First time flintlock build

[Hofmada15]

I want to build a long rifle but i have no idea where to begin my only preferences are 54 caliber long rifle preferably pa style since that is where I'm from only problem is i don't no what makes a pa long rifle different than others. Any words of advice or recommend kits would be great.
adam

 

[galamb]

Whoa, what you are asking could fill pages here and still not even begin to adequately address your questions.

I would suggest that you follow this link to Track of the Wolf and have a look at some of their kits.

NOT TO BUY ONE, at least not yet, but they have pictures of finished rifles with each of the kits. They are listed by builder/area of the originals.

See if something strikes your liking.

(TOTW Kits)

Once you are done there, go to Chambers site (Jim Chambers) - same thing - have a look and see if something makes you go "wow".

When you have a couple different rifles under your "wow" list, then you will be in a position to ask a few more questions.

You might see the Penn rifles and say - YUCK so don't limit yourself just yet...

 

[JeffG]

First build, make sure the lock and trigger are inletted. Once you understand that relationship, future builds will be easier. Take your time, and learn. :thumbsup:

 

[Hofmada15]

thanks for the reply i took a look and i love the bedford county on totw but it is not available in 54 the early Tennessee long rifle is also sweet totw offers service to do front and rear sights plug and under lug just wondering is it that complicated of a process that that would be necessary?

 

[Hofmada15]

thanks for the reply i took a look and i love the bedford county on totw but it is not available in 54 the early Tennessee long rifle is also sweet totw offers service to do front and rear sights plug and under lug just wondering is it that complicated of a process that that would be necessary?

 

[Hofmada15]

thanks for the reply i took a look and i love the bedford county on totw but it is not available in 54 the early Tennessee long rifle is also sweet totw offers service to do front and rear sights plug and under lug just wondering is it that complicated of a process that that would be necessary?

 

[Hofmada15]

thanks for the reply i took a look and i love the bedford county on totw but it is not available in 54 the early Tennessee long rifle is also sweet totw offers service to do front and rear sights plug and under lug just wondering is it that complicated of a process that that would be necessary?

 

[Hofmada15]

thanks for the reply i took a look and i love the bedford county on totw but it is not available in 54 the early Tennessee long rifle is also sweet totw offers service to do front and rear sights plug and under lug just wondering is it that complicated of a process that that would be necessary?

 

[Hofmada15]

sorry for posting that so many times idk how i did it can someone explain to me the process of inletting the lock?

 

[silly goose]

The first money you spend should be for reference materials that should be read several times over before any money is spent on materials. You may find by referencing this knowledge that building might not be for you, or it may be right up your alley. I purchased The Gunsmith of Grenville County, and Recreating the American Longrifle, then studied those books as well as the gunbuilding forums for quite some time (maybe 18 months)before I took the plunge. Great learning process, and I have a rifle that shoots better than it looks. The most important thing I learned is that I am not a gunbuilder. :grin:

 

[Zonie]

The "kits" your looking at in TOTW, Pecatonica River, Chambers etc are difficult to build unless you have a good background in woodworking, metal finishing, layout and finishing methods.

I don't mean to sound grumpy but there are kits like most people think of them that almost fall together and then there are these advanced boxes of parts that must be filed, formed, drilled and threaded and dozens of other things before they will even start to fit together.

The Kits sold by Lyman, Traditions, Pedersoli and other big factory gun importers/makers don't take a lot of work. These will take between 15 and 30 hours to finish.

The kits (box of rough castings etc) sold by TOTW and others will take 120 to 180 hours to begin to finish.

I suggest you do a lot of reading in our Gunbuilders Bench Forum.
It is for people who want to build their own gun using these advanced "boxes of rough parts".
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/21/

 

[gwalker]

I suggest you start by acquiring Peter Alexander's book, 'The Gunsmith of Grenville County.' He will take you step-by-step in building a Pennsylvania Longrifle, whether from raw materials or from a kit.

 

[Captjoel]

Very good suggestions from above. I noticed that you are 17 yrs old. Do you have any friends that may have a shared interest? Do you know anyone that lives close by that has built any rifles? The best possible scenario when just starting out is to have an experienced mentor who will guide you through a rifle build. Hanging around friends with the same interests also makes the learning more rewarding as well. I wish you the best of luck on your endevour, and if I can be of any help please feel free to PM me. Joel

 

[kaintuck]

Welcome aboard !
It takes a lot of time, tools, a place to build and patience....a bunch of mistakes will be made, sometimes a complete Do-over :surrender:
I'd say to buy a rifle from someone.....Tip Curtis? That is "in the white"......you can then do the final finish work.....the $ will be around $1000.......
The parts on these are only a few hundred less......
Marc n tomtom

 

[Dean2]

Long before the internet I built my first rifle when I was 13. I didn't know I was supposed to spend two years studying how to books, didn't even know they existed or where to find them. I had a barreled action with a busted and un-repairable stock, couldn't afford to pay someone to make me one, and replacement stocks weren't available. So I made a new stock out of a hard maple blank I bought at the hardware store.

My dad a couple of chisels, a few rasps and files and I bought assorted other tools as I needed them. That first attempt wasn't a real beauty but the gun shot great and I killed a lot of game with it. I also found I really liked the work so I just kept doing it, and more complicated builds as time when on.

All the reading and studying in the world won't make you a good builder, only building stuff will. If you can find someone for a mentor that will greatly speed the learning process but if not, jump in and give her a try.

I would save the expensive parts and kit for a later build and start with something a little simpler. My suggestion for a good starting place would be to buy a Lyman Kit or buy a cheap used Lyman for $300 or so, then buy a pre-carved stock, patch box and butt plate in the style you want and fit that to the barrel and lock. Then complete the shaping and finishing of the stock. This will give you a pretty good idea whether you like the work or not and you can move on to the metal work as you get better.

Best of luck and let us know how you make out.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

The best thing to do is do lots of research on how to go about building a gun, then do lots of research on the particular gun you're trying to build. Most importantly, take your time building, it's more satisfying that way and you end up with a nicer finished product. I sort of rushed my first build and I ended up reworking it more than once only to get it looking decent. There's lots of great advice here, especially in the gun builders bench forum, you're definitely in the right place. If you're contrnt with taking one sliver of wood off at a time and do lots of research, your gun will very likely turn out very well. If/when you do get your kit, I would reccomend starting a thread in the gunbuilders bench and I'm sure the pros here will be glad to help you through the process of building your gun. Best of luck :hatsoff:

 

[Eric Krewson]

Start by watching this complete set of videos about building a TOW kit, then decide if you can do it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivTWnV_rwJ0

 

[Crewdawg445]

+1 for what Mountain Dewd has said and the others. Building will unlock a whole new world and obsession! I've got two builds going on simultaneously! Might I recommend Recreating the American Longrifle, excellent reference with lots of advice that will prove invaluable. :thumbsup:

 

[MSW]

another vote for The Gunsmith of Grenville County. This book will set you back a good bit (about $45 if memory serves) but you'll more than save that amount in parts you don't spoil. The book is very comprehensive, and once you read it through a few times (which you should do before you pick up the first tool - don't ask me how I know) you will understand why you need to do steps in the correct order. The train runs better if you know what drives the train.

There are a bunch of good videos as well, and you should check out the ones recommended by Eric Krewson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivTWnV_rwJ0

good luck with your build!

(by the way, once you get your gun built, you can make all manner of cool gadgets to go with it - powder horn, bags and so on) bwahahaha!!! another one turned to the dark side...

:grin: :stir:

 

[Col. Batguano]

You might look for a Rondy somewhere close to you or a ML'er club shoot and go there. Shoulder as many different guns as you can and see what seems to feel the best. Of course, Friendship and Dixons would the the absolute best place to go to get advice and talk to people.

A couple other places to LOOK at lots of different LR stules before you buy are Knob Mountain Muzzle loading, and for fun more antiquated stuff that pre-dates American LR's, The Rifle Shoppe.