James Armstrong Rifle (Maryland School)  (Click on photos to enlarge images.)

This is  a  James Armstrong rifle.  A lot of people make reference to the John Armstrong rifles, however, John Armstrong was a Journeyman under James Armstrong. 

My friend "Snake Bite" wanted a nice squirrel rifle.

This rifle will have a maple stock, a Jim Chambers deluxe Siler flintlock, R.E. Davis double set triggers, and brass furniture with silver accents. The barrel is a .32 Caliber - 13/16" x 42" - Goodoien Barrel. (Note, John Armstrong was an apprentice to James.)

Here is collection of the parts for the rifle and the barrel is in process of being inletted now. 

Applied a nice red maple stain to the stock and gave it a nice red color.

Then after the stain dried, I applied several coats of hand-rubbed on linseed oil.  After the 3rd coat I used steel wool on the stock before applying more coats.  Here is how it turned out.

Here is the finished rifle.

Here is the original stock sitting next to the finished rifle.

• Inletted the Barrel, Tang and the Tenons
• Inletted the lock, Installed the Lock Plate bolt, Triggers 
• Inletted the Butt Plate
• Inletted Thimbles
• Installed the Nose Cap
• Shaping the Forearm and Stock

Well, we dun run into a problem with the stock and I had to start from scratch all over again. Life is full of surprises sometimes, eh?

This time with a plank of grade +5 maple from Tiger Hunt.  The links below will basically show from the beginning all over again on this rifle.  

• Started over on a new stock; barrel inletted, modified the tang, pinned the stock, cut a new ramrod channel & inlet the lock.
• Installed set triggers and front thimbles on stock. 
• Buttplate Installed and started shaping the buttstock. 
• Forearm Shaping & Muzzle Cap Installation.
• Trigger Guard Installation.
• Toe Plate Installation.
• New Side Plate Designed
• Incised Molding Along Bottom of Buttstock & Inlet Cheekpiece Inlay (Eagle)
• Inlet Patchbox
• Forearm Inlays
• Sights Installed
• A Little Carving
• A Little Engraving
• Browned the Steel
• The Finished Rifle

If you like the site or have any questions, drop me a line by clicking on "Hoot" below.



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