.62 Cal Flintlock Hunter

[StolzerandSons]

For about 5 years now I've wanted to build this rifle, I've actually been working on it a little here and a little there for almost 3 years now. The Mechanic's Car, the Shoemaker's kids and the Gunsmith's gun all seem to be the same story, you get so busy building for customers you can never find the time to build anything for your self. So I slowly put an hour or two at a time in on this thing for nearly 3 years to finally get the Flintlock hunting rifle I have envisioned for a while now.

I know when people look at this they are going to say how it isn't historically or period correct but that is actually the point. I have owned several flintlock rifles and I think they are fine guns for rendezvous or re-enacting but they have never been my cup of tea when it comes to hunting. They are long barreled, full stocked, heavy and just not my taste in hunting rifles. The few Halfstock Flintlock rifles on the market didn't interest me either, CVA, TC, Lyman all make a half stock flintlock but they are all patterned after a variation of the plains rifle, they all have untapered barrels, they all have underribs or at the very least pipes and a ramrod hanging under the barrel and none of them comes in a caliber bigger than .58. And they are mostly pretty heavy.

I wanted a rifle that feels, weighs, handles and generally looks like one of my modern cartridge rifles but is still legal to hunt anywhere in the U.S. during muzzleloading season.

Down to the details:
.62 Caliber Colerain Barrel Slow twist for Patched Roundball. 32" long tapered.
R.E. Davis Lock
Pachmyer Decelerator Recoil Pad, I like steel buttplates but I plan to be shooting this for many years to come and I like recoil less and less these days.
The Trigger, Triggerguard and Grip Cap I made myself.
The stock is American Black Walnut with an ebony forearm cap.
The sights were just extras I had laying around from TOTW...single leaf rear and a silver blade front.
The stock is oil finished and waxed to give a nice matte(low sheen).
The metal is rust blued and also done to a matte finish.
I don't like my hunting rifle to give off a lot of reflection.
To keep the weight down I didn't add an underib or pipes and ramrod instead I made a multi-piece ramrod for my possibles bag.
Weight is 6 pounds 10 Ounces.

The Rifle:

The Target:

6" x 6" square the black circle is approx 2" diameter
100 yards, offhand, un-supported
120grs FFG Goex
4Fg pan
.600 diameter 97% lead - 3% Antimony (325ish grains, I haven't weighed one yet to see exactly)
.018" Pillowticking Veg Lube

The one flyer was totally my fault I had a very slight hang fire and I didn't hold through like I should have. I think with more load development I can probably tighten the group up a bit more but since Muzzleloader season starts here in about 3 weeks I may not have time to get back out and do the load work so for now I am satisfied enough to take it hunting white-tail.

Thanks for looking,

Colin

 

[4V50 Gary]

Add a rib beneath the barrel. You can attach pipes/thimbles to it and they will help hold the ram rod steady. That will improve the appearance of it too.

 

[4V50 Gary]

In light of what StolzerandSons told me, the dark area beneath the barrel is not a ramrod but space between the boards that are in the background. No rib needed then and I withdraw my previous comment.

It's a tasteful blend of modern styling and a flintlock action (which is the reverse of what I did with my Ruger 10/22).

 

[Pahoo]

Food for thought !!!

It's a tasteful blend of modern styling and a flintlock action

Interesting and I'll have to give this one, some thought. The work looks great and still;
"In The Spirit" ......

Be Safe !!!

 

[4V50 Gary]

Pluses:

Pancake cheekpiece with shadowline.
Lock mortise has shadowline.
Reverse side of stock from lock has traditional outline for sideplate but no sideplate (I did the same on my Ruger 10/22).
Ebony tipped foreend matched with black rubber recoil pad.

BTW, how is the lock secured to the stock?

 

[StolzerandSons]

If you look at the third picture down, you can see the screw head in between the hammer and the pan skirt. The screw is threaded into the breechplug/tang and countersunk flush with the lock plate. This eliminates the need to drill clear through the stock and also eliminates the need to inlet anything on the offside. I think doing it this way gives it a cleaner simpler look. Some later period English Rifles were done this way.

Colin

 

[Jim Watson]

I was thinking it had an English style.
Weren't there some late English muzzleloaders without attached ramrods?

 

[StolzerandSons]

A lot of the long range Target/Bench Percussion rifles were/are built without ramrods.

 

[4V50 Gary]

Thanks. It does have a cleaner look with the screw going into the tang.

As for the stock, if it had a rounder pistol grip (and was chequered), it would appear like a Victorian Era match rifle. I'm thinking non-military Whitworths and Henry-Metford type muzzle loaders of the 1860s.

 

[redhawk45]

I like it a lot. Good shootin.