Youth Rifle Project: {John Grandstaff or Virginia Rifle}

The rifle has brass furniture, left handed lock and a Grade 6 Maple stock. Purchased a de Haas Barrel - 45 Caliber; 28" X 13/16" barrel; 1:48" twist. (Nice barrel. Purchased at the Bevel Brothers Shoot. You can reach Mr. de Haas at dehaas@grm.net . He has an excellent choice of unique barrels and priced very well. Located in Ridgeway, MO.)  

• Photos of the Finished Stock and Brass:

I laid out a pattern for the rifle on the blank and cut out the stock today.  I'll have to trim down the trigger guard as the original rifle had a much "skinnier" guard on the rifle. 

Next I'm flattening out the top of the barrel flats so I can lay out the barrel channel. Will cut the channel by hand. Ordered the breech plug and other supplies today. 

After the barrel channel is done, then I will cut away the bottom of the stock for the ramrod flats.

• Got some advice from a youth blackpowder shooter on the design.

Tyler Scully is my grand daughter and she helped pick out the inlays for the rifle based upon some research she had done by looking up photos of Virginia rifles in "Gunsmiths of Virginia" by James Whisker. Instead of the silver oval around the hunter star on the cheek, she liked the photo she saw on page 170 in the book of wire inlay work around the star. I agreed with her.  Here is a photo of the inlays she picked out. A small silver hoot owl in the lower cheek area (hmmm.. wonder how that got in there?), the hunter star on the cheek, a fish on either side of the wrist, a small bird for the large forearm area and cat's eyes on both side of the forearm.

 

 

 

Click on Links Below To Go To Corresponding Pages:

• Inletting the Barrel: 
• Tang Inletted: 
• Barrel Pinned Into Stock & Ramrod Groove Drilled:
• Drum Installed & Lock Inletted:
• Hand-Forged Trigger:
• Butt Plate Installation:
• Thimbles Installed:
• Trigger Guard Modification & Inletted:
• Muzzle Cap Installed: 
• Toe Plate and Side Plate Created and Installed:
• Inlays installed:
• Photos of the Finished Stock and Brass:

Shaped the forearm and put an incised line down either side of the ramrod channel.

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



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