Winter Project

[hotfxr]

First off let me apologize in advance for the lack of pictures. I am still having computer issues that make posting pictures near impossible and I won't have the $$ or time to have it fixed until January or so.

Over the last couple of years while rehabilitating several single shot 22's I wound up with a collection of spare and broken parts. In a purge, I got rid of almost all of them except a nondescript octagon 22 caliber barrel, about 23" long. I have been staring at that barrel for a while now and my ADHD addled brain sparked on an idea. Now I have gathered up a smaller original 1830's flintlock, a single lever double set trigger, and various pins, screws, and everything else I need and I believe I am going to build a diminutive 22 caliber long rifle. Keeping with my preferences and heavy Mongrel influence, it will be a Lancaster style.
My lock has issues and if I cannot rebuild it to where it is completely reliable I will change direction and use a back lock from a Philadelphia Derringer I have hanging around, but for now I am hoping the flinter will do it's job. I much prefer flinters over cappers. (Sorry Dogshirt, I can't help it. It must be a genetic defect.)

First order of business is the barrel. I have a tang breech and I cut off the back end of the barrel and had it squared up. Next step is drilling and tapping the back end for the tang. May take a while since I am doing this by hand with just hand tools. Going to a gunsmith buddy with a lathe and milling machine just feels like cheating.

[doggoner]

Good luck with the build. I'm going to wait for the pictures but not hold my breath as January is a ways off and I doubt I could hold my breath that long.

doggoner

P.S. Don't let your alter ego  (Hanshi) distract you.

[Hanshi]

  Uh...Hanshi don't distract nobody, at least not on purpose....most of the time.  And I'm looking forward to seeing photos of that .22 longrifle in January.  I'd think it will make a great small game getter and cheap-to-feed fun gun.  My winter project is to survive until spring.   

[Dogshirt]

Just box it up and send it. I have the back fenceline that needs repair, and I need the REAL deal to tighten it PROPERLY!!! I'm OLD ad can't be chasing cattle all over the place!!

[William]

Just one question, which is where do you get .22 round ball?

[hotfxr]

Ok, trying to post some pictures.

Octagon barrel I wound up with, no idea what it came from originally



Cut off the end.



The layout



Original 1830's lock, needs some, well a lot, of work.



Single lever, double pull trigger. A built in second safety, won't fire unless back trigger is set.



William, I plan on using straight 22 bullets, no patch. Kind of a mini minne ball.

Dogshirt, if it actully works as a flinter, of course it comes up to you, you are getting way too old to be chasing cattle. However if I cannot resurrect the lock it becomes a caplock, then I'll have to send you one of my other flinters.

[Hanshi]

Isn't there a shot size that would work with a patch?

[hotfxr]

The closest I could find in lead shot was bb size which might work with a thick patch. In steel shot the "T" size would work with my .015 patch material. But I still think shoving a 22 bullet down the front will give me enough weight and pressure to make it a formidable ground squirrel killer. Or thoroughly annoy a back spinning, arm breaking older brother. 

[doggoner]

Hotfxr

I would think using .22 cal lead bullets would be like a R.E.A.L bullet for the larger calibers. Lube them up and shoot them. I'm sure the ground squirrels in California would be just as dead as if it were a rimfire .22. I was raised in the central valley just north of Galt (half way between Sacramento and Stockton on 99 hwy. A dairy farmer neighbor gave me .22 bullets to kill the ground squirrels in his pastures. Ahhh for times past. Keep up with the pictures and good luck with the end result.

doggoner

[hotfxr]

Hotfxr

I would think using .22 cal lead bullets would be like a R.E.A.L bullet for the larger calibers. Lube them up and shoot them.doggoner

That's kind of what I thought. In my life outside of this storied forum, I love 22's! I have resurrected several (more that 3, less than 10) older single shot 22's. Well three of them were not 22's (25 rimfire and 32 rimfire) but they are now. And being that 22's were actually the first black powder cartridges, (lead shot in a cap, basically), they hold an important historical position.  IMHO

[beowulf]

these might do the job ! they`re from the same company ! they have quite a selection ! https://www.hn-sport.de/en/air-gun-hunting

[bmtshooter]

Right !! .22 caliber airgun pellets might do nicely, being typically designed like hollow based a mini - minie ball.  They are designed to load from the wrong end of the barrel though.  Nice project, although I am lusting after your cannon.

[hotfxr]

Pellets? Darn, that just proves I shouldn't be left alone without supervision. I have thousands of .22 and .25 pellets in my air gun box. And not once in my planning process did I think of them.

[Red Badger]

Pellets should be usable if you crimp them to feed them down the tube... But now for a safety quiz... What is wrong with the image on the website Beowulf posted?  First correct answer might get a prize - I'll have to see what I have laying around...

R.B.

[Hanshi]

  Annoying older brother would think there is a .22 pellet that would fill the bill.  What you're going to end up with is the original .22 BP cartridge in a muzzleloader.  And you DO remember me telling you that a 3/8" ramrod won't work?