An honest to God VA kit

[J.D.]

Jim Klein is offering an honest to God Va rifle kit that is a copy of one in his collection.

IMHO, the other offerings of Va rifles are anything but. Even the furniture on the "other" offerings is more than a little questionable. Kleins kit has furniture copied from the original, a claim that the semi custom makers can't match.

Have a look.
http://www.jklongrifles.com/BeckVaKits.html

Jim also offers Homer Dangler's line of stains and finishes especially made for use on longrifles.

God bless

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

That is a beauty J.D.

 

[Birddog6]

Just out of curiosity, who signed the rifle & is there documentation to prove that builder was from Va, built rifles in VA, etc. Or is this another assumption by process of elimination, that is must be a Va rifle because it is not other things ?

Keith Lisle

 

[Capt. Fred]

God that is beautiful work! I've got a question too. Is a pierced patchbox considered a feature on an early VA gun? I'm pretty much in the "I'm a dope" catagory when it comes to dating these guns based on features, but I thought that the fancier patchboxes were later features. Nice gun either way. :thumbsup:

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

No one is saying it is an "early" Virginia gun, it is styled after a rifle of the Golden Age - late 18th Century.

Keith, why would you ask that? For characteristics of Virginia Rifles, see any of the volumes on Virginia rifles. Also, look for the rifles by known Virginia makers with known Virginia characteristics included in other longrifle books. There is also at least one website that will help explain Virginia Rifles and their various schools:
http://www.flintriflesmith.com/

What do you mean by "early"? Remember, there are few truly early rifles known. Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland - they are just not out there, so "early" is a relative term.

 

[Birddog6]

I asked that because everyone & his brother that sells VA kits & if you lay one stock over the other, you will find that most of them are all different, thus wondering who the original of this rifle pattern was.

I was not being critical, I was just asking a question. I have known Jim Klein for years & he is a fine fellow, and I have used his stains since he bought the rights from Homer. I have used locks he has built, when he built some for Jim Chambers. I was just curious of the builder of the original rifle.

Keith Lisle

 

[J.D.]

To be honest, I don't know the maker of that rifle.

I do know, however, that the architecture of Va rifles was all over the map. The architecture on some were very similar to Lancaster rifles. Others had MD characteristics, but many seemed to have their own particular characteristics in architecture and mounts, depending on the location and background of the makers.

Whisker's Gunsmiths of Va is a good read, as is Garry Brumfield's web site, for a quick overview.

IMHO, based on my limited knowledge of VA rifles, the kit does appear to have the architecture very similar to the Klette rifle.

The TG, PB and buttpiece sure look like some of the classic examples on Va rifles. Can't say that of the semi-custom makers.

IMHO, other than Mike Brook's Klette rifle kit, I don't think there is another true to life Va rifle kit out there. Even the Chambers "Early Va" rifle is Mark Silver's interpretation of the Faber rifle, so it's not a real true to life Va rifle either.

While I may be wrong about Jim's offering, IMHO, based on my research, if it isn't an accurate copy of a "real live", so to speak, Va rifle, I don't know what is.

At the very least, it's much better than the generic offerings from the so called semi-custom builders that have more to do with flights of fantasy than with real historic pieces.

God bless

 

[longcruise]

No one is saying it is an "early" Virginia gun, . . . . .

FWIW, Klein himself refers to it as "early" on his website.

Not trying to inflame, just to clarify.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

I guess it depends on what the word "early" means. :hmm: It's all relative.

 

[Capt. Fred]

Yup, I don't know what you're smoking but you may want to cut back. LOL

 

[Birddog6]

No one is saying it is an "early" Virginia gun, . . . . .

FWIW, Klein himself refers to it as "early" on his website.

Not trying to inflame, just to clarify.

I usually don't worry about that stuff. No matter what date or name you put on it, someone someplase is going to tell ya you are wrong. :idunno: :rotf: :rotf:


When I build a rifle, it is one I like, regardless of the name attached to it, or early or late. I like it or I don't, and that equates to whether I build it or not. It would be rare that I build one I don;t like, unless I was trying a new one I had not decided on yet.

As far as Jim Klien's kit goes, regardless of the name on it, my guess would be it is a fairly accurate replication of the style & correct in the style of what he says it is. He has built allot of rifles & does superb work & knows what he is doing. If that turned out to be the parts set I wanted, I would buy it without hesitation from him.

:thumbsup:

Keith Lisle

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Yup, I don't know what you're smoking but you may want to cut back. LOL

:idunno: .... and some people don't realize that schools of longrifle making are varied and also traits within schools change over time - this includes Virginia where there are several different schools. There is still a lot of research to be done and much knowledge to gain. But sometimes people don't care.

As far as Jim Klien, I would say that he knows more about what he is doing than those who refuse to study a subject before talking about it. :nono:

 

[Capt. Fred]

:rotf:

 

[Capt. Fred]

J.D., thanks for the link. I was just looking at it some more. God that is a beautiful gun. He's got another in his gallery that shows some real nice engraving too.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

:rotf:

Way to go Freddy. Yep, always good to hear from someone who knows what he's talking about.

 

[J.D.]

:

As far as Jim Klien, I would say that he knows more about what he is doing than those who refuse to study a subject before talking about it. :nono:

Now who would suggest that they know more about a subject than those folks who have done the research? Certainly not anyone on this forum. :grin:

Capt Fred,

Yes that is a real nice piece. Jim knows what he is doing.

 

[longcruise]

I usually don't worry about that stuff. No matter what date or name you put on it, someone someplase is going to tell ya you are wrong.

That's or sure!

Just to clarify again, I was not commenting on whether the gun is or is not an "early Virginia". I'm not qualified to make that call. Just pointing out what the builder was calling it.

When I build a rifle, it is one I like, regardless of the name attached to it, or early or late. I like it or I don't, and that equates to whether I build it or not. It would be rare that I build one I don;t like, unless I was trying a new one I had not decided on yet.

I like that philosophy.

 

[Cheyenne]

Beautiful rifle to be sure....very nice lines! Intersting that he uses the small Siler lock...that brings a question, has any ever used the Chambers Queen Anne lock, the small one on a rifle? It says for pistols, 'small' rifles and fowlers on Jim's site.....don't remember ever seeing it on a long arm though?