Zouave, good and bad.

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Well, it came today. I'm very pleased. The bore looks unfired. The lock is pristine. Even still has spare nipple in patch box. Bore measures 583 and 587. Going to get lee double 575 and try 010 patch. Probably up it to 012 maybe 015 depending on how 010 fits. 20190521_153908.jpg 20190521_153952.jpg
 

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I wouldn't be attaching the lug.
Of course I could just buy a musketoon and go shooting. LOL
 
Even still has spare nipple in patch box.
The recess in the stock is actually cut for an accessory globe front sight. Remember that by the time this rifle was produced, patched round balls were a thing of the past, and Minie bullets were standard.

Even the "patchbox" on the M1841 Mississippi rifle was not for patches, but for implements such as the worm, ball screw, etc. The Mississippi did indeed use round balls, but the paper cartridge served as the patch. Patches were not carried except for cleaning.

The globe front sight is a neat accessory to have. It slips over the muzzle and is secured by a thumb screw, with the crosshairs co-witnessing with the top of the front sight blade.
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...uct_name/EP0606+Remington+Zouave+Sniper+Sight
 
The recess in the stock is actually cut for an accessory globe front sight. Remember that by the time this rifle was produced, patched round balls were a thing of the past, and Minie bullets were standard.

Even the "patchbox" on the M1841 Mississippi rifle was not for patches, but for implements such as the worm, ball screw, etc. The Mississippi did indeed use round balls, but the paper cartridge served as the patch. Patches were not carried except for cleaning.

The globe front sight is a neat accessory to have. It slips over the muzzle and is secured by a thumb screw, with the crosshairs co-witnessing with the top of the front sight blade.
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...uct_name/EP0606+Remington+Zouave+Sniper+Sight

Nice to know. However I find no cut in the stock to accommodate this. I'm sure it can be added. I'll have to find a pix of one.
 
Nice to know. However I find no cut in the stock to accommodate this. I'm sure it can be added. I'll have to find a pix of one.
I don't understand. It's the oval cutout in the stock, under the door (where you found the spare nipple). This is exactly dimensioned for the globe sight. The original Zouaves have an additional (deeper) hole, in one corner of the oval cutout, for the spare nipple, but many of the reproductions lack this feature.
 
You gotta decide for yourself what you wanna do with this thing. If it's just for fun and something to shoot and enjoy by all means cut it down. I would take the job of doing it if I had the time or if I owned it. It sounds like a great weekend project.
 
I don't understand. It's the oval cutout in the stock, under the door (where you found the spare nipple). This is exactly dimensioned for the globe sight. The original Zouaves have an additional (deeper) hole, in one corner of the oval cutout, for the spare nipple, but many of the reproductions lack this feature.

Oh. I misunderstood. I thought you meant in the barrel trough. I'm just not familiar with it. This is my first of its kind. In my confusion I was thinking it went at rear. Well duh. Why would you do that? Live and learn. Been a long day and I missed my nap.
 
You gotta decide for yourself what you wanna do with this thing. If it's just for fun and something to shoot and enjoy by all means cut it down.
There are two different Zouaves being discussed in this thread. One is skeeterfogger's recent acquisition, and the other is Texas Moon's rifle with the pitted barrel.

Regarding the rifle with the pitted barrel, cutting it down is not as simple as it seems.
1. The barrel has to be cut off below the pit (about 7 inches) and recrowned.
2. The front sight (and the bayonet lug, if desired) has to be desoldered from the portion of the barrel to be discarded, and resoldered in the same relative position on the remaining barrel.
3. The stock has to be shortened by the same amount.
4. The remaining stock has to be recontoured, and inletted for the upper band, the band spring, and the forend cap.
5. This is going to involve refinishing the entire stock, since refinishing the altered area alone probably won't match the rest of the gun.
6. Likewise, the entire barrel will have to be reblued.
7. The ramrod will have to be shortened accordingly, and rethreaded.

This is not just a weekend project, even if you had the skills and tools to do it.
 
Yes you are right about the work involved, was meaning a good project for weekend work, not being done in one weekend. And I do have the equipment and skills to do it.
 
It's do-able certainly; I was thinking that I'd skip the solder and cut a dovetail...
 
It's do-able certainly; I was thinking that I'd skip the solder and cut a dovetail...
The Zouave has a unique rounded front sight base that interfaces with the accessory globe front sight (aligning it). You can't get that with a dovetailed front sight. Actually, other than the fact that with a blued barrel you have to re-do the bluing, soldering a sight is easier to do than cutting a dovetail. You apply the special silver-solder flux liberally, clamp the sight in the desired position, heat the joint with a MAPP torch until the solder flows, and let the solder be drawn into the joint. Then you polish the area to remove the excess flux and solder.(That also removes the bluing, which is why you have to reblue -- not a problem with a bright barrel such as on an M1861 rifle-musket .)
 
The Zouave has a unique rounded front sight base that interfaces with the accessory globe front sight (aligning it). You can't get that with a dovetailed front sight. Actually, other than the fact that with a blued barrel you have to re-do the bluing, soldering a sight is easier to do than cutting a dovetail. You apply the special silver-solder flux liberally, clamp the sight in the desired position, heat the joint with a MAPP torch until the solder flows, and let the solder be drawn into the joint. Then you polish the area to remove the excess flux and solder.(That also removes the bluing, which is why you have to reblue -- not a problem with a bright barrel such as on an M1861 rifle-musket .)

If I were to cut down the barrel, I wouldn't be looking to add a globe sight. The object would be a close-range/thick woods gun. IF the dovetail is done cleanly, there's no need to re-blue the whole barrel. Just a little cold blue on the new crown.
It's a moot point now because my Cook +Brother musketoon filled that void... other projects avail themselves.
 
. If the dovetail is done cleanly, there's no need to re-blue the whole barrel.
I have a Euroarms M1803 Harpers Ferry flint rifle. They used a truly atrocious soldered-on front sight. That's a case where a dovetailed front sight would be correct. The barrel is browned. I agree with you that if done right, cutting a dovetail shouldn't require refinishing the barrel. I'm planning to do this (I even have the replacement sight in hand), but it's just a matter of finding the time.
 
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