Post by: Uncle Russ on March 05, 2009, 11:21:25 PM
In my life time, I have owned a lot of muzzleloaders, but I have never owned a truly "custom", or real nice muzzleloader.
50% of all the muzzleloaders I've owned were already trashed out by someone else long before they got to me. Still yet, I managed to get 'em back together and shooting before they got traded off, sold, or just given away.
Aside from that, I have just never had the cash to lay out a $1,000 or so to get what I really wanted.
As I understand it, this gun was built by Mike and an acquaintance from Othello, a small town about 20 miles from where we live here in Moses Lake.
If I remember correctly, it was built about 10 years ago and has not been used since Mike got the big .72 that had once belonged to John (Bigsmoke)
This particular .72 is a beautiful rifle, and Mike shoots it like a barn on fire!
Anywho....I don't know how to explain the appeal this particular gun had on me when I took it out of it's gun-sock....I was nothing short of awe struck.
It is amazingly balanced, a perfect fit to this old boy, and picture perfect in every way.
A few things I do know;
-It is a .62 cal "smoothie".
-It has a 38" Colerain swamped barrel.
-The Lock is a Chambers "Round-Faced" English, which is supposedly one of the best attempts ever made at being "waterproof"....
-It has a "Davis" Trigger.
-The stock is of a modified "Fowler" design, and is a full 2" across the butt plate.
-I am unsure, at this point, just what wood the stock is but I would think it is walnut, and it has a beautiful "deep" finish.....very nice wood.
-The LOP is 13.25"
-The drop at the heel is 2.75", and the heel is perpendicular to the toe.
All of this adds up to be one of the most beautiful guns I have personally ever owned, again, it's all thanks to Mike Prior.
Here is a picture of that puppy....sorry about the quality of these pictures, I usually do a little better work with pictures but I am still learning this new camera....seems I'm always learning something "new"...what in the world has happened to the old?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v143/RussB256/Smoothbore62.jpg)
Uncle Russ...
Post by: rollingb on March 06, 2009, 12:25:38 AM
I've got two .62 smoothies, a NWTG and an Early English Trade Gun from North Star West, and they sure are fun to shoot.
Post by: tg on March 06, 2009, 12:28:29 AM
Post by: oneshot72 on March 06, 2009, 12:36:45 AM
Mike
Post by: Uncle Russ on March 06, 2009, 12:57:11 AM
Quote from: "oneshot72"
Russ, the stock is cherry.
Mike
Ahhh...and who would know better? Thanks, Mike
I have always thought Cherry would somehow have a "reddish" tint. But then again, I suspect we are always learning.
What is the finish on the rifle? I guess what I'm asking is, how did you do that finish? It has the "depth" and color that is often associated with good old walnut, even the figure appears to have at least some "burl" on the left side...what did you use to finish this?
BTW; Thanks again Mike, for giving me the opportunity to own this gun...it is nice!
Uncle Russ...
Post by: BEAVERMAN on March 06, 2009, 01:04:45 AM
Post by: Gambia on March 06, 2009, 06:50:08 AM
Post by: Longhunter on March 06, 2009, 07:26:02 AM
Post by: Spotted Bull on March 06, 2009, 07:39:57 AM
Post by: Roaddog on March 06, 2009, 07:45:31 AM
Post by: Double Barrel on March 06, 2009, 07:56:55 AM
Post by: sse on March 06, 2009, 09:08:36 AM
Post by: snake eyes on March 06, 2009, 10:58:36 AM
Beautiful!!! Somehow I get the feeling that your gain is
mine and Jerry's also. For that I thank you...
John
Post by: Longhunter on March 06, 2009, 11:02:50 AM
Quote
Wow, nice...Give him a few days and there won't be one house cat runnin around loose fer half a mile...! LOL!!
:rotf
Post by: deadfallpaul on March 06, 2009, 11:05:00 AM
Congrats!! And good shooting!
Post by: david32cal on March 06, 2009, 11:14:32 AM
Post by: Uncle Russ on March 06, 2009, 11:36:27 AM
Quote from: "Longhunter"
Hey Russ, She's a real looker 8)
Thanks Ron.....
I have to look through my shop real good. I have this naggin feelin that somewhere I already have a mould for a .590
I have sixty plus bullet moulds that I can readily put my hands on, I suspect I have another half dozen or so that keep poppin up every since I moved in here two years ago from across the mountain.
Over there, I had everything all neat in my shop, well at least fairly neat in my shop, but I could put my hand on anything, anytime I wanted it...ain't that way no more. Things still keep popin up from that move.
I do have a Lee S/C .570 that suddenly popped up outta nowhere that most likely has never been used, I might get to try that and a nice thick piece of sail cloth that I have for patchin.
As far as namin the ol'girl, like Ron mentioned, that'll come about before too long.
As far as Cats go, I like cats.
I love dogs, but I like cats too and I have probably owned dozens of cats in my lifetime....right now I have a cat that probably weights 25# plus....she is as big as my wife's little Pomeranian dog.
She's in retirement right now, has been since we moved to town two years ago.
Before that she was a world class "Mouser" and "Red Squirrel" hunter, yep the infamous protected Red Squirrel of Washington.... She loved to eat them little devils.
She is the only cat I've ever owned to respond to a dog whistle.
I gotta find me the right mould! I know R.M. is familiar with the terms "Leementing" and "Beagleizing"....probably others here recognize the terms too.
Anyway, I think I will take that .570 Lee and "Leement" the devil outta it until I get just the right size for this new rifle.
Uncle Russ...
Post by: Longhunter on March 06, 2009, 12:19:37 PM
Post by: melsdad on March 06, 2009, 12:29:23 PM
Post by: rollingb on March 06, 2009, 02:05:26 PM
Quote from: "RussB"
Quote from: "Longhunter"Hey Russ, She's a real looker 8)
Thanks Ron.....
I have to look through my shop real good. I have this naggin feelin that somewhere I already have a mould for a .590
I have sixty plus bullet moulds that I can readily put my hands on, I suspect I have another half dozen or so that keep poppin up every since I moved in here two years ago from across the mountain.
Over there, I had everything all neat in my shop, well at least fairly neat in my shop, but I could put my hand on anything, anytime I wanted it...ain't that way no more. Things still keep popin up from that move.
I do have a Lee S/C .570 that suddenly popped up outta nowhere that most likely has never been used, I might get to try that and a nice thick piece of sail cloth that I have for patchin.
As far as namin the ol'girl, like Ron mentioned, that'll come about before too long.
As far as Cats go, I like cats.
I love dogs, but I like cats too and I have probably owned dozens of cats in my lifetime....right now I have a cat that probably weights 25# plus....she is as big as my wife's little Pomeranian dog.
She's in retirement right now, has been since we moved to town two years ago.
Before that she was a world class "Mouser" and "Red Squirrel" hunter, yep the infamous protected Red Squirrel of Washington.... She loved to eat them little devils.
She is the only cat I've ever owned to respond to a dog whistle.
I gotta find me the right mould! I know R.M. is familiar with the terms "Leementing" and "Beagleizing"....probably others here recognize the terms too.
Anyway, I think I will take that .570 Lee and "Leement" the devil outta it until I get just the right size for this new rifle.
Uncle Russ...
Russ,... I can honestly say that I've never heard of the terms "Leementing", or, "Beagleizing", and I'm no stranger to casting my own balls.
Care to expand on this?
Thanks,
Rondo
Post by: mark davidson on March 06, 2009, 02:27:59 PM
Post by: Uncle Russ on March 06, 2009, 02:46:18 PM
Quote
Russ,... I can honestly say that I've never heard of the terms "Leementing", or, "Beagleizing", and I'm no stranger to casting my own balls.
Care to expand on this?
I was hoping R.M. would come along and do this for me, but here goes.....
Due to the price of the Lee Single Cavity moulds they lend themselves to many abuses. One of those is called "Leementing".
Leementing simply means "enlarging" the hole!
To do this, you cast a regular size ball. remove the ball and get the handles tight together again, open the sprue plate, insert a large nail, then pour a wheel weight (hard) alloy into the mould around the nail....when this cools / hardens, you then remove the ball with the nail in it and dip it in mineral oil, then in Valve Grinding compound...cover the ball really good with compound, then place it in back in the mould with a the nail attached to your hand drill....slowly tighten your grip on the handles while you spin that ball at about 2,000rpm for a minute or so.......remove the ball, clean the cavity real good, and then repeat this process until you get the size ball you need....the very last time you do this, you replace the Valve Grinding Compound with "Red" Rouge. This will polish the interior of the mould, and make for easy drop-out.
Now, a couple of things are important;
You must hold both the mould, and the drill, in near perfect alignment when you are doing this. Years ago, I built a small jig just for this. A drill press, and a small drill vise works wonders here.
There ain't nothing to it....it's just a "thang" some of us do.
I will let RM tell ya about "Beagleizing"...RM is a first rate caster, and like myself he has more moulds than he knows what to do with.
There is nothing I shoot, that I don't cast for...including all my centerfire rifles.
I love it! It's a whole 'nother hobby all in itself.
Uncle Russ.....Oooh! Did you see my new Rifle Gun?
:rotf :clap
Post by: R.M. on March 06, 2009, 03:19:33 PM
Beagleing, is basically holding the mold open in a controlled fashion to mold an over-size ball/bullet. What is commonly done id to apply a piece of aluminum tape that's used for heating and cooling. Not duct-tape, but the stuff that's shiny. It holds the mold open a bit, and creates an egg shaped projectile, but it does work, so I'm told.
I have used the lapping compound to enlarge a bullet. It works best with the Lee aluminum molds over the steel molds.
Post by: Indiana on March 06, 2009, 06:09:17 PM
Let us know how she shoots! She's beautiful!
Post by: rollingb on March 06, 2009, 10:02:59 PM
Post by: Ohio Joe on March 07, 2009, 12:08:55 AM
Post by: Swamp on March 07, 2009, 12:34:45 AM
So, is this the reason we are seeing all the guns for sale on the trade blanket?
Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on March 07, 2009, 01:07:43 AM
IT must be somthing in the air. I'm about to comitt to having one built inthe next few months. Thats providing i keep this old cancer beat back and can dispose of a piece of property in Fla. Things look promiseing at this time. We should start a group, called the old guys smoothbore corps. Don't forget photos photos photos.
Post by: Uncle Russ on March 07, 2009, 01:43:54 AM
I think the good Lord threw away the pattern after he made you, you are truly a man for others to look up to!
Uncle Russ...
Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on March 07, 2009, 04:22:37 AM
Now remember we want many photos of the testing.
Post by: Longhunter on March 07, 2009, 08:00:53 AM
Quote
We should start a group, called the old guys smoothbore corps.
The OGSC...I like it,...I'm in...
Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on March 07, 2009, 10:09:07 AM
All thhat being said inominate You for President of the OGSC.
Post by: Longhunter on March 07, 2009, 11:10:24 AM
Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on March 07, 2009, 11:44:18 AM
Post by: jbullard1 on March 07, 2009, 01:02:38 PM
Post by: Uncle Russ on March 07, 2009, 01:41:26 PM
It's bad enough when you get the muzzleloader you've always wanted just in time to join the "Bucket Brigade"!
However, in all honesty, I cheered those guys on for having the gumption to do what they did at their age....I keep telling everybody, old age ain't for sissies.
Uncle Russ...
Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on March 07, 2009, 03:09:12 PM