$1,000 budget (set on stone): What should I recommend?

[James Kibler]

We are having a sale currently for all Mountain Rifle and Colonial Rifle B-grade stocks. Your choice is $1100 including the lock. There are some nice pieces of wood to choose from and many of these have minor blemishes.

If you look hard, you might be able to find something used, but most of the time these rifles will have significant issues at the price point being looked at.

As to pricing of kits, if you study things a bit you'll find our costs are pretty reasonable. Just try to buy parts with this quality separately and see what the cost is. Then you have to build it from a blank!

 

[William Lincoln]

The Lock is the key. Get quality. Even in cap guns the Lock
quality is the key thing to look for and buy.

 

[wiscoaster]

If you were to look at a Kibler lock and a Pedersoli or (especially) a Traditions lock side-by-side, you'd agree the Kibler lock is so far superior that it's well the money.

 

[Mike in FL]

These threads get lots of helpful responses but they have a common "thread" so to speak. They quickly fall away from the OP's question and stance. He said the hopeful buyer is firm. That means that $1000 is not negotiable, yet we always say spend more to get what we think he should have. Maybe that's because a grand will not likely buy what he wants. And Kibler (currently the best) can't be had for that amount. I reckon I'm trying to say we ought to try to help him within the parameter he has stated.

 

[Psycho Mike]

For staying within the budget stated, I'd say look for a Lyman GPR (or the current production model from Pedersoli) but keep some of the savings set aside in case the lock is less than ideal. Overall, the GPR was fairly well done, but I do know the locks could be hit or miss.

Other than that, keep you eyes on the classifieds in the forum(s) and at the local club to see if something better comes up in the budget range. It's a fairly tight budget for your friend to get something as good as your Kibler...after all, you've shown him the "good stuff" and has to realize that what you're shooting isn't an "off the rack" / mass produced product in the way Traditions, Lyman, CVA, et al. do them. Jim, and others like him, put a lot into their kits. Yes, they come at a premium, but you're getting higher quality parts (including the lock) and, in Jim's case, a CNC'd stock (not traditional, but high precision and at a much lower carving cost than doing it by hand).

Now, that said....if he's willing to give up his cap and ball and commit to a higher quality flinter, it sounds like Jim may have some options for a little above his budget, but not too unreasonably so.

Only your friend can decide which way he wants to go, but I think a lot of the options have been covered in the thread.

 

[Brazos John]

Maybe sell the percussion and add the proceeds to the $1k?
At $1100, the Kibler discount kits are in the ball park.
Just a thought...

 

[mikesto44]

If it was between $100.00 dollars and a Kibler that was or is holding up the deal. I'd sell something to make up the difference. Then again maybe he doesn't want to deal with a kit....?

 

[Mike in FL]

For staying within the budget stated, I'd say look for a Lyman GPR (or the current production model from Pedersoli) but keep some of the savings set aside in case the lock is less than ideal. Overall, the GPR was fairly well done, but I do know the locks could be hit or miss.

Other than that, keep you eyes on the classifieds in the forum(s) and at the local club to see if something better comes up in the budget range. It's a fairly tight budget for your friend to get something as good as your Kibler...after all, you've shown him the "good stuff" and has to realize that what you're shooting isn't an "off the rack" / mass produced product in the way Traditions, Lyman, CVA, et al. do them. Jim, and others like him, put a lot into their kits. Yes, they come at a premium, but you're getting higher quality parts (including the lock) and, in Jim's case, a CNC'd stock (not traditional, but high precision and at a much lower carving cost than doing it by hand).

Now, that said....if he's willing to give up his cap and ball and commit to a higher quality flinter, it sounds like Jim may have some options for a little above his budget, but not too unreasonably so.

Only your friend can decide which way he wants to go, but I think a lot of the options have been covered in the thread.

I've had the Ped. GPR Gor about a year. A new flash hole liner is all it needed. $6. Now it fires consistently and ignition fast.

 

[Psycho Mike]

I've had the Ped. GPR Gor about a year. A new flash hole liner is all it needed. $6. Now it fires consistently and ignition fast.

Even better than a lock issue

 

[James Kopp]

I would advise your friend to be ready to jump on a Kibler discounted rifle. I had the very same situation...I had a hard budget of $1000, I waited maybe a mnonth or so before one came up on the site.....I was able to pull the whole thing off for $1050.... little over budget but, that included aquafortis, tanic acid, and an extra ram rod w/ tip......Shoots like a laser, looks like a dream.....

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

How about set IN stone.....

 

[deerstalkert]

if i had 1k burning a hole in my pocket i would be on the Kibler's listed in the adds. especially the colonial.
where are my pants? got to check the pockets.
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/colonial-54-cal.172432/#post-2487067

 

[Scota@4570]

$100 is a deal breaker?? I spend $300 at the grocery store. I spend $100 to fill up my gas tank.

It is fine to have a theoretical discussion based on an arbitrary $1000 figure. In the real world letting $100 stand between the best rifle available and something that is a distant second seems foolish to me.

The Kibler will give years of enjoyment and pride of ownership. The second best may work OK, but may also give problems. Second best will certainly not have the styling and attention to detail as the Kibler. Some people don't care. The OP need to determine if he cares or not. It would be a very good idea to compare a Kibler to the others before making a decision.

 

[Mike in FL]

No reason to have a definite maximum if he might spend more. I sort of like it when a man sticks to what he said.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

No reason to have a definite maximum if he might spend more. I sort of like it when a man sticks to what he said.

I would agree if the cap contained an amount to get something worth having in comparison to a adding a little more. If not, time to re-consider the amount cap due to more acquired knowledge. Ignorance (lack of knowledge, not stupidity) of pricing vs quality is not a good reason to stick so hard to one's guns.

 

[Mike in FL]

I would agree if the cap contained an amount to get something worth having in comparison to a adding a little more. If not, time to re-consider the amount cap due to more acquired knowledge. Ignorance (lack of knowledge, not stupidity) of pricing vs quality is not a good reason to stick so hard to one's guns.

You are right of course but I was just thinking the OP is not getting his question answered. Maybe there is no answer. I offered my thoughts on a nice $900 gun but that must not be sufficient. I suppose an answer is made more difficult when a question is asked "for a friend." The finest rifles available for the money are Kiblers, but the question as posed leaves them out.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Back when I was raising 3 kids and had a disabled wife and was pulling down a whopping 9 bucks an hour there was no money left over for hobbies. Once you get beyond that kind of stuff is when you think of luxuries. I didn't have jack for years.

 

[reddogge]

Jim is right on the cost of parts. I built a rifle last winter I had the parts lying around since the late 80s. I added up the cost of the parts based on modern prices and it was $1,024. Then add 200 hours to build it.