The Packhorse

[Sharps40]

In the damp box. 90% humidity. Crock of water set on the lowest of three settings (warm, low, high).

Ready for its third boiling and carding.

The part, fresh from the third boil in good old tap water.

Beginning the carding in preparation for the next rust cycle. Removing all the loose smudge with 0000 steel wool......nope, I ain't degreased a piece of steel wool for this work in years. Whatever keeps the wool from rusting, don't keep the parts I rub down from rusting. Course, that may be where I get an occasional spot from but I'm inclined to believe it to be fingerprinting or less than adequate prep work. In any event, used to degrease the wool but saw no difference in the final output, so, I eliminated that particular step.

 

[Sharps40]

Parts are out of the last boil, carded and resting in oil. Final assembly this evening if everything is even and spot/streak free.

 

[Sharps40]

Some more after rust. Its normal and it settles down over a period of days or a few weeks. Not as bad as I expected with the heavier texture on this frame but......

Time to warm it again with another coat of beeswax/vasoline. Just to ouch temperature after glopping on the mix.

After melting for a bit, hang it to cool and I'll come back for near final assembly.

More photos this evening as this one approaches completion. As predicted, likely done this weekend and then just to sit until I'm satisfied with the browned finish, maybe another two weeks.

Last of the jobs are to finish knocking back and sealing the brown. Future maintenance of the finish is as simple as wiping it down with bore butter or other similar muzzleloading finish preservatives.

I need to make up a shoulder nut for the ejector rod housing and blue it. That'll be from La Salle fatigue proof steel and have a small shoulder in the base to retain the ERH and prevent any movement under heavy recoil. It can be as simple as a tapered bottom on the pinch nut.

Last item will be to clearance the head of the cylinder pin. It just slides over the barrel band. Assembly and disassembly is possible but a bit snugger than I'd like so, that'll get reblued again once clearanced for ease of assembly and disassembly.

 

[Sharps40]

Coming together. Still heavily coated in beeswax. I'll wipe it down and start the follow up with Bore Butter on the brown.

A simple relief on the back side of the Cylinder pin to make room for the band at the end of the barrel. A bit of touch up blue and the gun assembles and disassembles now with no more difficulty than a factory set up.

A few quick pics. Not the best light, its fading but you can see the heavy texture in the brown and the smoother black and brass. Better pics later when the final bits are done and installed......but, This one is looking like it did in fact make that 500 mile solo walk for a Gals heart across the Alaskan Frontier to the Coast....and then back when love wore out its welcome?

 

[November]

This is my favorite piece of yours so far. Love that barrel band.

 

[Sharps40]

Almost done. Need to make up a shouldered pinch nut for the ejector rod housing to prevent all possible movement under recoil, after that, to the range to ensure its ready to go to work. Meantime, I card with bore butter untill the brown finally settles into its long term neutral state. The color is a deep plumb brown and the contrasting brown texture to the smooth black is nifty.

 

[awp101]

:mrgreen:

 

[Sharps40]

Finished making the last part for this project. A shouldered pinch nut to retain the ejector rod housing with minimal movement under heavy recoil.

A section of good La Salle fatigue proof steel. I like it because it makes great pins, screws, firing pins and takes a fine thread that is strong. Polishes decent too.

Turn a nipple in the drill press that fits the drill bushing for a 31 drill. It'll get the hole well centered.

Install the steel rod, nipple first in the drilling jig and drill the 31 hole to whatever depth is needed.

Nipple is gone and the tap size hole is properly centered.

I tapped the threads with a bottoming tap using the drill guide for a 28 drill to guide the tap into the 31 hole.

Now, turn a shoulder in the bottom of the pinch nut that just fits the hole in the bottom of the ejector rod housing.

Then in the drill press I turned (filed) the 1/4" major diameter of the pinch nut.

After shortening the shoulder and the head of the screw to the proper lengths, I place the pinch nut in a 1/4" dia hole and neatly saw in the screwdriver slot.

Final polish of the pinch nut, check fit, some bluing and finally.......Packhorse is ready for testing at the range!

Its a long way from a hack barreled gun with a screw sticking down into the bore! Some shooting time and some wait time to monitor the brown and I'll call it done, likely in a week or so.

 

[Sharps40]

Took the Packhorse out for a ride today and what a ride! Recoil is firm but manageable and straight back. No torque with the long Bisley hammer. Everything worked great.

I took a few shots at 15 yards and then went to steel. Plenty of range in the sight set up. I believe it is hitting a bit low for me at 15 but no bench today, all off hand. A lot of work on the steel and from the marks at 20 yards, the bullet is rising back to close to point of aim. Will have to try some other ammo.

Only had one glitch. Pesky cylinder pin rotates slightly when you release it. Makes it hard to remove. I'll need to go back and knock a bit more of the wing on its head or better, install one of the cylinder pins that are cut full circumference and have no wing. I had it in and out quite a bit before shooting and it worked fine but that's what range time is for.....find the last of the needed tweaks and get them done.

Not too bad for me. I think this one will out shoot me. Its pure hell on the steels and loud too!

 

[Joe S.]

Man thats nice! I love your work and hate i am just now seeing this. But on the plus sode, this way is like Netflix. I catch season 4 when season 5 is released but the advantage to that is i can watch em all at once. No waiting til next week to see who killed JR, or if Glenn is under the dumpster.

 

[Sharps40]

Thanks. Turned out to be an amazing carry and shooting iron. It go's everywhere....daily carry, mountains, etc. Rolls tin cans point shooting weekly and so far, dead nuts reliable. Nice to have it with the conversion guts so all six can be carried......with some shot shells on the lead end of the cylinder, should be fine for spring carry too....lots of copper heads here NC way.....they are always first out in the spring, last in in the winter and awesomely aggressive......late Feb to about Nov is Copperhead season around here!

 

[Joe S.]

Yikes

 

[tinman]

I was not on this board during this project, but I am surely glad I found it now. That is a great lookin gun.

 

[Sharps40]

There are 3 or more like it on here. Just check my threads. I customed 5 or so total.