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This .50 caliber flintlock rifle was a 37 year project. I dedicate it to my late father, Officer William Rowe GAME WARDEN

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    Posted 4 years ago

    roadweasel
    (33 items)

    This rifle was started in the early 1980's, my father a Michigan Game Warden, myself and two other officers went bear hunting in the upper peninsula in the late fall of 1982 . I as a avid muzzle loading hunter, I had just finished my third rifle, also a flintlock of .50 caliber, and brought it along to hunt with. During the following week traipsing threw Baraga county, we managed to blow a brake line on the VW Van we took north. Back then you could fix these , as they were nothing more then a flared end on a copper line, all you needed was a flaring tool. So we bumbled into a old run down saw mill, out in the middle of bum-puck-no-where. They had a flaring tool we could borrow, and as I was under the van fixing the break line, my father who had started up a conversation with the owner was showing off my new flint rifle I had just finished. The owner of the mill stated that years ago a guy came in looking for tiger striped hard maple, and said if he was to find a piece to save it, as he would return to purchase it. The owner said the man never returned and it had been 6 years, so I ask if i could buy it, yes he said and for $20 it was mine. I started the gun that winter, and crushed my fingers in a work accident, and never finished it. I have carried it with me through 2 divorces, 6 house moves, ( each wife got a house ) and 5 kids. With the advent of the virus, I have had the opportunity to take the time to finish it. The rifle has early German Jager influences, I intend to finish off the patch box, with brass and bone. The 33 1/2'' Douglas straight octagon .50 caliber barrel, is fluted. A re-tooned L&R lock, I made the side plate and the ramrod flutes, and end cap. I would like to thank my good friend's Norm Brooks, and Dennis Pridy for their kindnesses and support, as to get off my ass and finish it . And to my father who found this block of wood, it is one of the finest pieces I have ever had, the curl is fantastic. A heirloom for our next generation's, and the memory's of my father and the hunt, priceless.

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    Comments

    1. scottvez scottvez, 4 years ago
      Love that tiger stripe maple!

      It is going to get better with age as the brass hardware develops a patina to it.

      scott
    2. blunderbuss2 blunderbuss2, 4 years ago
      Beautiful job ! Do you mean the barrel is swamped or really fluted ?
    3. roadweasel, 4 years ago
      blunderbuss2, No, tapper fluted. I took a 1/2'' ball nose cutter and ran a .093'' deep tapered cut the length of the barrel , as too flute the octagon flats. The 1'' barrel , had 1/4'' of wall around the .50 bore. The flute groove starts out at just touching at the breach area where all the big bang is, and tappers deeper into the barrel as it runs to the muzzle. The muzzle of course has the least amount of pressure , and is still over 5/32'' thick and the octagon web supports it also. It took off over a pound in barrel weight. And looks really cool. Cheers.
    4. blunderbuss2 blunderbuss2, 4 years ago
      The only "defense weapon" I've ever had with a longitudinally fluted barrel was a Beretta MP 38/42. The Germans came up with that. Great idea, as it adds strength, lighter weight and extra cooling surface. Often wondered why that idea hasn't been more exploited.

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