Update to the above:
The barrel had lots of surface rust and scratches on the outside plus somebody had sanded the outside lengthwise with what I can only guess was 80 grit sandpaper or emery.
So, I used various grades of wet & dry paper to tidy up the outside, I couldn’t get rid of some of the original scratches despite over an hour plus of study effort but minimized them considerably, I then finished off by holding a Scotchbrite pad wrapped around the barrel and rotating the barrel while moving the pad from breech to muzzle slowly,
It sort of looks like a stainless Damascus barrel in some lights!
Looks OK from two metres away but any closer and you can still occasionally see the odd original longitudinal scratch from the 80 grit.
Then I gave the stock another go of linseed oil, it’s nice a dark, I now regret not taking a ‘before’ pic of this rifle.
‘Many of my bullets have died in vain’
Pulled this apart and reoiled the stock, cleaned up the lock and I'm 6 coats into the barrel browning. It'll be ready for spring hunting.
Photo is before starting.
I keep those boots so I can pretend that I am still capable of work. I think the guys can see through me, but so far they are polite about it.
The rifle is a .54, with a 1:66' twist for roundballs - 230 grains of soft lead goodness starting off @1700 fps.
@Ross Nolan nice rifle and even better it's left handed
I have three proper left hand MLs and some wrong handed ones
More info
Own build, finishing someone else's project or a kit ?
It's a Jim Chambers English sporting rifle kit, with a L&R left handed round faced lock and Rice barrel. Chambers used their RH stock for the kit, but didn't inlet the lock.
I'm happy with it - light, accurate and plenty of poke. I built an aperture sight that dovetails into the tang and doesn't look too out of place because it was put together as a hunting rifle and I'm not 16 any more....
Unusual that the lock is on the left, I can only remember muzzle loaders having their lock on the right. (And being a lefty that makes for a certain amount of trepidation when firing)
‘Many of my bullets have died in vain’
Original left hand single barrel guns are practically unknown, but I'm blind in my right eye and pretty protective of the left one - so a left hand lock gets the nod.
That said, I'd rather shoot a right hand flinter than a right handed cap gun - caps spray stuff everywhere. Of course, when you build one, you can build whatever you want, so left hand lock it is..
Last edited by Ross Nolan; 31-08-2021 at 02:18 PM.
Yes percussion caps do regularly spit bits in the face that are hot and stick on
Flinters don't have this issue
My next muzzleloader build is going to be a percussion big bore and I'm considering using musket caps because they are less likely to spit out hot pieces
They are also easier to place on the nipple when hunting due to size and the small wings on them
What about a Mortimer..... maybe .62
Or this
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum...?topic=66472.0
Finished, ready to rezero.
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