Big Butt is finished

[hondo1892]

Well here is big butt all done. I finally was able to get her done today. I proofed the barrel and regulated the sights early this afternoon. I put a fake copper wrist repair to cover the bark inclusion in the wrist. I was almost done with the finish work last week when I got an infection under my thumb nail where I shoved a broken drill bit through it. So Friday was spent going to the doctors, getting x-rays and filling a prescription for antibiotics. Should have had a rubber glove on my hand but its been so hot I tried to bypass it. Won't try that again. The rifle is really a pleasure to shoot. A .40 with round balls and 45 grains of fffg powder is easy on arms and ears. Even with the 44" barrel the rifle is right around seven pounds which makes it nice for carrying but a little light for off hand shooting. The groups I shot were not very impressive but I only had .395 rb's to try. I'm sure if I had some .390's it would have turned in some better groups. I also have a photo of what my rifles start out as.

[TWHBC]

Very nice!
Like your thoughts on caliber, and your execution is excellent!

[Lassiter]

That's absolutely awesome! I love it

[gamekeeper]

Fantastic! That rifle is bringing history alive.....

[ollogger]

Truly a work of art!!

[jnyork]

Really nice job.

[plowboy 45]

Thats one heck of a good job

[Pete44ru]

.

You've done well, Pilgrim ..................


.

[hondo1892]

Thanks guys. I really need to get faster though or I'm going to have to get one of them real jobs.

[JReed]

Nicely done. Should make a great coon and rabbit buster.

[JerryB]

You built a classic rifle, a very elegant piece. You say it is a little light for off hand, what does the barrel measure across the flats. I had my rifle made with a 36 inch 15/16 Douglas barrel back in 1968, it holds steady for me even though I'm a lot older now.

[hondo1892]

Jerry the barrel is swamped so even though its 15/16" at the breech it tapers to .677" and flares back out at the muzzle to about 7/8". With this profile it really makes for a lite barrel. After owning a swamped barrel rifle I would never go back to a straight one. If I wanted a heavier gun for off hand shooting I would just go with a bigger diameter barrel. I'm not sure what the customer wanted this rifle for. It will make a great hunting rifle for sure though.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Well done!!!A brand new 150 year old rifle. I love it!

[octagon]

Beautiful job, esp like the color, how did you get it that color if you don't mind my asking

[Les Staley]

Beautiful job on a classic American long rifle! I have some idea of how much work goes in to one of those. I built a 40 cal "Carolina style Poor Boy" back in the "80s" to hunt squirrels with in Michigan. My Green Mountain 42" barrel liked 30 gr of 3F behind a 390 Round ball. Any squirrel that would remain stationary for a few seconds under 50 yds was meat in the pan.

[Shasta]

An absolutely stunning rifle! I especially like the nose cap. Ya done good!

Shasta

[Walker]

Fine rifle! Wish I had 1 tenth your skills.

[Griff]

Words could hardly do it justice...

[hondo1892]

Octagon if your asking about the wood it has home made nitric acid stain and I add soot to my first coat of oil. You can rub it back where you want lighter areas on the stock.

[Rusty]

Beautiful Hondo! I like the .40 cal too. It's big enough for deer here in Fla.and when target shooting there's so little recoil it's easy to shoot well. It's also small enough to thin out the local tree rats.

When I was shooting in our local club we had a fellow that was a something like a 5 time National Champ at Friendship. His rifle was a .40. He shot a .401 RB w/ a .15 pillow tick patch coated with Teflon, loaded
with a false muzzle

[octagon]

Hondo thanks for the info. Again, very nice job!

[Ysabel Kid]

Excellent work! I wish I had that kind of skill - and patience!