Anyone here built a Sitting Fox kit?

[30coupe]

I'm shopping around for rifle kits. I haven't settled on just what it will be as yet. I want a whitetail, round ball, hunting rifle, so it has to be .45 cal. or larger per Iowa regulations. I'm kind of intrigued by this rifle by Sitting Fox:

https://sittingfoxmuzzleloaders.com/k-47/

I haven't heard much about them. Do any of you here have any experience with their kits?

Thanks!

 

[Billy Boy]

I'm shopping around for rifle kits. I haven't settled on just what it will be as yet. I want a whitetail, round ball, hunting rifle, so it has to be .45 cal. or larger per Iowa regulations. I'm kind of intrigued by this rifle by Sitting Fox:

https://sittingfoxmuzzleloaders.com/k-47/

I haven't heard much about them. Do any of you here have any experience with their kits?

Thanks!

I built a 36 cal percussion mountain rifle from a builders kit 2 years ago.
Nicely figured maple, siler lock, colerain barrel. Price was better than all the rest, kit and service were fine.

 

[30coupe]

Do you have any pictures of it?

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

The lock is incorrect for that type of gun. From what I have heard in the past they farm out all their work to a number of unspecified builders, some of not so good quality. they seem to be only a business front. Check out Jim Kiblers kits, best on the market.

 

[Billy Boy]

No pcs, I’ll stretch my geezer techno abilities and ser if I can send a few

 

[Eric Krewson]

Looks like their kit prices are pretty good. If you choose a southern rifle kit, I would do two things; one request a late Ketland lock with the kit instead of a Siler and two, don't let them cut the lock inlet, do it yourself to make sure it is in the right place.

 

[30coupe]

Looks like their kit prices are pretty good. If you choose a southern rifle kit, I would do two things; one request a late Ketland lock with the kit instead of a Siler and two, don't let them cut the lock inlet, do it yourself to make sure it is in the right place.

Thanks, Eric. I am a total novice when it comes to flintlocks...never even shot one...so I appreciate any help I can get. I'm still wavering between flint and percussion since percussion is what I know, and I'm getting to be kind of an old dog for new tricks. On the other hand, I guess you could say it's a bucket list item, so if I wait too long my bucket might get kicked.

 

[EC121]

What Eric said plus don't drill the touchhole until you inlet the lock. Just make a punch mark where you want it to be. I punch it then scratch a vertical and horizontal line through the punch mark for reference. Then inlet the lock to that. That way you can fudge the hole a little if the inlet drifts on you.

 

[30coupe]

What Eric said plus don't drill the touchhole until you inlet the lock. Just make a punch mark where you want it to be. I punch it then scratch a vertical and horizontal line through the punch mark for reference. Then inlet the lock to that. That way you can fudge the hole a little if the inlet drifts on you.

Thanks. I requested a quote without the barrel drilled for the touch hole. The website says it comes with a vent liner, but it doesn't say if it's installed or not. I asked that the barrel not be drilled for a liner or touch hole. Per Eric's suggestion, I also requested the late Ketland lock by R.E. Davis and that the stock NOT be inletted for the lock. I'm waiting for their reply.

 

[Col. Batguano]

The TH / liner doesn't go in until the very end, right before either barrel engraving, or barrel finishing (if you're not going to engrave). With the multitude of assemblies / disassemblies you're going to be doing, that barrel is going to move around some in the stock. Likewise when you put finish in the tang and barrel mortises. Get your stock finished before your TH / liner gets drilled.

 

[30coupe]

The TH / liner doesn't go in until the very end, right before either barrel engraving, or barrel finishing (if you're not going to engrave). With the multitude of assemblies / disassemblies you're going to be doing, that barrel is going to move around some in the stock. Likewise when you put finish in the tang and barrel mortises. Get your stock finished before your TH / liner gets drilled.

I know that's the way it's supposed to be done, but this bit from the description on their website made me wonder if they install it and let you try to make it work.

"The lock area is inlet for the small Siler. This is a great little lightning fast lock that is correct for this style rifle. It is also available in percussion. It is tripped by double set triggers firing into a stainless steel vent liner."

That's why I told them I did not want it installed, for the very reasons you cited.

 

[rick1964]

If your wanting a kit in a southern mountain gun. Contact Jim kibler. Sitting fox product is not even close to kiblers. If your want a early colonial gun. Contact Jim kibler. The best quality parts available. Precision CNC of stock to parts inlets. Solid dense wood. Not the soft maple used on cheap suppliers. Also look a ALR American long rifle site. Lots of top builders there freely give advise. And much info to search on and learn.

 

[30coupe]

If your wanting a kit in a southern mountain gun. Contact Jim kibler. Sitting fox product is not even close to kiblers. If your want a early colonial gun. Contact Jim kibler. The best quality parts available. Precision CNC of stock to parts inlets. Solid dense wood. Not the soft maple used on cheap suppliers. Also look a ALR American long rifle site. Lots of top builders there freely give advise. And much info to search on and learn.

No doubt about the quality of Kibler's kits, but I don't want a 46" barrel. Since his are swamped, shortening it would not be advisable/possible. If he had a kit I liked, Kibler would probably be my first choice.

I am also a member at ALR after having lurked there for some time. I still haven't posted there because I'm still trying to absorb as much knowledge there as I can first.

I'm not worried about HC or PC so much as I am finding what fits me and what I want to do with it. I certainly appreciate the advice though. Keep it coming, guys.

 

[tenngun]

I have one coming tomorrow. I’m going to give them a thumbs up. They could not supply what I initially asked for and ordered per there web site. In place of that my barrel came breached and dove tailed, that’s some where around 50-75 dollars of work & upgraded my stock wood.

 

[30coupe]

Thanks, Tenngun! Let me know what you think of it once you have it in hand. What kit did you order?

 

[tenngun]

I ordered the Pennsylvania smooth rifle in .54/ 32 bore. Touch hole was not pre done

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

My first build from a kit was a S-F kit. I ordered it without a lock, nor inlet and put a Caywood lock on it. I know for a fact that some of the parts are from the Mold & Gun shop and the stocks are from some of the same stock places that Track & orher kit builders, less Chambers, use.

But you MUST KNOW (and research) what you’re buying in regards to design or school. Plus Ray will work with you, and you can upgrade the barrel, lock or wood. His basic barrels are from DOM tubing, but if you read the detailed technical report on those ‘dom’ barrels as posted on the site, then you would have no reservations using one, less that you might want a premium barrel.

One difference for example, would be that the breech on a ‘basic’ barrel would be parallel, before the wedding band transition ‘step down’ to the tapered round barrel, whereas on a premium barrel, the breech length would be tapered.

Thus those ‘basic’ barrel & lock components is why his kit is $600 and a ‘similar’ kit from another supply house would be $800 to $900 or more. If your budget is tapped out at $600, buy the S-F kit with the caveats noted, else save up and buy a $900+ Chambers kit or the $1K Kibler kit. I personally would not buy a “built” rifle from S-F, but you can certainly build a usable arm from their kits.

 

[30coupe]

Is it a .54/28 or a .50/32? You kind of have me confused. Anyway, I will be interested to here your impression of the kit when it arrives. Pictures would be nice as well.

 

[30coupe]

My first build from a kit was a S-F kit. I ordered it without a lock, nor inlet and put a Caywood lock on it. I know for a fact that some of the parts are from the Mold & Gun shop and the stocks are from some of the same stock places that Track & orher kit builders, less Chambers, use.

But you MUST KNOW (and research) what you’re buying in regards to design or school. Plus Ray will work with you, and you can upgrade the barrel, lock or wood. His basic barrels are from DOM tubing, but if you read the detailed technical report on those ‘dom’ barrels as posted on the site, then you would have no reservations using one, less that you might want a premium barrel.

One difference for example, would be that the breech on a ‘basic’ barrel would be parallel, before the wedding band transition ‘step down’ to the tapered round barrel, whereas on a premium barrel, the breech length would be tapered.

Thus those ‘basic’ barrel & lock components is why his kit is $600 and a ‘similar’ kit from another supply house would be $800 to $900 or more. If your budget is tapped out at $600, buy the S-F kit with the caveats noted, else save up and buy a $900+ Chambers kit or the $1K Kibler kit. I personally would not buy a “built” rifle from S-F, but you can certainly build a usable arm from their kits.

The Tennessee Halfstock rifle I was looking at lists three barrel brands to choose from Colerain, Rice, and Rayl. I'm pretty sure they aren't made of DOM tubing. Locks and triggers are name brand as well. I haven't heard back from him yet on the estimate sheet I sent in, so we'll see how close it is to the $599. I wish the prices were shown on the sheet when you select an item. How long did you have to wait to hear back from him with an estimate?

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Sorry, that was DOM barrels used on his fowler - smoothbores.