"Easy to learn on" kits?

I've gotten the parts to build a great rifle, and realize I'm in way over my head. I've done some stock shaving and wrench twisting, but am nowhere near "assemble from parts". Are there "Super easy kits for the really unskilled builder" options out there? I saw a reference to Lyman, are there others? Is that a good place to start?

Not really in the same ballpark, but the Jim Kibler kits really are something special. I'd start watching Jim's videos when you have the time. The process is the same whether you buy your own parts or you buy Jim's kit, it just takes a lot more to do it with a lesser kit or an assembly of parts. Inletting the tang works the same way. Inletting the butt plate works the same way. Tapping for the lock bolts is the same process, etc.

IMO, for what you're asking, a Traditions kit is going to be your best bet. Theyre low end muzzle loaders, but they shoot. Their kits are more like sand a little, maybe shave a tiny bit of wood from the lock mortice, stain, brown or blue barrel and assemble. Most of the inletting is already done for the builder. The fit and finish on there guns isn't great but in the end you will have a decent gun to take to the range or to hunt with

These kits can be assembled in a weekend, and are perfect for beginners.

I bought one of Traditions Frontier flintlock kits for my grandson when he wanted to try muzzle loading. He wanted to build so I got the kit as an easy intro into building. We had it built and shooting in one week, and that was because we took our time.

Good suggestions but it would be helpful to know your price point. Kibler is the finest kit you can buy. Lymans are a good buy at half the price. The cheaper ones are a good starter if you prefer to invest the least to see if you really want to find out if all this is for you.

Traditions or Investarms Hawken IMHO one of the easier kits - shoots well and you can make it look if you take your time and enjoy the process. Great Plains also easy kit more $ but you get more rifle too.
Traditions Kentucky if you want to go full stock - the ones I built have shot as well as any I’ve owned - a little more complicated but also pretty easy kit
Top rifle is a GPR bottom is a Deer Creek kit - long rifle is a Traditions kentucky
Others are TOW more advanced kits

I've looked at Jim Kibler's kits and even considered trying to make one of the summer classes. The reality is that I'm not "handy", and it's not my dream. More of a meditation and personal exploration. I don't have the skills for lock inletting or flash hole drilling.

When I was a teen I built a cheap percussion pistol from a kit. We somehow found it, decades and many moves later. Rusted, and not working. I can see where I took off wood with too much enthusiasm. I enjoyed the process, though. It was my handiwork. As a slightly older teen I used to walk around the local gun shop and dream. There was an old gray metal 1911 sort of thing in one lower cabinet; it was cheaper and that got my attention. They said it was a "Sistema", an Argentine copy of the 1911. It was closer in cost to the "not much" that I had, but even then it was beyond my funds.

A few decades later I got the itch to work on 1911s. Like I said, I'm not handy and don't have great mechanical skills. The 1911 is simple enough that I can understand most of it, and I found a couple Sistema's rusting away in a different gun shop. Brought them home, stripped them down, and started to learn. Found some wise people to mentor my poor skills, and rebuilt the first one for USPSA competition. I'm as lousy a shooter as I am a gunsmith, but it was nice to shoot a gun I rebuilt.

It was double nice; if the serial number chart I found on the internet is correct then that 1911 was coming out of the factory when my mom was pregnant with me. We're both old and gray, but can still shoot.

I currently shoot a Traditions Deerhunter in .50 caliber flintlock. Would like to shoot something I built, and a little less modern. As far as I can tell that rifle outshoots me.

There is the joy and satisfaction from taking an older firearm, then the cleaning and fixing any issues found. Then to shoot that particular firearm and enjoy the fruits of your labor, just adds to the satisfaction. I know that feeling.

I think a tradition’s kit is a great start they are easy to assemble and you’re able to get a feel for how a muzzleloader is put together at a reasonable price, they shoot well, are inexpensive, and if you decide to upgrade they are a great loaner gun to get someone else into muzzleloading.

gabedard said:

Top rifle is a GPR bottom is a Deer Creek kit - long rifle is a Traditions kentucky

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Very nice looking! I've always liked the chocolate brown stock.

As long as we’re offering up opinions I say go with the GPR kit. Easy to assemble and lends itself to a little customization like adding a cap box or a bit carving. I’ve actually built a few and they turned out great. Wish I hadn’t given them away.
If I can do it, anybody can. Trust me.

Buy a gun in the WHITE

Jaegermeister said:

As long as we’re offering up opinions I say go with the GPR kit. Easy to assemble and lends itself to a little customization like adding a cap box or a bit carving. I’ve actually built a few and they turned out great. Wish I hadn’t given them away.
If I can do it, anybody can. Trust me.

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Sorry if I'm short on the acronym; is that "GPR" the Lyman "Great Plains Rifle"? Track of the Wolf has them for about $575.

Traditions kits are about $100-$150 less, on muzzle-loaders.com. Not sure if there are other dealers to check out. I'd like to do more traditional sights, if possible.

Buy something worth having when you finish. A cheap kit will make a cheap gun that will not be worth what you paid for it.

Sorry, yes. GPR = Great Plains Rifle which is a Lyman product term I believe. I honestly think you’ll be more proud of the resulting rifle than the cheaper options you’ve mentioned. But we all know how opinions are.

Doesn't really mater what the gun is actually worth but what it's worth to you. What you might consider is find a neglected used ML. One that is still salvageable and fix it up and refinish it the way you want it.

Look at Dixiegun works I picked up a scout kit that I think I’m going to like

Don't sell yourself short. I'm in my 50s and never considered myself even remotely handy. I was never around tools or handy people and I didn't own any decent tools myself. This stuff (particularly the stuff required to finish a Kibler kit) isn't rocket science. Don't get me wrong, I've made a bunch of mistakes and probably a few butt ugly guns, but I now consider myself to be a very good assembler and probably even a fair gun builder. You can learn if you wish to do so and a Kibler kit really requires very few tools or expertise. As others have mentioned, it's top dollar and I have no vested interest, so I'm not trying to sell you on one. I just know that if you can manage the price and if you have anyone that you can rely on locally should you run into a problem, you're going to be 100 times happier with the end result versus some of the low end kits (not that there's anything wrong with them, within their own price points).

If a man admits to not being handy, then recommending a top dollar kit, IMO, is a bad idea. Even though a Kibler may be very easy to assemble, the fact that it cost top dollar would be a major put off to me if I didn't have confidence in my abilities.

Going the cheaper route is the way to go. You're not going to be as nervous building (rather assembling), and if you do screw it up(Stevie Wonder could build a Traditions kit), then you're not out much.

Jaegermeister said:

As long as we’re offering up opinions I say go with the GPR kit. Easy to assemble and lends itself to a little customization like adding a cap box or a bit carving. I’ve actually built a few and they turned out great. Wish I hadn’t given them away.
If I can do it, anybody can. Trust me.

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My first Lyman GPR was easy. The one I finished last month .. not so much. The stock around the cheekpiece was frankly pretty difficult, There is a great tutorial on building a GPR; he's very good and he complains about the excessive wood left on the butt stock. I have built quite a few kits. I like the CVA/Traditions Mountain rifle. With care it can be a very fine rifle. Mine are both "Made in USA" models which are no longer made. Occasionally you still find one available. One of mine was a kit someone else did .. some of it. It turned out really well. Polecat

Building a kit from a big factory can teach a person something about sanding and doing some metal finishing but not a lot more.
Buying a couple of good books that give instructions for assembling a muzzleloader along with a old, used, High School Metal Shop textbook to learn about doing the things that will need to be done would be a better use of money at this stage of the game.