday I got back at it. I made a ramrod hole but couldn't figure out how to keep it in there. Ricky gave me an idea for a compression spring so I fashion one of them. A quick trip to the gun store yielded a set of $19.99 muzzleloader sights (plastic fiber optic), a ramrod retainer conversion with a sling swivel attached, a nipple for #11 caps and a few other little parts. I engraved the J. Riekers - Gunmakers logo on the barrel and got it into the bluing. I also final fit the parts to the stock. Then I called B. Harvey to ask about a wood finish. He was not in so I called Dale. He walked me through making a finish he calls "Frontier" . It is a multi-layered oil and stain process that is finalized with sealant and a buffed wax finish. It is supposed to look "old, classic or worn" according to Dale. After many hours of sanding, polishing, sanding, steel wool, etc it came out as described and it is a very durable finish. While the wood was final drying I put the barrel in cold water, and in/out of various stages of bluing. When it was done I did a final steel wool polish and sealed it with a Renaissance wax finish. I should have done this before bluing but I forgot to tap the barrel. Drilling and tapping I got the sights on and the ramrod retainer w/ built in swivel. I got the tang block just right on the barrel and fit it into the stock and then made a barrel wedge to hold it. I got everything together and it didn't work. Back to fitting the lockplate, adjusting the trigger elevator and sear. It cocks and the trigger releases. I installed the nipple and inserted a cap. BANG! It works. Now I can't get the darn ramrod out - so much for Ricky's little spring thing. 4 or 5 attempts and it works like it should. I pour in 80 grains of FFg 777 and send a 250 gr .451 in a .50 cal sabot down on top of it. A cap on the nipple and - darn it's too dark to see the target. Ok, I put a light on the target, aim and fire. Kssshhh-Boom! It fires and hits the 6"X6" paper at 50 yards. This morning, a few final detail and she's all ready to go. I'm not used to seeing the results so quick. My doubleguns and rifles take thousands of hours to complete. This one took about 45 hours total! I guess I will be in the woods with a new rifle this season.

[Bosco]

Fun, cool and very nice. Enjoy!

[Old Savage]

Very similar to my New Englander, 70 - 80 grains of Pyro P or FFFg and an appropriate round ball are quite accurate. I wish you would test that combo on game for me.

[kimwcook]

Excellent, Joe. Must be nice to think about making a rifle and then having the skills to do it.

[cshold]

Looks great

[Doc Hudson]

A right handsome little carbine!

If it were a .54 rather than a .50 I'd be coveting it greatly!

[Ysabel Kid]

Excellent! I can see the boys already clammering to light that one up!

[piller]

Very nice. Good to see someone using spare time to do something worthwhile.

[papabear]

nice muzzle loader
Love them fun to shoot
good luck with it
papabear
soon to be grandpa-bear

[Ben_Rumson]

That's Nice!!