Ordered a kit pistol
 

Finally got down to it!

Traditions Kentucky .50cal percussion. Now I will have a sidearm for hog hunting! I'll call it our little trapping pistol when Floyd and I go out checking traps in the mornings.

I'll do my best to match the stain and browned furniture to my St.Louis Hawken rifle.

I think I'll only bed the trigger assembly on this one. I plan on keeping the charges fairly light around 20gr 2fg, just an up close and personal kind of pistol for rendezvous and hog trapping!

That will be a nice pistol.I built a pedersoli pistol for trail walks. Why bed trigger assembly?

How exciting! I always liked those kind of pistols. I had a pistol like that once in .45 caliber made by Jukar. And believe it or not, it was a pretty accurate pistol. A very good friend of mine was constantly in debt. And he would often approach me and ask to borrow money. Seems he was always in a bind. And to his credit he would pay it back. But he gave me this Jukar pistol one day, as he said "for interest" for helping a friend out when he was having hard times.

I can remember sitting on the back steps at my buddies farm and shooting an old metal trash can out in the yard with that pistol. I don't think I ever missed hitting the trash can. Even my friend was amazed at how accurate it was. We kind of figured it was a noise maker is all. But time after time, I would pop that trash can. And that might not seem like much to some, but that can was about the width of a person's shoulders. So I figured in the early days, a person could have actually done some damage for one shot. After that I guess it was nothing but a club.

They're fun. I have a Lyman in .54 caliber. They are really accurate. The only thing, to line up the sights you really have to cock your wrist at an odd angle. And the triggers are backwards. The set trigger is in the front! But I see your's is a single trigger so that's not a problem.

Hey Jon... are you gonna give that pistol stock a good rubdown with Ray's Gun Wax after you get the stain color you like? This build would be a good one to try it out on...

BPS

BPS, Yep, exactly what I plan on doing with this one. I still have a lot left over after doing my stocks, leather items and my hunting boots LOL.

I have exactly the same pistol but in .45cal. Using REAL bullets in it and its the right medicine on a warthog at up to 25meters.
I'm getting the best grouping with REAL bullets and a light 25gr load of 3F powder.
You get used to the odd hold after a bit of shooting, enjoy mine a lot...

Must be a pretty generic pattern for the most part, I have a CVA Kentucky .45 perc. pistol that I built back in '78 that looks identical to that. It shoots quite well with 20 grains of fffg and a patched .440 ball. I've never tried any conicals in mine.

BPS

This style kit has been around for a very long time and made by a handful of companies,both Spanish and Italian.

When I bought mine, I had decided I wanted the flintlock model. The local dealer I bought it from had both the flint and perc. kits. By the time I decided to get off my duff and buy one, all he had left was the percussion model so I bought it. The same dealer had two .31 caliber "Baby Dragoon" Colt reproductions in his showcase. Same deal, by the time I decided I wanted one and went back, he told me a customer had bought both of them a week earlier!!

BPS

I'll put my hands on it later today!!

Almost finished with the stock. I ended up using truoil on the stock as the fellow that does gunstock finishes with rays gun wax would not email me back with info, so I was not willing to put this much work into something and not know what to do in the end. She will get several coats of rays gun wax once shes ready! It really does a nice job protecting the stock and bringing out the wood grain.


Don't worry! Theres some red in there to match my St.Louis Hawken rifle

Looking good. I like the dark color.

Well, the stock is DONE! Just have to let it hang up over night and then apply a coats of rays gun wax. Really love the way it turned out.

The barrel looks almost finished as well. Just got to get some blue/rust remover, brown those up and then the lock plate and shes complete.

Oh, and age the brass.

Jon...

If you bought one of that guy's rifles, he'd probably tell you anything you wanna know! :biggrin:

BPS

LOL true, but a little advice would have been nice. I couldnt put this much work into something and then just slather it on and have to strip it and re-do it again LOL. Its okay, the wax went onto the stock already. Got the barrel finished today, now doing lock,hammer and a couple screws in browning solution.

Looking really good.

That stock looks great!! As far as browning the lock and hammer, I wouldn't. I prefer the look of casehardening. But it's your gun and it only matters that it suits you. Nice work!

BPS

Wow, looking really nice, like the deeper colour although my personal preference is lighter coloured wood on my own rifles

How come you didn't remove the seam mark left by the mold from the back of the trigger? Just noticed that...

BPS

I can wipe that out, I just don't really think it matters much for a trapper pistol.

Well no, it doesn't... but you've done such nice work on the rest of it, it seemed kinda odd that you'd leave it that way.

BPS

I was waiting until you got most of it finished to comment. That looks really nice Jon. They're a hoot to shoot too. I carried mine a couple times in hopes of shooting a deer with it. But I limited my shots to 35 yards and haven't had the chance yet.

Hey Jon...

Just thinking, but maybe you could take a section of a hard maple or birch board that could represent something that Traditions uses for a stock blank and stain it like you do and then experiment with Ray's as a final hand rub for the finish instead of Tru-oil. That way you're not wasting time stripping a stock if you don't like the outcome. Just a suggestion...

BPS

Sounds perfect, I have a bunker stock I can sand, throw some stain on and give it a try.

Nice...

That way you'll know. I don't think Dick was BS'ing me when he told me he had a custom builder using Ray's as a hand rubbed finish for his stocks. Too bad that guy wouldn't respond to your email and give you some info, some people are just that way.

BPS

20grs 2fg Olde Eynsford, .015" patches lubed in Frontier's anti-rust & patch lube, .490" round ball. 3 shots @ 12 yards distance. It seems I will need a higher sight, But I'll play with it for a while before swapping it out!


4 days without electric, other than the generator running a lamp, computers, tv and internet. 1,100 people without power in our area after 1 1/2 feet of nice icy snow fell on us and broke trees and power lines.

Nice group Jon... Yea, you need a higher front sight.

Here's what I would do... fold a short piece of black electrical tape onto the front sight blade making sure it sticks up higher than the existing blade height by 1/8" or more. Shoot the pistol with the same load and at the same distance. If you're hitting low, use scissors and trim a little bit off the top of the tape.
Continue the process until you get it hitting where you want then measure the height from the flat of the barrel to the top of the tape. That will tell you exactly what you need for height of whatever front sight you decide to use.

BPS

I think if he trys 30 grs it will bring group down closer to center.

Next loads are 30 grains! Got to remember that olde enysford is like shooting t7. More power than goes.

nope, she just needs a taller front sight. 30gr OE at 15 yards still shot high.

10 shot group, 15 yards, 30 grains Olde Eynsford 2fg, .490" Round Ball, .015" Patch. Recoil was little stiff, I actually feel my wrist getting a little sore today. That's to much powder for what I intend to use the pistol for, so I will go back to my normal load of 20 grains Olde Eynsford. Amazing little pistol guys! If you don't have one, YOU NEED ONE! These are a ton of fun to shoot.

that is some good shooting there. Nice group.

I wouldn't do well in a duel using flintlock pistols! Have a friend that made a 50 cal pistol from scratch in flintlock and I got to shoot it once this weekend. I hit the ground in front of the target from 15 yards! I need some work!!