looking for some help with 160 year old rifle project

[NOLA_Ken]

So before anyone says it, yeah I might be a bit out of my mind. I've got this P53 Enfield parts gun. The plan is to completely refinish it and cut it down into a shotgun and I want to make a new stock for it because repops are pretty hard to find and expensive when you do find one. I've already ordered a 12/4 walnut slab to make it from. I have a complete one to get rough measurements from, but it's got 160 years of wear and it's shrunk a little with age. I've been looking all over online hoping to find a measured drawing of the stock. No luck. So I'm asking around, if anyone knows where I can find the measurements I would really appreciate that info.

 

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[ToddsPoint]

All you should have to do is remove the stock and take it along with your blank to a guy that has a gunstock duplicator machine. Even though the butt is broken, the duplicator operator can fudge and make it. I have a good duplicator guy here in IL. PM me and I'll give you his contact info. He may be able to help you. Cool project. Inletting the long stock by hand would be a nightmare. Here's a blank he did for me. Remington 513T .22 converted to Mannlicher style stock. Gary

 

[smokeythecat]

I either have a '51 or '53. I have to retrieve it and can get a measurement. Will take a few hours. Cleaning up from storm last night.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Very cool restoration project! Good Luck!

 

[NOLA_Ken]

All you should have to do is remove the stock and take it along with your blank to a guy that has a gunstock duplicator machine. Even though the butt is broken, the duplicator operator can fudge and make it. I have a good duplicator guy here in IL. PM me and I'll give you his contact info. He may be able to help you. Cool project. Inletting the long stock by hand would be a nightmare. Here's a blank he did for me. Remington 513T .22 converted to Mannlicher style stock. Gary

View attachment 1847273View attachment 1847274

I'm cutting 18 inches off the barrel and the stock will be a least that much shorter than it originally was. Inletting the barrel won't be a problem, the only tricky bits will be the lock and trigger guard really. I have a complete unbroken rifle that I can use to get pretty close with, the only problem is I don't know how much of it has worn away over the years so if I can't find measurements I'll just have to make some educated guesses

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I either have a '51 or '53. I have to retrieve it and can get a measurement. Will take a few hours. Cleaning up from storm last night.

what I mainly need is the area around the lock plate and on the other side, mine has been handled quite a lot since 1860 and I'm not sure how much it's worn down

 

[Gambrinus]

NOLA Ken, That looks like a fun project, I hope you come back and share the results when you are done.

What do you use to mark the wood when you transfer the marks from the barrel (I forget the correct term) when you do the inletting?

 

[NOLA_Ken]

NOLA Ken, That looks like a fun project, I hope you come back and share the results when you are done.

What do you use to mark the wood when you transfer the marks from the barrel (I forget the correct term) when you do the inletting?

There's a product called "inletting black" I'll definitely be getting some for this project because there's quite a bit to inlet here. Barrel, lock, trigger and guard, butt plate... there's no way I would try it without that.
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/377/1

 

[Gambrinus]

There's a product called "inletting black" I'll definitely be getting some for this project because there's quite a bit to inlet here. Barrel, lock, trigger and guard, butt plate... there's no way I would try it without that.
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/377/1

Is 1/2 oz. enough to do all of it? Also how do you apply it? I would think a puff squeeze bottle type thing would be handy if it would work and not blow it everywhere you don't want it. Unless there is something I am not seeing that would make it a better method. I think I will probably stick with using the old school lamp black, it is by far cheaper and fairly easy to apply. But I am interested in how that works, maybe it is better.
Unless there is something I am not seeing that would make it a better method.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Is 1/2 oz. enough to do all of it? Also how do you apply it? I would think a puff squeeze bottle type thing would be handy if it would work and not blow it everywhere you don't want it. Unless there is something I am not seeing that would make it a better method. I think I will probably stick with using the old school lamp black, it is by far cheaper and fairly easy to apply. But I am interested in how that works, maybe it is better.
Unless there is something I am not seeing that would make it a better method.

I was looking into possibly just making my own, there's a few recipes I found online that are all lamp black based so I'll probably just go that route

 

[Gambrinus]

I was looking into possibly just making my own, there's a few recipes I found online that are all lamp black based so I'll probably just go that route[/QUOT
I did not know about recipes. I have an alcohol lamp but I put kerosene in it and when lit I turn up the wick just so it smokes then just run the part through the black smoke above the flame. Maybe not good to do in the house unless you live alone. I thought it would make the ceiling in my shop sooty but it is fine.

I read about some military somewhere doing this to any metal parts they had where there were any shiny spots on their equipment before going out at night.

 

[gunsil]

Isn't the 1853 Enfield a rifle? A rifled gun will not make a good shotgun, the rifling makes the shot spin out and not travel far.

 

[AlabamaRelic]

Isn't the 1853 Enfield a rifle? A rifled gun will not make a good shotgun, the rifling makes the shot spin out and not travel far.

Have the barrel bored out.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I doubt there's much rifling left, it would have been made with three grooves originally which I don't think were too deep to begin with. It's one of the Nepalese guns from IMA and probably saw a lot of heavy use before sitting in pretty bad storage conditions for over 100 years so I'd imagine the barrel is near smooth. I'll run a camera down it once it's cleaned to check for pitting and also see if there's any rifling left. Either way this is just a for fun project and not something I would use for hunting or anything where real accuracy is important

 

[civilian]

Your project is very attractive~

 

[ToddsPoint]

I use Jerrow's inletting black. That small bottle will last many years. Here's how I do it.

I've done this for 40 yrs. and I must say inletting your project from scratch without running it on a duplicator would be incredibly hard for your first inletting job. Sidelocks are very difficult. Good luck to you. Gary

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I use Jerrow's inletting black. That small bottle will last many years. Here's how I do it.

I've done this for 40 yrs. and I must say inletting your project from scratch without running it on a duplicator would be incredibly hard for your first inletting job. Sidelocks are very difficult. Good luck to you. Gary

Thanks, I'll look into Jerrow's. I've done a lot of fine woodworking over the years and I figure those skills will get me through. I do have a complete rifle to compare to when I go to start inletting everything and I guess I'll spend some time measuring it all out and drawing up a plan since I can't find one. My thought is if I'm going to get someone to copy an original I might as well just buy a repop stock and be done with it, but I think it will mean more to me and to my daughter one day to be able to say I made it myself. I'm in no hurry with it so it'll just take as long as it takes to do it right.

 

[ToddsPoint]

If there's anything I can help you with, let me know. Gary