This article appeared first in the November Issue of Muzzle Blasts Magazine in 1976 NMLRA Members can read this and every other article ever published. Sign up today

W.A Carver

Having given some thought to the advantages and loading of a single shot pistol, some con­siderations on the building of such a pistol seem in order. Per­haps two approaches to the sub­ject would be useful, building a pistol from a kit, keeping in mind what would make the fin­ished piece suitable to serious shooting, and building a pistol which is altogether a target pis­tol.

Some time back, not only be­cause the project caught my fancy, but also because I want­ed to know just what could be produced from such kits as are on the market, I purchased a Connecticut Valley Arms Ken­tucky Percussion Pistol Kit. At that time the price was $34.95, but I was able to purchase one at a gun show at a little dis­count.

The quality of the kit was what one would expect for so little investment, but rather lent itself to what I had in mind to do. This was to answer my own question and the question I have often been asked about such kits and what they offered to one seeking to acquire a muzzle load­ing pistol. How much work was necessary to complete such a kit and what possibilities did such a kit offer to a serious shooter?

To my own experience, I have added the results of another lo­cal gentleman who built a CV A Kentucky Flintlock Pistol. I have seen, too, the shorter bar­relled CV A pistols purchased locally, although not as kits. The latter style pistols I do not think suitable to serious shooting from what I have observed, though they are better than one would think. Let me offer my opinion that the Kentucky style pistol does lend itself to serious shoot­ing and that such kits do make possible acquisition of a single shot percussion pistol with a moderate cost, a minimum of tools, and very little experience. (On the subject of experience with such projects, I should add that another young man, a fel­low teacher, having purchased a Dixie Gun Works kit for a Ken­tucky pistol and having got the project under way let the work languish for several years sim­ply because. he did not feel con­fident in himself. Half a dozen evenings or so here and we had the pistol completed. He is quite pleased (and I'm awaiting an opportunity to shoot it.) Again, one can acquire an attractive, single shot, percussion pistol that will shoot rather well for a moderate investment in a kit and twenty-five to thirty-five hours of work - if you want to do the work well.

The kits available generally provide the builder with lock, stock, barrel, and hardware. Finishes are not included. The locks are not more than one could expect; they are functional but in need of considerable im­provement in fit and finish, i.e. the working surfaces, especially the sear-tumbler engagement. After the lock has been "slick­ed" up a bit, the working sur­faces should be hardened, other­wise, your efforts will soon be lost. Case-hardening salts are available, and require only a propane torch for heat and a glass of water for quenching. The lock of my CV A kit does not employ a bridle and seems to my eye a little insecure, but it does work well enough although I not only have honed the sear­tumbler engagement but also have shortened the hammer fall and reduced the main spring. The hammer fall was shortened by simply relocating the full cock notch, and because the tumbler "bounced" over the half cock notch - I ground that off. The main s p r i n g I lightened by grinding along the flat of the lower arm of the spring. Do not grind across the leaf or, if you do so, remove any cross grinding by longitudinal grind­ing before flexing the spring lest you break it. Reducing the weight of the spring will not only eliminate unnecessary bat­tering but will also lighten the trigger pull by reducing the loading of the sear-tumbler en­gagement. The screw holding the sear constantly loosened ; so, to end that problem, I aligned the screw slot with that of the sear spring screw and fitted a short piece of wire snuggly into the slots. The wire prevents their turning, takes up the work of fitting the barrel into the stock. Kits offer "fully inletted stocks"; however, a little work will be necessary to effect the kind of fit which not only pleases the eye but also re­sults in a "tight" piece. Having worked the barrel into a com­fortable bedding, I finish the work by preparing a bedding compound of epoxy glue mixed with the fine sawdust from my handsaw. I find that beeswax flowed onto the surface of the metal with the heat of a propane torch makes a very effective re­leasing agent. The easiest re­lease is to be had by heating the barrel until the beeswax is melted. This can be done with­out scorching the wood if one plays the flame along the barrel without stopping. Keep the flame moving, for the flame of a pro­pane torch is hot enough to quickly scorch the wood. Despite the exercised care, some little scorching may occur. Do not be troubled; it will easily clean up. Or, you might consider scorch­ing as a means of obtaining an attractive final appearance in which case you would not be at all troubled by such burning.

The barrel mated to the stock, the lock should be fitted into the lock well which, as with the bedding of the barrel, will re­quire some handwork. Having effected an easy fit, I complete the work of bedding the lock by using the mixture of epoxy glue and sawdust. To do this, I re­move the lock works, fit the lock plate screw through the stock to assure that, everything in place, the lock plate screw will engage the threads of the lock plate. Having obtained good juxtaposition with the bar­rel, I wax the lock plate screw and the lock plate, mix the epoxy glue and sawdust and apply it to the bearing surfaces around the periphery of the lock plate. Having wiped off any glue which pressed outside the plate, I lay the piece lock side down, thread the screw into the plate, and lightly tighten it - avoid the likelihood of distorting the plate by excessive tightening. Let the pistol lie lock side down while the glue is setting so that it will flow against the plate. After the glue has hardened, remove the lock plate as you did the barrel. Note whether or not some of the glue set along the outside edge of the lock plate. If so, remove that edge of glue before attempting to lift the lock Jest you split away some of the wood along the edge of the plate. You will probably find that the glue has run out into the plate creating a thin film which must be re­moved back to the bearing sur­face along the edge of the lock well. This is easily done. All having been done well, the lock reassembled s h o u 1 d work in place the h a m m e r falling squarely onto the nipple.

The barrel and lock in place, a little time must be allowed for handling the pistol, feeling its "heft" and its "hang" and shooting a string or so of tens. But enough of the daydreaming. If you are to shoot some real tens, you must get along with the work.

The trigger assembly must now be fitted into its well. Again some hand fitting will be required and a little bedding compound will improve the fit­ting. It will be useful to con­sider alignment of the tang screw with the trigger assem­bly and the engagement of the trigger and the sear before pro­ceeding with this work. The trigger assembly in place, the trigger should not rattle about but should be still somewhat loaded by the sear spring - but yet there must be no interfer­ence with the sear's engaging the tumbler securely. Because the sear did not have sufficient reach to engage the trigger of my pistol, I made a small, flat spring which not only lifted the trigger up to the sear and thus prevented its rattling about­but which, by its placement be­hind the trigger and being of the correct length, also served as a trigger stop.

A few more imaginary tens and back to work. Fitting the trigger guard, thimbles, nose cap, and barrel pin(s) - the CV A barrel is held by the tang screw and the screws through the nose cap - is only a matter of careful fitting, but it is time consuming. Good work will cer­tainly contribute to the appear­ance of the pistol.

The pistol is now complete but for sights and finishing the stock and, perhaps, the barrel. Finishing the stock can be tak­en up before fitting the sights, and it might be useful to do that so that you will have something to do during the drying times most stock finishes require. First, of course, the stock must be thoroughly cleaned and giv­en its final sanding and polish­ing. During the course of this work and until the surface has been given some protective coat­ing, care must be taken to keep the wood clean. The stock ready for finish, the choices of coloring the wood and what finish to use must be made. As sug­gested above, scorching the wood is one way to color it, producing not only a pleasing color but also an antique effect, and there are many other color­ing methods. Sealing the sur­face can be done in a variety of ways, too. Linseed oil, com­mercially prepared finishing oils, varnish, and "synthetic" preparations give one a wide choice of methods and results.

Whilst the finishing of the stock goes on, sights can be chosen and fitted Lo the barrel. Target sights are certainly an advantage but one might have scruples in mounting such on a Kentucky style pistol, and a white bead such as on a Marble or similar f r on t sight seen through a half round notch against the black is quite good enough for some serious shoot­ing. I suggest that you fit such a combination to your pistol. It has been my experience that the front and rear sights of a per­cussion pistol should be of about the same height. Begin with the rear sight somewhat higher than that and work down to a center hold. The white bead centered on the black gives a good sight picture. Driving the sights in the dovetails will allow you to adjust for right or left as needed.

Bluing and browning solu­tions are available but one can, as I am doing, simply let the bright metal naturally brown giv­ing an antique appearance.

The piece is ready for the range. Loaded and handled carefully it should produce 1·e­spectable scores.

If you become so proficient that your skill demands a barrel of better charac,!;eristics, you can, without great difficulty, drill out the pistol barrel and epoxy in a liner. As I noted briefly in another article, I have lined my CV A pistol barrel with a piece of .45-70 Springfield bar­rel. It groups very well.

So much for what might be done with a pistol kit. Next, we ought to consider designing and building a target pistol, for the shooting qualities of your Kentucky pistol will give rise to the question, "What will a good percussion target pistol do if it excels this?"