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.36 Cal Ducks Foot Pistol
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Graybeard
posted
A neighbor surprised me a few years back with this kit. He'd had it for years and never got around to building it. He knew I was into traditional muzzleloaders so he gave it to me. Its a unique gun but not something that I was too interested in so it sat here for several years. The image on the box showed it assembled with a high polish which really didn't appeal to me.

A couple days ago I decided to build it but I wanted to make it look like it had been abused, neglected and about 200 years old. Somewhere along the line the trigger pin was lost. I went to the hardware store and bought a retaining clip that fit and made a pin with it.

I cleaned up all the metal and first tried to do a forced patina on the barrels and the breech. I wasn't happy with the results. I had some Laurel Mountain Forge browning solution left from a previous build so I browned the barrels, breech, hammer and trigger. After four cardings and treatments they had a nice brown. Then I used 0000 steel wool to remove most of the brown to give it a worn, aged look.

I tarnished the brass with Birchwood Casey Brass Black and lightly brushed it with steel wool. The picture makes the brass look brighter than it is. I left it darker around the nipple to look stained with use over time. I shaped the grip and sanded it but left some rough marks and added a few gouges so it looks abused. I hand rubbed 3 coats of True Oil in with about 8 hours between coats. I used a trick that I saw in a flintlock building tutorial and spray painted it with flat black spray paint. Once that was dry I used 0000 steel wool to remove the majority of it except for what was left in the recessed areas. Then I applied two more coats of True Oil and went over it with steel wool.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Its the only gun I own that I don't plan to shoot. Don't really care for it only having one screw going into the receiver. Not the strongest setup. I really don't want to mess with cleaning residue from the breech either.



Experience is the best teacher, hunger good sauce.
Osborne Russell Journal of a Trapper
 
Posts: 212 | Location: SW Montana | Registered: 17 December 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of Notchy Bob
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I'll say you did a good job on it with regard to the finish. It really does look like an antique. There are so many guns and knives being made today with the splotchy, corroded finish that just looks fake. Yours looks like a real antique.

If I read your post correctly, it appears you don't have much use for the gun itself. I would be inclined to agree. I'm assuming all three barrels go off simultaneously. With barrels pointed in three different directions, anything that gets hit is just plain unlucky. I guess you could load only the center barrel for live shooting and see where it hits. It might make an interesting, three-way "Roman candle" type display loaded with blanks. Put in a pretty good load of powder, and whatever doesn't burn in the barrel will light up when it exits the muzzle and hits the oxygen in the air.

In any event, I like the finish you did, on steel, brass, and wood. I had never heard of that trick with the black spray paint. I might try it. I have used multiple coats of Laurel Mountain browning solution on knife blades and buffed them back with ScotchBrite, much as you did with steel wool, to get a similar effect on steel. I like the way it looks.

Best regards,


"Should have kept the old ways just as much as I could, and the tradition that guarded us. Should have rode horses. Kept dogs."

from The Antelope Wife
 
Posts: 333 | Location: Florida | Registered: 24 May 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Graybeard
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Thank you Notchy Bob!

Here's a link (pdf file)to that tutorial. Its a flintlock by Mike Brooks shown from start to finish. He does beautiful work! The flat black paint step is shown on page 112. When I first saw it I couldn't imagine what he was thinking covering his beautiful stock with black paint. Then I saw the next step and was impressed with the effect of it.

http://americanlongrifles.org/PDF/tutorial.pdf


Experience is the best teacher, hunger good sauce.
Osborne Russell Journal of a Trapper
 
Posts: 212 | Location: SW Montana | Registered: 17 December 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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I have one of those pepperbox revolving barreled guns by the same manufacturer as your duck foot pistol. I call it my boat anchor because that's just how useful it is. Smiler Smiler Smiler

Load fast and aim slow.
 
Posts: 1726 | Location: Pacific Northwest | Registered: 08 March 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
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Those are cool little pistol although Mark Twain was very critical of them and made jokes about them.


*Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.*
 
Posts: 3560 | Location: Maine (by way of Georgia then Va.) | Registered: 26 January 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Graybeard
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quote:
Originally posted by White Finger:
I call it my boat anchor because that's just how useful it is. Smiler Smiler Smiler



I don't think I'd trust mine as a boat anchor either. Great, now there's two things I can't use it for! Big Grin


Experience is the best teacher, hunger good sauce.
Osborne Russell Journal of a Trapper
 
Posts: 212 | Location: SW Montana | Registered: 17 December 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Either one makes an interesting paper weight.

I think originally the duck foot was mainly a naval boarding and riot gun. The pepperbox was a common self defense handgun for the 49er's during the California gold rush.


Know what you believe in. Fight for your beliefs. Never compromise away your rights.
 
Posts: 1296 | Location: Cherokee Land, Tenasi | Registered: 06 January 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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