Traditions Flintlock Pistol Kit

[loose noose]

Well I finally got the Kit, actually it came this past Friday, but I've been busier than a one armed paper hanger. So here are the before pics. Note: the stock is very plain vanilla, the barrel is in the white but has a lot of gobley goop printed on it, so I'm gonna have to do some serious polishing. The lock looks like really good quality, and the brass is allready polished. Reckon I'm gonna have to do some work with the torch on the stock to give it some character. Now Jim, I hope you can appreciate the information I just provided you with har har. Now you can get the little lady one with the walnut stock and save ya some work.

 

[BADUNAME30]

Hahaha.
"Har har" duly 'preciated Noose.
I would git nothin but walnut.
Unless of course they offered curly birdseye maple.
I've got to somehow see if this one gits Janet's interest.
I can't tell by yer pics. Is the lock blued,'white' or case hardened?
Also, how much fitting would you say it's gonna need ?

 

[mykeal]

What is there about the lock that suggest very good quality? Tradtions' flintlocks are not generally thought of in that way, so I'm interested in what they've done to correct that.

 

[loose noose]

The lock is color case hardened and it does look like it is really color case hardened and not just painted on, the pan is rather deep, the frizzen appears to be hardened, and there is a small set screw in order to adjust the trigger pull. Now mind ya I got the .45 Caliber, I'm not sure what the .50 is like. Other than the wood it appears to be a quality arm. As far as assembly goes I'm gonna have to do some inletting on the trigger guard, the rest of the kit looks like it should assemble fairly easy. Hope this helps ya.

 

[mykeal]

So cosmetically it looks good, which is certainly step 1. The color case hardening is a chemical process done by almost all manufacturers these days. The main knock against the Traditions flintlocks has been hammer/frizzen geometry, mainspring alignment with the tumbler and the mainspring itself. Is the mainspring a leaf or coil?

I've also read some very good reports about the Traditions flintlocks, so they either changed the design to clean it up at some point or the quality is inconsistent. I'll be interested to hear how it sparks once you get it in the gun. Good luck with your build and keep us informed as to how it's going. Remember, in building a gun, patience is the most important tool you'll use. Take your time, and if it gets frustrating, take some time off and relax.

 

[BADUNAME30]

Thanx Noose.
I'll most definately get her a .45.
And walnut

+1 on what Mykeal said.
Patience.
Or, do it this way.
Keep askin yer self.." am i really havin fun".
The instant there's any doubt..walk away.

Oh yeah..
PICTURES
Lots o' pictures .

 

[loose noose]

Mykeal, the mainspring is a leaf spring there are no coil springs on the arm. Like I said the frizzen appears to be hardened, once I've got er all together I'll put some more pics, up and let ya all know how she sparks. Oh yeh, believe me I'm about as patient as a timber rattler with a cottontail in it's sights, but I'm in no big hurry to complete it. Like I said I'm gonna have to get all that printing off the barrel, before I brown it, so I'm sure that will take some time. I checked Dixie Gun Works for pistol stocks and they show curly maple, walnut, and cherry wood, for about $65.00 partially inletted but for a 12" barrel, this one only has a 10" barrel. Reckon I'll make do with the stock it came with at least for a while.

 

[BADUNAME30]

Noose, the Bbl length should make no difference.
Unless of course the stocks are made to give the same Bbl exposure beyond the fore end.

 

[loose noose]

ah Jim I couldn't tell ya that for sure. I just saw some pistol stocks in one of my older catalogues. They also have some stocks that are just rough cut for a lot less, also in walnut, curly maple, and cherry.

 

[BADUNAME30]

Even so Noose. Wount be nuthin to cuttin the stock and redoin the tip for the forend cap.

Allright now Noose. It's been like 48 hours. Aint you done yet ?
Or at least got some WIP pics for us?

 

[loose noose]

Now Jim let's be patient, I did get the lock completely inletted, and the trigger guard is now completely cut out, but that gunshop I work for part time just keeps calling me to do extra work, of course that means extra money for BP toys. Ah the curse of the employed.

 

[BADUNAME30]

Oh ok Noose, if i gotta

But pics !!
Where's the action photos ?

 

[loose noose]

Well Jim I haven't even got close to doing any pics, this past weekend, I did an action job on a S&W Bodyguard, bobbed a hammer on on S&W model 36, unjammed a S&W model 1000 shotgun, and did another action job on a Charter Arms .44 Bulldog. And today I've got to take the covered wagon (travel trailer) to Las Vegas for some warranty work. Tell me what's a frontiersman to do?

 

[BADUNAME30]

But can ya skin griz ?

 

[loose noose]

Well as a matter of fact I skinned a 200# black bear, about 30 years ago. Does that count? It was the worst tasting meat I ever sunk my teeth into. Reckon it all has to be barbequed to hide the horrid taste.

 

[4v50 Gary]

My class started working on our cap lock version of this gun this week.

We drawfiled the barrel and then polished it with 120, 180, 240 paper. Then we silver soldered the tang onto the barrel so we can inlet the assembly as a unit. So we're busy inletting now.

 

[BADUNAME30]

Well as a matter of fact I skinned a 200# black bear, about 30 years ago. Does that count? It was the worst tasting meat I ever sunk my teeth into. Reckon it all has to be barbequed to hide the horrid taste.

Ahhhhhh..but did ya kilt dat barr with a .50 Hawken ?

Hahaha, i know what ya mean 'bout the horrid taste
IMO man jist aint meant to eat meat that eats meat.

 

[BADUNAME30]

My class started working on our cap lock version of this gun this week.

We drawfiled the barrel and then polished it with 120, 180, 240 paper. Then we silver soldered the tang onto the barrel so we can inlet the assembly as a unit. So we're busy inletting now.

Pics Gary.
Action photos even.

 

[loose noose]

Well 4V50 Gary too bad I'm not in your class, or better yet my Pistole, cause man that thing needs some super duper polishing to get all that gobbley goop off of it, I just started draw filing it last night, and haven't even scratched the surface (pun intended).

Jim, I got it with a 65# compound bow, up in Wisconsin, just below the UP. In fact I thought I missed him, but he only went 10-15 yards and keeled over. First and last bear I ever shot, I don't care for the taste at all, and it don't matter how you prepare it, believe me we tried. Oh yeh, it was cold out and the bear was field dressed within 10 minutes of the kill, so the meat didn't have a chance to spoil.

 

[BADUNAME30]

Righteous kill Noose.
RIGHTEOUS !!!

 

[FiveStrings]

Losse Noose, just curious: how did the geometry in your kit work out for the trigger blade to sear contact? I built a Traditions pistol recently (Pioneer Pistol kit) and initially there was zero contact - the trigger cutout was too far forward. I had to weld a good sized bead on the back of the trigger blade to get enough material there to actually make contact with the sear bar. Works fine now, but i didn't expect to have to do that when I got the kit.

 

[loose noose]

Five Strings, Haven't had a problem with it, I did have to do some inletting on the wood where the trigger and trigger guard set though, I'd say less than a .32 inch between the trigger and the sear.

 

[loose noose]

Well I finally got all the gobbley goop off the barrel, now I'm down to 600 grit wet and dry sand paper, trying to get all the lines out. BTW the writing on the barrel had about 4 lines and wasn't all that deep. The stuff about "reading the owners manual, and use on BP or Pyrodex only, warning" etc etc. Sorry Jim I don't do action pics!