Mark's new rifle

[sean]

Mark Horvat sent me these pictures of the new rifle he built to post here. Its a fine piece and I hope he'll chime in here with details on it.

Sean

[Cody]

Very good work

[Rod]

Now that is NICE!!


Rod

[Duane]

Wow Mark what a nice rifle,you did a great job building it.What stain and finish did you use on the stock..D

[Dan'l Hickham]

Nice rifle.

Carving but no patchbox - interesting - is this a copy of an original? Or just an interpretation (which in itself is very creative)

[Mark]

Thanks Sean for posting the photos. Details: Late Ketland lock from Chambers, 44" American Heritage .54 Colerain barrel. All the brass is cast by Dave Keck, Knob Mtn Muzzleloaders. Dave furnished everything that I did not make myself. I highly recommend his parts and his work. The barrel inletting and ramrod channel were excellent.

The trigger I made. It is pinned through the stock. It has a trigger plate that the tang screw is threading through. The silver inlays are coin silver copied from H. Deringer's work. Same with the engraving designon the cheek piece, which my photography does not do justice.

I call this a Deringer/Nicholas Beyers because of the carving. I wanted to try my hand at this most tedious of longrifle building tasks. The cheek piece design is a compilation of other's work, with a strong influence from Geo. Schroyer. The comb carving is copied from Jim Kibler's work in Ohio. I like the visualaffect of lengthing and slimming the wrist. The N. Beyers photos I used for detail had a long slim wrist.

The stock finish/coloring is aquafortis, Laurel Mtn Forge honey maple and lancaster maple, with Chambers stock finish.

The ramrod has a turned antler tip. I got lazy and did not want to scrap, turn a 7/16 ramrod do just for the flared tip. It is expoxied and pinned.

The stock is sugar maple with the butt portion precarved from Keck's Figthorn/Reedy pattern. From the lock forward was just a square plank with the ramrod, barrel channel cut in.

Took a month of steady work, 6-8 hours a day to complete. Now I am working on dialing in the loads, etc at the shooting bench. And getting used to the simple triggers.

Any questions, just ask here. Thanks for your interest.

Mark

[Mark]

No patch box for a couple of reasons. #1 the N. Beyers rifle did not have one. I really like the clean slim look. #2 I am a forester. I like wood. I would prefer to look at wood over brass. And nobody today uses their patchbox.

I went back and forth on this many times, mostly because I wanted to engrave the patchbox. Finally the simple lines of the NBeyer and the wood won out.

Mark

[sean]

Mark,

That's a pretty sweet gun. Good architecture and nice carving. Should handle well and put elk steaks in the pan. Funny though, I've been eyeing that Figthorn/Reedy pattern that Dave Keck has for an early Deringer with a big eagle-head box, but I just don't have the time to build guns at this point in my life.

Are you still working for Laffin Dog a bit in the off season?

Sean

[Mark]

I had the eagle head patch box all traced off of a photo from the computer. Almost decided to cut one out, but changed my mind.

I am still building guns for Matt. Cannot see any reason to change. I do enjoy the work and it keeps me occupied.

Mark

[sean]

Mark,

Which trigger guard and buttplate did you get from Dave?

Sean

[Duane]

Mark again you did a great job builing that rifle,and thank's for the info..D

[Mark]

Sean, I used the Beck, Lancaster/Lebanon trigger guard and side plate.

Mark

[Mark]

Thanks for all the compliments everyone. My carving has a long way to go. All I have to do is look at Jim Kibler's work and I start foaming at the mouth. Once again, thanks.

Mark

[sean]

Mark,
If you get as good as Kibler or Shipman you'll have to give up your day job with the Circus. But hey that's a plan. It's the knees that go out on foresters and biologists and building guns is fairly easy on those.

Sean

[Mark]

Yep, the knees went last year during hunting season. Going up hill is fine, not so going down hill.

Mark