Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: Timo on August 07, 2010, 03:28:51 pm
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Abraham Nowlin was born in the Virginia Mountains in the year of 1823. He learned gunsmithing there until moving to Missouri, and settling in eastern Hickory County. He carried on his gun building way of life, which in those days was meager at best.There was one particular gun that he had trouble selling and that was a 45 cal. The locals said,” Cost too much to shoot”! So Abe heated up the barrel and started hammering it shut, and then reboring it to a 25 cal. He dubbed it, “The seed tick rifle”. Not long after he sold the rifle to Faith Thomas. After many years Faith grew weary of the iron hardware and came to my good friend, (Rod Gates) father, who was also a gunsmith, and happened to be kin to Faith, and asked him to supply it with brass trimmings. He did, and kept the trigger guard and butt plate. Those two items have been lying around for many years, until one day that I happened onto them in Rods shop. I asked the normal questions and was well supplied with some info in which you have just read about.
I had been kicking around the idea of building a southern gun for a good while, those parts just seemed to call out to me, so the journey began. Several months and many wrong turns later, I managed to finish up this little rifle, in 32 cal. trying to pattern it from those two parts. I had the barrel made my Mark Dehass, and the lock by Homer Sales did a good bit of work in the outside appearance of the lock, to remove its Germanic appeal. Everything else I forged out myself. There are many mistakes on this build as I am still learning. This was my first one from a blank, and my 4th overall. I am pleased…for now. We’ll talk about my screw ups later.:)
You might wonder about the afore mentioned rifle? It was traded for an outboard motor in later years, and its whereabouts is now unknown. I am sure that the boat motor is by now, out of order, but I bet that rifle ain’t.
The first couple of pics are of the original trigger guard and butt plate. The butt plate was held together only with a copper rivet.
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Here's a few pics of how she turned out.
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A few more
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That turned out just sweet as Mollasses Tim...I don't care how many Screw-Ups you had along the way....Mighty Fine Job....I would be proud to own that...let alone be the Builder of such a fine Smoke Pole.... ;)....and that Stock is just gorgeous.......... :P
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...............................................................................(wheeze)......................................................
See above: that's me trying to catch my breath.............that is the most beautiful thing I've seen in a really long time...........
dang..........starting to wheeze again. better sign off.
THANKS FOR SHARING THE STORY AND PICS.........
piper
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Damn that turned out beautiful, screw-ups or not that gun is superb. GREAT JOB
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Beautiful smoke pole Tim. Everything about it is beautiful!!!
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Nice work indeed. The lock mortises remind me of the work on my Wilderness Mountain Arms flinter, .36 cal. Nice representation of what has come to be known as a Tennessee Poor Boy. The only thing I would pick apart on it is the quality of the wood...Poor Boys used, well, poor wood. That is one tricked out chunk o' curley maple! I've worked with curly maple and have grown to hate the stuff....to put it in bowyers terms, imagine if you will, grain reversals every 1/4 to 3/8 inch! You did a great job on that stock, the grain is really showing it's best character for you.
She's sweet, man, sweet. And at .32 cal, she oughta be cheap shooting! Heck, you'll spend more money on flints than you will in powder.
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Sweet...perty...wow..Yada yada yada. I want to know how it shoots!
Just kidding :) It's a stunningly beautiful rifle. Of course, I expected it would be.
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Timo, You are one very talented guy, that is one of the nicest lookin rifles that I have ever seen, beautiful peice of curly maple all the way to the muzzle. I f you take that to a squrriel woods they will just die from awe lookin at a fine pc of craftmanship. Bob
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That Flinter is Beautiful, Tim. It is simply, stunning. Might have to start calling you the "Homer" of Flinters.
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Wow, thanks for all the kind replies folks,makes one all warm and fuzzy coming from a bunch of fine craftsmen as yourselves.
JW, yea I agree about the nice piece of wood. It is a bit to fancy for this type of build. I bought it at an estate auction last year, along with 2 other blanks. This rifle is for myself, so I decided that,even though I am a poor boy, I still wanted a nice piece of wood on her. I only gave $50 for that piece. ;D A real steal I figured.
Shannon, you should be used to reading all the "wows,awesome,cool,perfect ". I can't imagine what you could turn out with a piece of wood and a barrel! ;)
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AMAZING!
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Gorgeous!!!!!!
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Incredible Job Tim!
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That is one beautiful rifle Tim! The talent on here amazes me sometimes...
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$50 FOR THAT STOCK BLANK???? I paid $325 for my last super curl stock, I don't think I like you anymore. :-\
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JW, you let me know when you are in need of another fine piece of wood.I have a buddy that might part with one of his. I'm perty sure it won't cost you that much! but it will be a blank,no pre-carve.
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Wow....I'd bet you could get a really nice outboard for that ;D...great work!
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man that is an amazing rifle. i want one.
the wood and the finish on it are amazing.
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Beautiful,very nice work,looks like a squirrel getter to me. :) :)
Pappy
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wow that is just fricking awesome.
w
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Really nice. I've built one before so I know how much work goes into it. It was a Tenn Mountain rifle that I gave my dad for Christmas six years ago. Then some jerk broke into their house and took it (wish I knew who did it).
Mark
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How many grains of 3F do you feed her?
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oh hey how long is the barrel on that thing? ??? ;D
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Grunt will probly start it out with 15 grains and work around that, no need for much more in these lil things.
Recurve shooter,The barrel is 3/4" across the flats and 40 " long. Just right! ;)
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i want one of those really long ones but it seems like all the ones i can afford are with 28 inch barrels. :-\