Has anyone ever built a Pecatonica River long rifle kit

[griffiga]

Just saw their site and their prices weren't too bad.

 

[Ajgall]

I haven’t built one of their kits, but I have ordered parts from them before and it’s been a good experience.

 

[Kansas Kid]

I done two last winter, and being left handed they are my go to place. You said the price looked good but don’t forget to add the price of the stock.
Looking at an early English trade gun kit from Sitting Fox next.

 

[Zonie]

IMO, Pecatonica River kits are very good. They aren't the "almost done" things that Kimber sells so they do take a lot of work to finish.

Everything in the kit will need to be worked on. Lots of wood must be removed from the stock. All of the castings are in their raw condition so they need to be filed and sanded. None of the screw holes need to be located, drilled and threaded and the pin holes for the thimbles, barrel underlugs and trigger guard don't exist so they also need to be located and drilled.

The wood supplied by Pecatonica river is almost always top notch. Usually the curly maple has much more striping than one would expect to see.

Here's a picture of some of the rifles I've built using Pecatonica River stocks and parts.

A word of warning though.
All of these guns took me over 170 hours of work, each to finish. The "kits" are not suitable for someone who gives up easily or wants something to shoot after putting just a few hours into "building" them.

Also, some of the rifles in the pictures above are not offered by Pecatonica River. They were made using Pecatonica River stocks which I greatly modified into other "Schools" shapes with locks that are different from the locks PR supplies with their kits.

 

[TarponStalker]

I bought an Armstrong package from them. They were great to work with. As Zonie mentioned it’s not a kit just to be assembled but you can have them do some things for you if you choose. i think they are a good company to work with.

 

[87TT]

Highly recommended. As stated work will be involved and their kit prices don't include the stock which will vary by grade.
My first rifle build (and only so far)

 

[cjbrown_2000]

I've had good experiences with them.

 

[Cpt Flint]

I have built eleven long rifles with their parts. They do splendid work and are a pleasure to deal with. They have Rice barrels and Chambers’ locks. That’s the recipe.

 

[pooch156]

I have bought two stocks from them. One southern mountain and one Tennessee mountain. Both CM3. Both beautiful wood with loads of curl! Will be ordering a John Armstrong stock in CM3 at the end of the month. Today I received a 42" .54 Caliber Green Mountain barrel from them. This barrel is finish ground and in no need of draw filing. Pecatonica rocks!

 

[tenngun]

I built a full stock Hawken from them, it was my pre internet days and all was handled by mail. Sold it to a friend so no photos. Nothing but praise for them although I’ve done more business with Track, I would not hesitate at all from pec.

 

[Ames]

Well.....glad you said that. I have a number of Pecatonica stocks. VERY high grade but its been pointed out, don't let them do the lock inlet. Actually, that's good advise for any pre carve.
I'm dealing with Track right now on a over priced over graded piece of firewood they sent me. I refuse to pay $75 to send back what they sent me.
BY THEIR OWN GRADING this thing is a 1 1/2, not a 4. Things are about to go down the flusher with them.
I wont inflame the situation on here.....yet. But when I am sold something, and pay for it on a credit card, and get something less than what I was charged and have to pay a return shipping charge.....you tangled with the wrong guy. I've had to go down this road with other vendors, its too bad they wont step up.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

While I have not purchased their complete kit I have been delighted with their stocks and barrels. I made this Tennessee last year with interchangeable . 40 + .50 barrels and just received an early Lancaster swamped C profile today that looks even better. Inletting for a large Siler looks great and has enough meat left for a perfect fit.

 

[MSW]

Zonie is right ... don't think of this as a "kit" (tab "A" into slot "B") but rather as a parts set. Their stocks are very good - and excellent value for you money. They're very nice folks, too.

 

[pooch156]

While I have not purchased their complete kit I have been delighted with their stocks and barrels. I made this Tennessee last year with interchangeable . 40 + .50 barrels and just received an early Lancaster swamped C profile today that looks even better. Inletting for a large Siler looks great and has enough meat left for a perfect fit.

View attachment 58601

Absolutly beautiful!

 

[Zonie]

Zonie is right ... don't think of this as a "kit" (tab "A" into slot "B") but rather as a parts set. Their stocks are very good - and excellent value for you money. They're very nice folks, too.

Actually, the kits from Track of the Wolf and several other companies that supply parts for custom builds all are about the same.
The "kit" is really a box of raw materials with none of it finished. Even the lock, which is in working order should be finished by removing the sharp parting lines in the castings.

As I said, to build a gun from these kits takes a lot of time.

On the plus side, because the trigger guard, side plate and often the butt plate aren't installed, you can change them to a type of part that does a better job of looking like one of the real muzzleloaders built in the 1700's and 1800's.
Although the Chambers and Kimber are easier to build, because many of these parts are already fitted to the stock, you can't change them and have to live with what they made for you.