flintlock rifle kits

Sorry if I missed sumthing while searching.Is there a good flintlock kit still made. Obviously I'm new here and I don't want to flog a dead horse,But,I'm having a hard time finding one. Any help would be appreciated.(not the dead horse, a kit)

The rifle kits provided by Jim Chambers are excellent. http://www.flintlocks.com/

You will spend a little more, but they are worth every dollar.

Welcome to the forum.

Be aware that all of the "kits" offered by Track of the Wolf, Pecatonica River, Chambers, Setting Fox, etc are not even semi finished guns.

They consist of a roughed out stock with the barrel channel cut and the ramrod hole drilled, a bunch of rough castings, a (usually) unbreeched barrel, msc screws and a lock and trigger.

Finishing and installation of most of these parts is up to you.
Establishing and laying out the various screws locations needs to be done as well as drilling and threading the holes for them.

Figure at lest 120 hours of work and don't be surprised if it takes 160.

Traditions and Lyman offers some kits that are much easier to assemble and finish.
Most of the work has been done by the factory.
Figure around 20-30 hours to finish one of these kits.

Try Dunlap's Woodcrafts, Knob Mountain Muzzleloading, and Petaconica River Longrifle. None of these are as simple as assembling and finishing.

Thanks so much for your responses.I cant afford a @600 Dollar kit, Is there anything more economical? I don't mind tweaking something to get it to work.

Chambers. Sitting Fox, I dont think anyone said Tenneesee Valley Muzzleloaders (TVM) TVM in my opinion makes one of the easier kits to build. The lock barrel, tang, triggers, ramrod, are all inletted (still have final fitting)The sights are cut, barrel breeched, underlugs drilled, the vent liners is pre-drilled as well. The Jim Chambers kit is a great kit, great parts, and most of the work done as well but highest cost but worth it. Of course u can get most of the other kits and pay extra and have the additional work done as well.

TVM has a Special builders kit for around $450.00 to $500.00 The only work done on these are the barrel channel and the ram rod hole drilled. You have to inlet the Lock, Triggers, and Butt Plate, plus all the final shaping and staining and or carving you may want.

Unless you have some experience (or a close friend who has) stay away from the TVM builder's kit. It is just the collection of parts like all the others. Some of the other kits are basically just an unfinished factory gun. Unless you are already set up for building, you won't save enough to justify buying tools, stains and finish, quite possibly spending more than a factory finished gun would cost in the first place. Building a kit is a way of getting a gun that is a little different from a mass produced gun, but it is not a way of saving money.

I have to disagree on that, This is my first kit and so far it hasn't cost much extra, A couple of chisels and sand paper, I inlet the lock and triggers myself and have the butt plate almost there. Then for the stain an finish its some Aqua-Fortis, a heat-gun and some True-Oil with a coat of Gun Wax. I've spent around $50.00 or so on "Extras". So soon I'll have rifle that cost me around $600.00 to build. In my book it beats paying $1200.00 to $1500.00 plus a 6 month to a year wait depending on who is building it for you. My next gun will have a cherry stock on it and I plan on using the Easy-Off Oven cleaner treatment for it.

What's the best way to do a kit like this find someone local that has experience and willing to help? I have been considering a chambers kit myself but afraid I would he stuck during the build an not finish.

And no one mentioned Lyman GPR! Definitely not of the caliber as some of those mentioned, but not as simple as some would lead you to believe. You will have at least 40 hours in GPR if you do the kit justice.

Tip Curtis is another that will provide rifles/muskets in different levels and price. ALL quality guns will cost 500 on up. Parts that used to be 19.00 are now 40.00....... :youcrazy:
My advise a start a cookie jar savings, and watch for unfinished kits or finished guns from folks who just want to "git rid of" them.

The Chambers' parts sets {kits} don't have instructions so buying and studying one of the "how to" books would facilitate the build. But....these so called "kits" do require drilling and tapping of holes in both metal and wood and suitable chisels and files/rasps.

Chambers' "kits" have the best brass hardware...investment cast and require a lot less work than sand cast parts. Chambers' locks are the best locks w/ the exceptoion of custom made and have a lifetime warranty.

As w/ any "kit", there's the possibility of errors in the precarves which will need fixing.

Buy a good "how to" book first, evaluate your skills after digesting the mat'l and then decide if it's for you....Good luck.....Fred

Unfortunately, if your budget is somewhat under 600 bucks, just about all the kits that have been tossed around here are "minimally" above your ticket price.

You could have a look at a Lymans GPR kit, but that is still up close to $400 depending on the source.

You also may want to check Cabela's or Bass Pro - one or the other used to have a couple of Tradition's kits in the 300-400 range which about a "low as you will find" as far is price is.

Thank you to everyones input.

As in all things, you get what you pay for. If authenticity is not important, and just getting something to shoot. Get a GPR?
They are good shooters.
If authenticity IS important, you need to spend the money on something like a Chambers, or Dunlap.
Like others have said......... These are NOT snap together KITS. You will need tools and skills, or you can make a $1000 kit into a $500 gun.

Link Traditions

I recommend that you get the venerable old Kentucky kit in fifty caliber.

While not top shelf by any means, it can be put together as is and be well, a CVA/Traditions Kentucky or if you study the best gunbooks as well as original rifles and invest in quaility tools you can build one that's pretty spectacular. I've even seen some that were carved with fore end moulding,cheek piece glued on and full patch boxes. The rifle looked nothing like the normal Kentucky and as a matter of fact looked pretty much PC.

IMHO it's an excellent training rifle project.

Now the flintlocks on these are pot luck. I've had good luck with my Traditions lock, your results may vary. One good thing though is L&R makes a replacement so if you have lock problems later on you can always upgrade.

BTW they have always had a good reputation as accurate shooters. That is if you could get them to light consistently.