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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Muzzleloaders & Blackpowder
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CowboyCS
.333 member


Reged: 05/10/07
Posts: 386
Loc: Kansas u.S.A.
50 to 32 Caliber Knight Mountaineer Conversion
      #230590 - 28/05/13 06:43 AM

A client contacted me and ask if I could build or convert an existing inline and make him a .32 caliber stainless steel squirrel rifle. So after a bit of back and forth he bought and shipped direct to my shop a .50 Caliber SS Knight Mountaineer. I ordered a .32 Caliber SS Barrel Blank in 1:36 Twist. I decided to spend the Memorial weekend getting this put together for him.

I started by indexing the Mountaineer in my lathe and drilling and reaming it out to 5/8". It's not very often I get to ruin a brand new in the box unfired rifle. Then I threaded the first inch of the muzzle to 3/4"-16tpi.


I turned the .32 caliber barrel blank down and threaded to match.


I turned the breech end down to match the original breechplug so that everything would seat and seal properly without any modification to the factory original breechplug this way if it ever gets damaged it can be easily replaced.


I put the two together with a 3m epoxy that is design for use with stainless steel, then after it had set up I put it back in my lathe and parted off the excess muzzle and then re-crowned and shaped it making the joint line disappear.



I even peened the ".50" stamping on the barrel down and re-stamped it "32".


Unless a person examines it pretty closely it looks pretty much like it was made by Knight as a .32 Caliber Stainless Steel Mountaineer.


It was a fun way to make a few extra bucks over the holiday weekend.

Colin

--------------------
The Bill of Rights- Void were prohibited by law
Stolzer & Son's Gunsmithing

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DarylSModerator
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26991
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: 50 to 32 Caliber Knight Mountaineer Conversion [Re: CowboyCS]
      #230598 - 28/05/13 09:56 AM

Well, you did as requested & did a good job, but Colin, really - calling that a squirrel rifle?

I'm sorry, but this is a .32 Squirrel rifle - complete with English lock, common on Tenn. rifles.

:


--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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CowboyCS
.333 member


Reged: 05/10/07
Posts: 386
Loc: Kansas u.S.A.
Re: 50 to 32 Caliber Knight Mountaineer Conversion [Re: DarylS]
      #230607 - 28/05/13 12:50 PM

Yeah I know it's not traditional but a mans got to eat and I don't turn down to many paying jobs.
Besides how many times in my life am I going to get the chance to run a drill bit down the bore of a brand new inline and actually get paid for it. LOL

That's a very nice rifle you've got and pretty much the definition of a squirrel gun.

Colin

--------------------
The Bill of Rights- Void were prohibited by law
Stolzer & Son's Gunsmithing

Edited by CowboyCS (28/05/13 12:51 PM)

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Huvius
.416 member


Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3555
Loc: Colorado
Re: 50 to 32 Caliber Knight Mountaineer Conversion [Re: CowboyCS]
      #230611 - 28/05/13 01:20 PM

I have long had a desire for a traditional smallbore muzzle loader.
That flintlock looks like just what I had in mind! That, or an English percussion "rook" rifle.

Cowboy, nice job on the Knight.
Would it shoot roundballs or heavier bullets?

--------------------
He who lives in the past is doomed to enjoy it.

Edited by Huvius (28/05/13 01:22 PM)

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CowboyCS
.333 member


Reged: 05/10/07
Posts: 386
Loc: Kansas u.S.A.
Re: 50 to 32 Caliber Knight Mountaineer Conversion [Re: Huvius]
      #230615 - 28/05/13 01:48 PM

Patched roundball is what it is set up for.

Colin

--------------------
The Bill of Rights- Void were prohibited by law
Stolzer & Son's Gunsmithing

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DarylSModerator
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26991
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Re: 50 to 32 Caliber Knight Mountaineer Conversion [Re: CowboyCS]
      #230630 - 29/05/13 12:54 AM

Colin, might I suggest, that it's easier to load a nice tight, accurate round ball with a smoother crown. As with the machined crown and while the barrel is still in the lathe, simply holding some emery or wet/dry smooths against the cut crown polishes and radiuses the it, making starting the patched ball so much easier.

These really small bores seem to benefit from very tight combinations, to the point where a lot of guys use bore size, or slightly larger than bore size balls with .018" or thicker patches.

That requires a very smoothly radiused crown to avoid cutting the patch when seating the ball into the rifling at the muzzle.

This is the muzzle on that squirrel rifle. I use a .319" mold that casts .320". I like to use it with a .0215" ticking patch. The .311" ball was also fairly accurate, but liked a thicker .023 red/white/lt.blue/dk.blue mattress ticking patch.



--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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