Looking to build my 1st 50cal flintlock. What "kits" are recommended? I'm looking for a kit that has 85 to 95% of the inletting done.
-
This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.
Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades -
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Flintlock kit
- Thread starter Percy
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
nwtradegun
50 Cal.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2011
- Messages
- 1,496
- Reaction score
- 17
lyman trade gun or great plains rifle is about as close as u can get.
If you can find it in flint Traditions KY rifle was an easy build for me when I was 10 yrs old. I now see a few reviews on cheaper than dirt stating they are not a beginner rifle kit? Mine did have a wedge and these apparently have pins but not sure if that would be any harder?
Tom Compton
54 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2008
- Messages
- 1,893
- Reaction score
- 193
Contact Matt Avance at TVM.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2014
- Messages
- 799
- Reaction score
- 15
What do you have in mind? Something a bit original, or something more or less like commercially made guns, just with your own final touches.
Pedersoli sells kits for everything they make more or less.
I am building a TVM kit, but a roughed in stock, they rounged the outside shape and put the barrel and ramarod channels in, I got to inlet all the other parts to the stock.
Tip Curtis has nice kits too.
Pedersoli sells kits for everything they make more or less.
I am building a TVM kit, but a roughed in stock, they rounged the outside shape and put the barrel and ramarod channels in, I got to inlet all the other parts to the stock.
Tip Curtis has nice kits too.
Get in touch with Matt Avance of TVM or Tip Curtis. Ask about the in-the-white kits. These are nearly complete guns with all the hard work done except for the wood finish, metal polishing and final metal finish. This gets you an almost ready to shoot gun that you can still have the pride of using your own hands to finish the gun.
Thanks everyone, I'm new to the site and I really appreciate the feedback. I'm going to spend a few days looking at the kits you suggested. At this point I'm not sure what I want but being my first flintlock I want it to be something a little special. Hopefully I won't get in over my head.
There are kits and then there are "kits" {parts sets}...how involved do you want to become and have you done hand work?
Some of the parts sets on the market meet your inletting requirements and the final product would be a custom MLer.....the factory "sand and finish" kits would look like a factory made gun when finished.
Chambers, TVM, Tip Curtis, Dunlaps and a few other suppliers sell parts sets....w/ varying number of hours needed to complete. The above parts sets will finish up as a "custom gun" w/ a value that's dependent on your skills.
The parts sets require a few more tools than the factory kits and the building is more involved.
Good luck w/ your choice......Fred
Some of the parts sets on the market meet your inletting requirements and the final product would be a custom MLer.....the factory "sand and finish" kits would look like a factory made gun when finished.
Chambers, TVM, Tip Curtis, Dunlaps and a few other suppliers sell parts sets....w/ varying number of hours needed to complete. The above parts sets will finish up as a "custom gun" w/ a value that's dependent on your skills.
The parts sets require a few more tools than the factory kits and the building is more involved.
Good luck w/ your choice......Fred
Pete G
76 Cal.
If you go with the kit form of a production rifle (Lyman, Pedersoli, etc.)you will end up with a slightly different version of a machine made production rifle. TVM offers a kit that has some of the more difficult areas already done, such as dovetail slots milled, touch hole and rear lock screw drilled and tapped. I think they will even cut the butt stock to length for you. A good book(or three)on longrifle construction and one of these kits will put you well on the way to an authentic rifle.
Flash Pan Dan
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2010
- Messages
- 810
- Reaction score
- 6
I have both a Matt Avance TVM and Tip Curtis rifles and if I were you get a Tip Curtis rifle. Much better.
Im almost done building 2 traditions kit. One kentucky rifle, and one kentucky pistol. both have their mistakes from my sloppiness which I knew would occur, but, they were pretty cheap so I bought them to get those out of the way. Maybe ill give one as a gift to someone someday who has no idea how terrible my work is.
anyways, i'm going to buy a more expensive one here in the next few months. when people say it takes time, it really does. I mean you have to wait for things to dry, stain, oil, and everything else. Anyways, if you've never done one before pick up a traditions pistol or rifle kit, a cheap percussion one. Afterwards go onto TOTW, Pedersoli, or the other ones I can't remember.
anyways, i'm going to buy a more expensive one here in the next few months. when people say it takes time, it really does. I mean you have to wait for things to dry, stain, oil, and everything else. Anyways, if you've never done one before pick up a traditions pistol or rifle kit, a cheap percussion one. Afterwards go onto TOTW, Pedersoli, or the other ones I can't remember.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2014
- Messages
- 799
- Reaction score
- 15
Lyman Great Plains rifle kit are still available.
I got a LH 54 cal GPR. I did not buy it as a kit though. Bought it assembled and used.
However, the skill set might be too low. IT looks like a bit of tiny clearancing to make the parts fit nice, finish sanding, and oiling the stock. Looks like every part is finished and blued. Lock is all together, barrels has everything on it and finished.
Doesn't seem any different than buying a furniture kit, putting the screws in the holes, and slothering on some minwax.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that, and I will tip my hat to anyone who wants to do it.
However, a project this basic will not build up much confidence to make something more challenging.
What's your experience with tools. You afraid to fix a leaky roof on the house. If the car is leaking antifreeze, do you do it yourself, or call AAA?
I got a LH 54 cal GPR. I did not buy it as a kit though. Bought it assembled and used.
However, the skill set might be too low. IT looks like a bit of tiny clearancing to make the parts fit nice, finish sanding, and oiling the stock. Looks like every part is finished and blued. Lock is all together, barrels has everything on it and finished.
Doesn't seem any different than buying a furniture kit, putting the screws in the holes, and slothering on some minwax.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that, and I will tip my hat to anyone who wants to do it.
However, a project this basic will not build up much confidence to make something more challenging.
What's your experience with tools. You afraid to fix a leaky roof on the house. If the car is leaking antifreeze, do you do it yourself, or call AAA?
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2014
- Messages
- 799
- Reaction score
- 15
I'm not really wild about a muzzleloader having modern blueing on it.
Out of the extreme few commercially made LH flintlocks out there, this one is the nicest.
IF it was browned, I like it a lot more. If I bought it as a kit, I'd remove a decent bit of wood from it, the stock is too chunky on it.
I like flatter butts for shooting, but a nice southern influenced curved butt is nice on the wall though.
Sure beats that Thompson center Omega I had on the wall.
That's what I like about building from more or less scratch, you can make it the way you want it.
Don't sweat it if it doesn't come out perfect. They're supposed to look like old guns anyways.
Out of the extreme few commercially made LH flintlocks out there, this one is the nicest.
IF it was browned, I like it a lot more. If I bought it as a kit, I'd remove a decent bit of wood from it, the stock is too chunky on it.
I like flatter butts for shooting, but a nice southern influenced curved butt is nice on the wall though.
Sure beats that Thompson center Omega I had on the wall.
That's what I like about building from more or less scratch, you can make it the way you want it.
Don't sweat it if it doesn't come out perfect. They're supposed to look like old guns anyways.
Pete G
76 Cal.
Claycow said:
I have an old look and imperfections....does that mean that I'm finally legit??? :hmm:
Billnpatti
Cannon
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2008
- Messages
- 7,340
- Reaction score
- 40
Here is one source of gun kits. http://sittingfoxmuzzleloaders.com/kits/ Their parts are all good stuff and their kits are good as well. Be sure to pick a kit that has the stock inletting already done. Some of their kits leave the lock and trigger inletting for you to do so read the descriptions well so you do not pick one on which you have to do the lock and trigger inletting.
While their kits are good, I have heard a few reports on poor assembly work being done on their finished guns. Apparently, they do not do the assembly work themselves, they farm it out to various people whose work can be quite good but some who lack the skills or just rush through the work to quickly turn out a gun. Kits are good but fully assembled guns can be a crapshoot and I would avoid them.
While their kits are good, I have heard a few reports on poor assembly work being done on their finished guns. Apparently, they do not do the assembly work themselves, they farm it out to various people whose work can be quite good but some who lack the skills or just rush through the work to quickly turn out a gun. Kits are good but fully assembled guns can be a crapshoot and I would avoid them.
Last edited by a moderator:
vacca rabite
36 Cal.
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2013
- Messages
- 77
- Reaction score
- 0
If you buy it as a kit, you can brown all the furniture.
IMO they make a great starter gun to see if you like building them. Especially if you upgrade the lock to an L&R (which takes a little inletting). You also get practice browning the lock, barrel, hardware, etc.
You can do it all in a weekend, and have a very nice shooting rifle. And you will get some confidence when you build the much more expensive kits.
Zach
IMO they make a great starter gun to see if you like building them. Especially if you upgrade the lock to an L&R (which takes a little inletting). You also get practice browning the lock, barrel, hardware, etc.
You can do it all in a weekend, and have a very nice shooting rifle. And you will get some confidence when you build the much more expensive kits.
Zach
