Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Traditional Firearms => Flintlock Long Guns => Topic started by: jbullard1 on March 28, 2009, 05:48:37 PM

Title: My Beloved LongShanks
Post by: jbullard1 on March 28, 2009, 05:48:37 PM
A couple of days ago I ordered a new Durrs Egg flintlock from Jack Garner in Corinth. It arrived this morning. So I started the conversion from cap to flint. Less than an hour later the conversion is done! All that was involved was some file work to ease the edge of the new lock, a couple of small cuts with a sharp chisel, And drilling and tapping the lock screw. I am now just waiting on the aging process on the new steel parts so everything matches.
What is so great about this is I can convert back to caplock in less than 5 minutes if I want to
He will be back in service by the morning.

We will go to our monthly shoot chunking rocks this time  :lol
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Post by: rollingb on March 28, 2009, 06:05:44 PM
Jerry, I know what you're going thru, as I've always considered such a conversion to be part of the "beauty" of owning an Early Hawken,... it's almost like getting a new rifle for the price of a "lock". :)

I swap mine back'n forth as the mood strikes me. :laffing
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Post by: jbullard1 on March 28, 2009, 06:16:19 PM
rb
I still am trying to figure out why I built this rifle as a capper, but I did, luckily I had enough sense to build it for a later conversion
My only excuse is the caplock was 80 bucks and the flint was 115 at the time I built it
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Post by: jtwodogs on March 28, 2009, 10:00:52 PM
What cal is your Longshanks?
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Post by: jbullard1 on March 28, 2009, 10:15:35 PM
Quote from: "jtwodogs"
What cal is your Longshanks?
54 in a 42 inch GM barrel and a lot more accurate than I am
 :shake
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Post by: Roaddog on March 29, 2009, 06:23:14 AM
It sounds like you have it goin on now Jerry.It would be nice to be able to go back and forth with locks, come rain or shine.
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Post by: Uncle Russ on March 29, 2009, 02:02:43 PM
Jeesh Jerry! Lighten up bud!
You're bringing on that certain "itch" again, and you know all to well the itch I'm referring to.

Uncle Russ...
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Post by: jbullard1 on March 29, 2009, 05:30:41 PM
Quote from: "RussB"
Jeesh Jerry! Lighten up bud!
You're bringing on that certain "itch" again, and you know all to well the itch I'm referring to.

Uncle Russ...

Sorry Unc Russ but it had to be done  :shake
Here he is
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u247/jbullard1954/Guns%20and%20Shooting/LongShanks/Picture001Medium.jpg)

(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u247/jbullard1954/Guns%20and%20Shooting/LongShanks/Picture004Medium.jpg)

(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u247/jbullard1954/Guns%20and%20Shooting/LongShanks/Picture005Medium.jpg)

(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u247/jbullard1954/Guns%20and%20Shooting/LongShanks/Picture008Medium.jpg)
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Post by: david32cal on March 29, 2009, 06:08:11 PM
looks great Jerry
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Post by: jasontn on March 29, 2009, 07:36:25 PM
looked great before, but now it just looks right. good job.
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Post by: BEAVERMAN on March 29, 2009, 08:26:41 PM
Turned out great Jerry! like Russ said, getting the itch, guess i better get busy and finish the micro bed special!
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Post by: Uncle Russ on March 29, 2009, 08:38:51 PM
Great! I really, really, like this!

Not to even suggest the other one was somehow not right, but this one beats that caplock hands down, IMHO.

Looking good, real good.

Uncle Russ...
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Post by: nessy357 on March 29, 2009, 08:48:12 PM
Very nice ! :)
Looks way better in flint.

Cheers Bob
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Post by: FG1 on March 29, 2009, 08:54:38 PM
Hows she shoot Jerry ???  :)
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Post by: mark davidson on March 30, 2009, 12:33:27 PM
Very nicely done Jerry. I got the Garner crew to make my rifles convertable from the beginning. However, I reckon I got spoiled to flint and have never had the precussion lock on my first one. The next two are in the works but I doubt I will ever put the percussion locks on them either. However, it is nice to know I can switch back and forth if I ever want to.
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Post by: sse on March 30, 2009, 01:21:43 PM
You can count me among the ranks of those who place the words "my beloved" before discussion their riflegun...LOL!   :shake
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Post by: Chairslayer on March 30, 2009, 02:54:46 PM
Looks great Jerry. Far as I'm concerned, no other gun beats the looks and style of a flinter.
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Post by: R.M. on March 30, 2009, 03:00:06 PM
Come on Jerry, have you shot it yet? We need to know. Is it fast? Does it spark good? We need a range report!  :)
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Post by: jbullard1 on March 30, 2009, 04:50:30 PM
Well fellows I took a pocket of Rich Pierce flints and a 80 gr pan charger and just walked around yesterday afternoon, dry firing just the prime powder, getting the feel of the rifle, lock and used to the flash.
I still have a lot to learn about flinters but I burned the whole 80 grs before I loaded a ball. My concentration was on the shot follow through and not flinching. I got off 5 complete rounds with 4 of them hitting the target the other one went who knows where! Other than the smoke and hiss I can't tell any difference in the way the rifle gun shoots  

Happy Jerry  :lol
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Post by: Uncle Russ on March 30, 2009, 06:27:15 PM
Jerry, FWIW....sounds to me like you're using a little to much prime...2 to 3 grains of FFFFg is more than enough, an equal amount of FFFg should also do the job.....either way, you shouldn't be hearing, or seeing, that so called "hiss".

On all my flinters, I get a quick flash and a very sudden boooom before I can even think of flinching. After a bit of practice, you will not even notice that flash.

Holding longer, if such can be said, is a great idea and I personally believe it helps although the experts say the ball is already on the way...that may be, but long time rifle shooting has taught me to hold, hold, and mark...meaning you call "exactly" where the shot broke on the target before you even bring the rifle down....

Uncle Russ...
.
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Post by: jbullard1 on March 30, 2009, 06:53:34 PM
Unc Russ
I corrected the hiss today
The problem was in the ventliner slot orientation and countersink which I played with a little
Now if I get a flash in the pan I get a shot: no hiss no hesitation seems just as fast as the caplock
Now all I need is  someone I can trust to either load or not load  the rifle to help get rid of my daggum flinch when I know it's loaded   :oops:
I also got to bench the rifle because I am still 4" low at 25 yds
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Post by: Kermit on March 30, 2009, 08:14:52 PM
The fun has begun!!!   :shake
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Post by: SimonG on April 30, 2009, 01:26:08 PM
Looks Great and I liked it before but that was what was missing....no flinter...now it looks perfect!

Russ is a good advisor, but I have to say I am quite proud of just how fast I can flinch! I can probably flinch faster than any lock ever made and can prove it!
The scientists at Los Alamos now say things like " in Point Zero Three Nanoseconds or, One Simon Flinch"
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Post by: jbullard1 on April 30, 2009, 01:32:28 PM
Thanks Simon

As much as I hate to admit it over the past weekend I carried LongShanks to our club shoot. After shooting Saturday I cleaned him and propped him up against the back of my 1 Ton pickup.
Guess what happened next?
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Post by: mark davidson on April 30, 2009, 01:39:21 PM
DAAAAANGITTT!! Jerry, fill us in!  Did you knock it down and just skin it or did you drive off and run over it or what?????
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Post by: jbullard1 on April 30, 2009, 02:25:34 PM
Quote from: "mark davidson"
DAAAAANGITTT!! Jerry, fill us in!  Did you knock it down and just skin it or did you drive off and run over it or what?????

All the above

Probably what saved the most damage was the soft soil and the dual rear tires. We completely tore the gun down and inspected the stock and found a tiny crack at the back of the lock inlet. Several people looked at it including a couple of gun builders and think it is OK. I shot it in competition on Sunday and scored 120 out of 240 which is very normal for me. I have since repaired the crack with epoxy and learned a valuable lesson.  :oops:
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Post by: mark davidson on April 30, 2009, 02:51:08 PM
MAAAN!  I am sorry for your misfortune but I am glad it seems to have worked out OK! A little crack and a simple epoxy fix is a blessing after such an incident.  On a happier note, I got my fowler on Tuesday!!  It's a beauty! I hope to get to shoot it this evening and see how it patterns. My guy still has not got your barrel out of the TC Hawken but I am sure it will work out OK and I will get it to you.
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Post by: jbullard1 on April 30, 2009, 03:00:38 PM
Sometimes Misfortunes are learning experiences
No One was hurt, guns can be repaired or replaced
Hope your gun works out fine   :shake
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Post by: quigleysharps4570 on April 30, 2009, 03:56:50 PM
Real sorry to hear about that JB...bet it made ya sick.
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Post by: jbullard1 on April 30, 2009, 04:27:23 PM
Quote from: "quigleysharps4570"
Real sorry to hear about that JB...bet it made ya sick.

Yep up to the point I realized not much was hurt
Then I was happy
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Post by: SimonG on April 30, 2009, 09:27:09 PM
never lean your gun on a .....never mind, you got it now.