Fayetteville Rifle build

[Fauch125]

I'm planning on building a custom Fayetteville 2 band rifle for skirmishing, probably a late mode w/o hump. I would appreciate any recommendations from people who have built one and/or tips on acquiring parts. Thanks,
Jon Faucher 4th Va.

[Alan Spencer, 7794V]

Talk to Jim Brake with the 5th VA...
He is also on this board all the time.. I'm positive that he may be able to help you in your endeavor.
Good luck..

[Gary B]

Jon,
Type 4 or 5 Fayetteville. My first suggestion is to aquire the spec s from the small arms committee, if you have not already done so.
Parts:
Dunlap stock
Whittaker or Hoyt "heavy" barrell with Rich Cross sights
Rich Cross Lock plate with original guts
"S" hammer, I have found it difficult to find a good cast hammer.

Everything you need is available at Suttlers Row at a National through various sources, just takes some time lookin (that's the fun part).

Hope this helps,
Gary B.

[Southron Sr.]

I have built several repro Fayetteville Rifles over the years. Not only are they fun to build, but they can be extremely accurate. On all of the FAyettevilles I have built I used Whitaker barrels and glass bedded the barrels. All have all proved to be extremely accurate rifles.

Here is a list of parts I used:
1. Whitaker Barrel
2. Dunlap Stock
3. S & S Firearms for lockplate, barrel bands, butt plate, nosecap, etc.
4. The cast Fayetteville "S" hammers on the market require a LOT OFWORK and precision filing to get to fit. If you want to build a "Late" Model Fayetteville, then you will have to use a "S" hammer. The "UP" side is that some of the "Late Model" Fayettevilles used a socket bayonet which means you don't have to put a bayonet stud on the barrel.
5. With the "Early Model" Fayetteville, you can use a repro M1855 "Arched" Hammer which is easier to come by and require a lot less work to get to fit .
6. You can save some money by ordering from Dixie Gun Works from their Zouave Spare Parts list: Zouave brass trigger plate (but NOT a brass Zouave trigger bow) Zouave brass escuteons and if you want to build an "Early Model" Fayetteville with the brass patchbox-then order a brass Zouave patchbox with appropriate screws. Realize that the rear bottom of the Zouave patchbox will have to be filed to match the proper coutours of the M1855 patchbox.
Of course, you will have to use brass, M1855 type trigger bow, flat brass barrel bands and Springfield type sling swivels and band springs.

Avoid ordering the Zouave type band springs and trigger bow-they are incorrect!

Be sure to have your copy of the Fayetteville Spec Sheet while building your rifle. Follow the Spec Sheet faithfully while you are building your rifle. Those sheets are available from the SAC free of charge.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR PROJECT!

[Fauch125]

Thank you for the information. What is it about the hammers that require so much fitting? What kind of fitting. Any manufacturer of repro hammers better than others?

[John Holland]

Fauch125,

All of the Fayetteville "S Hammers" I've seen in recent history are too small, by virtue of excessive shrinkage when cast. Cast Iron has a shrinkage factor of 12% and it seems as if the pattern hammers are not allowing for that. For example if you cast a hammer directly from an original, the end result will be 12% too small.

JDH

[ian45662]

What kind of time and what tools are needed to complete a project like that using a dunlap stock?

[Southron Sr.]

Time required to build a Fayetteville?

It varies with the individual. I guess that I usually have somewhere around 75 to 100 hours in the project, but then again I do it in a very slow paced, relaxed way and I am doing the BEST job I possibly can. I do it on a 'Hobby' basis rathern than on a 'Production' basis.

If you have never built a rifle before, realize that there is a definite 'learning curve' involved and after your first three or four rifles, you will be able build rifles much better and faster. Whatevere you do, get the Spec Sheet from the SAC for the model of the arm you are building and follow it to the letter.

[Southron Sr.]

TOOLS REQUIRED TO BUILD FAYETTEVILLE: (At least what I have found useful over the years)

1. The usual assortment of gunsmith screwdrivers.
2. A GOOD, "PLUG IN" DREMEL TOOL with the ASSORTED BITS. Avoid the battery powered Dremel and like tools because the battery runs down too fast, constantly interrupting your work.
3. Standard metal working files. I also use some of the metalworking files as rasps on the wood and to "file" the sharp edges on the band shoulders of the stock, etc.
4. A set of those small "Swiss Files."
5. Access to a drill press and drills to drill those holes for the screws that hold the lock in the stock, butt plate screw holes, etc. (Note: you can 'fudge' by using a hand drill, but unless you know what you are doing, you can mess up easily!)
6.I have used stocks that although they have the ramrod channel was cut, they do not have the ramrod hole drilled in the stock behind the rear barrel band. You have to make up a special drill. What you do is get a quarter inch drill rod and silver solder a regular quarter inch metal drill bit on to the end of it. With that tool, you lay the "long shank drill" (connested to an electric hand drill) in the ramrod channel, and useing it as a guide, drill your ramrod hole in the wood. Careful-don't gop too deep!
7. Assortments of various grades of "Emery Paper" from 200 Grit to 1500 Grit. Emery Paper works just as good on wood as it does metal. With the finer grades of Emery Paper and enough elbo grease, you can polish steel to a 'mirror birght' finish. i.e., like the inside of your lock plate to reduce friction of the moving parts and increase the speed of your 'lock time.'
8. Rubber Mallet-to 'pop' the barrel out of the glass bedded barrel channel the first time. The Rubber Mallet is also useful for other things also.
9. A piece of flat metal to use as a 'sanding block' for stock work.
10. Streight edge Razor Blade. I use these to cut the edges of my band spring mortices, and then a small bladed screwdriver that I have ground into a chisel to cut the actual mortice.
11. Propane torch-for heating the barrel for "Browning"
12. Box Cutter and/or X-Acto Knife-for stock work.
13. Set of chisels I rarely use because the Dremel Tool with the appropriate bit is much faster removing wood. WHEN REMOVING WOOD WITH A DREMEL TOOL, UNLESS YOU ARE VERY CAREFUL, WITH ITS "TORQUE" IT WILL "GET AWAY" FROM YOU AND REMOVE WOOD YOU DON'T WANT REMOVED-SO ALWAYS BE CONTROL YOUR DREMEL TOOL!
14. Big "Stock Makers" type vise to hold your stock steady while you are working on it.
15. Regular or Ball Pein Hammer to drive in or out pins, etc.
16. Some "Kasenit" commercial casehardening compound for those parts that must be casehardened. Heat is supplied by your propane torch.
Now I am assuming that you aren't going to be mounting your own sights, silver soldering, threading your own lock plate holes, etc.

Well, that is the tools I can think of right now. I am sure I have left some out-but you get the idea.

[ian45662]

How much of the stock work is already done on the donlap stocks?

[John Holland]

Try http://www.dunlapwoodcrafts.com/milstocks.htm for information directly from Wayne Dunlap.

JDH

[Jim Leinicke 7368V]

A couple of years ago I loaned Bob Hoyt the hammer from my original Fayetteville so that a correct size hammer could be cast. As far as I know, he either has these available or can tell you who has them. I believe he had them done by the Rifle Shoppe, which does good work. Anyway, the rilfe looks an awful lot better with properly sized parts, and a lot of the stuff being sold is undersized.
Jim Leinicke

[Fauch125]

Just wanted to say thank you to you all for the information about the build. I'm hoping to begin collecting parts at the Spring Nationals.
Jon Faucher 4th Va. Inf.