The Mighty 2 Bore Boxlock M/Ler

[CowboyCS]

I spent 4 hours today getting all of the build pics and description uploaded onto my website, so I really don't want to be this way but I can't really afford the time to fight with my computer to copy all of the same information and pictures onto several other websites. MY COMPUTER HATES ME AND THE FEELING IS MUTUAL!

So here is the link to the build on my website if you would like to start from the beginning: Stolzer & Son's Gunsmithing - Current Projects 2 Bore (http://www.freewebs.com/stolzergunsmithing/currentprojects2bore.htm) for the rest of you who don't feel like reading a few pages to start from the beginning, I'm just going to post the original drawing and the pictures of were I am at in the build currently and then I will update from this point as the build progresses.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Drawing1.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Drawing2.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Drawing3.jpg
Here's were I am at currently in the build:
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0063.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0064.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0065.jpg
If you have any questions probably most of the answers are in the link I provided but if not feel free to ask and I will try to answer.

Thanks for understanding.

Colin

[Speckmisser]

That's just nuts! 2 bore!?!

Can't wait to see how this comes out.

[CowboyCS]

I just really like this picture and thought everybody should see it.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0017.jpg
That's an 8 Bore ball inside the muzzle of the 2 Bore.

Colin

[myfriendis410]

I got the 2 bore part. But.......

Thirty pounds?

THIRTY POUNDS?

THIRTY POUNDS!!!

[CowboyCS]

Recoil is exponential, the last 4 bore I shot weighed 20 pounds and the recoil was brutal, I mean literally bone jarring shoulder bruising brutal. Now double the quantity of lead you have to push, and at least half again the powder charge and tell me if you think it would be a good idea to shoot it in a 20 pound gun. I've read pretty much everything I can find on 2 bores and the original accounts of the DG hunters of the 1880's through the early 1900's all speak of the 2 bore with remorse. Sir Samuel Baker commented that is was one of his worst mistakes having ever commissioned the 2 Bore he named "Baby" it gave him a permanent flinch. And later in life it is suspected that the massive amounts of recoil sustained repeatably caused permanent nerve damage. To quote Ross Siegfried after shooting a 2 bore "It's like presiding over your own personal earthquake" at least I think that's how he put it, and I think that sums it up pretty well. So yeah I think 30 pounds if I can get it there is going to be a good idea, I'm just not sure I can get it that heavy.

Colin

[myfriendis410]

Oh, I'm a big believer in weight to tame recoil; I sat at the wizard's knee many many years ago on that subject. I'm just thinking that it weighs more than the Barrett .50 my buddy lugged around in Iraq! I'm trying to imagine putting that to my shoulder and actually AIMING it at something.

Yeah, I'm thinking major flinch. I'd twitch while walking down the street three days later.........

Let us know how it shoots.

[BelchFire]

What I'm concerned about is CowboyCS shooting is and US getting a flinch!

[myfriendis410]

Amen!

[myfriendis410]

I mean, come on! That's a 1/2 POUND BALL! What's the powder charge? Like 1/2 pound too? Criminy! He's gonna pull the trigger and there'll be a mushroom cloud over Kansas or something.

Hey Cowboy! Give us a countdown before you pull the trigger, okay?

(cool project)

[CowboyCS]

400-500 grains of FFg is what I can find in all my reading, they really weren't loaded that much heavier than a 4 bore. I'm pretty sure the reason they didn't actually double the charge of a 4 Bore was because the recoil would be lethal, I mean literally shoulder bone/collar bone, neck snapping lethal if it was loaded up much higher than 500 grains. I was discussing this with another gunsmith the other day, and a small field cannon has a 1.5" bore and they only use 500 grains of powder in it, it weighs 300+ pounds on it's carriage, and the recoil will shove it back 2 to 3 feet. So this is only slightly smaller than that, takes the same charge and weighs 1/10th the weight. The rest is up to your body to absord. Kinda puts it in perspective when you compare it to artillary.

Colin

[BelchFire]

I may have to road-trip to Kansas for this. With a video camera in hand, I might be rich and you might be famous. Albeit posthumously. I'll do my best to talk up your memory.

I thought of one way to hit the 30 mound mark pretty easily. Make it a double barrel!

[Speckmisser]

Hmmm... a 2-bore Express rifle! :skeered:

[inchr48]

The only 2 bore I've ever seen in articles were bow-mounted on the boats the meat hunters used in our area on the Kankakee River around the turn of the century. They were loaded with shot, and as the boat turned a bend in the river and the ducks lifted off the water, the gun was fired. Hundreds would be killed at once, and taken into Chicago to the markets. I can't imagine shoulder firing anything of this guage size. Good luck with the build Cowboy. You have my utmost respect for your abilities to work in both metal and wood. Maybe someday I can afford to have you make me a BP shotgun (in a more reasonable guage).

[CowboyCS]

The only 2 bore I've ever seen in articles were bow-mounted on the boats the meat hunters used in our area on the Kankakee River around the turn of the century. They were loaded with shot, and as the boat turned a bend in the river and the ducks lifted off the water, the gun was fired. Hundreds would be killed at once, and taken into Chicago to the markets.
If you read up on the exploits of Sir Samuel Baker or Taylor or for that matter most of the Ivory Hunters, you find more than a few vivid descriptions of shooting 4 & 2 Bore rifles and frighteningly close yardage to very angry animals.

I can't imagine shoulder firing anything of this guage size. Good luck with the build Cowboy. You have my utmost respect for your abilities to work in both metal and wood.
Thank You, but most of the credit goes to my teacher, the rest has just been practice.

Colin

[myfriendis410]

I was more of a Major Jim Corbett fan myself, but still, a different era and real tough pioneers.

[CowboyCS]

On to the forearm, I’ve been working on this off and on for several days now. I started by attaching the ebony tip, then I used my mill to hog out the majority of the wood. I then had to custom turn a scraper on my lathe that was big enough to work the barrel channel. One of the problems to overcome when building such large calibers, is the fact that there are no commercially available tools to buy, so I make all my own as the need arises.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0068.jpg

Then it was just a matter of using Prussian blue to check the fit and scrape it in, lots of repetitious work, but doing it fast is asking for a bad inletting job.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0067.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0070.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0071.jpg

Then the last thing I did was something I don’t normally do, I bedded the forearm. I don’t usually glass bed the forearm on muzzleloaders, there isn’t a need in most cases. But since I plan to remove a lot of wood from this forearms and replace it with steel inlays to add weight, I figured it would be a good idea to stabilize the wood by bedding it.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0072.jpg

That’s it for now, just waiting for bedding compound to dry.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

Forearm Key and Stock Shaping. Yesterday I pulled the forearm off and cleaned up most of the release agent and excess bits of bedding compound left on the forearm. Then I trimmed off some excess wood from the sides and bottom with my bandsaw. The next step was to machine a slot for the key in the underrib and then open up the wood on both sides and fit a temporary key. I like to use a temporary key so I can file over the top of it as I shape the forearm. I’ll make a permanent key towards the end of the build. With the key in place I then drilled for the Ramrod hole with a long shank drill bit.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0074.jpg

I then used a plane and files to roughly round over the corners on the forearm. With the forearm roughed out I then turned my attention to shaping the Buttstock. This was all done with hand planes, rasps, and files to bring it down to the rough shape.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0075.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0076.jpg

With the rough shaping done the last thing I did yesterday was to drill and tap the steel buttplate spacer for the screws and install the recoil pad.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0077.jpg

It’s still pretty rough looking but at least it is starting to look and feel like a rifle.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0078.jpg

Colin

[myfriendis410]

More like a mobile field piece! Keep it coming when you can; we all love it.

[CowboyCS]

In an effort to add more weight to this rifle I am adding a comb plate and a toe plate to the buttstock. The comb plate started out as a piece of schedule 80 pipe. I laid out the shape then used my metal bandsaw to part it off. Then I rough shaped it with a grinder, and finished out with files. I beveled the edges in so that when it was inlet it would draw down into the wood leaving a clean edge. The comb plate actually serves another purpose besides adding weight, it also is slotted into the steel butt spacer and prevents it from rotating out of alignment with the stock. As I was inletting I noticed that one side were it fits up to the butt spacer has a slight gap, this isn’t a problem though, especially with metal to metal fits, as I will just take a flat faced punch and flow the steel together until it closes in the gap. I left it a little proud so that I can file it smooth after the gap is closed up. As always the screws are just temporary and will get replaced with slotted screws that are filed to fit later.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0079.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0080.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0081.jpg
I will be adding a toe plate to the bottom of the stock that ties in to the butt spacer the same way and has a complimentary shape to the comb plate. Between the two plates it will add almost 1 ½ pounds to the butt of the rifle. The extra weight is going to help not only with the recoil but because of all the extra weight I put on the barrel with the ribs, having the extra weight at the butt will also help with the balance of the rifle.

Colin

[BelchFire]

Now that was a very interesting, well executed touch. Impressive all the way around. Can't wait to see it finished. You gonna video the carnage first shot?

[CowboyCS]

Thank you Belchfire, I am very happy with the way that piece turned out, kinda looks like it grew there. That was actually one of the toughest inletting jobs I have ever done, there are a lot of complex angles to work down into the wood with that shape.

I probably will video some of the shooting when the times comes. Right now I'm still looking for volunteers. You have to shoot it a minimum of twice with a full service charge, so I can make sight corrections, but I would be happy to make a nice steak(homegrown beef) dinner for anyone willing to come to my place and shoot it a couple times. Any Takers??????

Colin

[inchr48]

I love steak, but I like my bones in the positions they are now more.

Good Luck to the volunteer. Very unique project there Cowboy.

[CowboyCS]

Thank You.

Just think of the bragging rights, how many people will be able to say they have shot a bigger rifle than you.

Colin

[myfriendis410]

Thank You.

Just think of the bragging rights, how many people will be able to say they have shot a bigger rifle than you.

Colin

Dude! They're all DEAD!!!

[richracer1]

I probably will video some of the shooting when the times comes. Right now I'm still looking for volunteers. You have to shoot it a minimum of twice with a full service charge, so I can make sight corrections, but I would be happy to make a nice steak(homegrown beef) dinner for anyone willing to come to my place and shoot it a couple times. Any Takers??????

Colin

Wow, seeking volunteers.......:lol bashing sign:

Lets see, I can put 100lbs on my Lead Sled, do you thing I can get another 100-200lbs on it to tame the recoil................?:skeered:

[CowboyCS]

Dude! They're all DEAD!!!
Are you implying there is a connection between shooting it and shortening your life span?????

[BelchFire]

... or lengthening your right arm? :skeered:

You haven't even finished it yet, and I've already developed a flinch!

[myfriendis410]

You've gotta admit, Cowboy; it is kind of amusing.

I remember reading that back in the day there was a controversy between the big bore guys and the smaller faster guys that predated the O'Conner/Keith catfight. I keep wanting to say Selous was a big fan of the 4 Bore, but I could be mistaken. In any event, building that gun brings back a bit of the heyday of the African safari when it was a real life or death experience. (Read about Sir Richard Burton--what an adventurer!)

What you're doing is just plain cool.

[CowboyCS]

Toe Plate. This is just another attempt to add more weight. This started out as a piece of flat stock ½” x 1”. It was shaped and inlet the same way as the comb plate.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0082.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0083.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0084.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0085.jpg

Colin

[BelchFire]

I'm loving this. That's some beautimus work CS.

I have one question, though. The recoil pad and the comb don't blend in the same line; there's a pronounced change in shape where they meet. Is there a reason for that?

[CowboyCS]

I'm not sure what you mean Belchfire, if you could explain in more detail I'd appreciate it. I think it might just be an optical illusion from the way I took the photos, the spacer plate was traced right off the recoil pad for it's shape, and the comb plate has the same contour as the top of the spacer plate.

Colin

[BelchFire]

They say a picture is worth 1000 words. But it uses up 100,000 times the memory............

Why isn't this a straight line?

[CowboyCS]

I see what you are asking now. 3 reasons, 1: If i had moved the toe line up so that it would run in one straight line through the Pad, I would loose almost 3/8" of wood off the bottom of the stock. Which in this size of a gun the more you can get the better. 2: In order to keep that straight line and also keep the architecture of the stock the same, would mean trimming the bottom of the pad to match the angle, this isn't a hard thing to do with a 12" bench grinder but it does reduce the working surface area of the pad, and once again the more the merrier with this much recoil.
The final thing is that the recoil pad being one smooth line along the toe is primarily an American feature that came about in the early 1900's. If you look at the traditional Recoil Pads, that were fitted to British rifles of the late 1800's you will notice that a great deal of them have the same transition from angled to squared off that this has. So for traditional looks this is actually closer, but it's not what we as Americans are used to seeing because all of our rifles have been fitted the other way for the last hundred years.
I'm not absolutely sure this is why the British did it this way but I have a pretty good guess, the first recoil pads were pure rubber, and then they were covered in a fine hand stitched leather cover that was fitted almost seamlessly to the wood. When it comes to forming leather I would think it would be a lot harder to get he leather to pull in and fit smoothly over the pad on an acute angle, then it would be to mold the shape over a basic 90 degree radius. The closest thing we can get today to an original recoil pad is a Silvers Pad, but all they are is the rubber part, you still have to find someone with the skill to leather cover them and I only know of a couple people in this country who can do it and make it look like the originals. It's a fairly time consuming process to soften leather and then mold it around a pad with no seams.

Colin

[BelchFire]

Ask and ye shall receive. I'd like to think that I know half as much about ANYTHING as you seem to know about the classics of the design whys and wherefores.

That's gonna be a monster; I'm still trying to figure out how I can finagle a road trip to Kansas for the festivities when you finish it. Gonna be some MIGHTY fireworks......

[Speckmisser]

Awesomer and awesomer... That's some pretty work, Colin!

As far as test firing and regulating the sights, all joking aside, why not use a Lead Sled instead of relying on the shoulders of poor victims...err... volunteers?

[CowboyCS]

Thank you.
As to the Lead Sled, I know a Big Bore fanatic that tried to use his lead sled to sight in a 2 bore last year, he couldn't get enough weight on it and he tried it anyways and broke it. I'm not going to risk breaking mine. I actually have a set of drawings for an old recoil test bed, that works on hinged legs and springs and counter weights. I own a large piece of property and have my own Range, set up out to 300 yards, so I am thinking about building a permanent one next to my regular shooting bench. As I get older shooting Big Bores is starting to take more of a toll on me, so I'm going to have to do something eventually anyways. I might as well just build something now and be done with it.

Colin

[Speckmisser]

I was wondering about that. That's a LOT of recoil.

Personally, while there's a part of me that would love to touch off a 2-bore at least once, I'm not sure my body will put up with it. After only a day at the SHOT Show range where I shot nothing bigger than .458, I was stove up in my neck and shoulder for a few days afterward. Heck, I even had to put a brake on my 30-06 to handle a full day at the range.

[CowboyCS]

When it comes to Big Bores a lot of it is just conditioning. I regularly shoot my .458 Win Mag. I have worked up loads and sight in more than a few Big Bore(.62 cal and up). If you do it often enough and you stay reasonably fit and most importantly know proper shooting techniques, how to let your body roll with the recoil, stance, etc. then most of the really big bores aren't that bad for a few shots. But once you step up into 4 Bores and 2 Bores you can pretty much throw all that away and just expect to take a beating. This will be my first go around with a 2 Bore, but I have enough experience with 4 Bores to know what is coming.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

Adding more weight. The final place I can add any serious amount of weight to this rifle is in the Buttstock. I considered my options and decided the best way to add the maximum amount of weight was to make a set of steel pipe lead filled plugs and then epoxy them in. The center one above the through rod is 1 3/8” O.D. and the two smaller ones are 5/8” O.D.. I could have gone with a slightly larger one above the large center one, but because of the angle of the comb and the middle plug it would have been fairly short in length so I opted for smaller but longer. I put all three pipes in my lathe and cut some fast rough threads in them so that the epoxy would be able to get into the grooves and form a mechanical lock. The idea being that I don’t want to lose any strength in the stock, so I want the steel to make up for the loss of wood structure.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0086.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0087.jpg

I didn’t have a 1 3/8” drill bit to make the large hole for the big plug, so I improvised a little and modified a tool to do the job. I actually don’t care for spade bits when it comes to drilling large diameter holes, they tend to tear out and cut crooked, so to over come that I turned a piece of 3/8” round stock and split it down the middle and soldered it over the tip to create a piloted bit. Then it was easy to drill a 3/8” hole to depth and follow it up with the spade bit. The pilot worked very well and kept everything straight and kept the chatter and tearing down to a minimum.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0090.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0088.jpg

With the holes drilled and the plug cut and filled with lead, I then mixed up some 2 part T-88 marine epoxy and started filling holes, I used lead shot to fill in any little gaps like the divets left from the drill bit tip. And the off set area between the back of the plug and the angle of the stock. With that all done and all the gaps filled in with epoxy and shot it’s now just a matter of waiting for the epoxy to dry. The plugs and shot added 4 pounds to the buttstock.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0089.jpg

The epoxy also had the added benefit of sealing the end grain. When everything is set and dry, I will use a hammer to smooth out any high spots in the lead shot, so the butt spacer will seat back down flush to the wood.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

Proofing the barreled action. I received the ball mould from Jeff Tanner yesterday, so with a little creative handle making (standard mould handles won’t fit this large of a mould), and a few wasted balls learning how to get the pour just right so as not to create any voids. I stripped the stock completely off the rifle, no point in damaging wood for no reason. Then I loaded it up with a double charge and double ball (1000grains of FFg, and two tightly patched round balls) Then I strapped it to a piece of railroad tie. I set a barrel full of dirt out in front of it with a 1” Steel backing plate to deflect the balls downward so I could recover the lead(no point in wasting a pound of lead for nothing), and then capped it and set it off with a string while hiding a safe distance behind my Tractor and Pickup Truck.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Proofing/IMG_0015.jpg
In the video you will see the white barrel full of dirt and steel plate to the right and the 2 Bore about 10 feet away to the left of it in the grass. You might want to play it a couple times, it’s amazing to see the massive amount of recoil this thing has shove the Railroad tie back like it weighed nothing.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Proofing/th_MVI_0016.jpg (http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Proofing/?action=view&current=MVI_0016.flv)
I just took a few photos of the aftermath to show how everything ended up and to give an idea of how far back it shoved it.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Proofing/IMG_0017.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Proofing/IMG_0018.jpg
One hole in Two hole out.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Proofing/IMG_0020.jpg
And the recovered balls after hitting the steel plate ended up mushrooming out to about 2” in diameter.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Proofing/IMG_0021.jpg

Colin

[BelchFire]

:jaw-drop:

I'm seriously getting worried about you putting that thing to your shoulder.
:skeered: <--- and that don't do it justice!

[CowboyCS]

Jaw droppingly speechless, is that what you are trying to say Belch?

Colin

[VHRAM]

I cant post what I said after seeing it . All I can say is WOOOOOW.Thats insane , awesome too.

[CowboyCS]

It does kind of border on the frightening doesn't it. That was a proof load though, double charge, and double ball, so the actual recoil should only be half that much Bwahahahahahaha(evil laugh) :rotflmao:. I'm still taking volunteers, just form a line, no reason to push and shove, everyone can have a turn. Okay I'm looking for one, anyone? :rotflmao:

Colin

[PORCH]

Cowboy, you're the man. Your work is awesome. I can't wait to see this beast finished.

[CowboyCS]

Thank You, I'm glad you enjoy my builds.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

Triggerguard and more shaping. Yesterday I built the Triggerguard, this was made out of ¾” x 1/8” flat stock, I shaped the trigger loop first, then the tail, once I had the profile I wanted of a classic English style then I welded the tail to the loop. The rest of the shaping was done with files. Then today I drilled the bottom of the action and tapped the trigger loop for a screw that comes through from the inside of the action. This was done the opposite of the way it is usually done because I can’t swing the triggerguard past the front of the action and the barrel like I would on a normal rifle. Then I inlet the tail into the wood and filed it down to match the curve of the stock.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0091.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0092.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0093.jpg
The rest of the work today was just more shaping on the stock, such as the forearm being a lot slimmer, and the shadow line around the cheek piece.

Enjoy

Colin

[CowboyCS]

I apologize for not getting more updates posted on this project, this last week has been very busy for us. I am the Vice President of our local Saddle Club and Rodeo Association and this last weekend was our Rodeo. We also have a ministry where we provide hospitality services for the small rodeos in our area, so between my usual work trying to get a customers rifle out the door, and the Rodeo/Ministry work and then the rains this week messing up our ranching activities I have just been swamped and haven't had much time to work on this project.
Thank you all for the comments and compliments, the encouragement is helpful, it keeps me going on these back burner projects. Money motivates me on most of my gunwork, but these extra projects like this that don't have a real deadline or anyone waiting on the other end kinda fall behind everything else in my life, so it helps to know that a few people are actually paying attention and want to see these things finished.

I don't have anything new to post about the 2 Bore really, other than the final weight is going to be right around 25 pounds w/ the steel ramrod in. So I came up about 5 pounds short of what I was hoping for, but there just isn't anyplace else to add anymore to it.

I did manage to get a couple hours free time yesterday afternoon to get a little practice in on how I plan to engrave this rifle. So I figured I would share that with you.

This is a technique known as Flowed Silver Inlay, it resembles wire inlay and was actually a very popular technique up until about the 1970's when it just kind of went out of fashion and most of the engraver started doing wire inlays and damscene. I have only ever done this with initials and small lettering on guns before, so I need to practice up before I actually try this on the 2 bore, but with as much metal as there is on this rifle and with the idea that this is going to be a very high end gun when I am finished I want to put forth my best efforts and the very best of my skills, so I decided it needed more than just my plain old engraving.
Here's how I do this, I polish all my metal down to the finished polish ready to engrave. I then layout my borders and primary lines. I come in with a square graver that has been sharpened to cut a slightly wider than normal cut. After I have cut all of my borders and primary lines I then flux and using a low temp(to keep from distorting or scaling the parts) silver based solder to fill in all of the cuts. Then using the same grit of sand paper(glued to a wood block) that I finished at and a little kroil to float the paper with, I polish the surface back down. I then layout all the leaves and highlights in the pattern and cut them using normal engraving techniques.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/Odds%20and%20ends/FrankenGraver/FlowedSilver1.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/Odds%20and%20ends/FrankenGraver/FlowedSilver3.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/Odds%20and%20ends/FrankenGraver/FlowedSilver4.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/Odds%20and%20ends/FrankenGraver/FlowedSilver5.jpg
This was just a quick practice piece that I cut off of some stock I have, I cut it the same thickness as the sides on the action so I could get a feel for how much heat it's going to take to do this on the real thing later. I only polished this piece down to 320 grit since it was just for the practice, and the blue is just a quick swipe with Oxpho to see how it was going to contrast, the real finish on the 2 bore will be rust blued. I think if I do the borders of the action, triggerguard and the comb and toe plate, as well as the primary vines in my scroll work in silver it will really make the engraving on the 2 bore classy, but I would certainly like to hear what you all think. Before I spend all my free time practicing this technique(possibly wasting my time).

Thanks

Colin

[inchr48]

I like it, it should highlight your normal engraving nicely.

[CowboyCS]

It’s been more than a few days since I have updated this, I apologize to those who have been following along with the build for the long time in between new posts. It’s been really pretty busy around here, I’ve had a lot of customer work that needed to be finished before I could work on this again, gotta put the paying jobs ahead of the other stuff.
I managed to get the eschuteons made and inlet into the forearm in the last couple of days. The way I make these is to cut two pieces of metal the same size and then solder them together with low temp solder. I then lay-out the shape of eschuteon I want and cut, file and shape them together. This was I get a matched set and I know that my screw holes and key hole are exactly the same. Once I have them shaped I just wave a torch at them until they come apart, a little clean up of the solder on the back side and depending on the position in the stock they sometimes have to be arched a little. Then I just file a draft around the edge so it pulls down into the wood and inlet just like any other piece. I use the temporary key to get my alignment with the hole.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0097.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0098.jpg
The only other work I have done on it, was to start working on tightening up some of the metal finish. If you go back to the earlier pictures of the action you will notice a significant gap between the upper and lower halves of the action body. The way I fix this is to use a punch with the edges rounded over slightly, I flow the steel into the gap from both side. It looks pretty rough when you first do it.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0094.jpg
But after it is draw filed down, and sanded it closes in the gap fairly nicely, I then use my digital camera to get high magnification shots so I can see where I need to go back and move a little more steel. In the picture below you can see a little spot above the trigger pin hole that will need to be closed up just a little more and then filed back down, but the rest of the seam has nearly disappeared even under high magnification, and that is what I am looking for. If you can’t see it under magnification then you won’t be able to see it under normal conditions.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0095.jpg
The metal finish is at 60 grit in the last photo, so all the scratches you see will disappear by the time I get it to the final finish.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

I figured I better get some sights on this thing since I am getting to a point where I need to start polishing all the metal down to get it ready for engraving. Sticking with the general Style of this rifle I slotted the front sight base and then made a blade front sight. It is about a mile to tall right now but that will get taken care of when it gets sighted in. I am planning to put either a brass or silver caterpillar on top of the blade when it is finished, I’ll decide when I get to that point.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0101.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0104.jpg
It’s a very snug fit and is drilled and tapped with a set screw that is countersunk to flush that holds it firmly to the base.
I made the rear sight a single fixed blade “V” in the classic style to match the rest of the rifle and then hand cut the dovetail in the quarter rib. I can cut them in my mill but it takes longer to set up to make the cut in the mill then it does to do the whole dovetail by hand.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0107.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0110.jpg
When I do the engraving, I will cut a centerline down from the “V” notch and inlay a piece of silver, this should give a very nice sight picture with the brass bead(caterpillar) on the front sight.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0109.jpg

Colin

[BelchFire]

Man, would ya look at the hole in that thang. Gosh.

[inchr48]

I like the way Cowboy refers to this as "a rifle".

As Belch alluded, with a bore this size, I consider this a cannon, be it shoulder held or not.

After seeing the video of the proof firing, I for sure can't imagine pulling the trigger while holding this. I'm flinching just thinking about it.

Good to see the progress Cowboy. Bet it will be a beautiful piece when finished.

[myfriendis410]

Hey Cowboy: LET THE CUSTOMER SIGHT IT IN!!!!!!

[CowboyCS]

The last two days I have spent my spare time working on the ramrod ends and the ramrod accoutrements. The Ramrod is ½” steel on this rifle to add some extra weight. I turned a brass collar(button) for one end, and threaded and turned a brass Cap for the other end. The threaded end with the cap is for all the accoutrements to attach to. Since there isn’t any commercially available accessories for this size of rifle, all of them have to be made and included with the rifle. All of the accoutrements are turned from 1018 round stock and then I turned a brass collar for each of them and soldered it on, this will protect the bore and also work as an alignment aid since it is such a large bore. I also notched the underrib to match the button on the ramrod, this will lock the ramrod in and keep it from shooting out from the recoil.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0117.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0112.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0114.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0113.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0122.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0124.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0120.jpg

I also made the Bore brush in the same fashion, it threads on as an attachment to the Ramrod, or later when I have the rest of the accoutrements done it will have a separate 2 piece cleaning rod that will have the same thread for all the attachments.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0126.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0121.jpg

Colin

[CowboyCS]

Wood finish. There probably won’t be a lot to show for a while, as this part of a build is just 10 minutes of work twice a day for a week or so. I have sanded the stock down to 400 grit, raising the grain between each grit, and several times at 400 grit to be sure that there were no whiskers before I start into the finish. At this stage all I am doing is filling the grain, because walnut tends to be open pored it is important to fill in every pore as smoothly as possible. My preferred method of doing this on walnut is to use a 50/50 mix of Boiled Linseed Oil and Turpentine. I then hand rub it in a coat at a time using a superfine Scotch Brite Pad. This works as a wet sanding technique and puts very fine walnut dust into the pores as filler. It’s a slow method as I can only apply about 1 coat every 12 hours and sometimes less depending on the humidity, so it takes a week or more to completely fill and smooth the surface, but it is well worth it to get a very high quality finish.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0128.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0129.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0130.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0131.jpg

In the pictures above, you can see the pores are still very open, there is only a couple of coats on it at this point. It looks like it is going to have a nice bit of figure when it is done though.
With 12 hours in between coats, I have been busy with other projects in the shop, as well as finding a little time to sand on the metal on this rifle. And there is plenty of metal on this thing to sand on, more than any other rifle I have ever built. It doesn’t make for very exciting pictures though, so I didn’t take any.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

It has been nearly a month since I posted any progress, as I said in my last update this part of the build is rather slow and also rather boring as far as pictures go. I have been slowly working on the wood finish, getting that deep lustered oil finish can sometimes be a very slow process, especially when the weather doesn’t cooperate. The finish I like to use for walnut is a homemade blend of Tung oil, Boiled linseed oil, turpentine and Japanese driers that I mix. I like the way this finish takes to walnut and the deep semi matte finish it gives the wood. The problem with this combination is the amount of time it takes for each coat to dry. I start by applying a very heavy coat for the first one, and then wet sand it back, this fills any open pores the Boiled Linseed Oil missed. Then every coat after the first one is applied as thin as I can make it, basically I take a drop on my finger and hand rub it into the stock as far as I can stretch it giving the thinnest coat possible. Then it is set in a window to dry, unfortunately this type of finish does not dry fast and with the humidity being way up around here for the past several weeks it has sometimes been several days in between coats. Which explains why it has been a month since I updated this, it has taken nearly all of that time to finish the wood. But as you can see in the following pictures it is well worth the time to do it slowly and apply many thin coats to get the desired finish.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0132.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0133.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0134.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0135.jpg

This piece of wood has really surprised me with the figure and grain I didn’t expect it to be as nice as it is. It’s now ready for checkering.
I have also finished polishing the metal (which is a lot by the way) and have started engraving those parts, as soon as I am finished with all the engraving I will get pictures posted of that work, hopefully soon.

Colin

[BelchFire]

SWOON! Man, that's some beautiful depth. I love the smoothness and the color. If it wasn't a 2 bore, I'd have to make you an offer. That's gorgeous.


Hey, Barn? Cancel that APB I just sent out, would you?

Sure thing Andy.

[CowboyCS]

Belch,

You don't have to load it up to a full service charge, I'm sure that given it throws a 1/2 pound of lead even a 100 grains FFg would get it moving fast enough(appox. 600fps) to knock a white tail down. I'm thinking it wouldn't even really have to penetrate it would probably collapse the whole rib cage at 600fps, or at least knock it out long enough for you to run up and slit it's throat. :rotflmao: Make me an offer, you never know or for that matter I can always build you a smaller version.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

The checkering is finished. I decided to go with a practical yet semi difficult pattern, 16 LPI semi-flattop borderless. This type of checkering isn’t all that popular anymore, but it does look appropriate on this style of rifle, and is correct for the time period of this type of action. It also gives a very solid grip that will wear very well with handling and use. This style also has the advantage of leaving the most figure and grain showing in the checkering.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0136.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0137.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0138.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0139.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0140.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/IMG_0141.jpg
I am nearly done with the engraving, all I have left to do is the action body and then I will get some pictures posted of the engraving.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

I am waiting on a couple of tools to finish the engraving on the Rifle, and I had a little time in between other projects, so I built the powder measure that will go with this rifle. The main body and the adjustable slider are steel, and the funnel, grip of the slider and set screw are all brass. The steel will get rust blued when I blue the rest of the rifle and it's accoutrements. It will actually measure form about 25 grains to a little over 500 grains, but it is marked on the slider from 3 to 18 drams in 1 dram increments.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Powder%20Measure/IMG_0027.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Powder%20Measure/IMG_0028.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Powder%20Measure/IMG_0029.jpg

Colin

[CowboyCS]

It took a while to finally finish up the engraving. There was a lot of metal to cover on this thing. I'll get better close-ups of the engraving when the rifle is finished, but for now these should give you an idea.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Engraving%20Drawings/IMG_0027.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Engraving%20Drawings/EngravingColl.jpg

I've been busy today rust bluing all the metal including the accoutrements, so hopefully in a few days I will have pictures to post of it all put back together. And then comes the sighting in.......

Colin

[BelchFire]

........ And then comes the sighting in.......
911 standing by. :skeered:

pssst. I can't believe all that engraving. That's just awesome!

[CowboyCS]

911 standing by. :skeered:

pssst. I can't believe all that engraving. That's just awesome!

Everybody keeps asking when they are going to get to see the videos of me shooting it, I think they are all just waiting to see me get my :mooning:stomped, boy are they going to be suprised when they see how well I handle big bores.

BTW thanks, the engraving isn't really full coverage or anything really complex, but man there sure was a lot of square inches to this thing.

Colin

[myfriendis410]

I'm with belch: if you need CPR or any bones set I'm not your guy, but if you need some 100 proof medicinal stimulus after, we can work it out......

[Bulleye]

WOW! That is an awesome looking gun! I want to see a picture of you with it and its first deer! Thanks for posting your journey building this gun. Beautiful work.

[CowboyCS]

Thank you Bulleye, but I won't be hunting anything with this rifle, I built it as a show piece more than anything, and eventually it will be for sale. Besides it's way to big for all but maybe Bison in North America and I can't afford to go to Africa. I would really love to give it a go against Elephant just once...... ahhh, day dreams.

Colin

[myfriendis410]

WOW! That is an awesome looking gun! I want to see a picture of you with it and its first deer! Thanks for posting your journey building this gun. Beautiful work.

Man! You'd have to lick the slug to get your dinner!

[BelchFire]

Man! You'd have to lick the slug to get your dinner!
:lol bashing sign:

[CowboyCS]

I'm nearly done with the rifle. All I have left to do is finish the front sight, what this really means is all I have to do is manage to work up a load and file the front sight down so it hits at the given yardage(50 yards) and then a little final bluing and it's finished. If I actually shoulder this thing for more than a few shots I may not be able to type for a long time after so I figured I better post these pictures now. Haha.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0026.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0034.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0033.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0032.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0027.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0068.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0077.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0087.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0086.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0082.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0061.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0060.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0059.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0088.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0038.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0074.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0073.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0069.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0039.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0042.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0044.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0091.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0045.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0085.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0090.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0093.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0094.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/IMG_0095.jpg

Colin

[myfriendis410]

Shoot it! Shoot it! Shoot it! Shoot it!

Looks great, man. Go find a cross-state freight train and shoot it in the running lights: that ought to stop it!

[PaPaBob]

Please do us a favor and set up a camcorder or Digital in video mode to capture the process of shooting this monster. . . . then post it here.

I have really enjoyed monitoring this topic. . . great work. . you are a master.

[CowboyCS]

Thanks for the compliments. I should have some videos by next week if all goes well.

Colin

[inchr48]

That's one hell of a spud gun! How far do you figure it could shoot a tater?

One of a kind and a beautiful piece. Do you keep track of your total time invested?

After seeing the video of the barrel "proofing", I can't wait for the sighting in.

[CowboyCS]

Thank You,

No I never keep track of my actual man hours on a full custom build, if I did it would just make me cry to realize how little money I make per hour. :)
The only time I actually track my hours is when I'm doing repair work on somebodies gun.

Colin

[BelchFire]

I'm continuously impressed with this build. I'd like to shoulder it on an empty chamber just to see what it feels like to hold a small bore cannon at arms length.

Aw heck, I could get the same sensation holding a 31" mudder on a 10" steel rim at arms length couldn't I?

What's the final weight?

[BelchFire]

Ya know, I read back over that and maybe I'd better clarify myself. I'm not comparing your work to a spare tire under any circumstances (except weight). Hee hee hee; reminds me of an old high school girlfriend when I say it that way.....

[CowboyCS]

Thank You belchfire. I didn't think you were comparing it to a tire, and that's funny about the high school GF.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

I was going to start working on load development today, so I could get the front sight finished, but I woke up to pouring rain, so I'll have to wait till it clears up. The upside is I won't have to worry about setting my pasture/Rifle Range on fire for a couple days.

I spent part of yesterday casting balls for this thing, learned a few things, like it takes a lot of lead to make any quantity of balls, I know that seems kinda obvious until you start pouring from a 20 pound pot and see how fast it disappears. When I cast the proof balls a while back I only cast enough to get the proofing done, so I wasn't really paying attention to how long it was taking to cast. Yesterday though I was trying to get an idea of what kind of production could be done and get a smooth rythme going. What I discovered is you can only cast about 1 ball about every 1.5 - 2 minutes and about every 5th ball you have to set the mould down and let it cool for a good 3-4 minutes. So the average is 1 ball about every 2.5-3 minutes. The mould is so massive and the amount of lead is so great that it would almost be worth it to machine a mould with cooling fins. I also learned that a soup ladle makes a pretty good pour, since you need a pound of lead or so at a time, so you can not only fill the mould but also keep over pouring the sprue for at least 15-20 seconds.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

The moment so many have been waiting to see; VIDEO of me actually shooting it. There should be two videos below one is hi-res(16mb) for the guys who have faster internet, and the other one is lo-res(2mb) for the dial-up users. They are the same footage of me taking three different shots; the first shot was the very first shot from the shoulder, the load was 13 drams(355 grains FFg) and patched round ball, the other two shots in the video were the final shots I made, 16 drams(437 grains FFg) and patched round ball.

Hi-res:
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/th_Shoot2Bore.jpg (http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/?action=view&current=Shoot2Bore.flv)

Lo-res:
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/th_Compressed2bore.jpg (http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/?action=view&current=Compressed2bore.flv)

This was the target from the last two shots in the video, shot at 50 yards:
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/50yrdtarget.jpg

I'm not sure exactly how to describe the felt recoil other than it was a lot, but it is still within my range of tolerance.

Colin

[Bulleye]

WOW!So how many foot pounds will that ball deliver?

[BelchFire]

You........are.........the.........MAN!

Not one,

Not two,

But THREE SHOTS, people!

Stolzer must be German for "Heap wampum testosterone". I can't imagine doing that. And you made it look mild too. Flinch?

[CowboyCS]

WOW!So how many foot pounds will that ball deliver?
I didn't run it across my chrono, so I have no idea what the real numbers are, but I know that from pluggin guesstimates into the calculators over at beartooth ballistics, it make the 600NE look mild.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

I took a little time this morning and made a frame by frame video so you could really get and idea of what kind of recoil this thing has.

Here's a link to it: Finished Rifle :: FramexFrame2Bore.flv video by cstolzer338 - Photobucket (http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/?action=view&current=FramexFrame2Bore.flv)

It's really quite impressive when you slow it down and see what is actually happening.

Colin

[BelchFire]

I think the whiplash and hair splay is my favorite part. hee hee hee.

[CowboyCS]

I think Ross Siegfried was right, it's like presiding over your own personal earthquake.

Colin

[myfriendis410]

Very cool. What kind of functional accuracy can you expect? No way are you going to be able to bench rest that baby.

[CowboyCS]

I would think that if a guy really spent the time refining the load, and working with the gun, you could probably shoot cloverleafs with ti at 50 yards. But given the size of the kill zones on Elephants, any kind of reasonable accuracy would do the job. No it strictly an off-hand shooter, you have to be able to roll with it or it would probably cause some serious bodily harm.

Colin

[BelchFire]

I would think that if a guy really spent the time refining the load, and working with the gun, you could probably shoot cloverleafs with ti at 50 yards. But given the size of the kill zones on Elephants, any kind of reasonable accuracy would do the job. No it strictly an off-hand shooter, you have to be able to roll with it or it would probably cause some serious bodily harm.

Colin
Notice he said "a guy" and not I. :lol bashing sign: (he didn't say Belch either, fortunately)

Given the size of the ball, I sure hope you could cloverleaf it! That's like saying you could cloverleaf dinner plates.

Man, I'm LOVING this thread. :smiley-mouse:

[myfriendis410]

Cloverleaf 8 ounce lead balls. Whoa!

[CowboyCS]

This is my first attempt at case making, I need to be honest here and say that case building is clearly a skilled form that is well worth the money spent on a professional case maker. This was quite possibly one of the hardest parts of this build. Fitting and lining even this little accoutrements box took me several frustrating days to do, and the results are clearly not as nicely done as a professional case builder would be able to do. So my hats off to them, they certainly have my respect for their talents.

The Front:
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/AccoutrementsBoxfront.jpg

The Back:
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/AccoutrementsBoxBack.jpg

The Inside:
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/AccoutrementsBoxInside.jpg

The Box was built from Walnut, Claro for the top and bottom, and Black for the sides. All the hardware is brass. It has a similar finish to the rifle.

I haven't decided how I am going to case the rifle yet, I'm having difficulty finding walnut of the sizes I need. White Oak is an option, but I'm not sure that is the way I want to go yet. I have also considered buying an Aluminum Flight case, and then lining it with a fitted liner.

Colin

[BelchFire]

Very nice work on the case. I don't see a thing wrong with it. F'real.

I know you're the expert and you don't come here for advice, but aluminum seems out of place with this gun. You've gone to great extremes to make this rifle period appropriate. I'd hate to see you lose all that hard work and appropriate image at the last minute.

But I certainly wouldn't pass it up if it was in an aluminum case. Either way, the rifle is beautiful. Just mind boggling all the way around.

[CowboyCS]

Thank you, Belchfire.

I'm agree aluminum is out of place with the rest of the build. There's some pro's and con's no matter what I do. If I go with aluminum it won't match the rest of the build, but it also means traveling with it to a Safari would be made fairly simple. A wood case would look like the rest of the build, but it would also mean double casing it to protect it for travel, and since the rifle weighs 24 pounds, then add the weight of a wood case, and then on top of that add a travel case..... you'd need a forklift to get it to the check in counter at the airport. I don't know what I'm going to do....I'll figure something out though.

Colin

[myfriendis410]

I used to make cigar humidors for a living out of solid exotics. Highly polished, kitted out and priced in the $1k up range. Produced 200 per month during the boom. (my pedigree)

Some advice for a wooden case: First, due to the large surface area, do not use solid wood. Cabinet grade plywood would be a better choice for structural integrity and stability (no warping). You can add a stiffener to the inside faces with sheet aluminum to protect from punching through if desired. The carcase should be thick solid wood to support all of the furniture and you can embed the plywood in the box to finish the edges. I built one for my double shotgun and chose oak plywood for the front/back and the carcase was constructed from 3/4" Bubinga which is incredibly tough. Walnut would not be my first choice due to it's softer structure and it does crush easily. The interior fitting is just a matter of being meticulous, a skill you already have in droves. An outer case can be made from heavy duty nylon with a zipper, to protect it from gouges and dings.

Really, I found it amusing that you are daunted by building a case after seeing the stuff you're used to doing. Truly outstanding work and you should be justifiably proud.

[CowboyCS]

Thank you.
The box itself didn't bother me, what was so frustrating was all the individual pieces that went into the lining, and trying to get every seam to blend in and look like it was one piece. Each one of those cavities has 6 or more individual pieces of material in them. I've never worked with fabric and had no idea what a pain it was to make it all lay down smooth and seamless.

I think I am going to end up going with White Oak, mostly because it is what I am able to get locally. I priced walnut from a couple of suppliers and it would all have to be shipped to me, and was extremely expensive in dimensional lumber. I wanted the walnut because a lot of traditional case were made from it,and it would all be a matched set that way, but getting it in big enough sizes now days is nearly impossible. Thanks for the tips on the plywood, I'll have to talk to my lumber yard and see if they have any in stock or if it will have to be ordered.

Colin

[myfriendis410]

Oak should be no problem at all and I would be surprised if they don't already have it in stock. The oak is a good choice as it has a much higher crush strength than walnut.

When I finished out my interior, I used a combination of 3M spray adhesive, hot glue and a clothes iron, and a brad nailer. You're right: a lot of little pieces to deal with. I used some kind of green satin from Wally World and it turned out terrific. Every time I open it up at the gun club guys ask me to build them one. NO!!!!

[CowboyCS]

The rifle case is finally finished and this is now a completed set. All I'm lacking is the handle for the center of the case, I just haven't found what I am looking for yet. There are brass handles on each end of the case though, so it is easy enough to pick up and move around.

The Final details:
2 Bore
24" Smoothbore barrel
Weight 24 pounds
Full Top rib with integrated quarter rib and front ramp.
Full under rib with pipes and sling stud.
Black Walnut Stock with ebony tip.
Oil Finished.
Single leaf English express sights.
Rust Blued, with moderate coverage engraving.
16 LPI Semi-Flattop Checkering.
Both the rifle case and the accoutrements case are walnut, with a similar finish to the rifle.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/CasedSet/IMG_0031.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/CasedSet/IMG_0032.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/CasedSet/IMG_0035.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/CasedSet/IMG_0036.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/CasedSet/IMG_0037.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/CasedSet/IMG_0038.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/CasedSet/IMG_0039.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/CasedSet/IMG_0040.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/cstolzer338/2%20Bore%20Boxlock/Finished%20Rifle/CasedSet/IMG_0041.jpg

I hope you enjoyed this build.

Colin

[trapperbr549]

I have really enjoyed following this thread. Thanks for taking the time to post all of it. And by the way, great piece of art you created there.

[CowboyCS]

Thank you for the compliment, I'm glad you enjoyed the build.

Colin

[castor]

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[CowboyCS]

Thank you for the compliments Castor. Actually there is quite a bit of history for the big bore shoulder guns being used by Sir Samuel Baker, Selous, Taylor, and a few others that wrote about 8, 4 and 2 Bores being used to hunt Dangerous Game, primarily Elephants during the late 1800's(1860-1890). Baker's 2 Bore, that he called "Baby" is probably the most well known big bore of the originals.

Colin

[Rodney Hood]

You truly built a work of art! That beast is awesome!!!

[CowboyCS]

Thank You Rodney, it was a fun project. It sold a lot faster than I thought it would.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

I got the advanced copy today, next months issue(Feb 2010) of "Muzzle Blasts" magazine has an article about the 2 Bore Boxlock, it starts on page 61.

Colin