Show Us Your Finished Kit Build

[Urban Coyote]

In the Percussion Rifle Forum is a post entitled "Single Stock for Kentucky Rifle" are photos of various CVA Kentucky Rifle kit builds. Apparently there are some skilled kit builders out there.

At one time the many manufacturers of muzzleloading guns offered kit version of their products. I'm not talking about the high end kits rather the run of the mill kits, like those that might be found under the Christmas tree.

I'm all thumbs so I haven't anything special to offer but I figure there is a lot of talented kit builders out there who've turned these kits into some pretty special guns.

How about it? Have you got a gun you or maybe someone you know built from one these kits. Please include photos and maybe the story to go with them.

 

[Robert Losekamp]

Run of the mill Traditions Kentucky Rifle.

Bought it a couple of years ago and began working on it in the basement until we moved, it then lived on a shelf for a while until I got a wild burr up my behind to work on it again. This was my first attempt at doing something like this. The above photo is how it initially turned out. I was happy with it, but after looking at it I thought I might be able to make it better.

So, I stripped it down to bare wood and began the process of shaving, sanding, and refinishing. I took off a considerable amount of wood from the side of the barrel channel, the "belly" between the trigger guard and ramrod pipe, and the lock face. I then stained it with the same Birchwood Casey Walnut stain and instead of Tru-Oil applied a few coats of paste wax for protection from the elements.

After the wood was done I buffed out the brass with steel wool and reapplied patina using dirty patches.

Sent the lock off to @FlinterNick to be cleaned up and tuned, he does great work for a reasonable price. The lock is now faster and more reliable.

Replaced the front sight with a tall silver one from ToW since the factory one was hitting 5" high at 50 yards, shaved it down and it now hammers the balls in right where I want them.

Overall I'm happy with where it is now. The was is hazy in some places where I didn't let the stain dry long enough I guess, but that's okay. It's meant to be used and was.never going to be a showpiece anyway. Highly recommend anyone interested in getting into kits to give on of these a try, it's been a valuable learning experience for me and gave me confidence to purchase a Kibler without fear of messing it up (too badly) .

 

[Tumbledown]

My first Kentucky Rifle kit was a freestyle but inspired by rifles from the 1840-60 timeframe.

The eagle with 6 stars is a tribute to the Republic of Madawaska, a short-lived "state" that declared itself independent from Canada in the 1830s prior to the Aroostook War, when the border dispute between Maine and Canada came to a head c.1838-40.

Maine actually sent state militia troops to the region, and the Feds had to step in. That resulted in the end of the militia system, as federal laws were changed shortly after to restrict state use of troops without federal authority.

The eagle and stars are all hand cut and secured with brads countersunk and filed down so as to virtually disappear.

 

[Tumbledown]

My second Kentucky was a flintlock. This one I styled after an 1820s Massachusetts rifle. I was more aggressive in shaping the stock. I found there was just enough meat on the butt to get a cheek rest out of it. I made a hidden patch box release, and did some wire inlay. The buttplate and thimbles got some facets filed in them.

 

[Tumbledown]

My 3rd... I like the look of halfstock rifles, especially the longer-barreled ones. The 33" barrel of the Kentucky was a perfect starting point. So after looking at dozens of old guns online, I settled on one with a wood rib (common on New England halfstocks) and no nosecap. The patchbox finial shape was often echoed on the wear plate, so I followed suit. I used thimbles from Track of the Wolf, pinning them in place (unlike the kit's screwed-on thimbles.) The butt was reworked to get a cheekrest. Dovetails were cut for new tenons to pin the rib and for the barrel wedge, while the old ones were filled. The buttplate was also faceted, with more attention paid to where the top screw hole is. I filled the hole for the forward lock bolt, as many of these guns only used one.

I've included a pic of the fore's inspiration. That nose looked so much like a whale I had to try to copy it.

 

[Dale Lilly]

Lyman Great Plains, .54 caliber. More pics somewhere but .. who knows? Had the kit for several years and waited until I was about 87 years old to build it. Turned out pretty well, I think. Polecat

 

[ppg1949]

Nothing special. My second of five CVA Kentucky rifle builds in
‘80 & ‘81. I apologize I don’t have a full length picture but I recently gave it to my youngest son.

 

[tenngun]

Sitting Fox smooth rifle
And Centermark TFC

 

[barracudadave67]

Heres 2 Pedersoli kits I built a couple years ago.
A Brown Bess Carbine.
A Pennsylvania Rifle in .50 cal. I also shortened theBBl on it by 9 inches, and added the inlays.
Dave

 

[Sudsy]

It's not a Kentucky but it was my first kit build, a CVA .32 Squirrel Rifle

 

[Urban Coyote]

It's not a Kentucky but it was my first kit build, a CVA .32 Squirrel Rifle

I been shooting a .32 caplock my last couple trips to the range, fun guns. I just wish there was a good supply of small game to hunt where I live. I'll bet you have fun with that gun.

 

[reddogge]

This was a short-lived Ithaca Hawken kit I built in 1978. They stopped making the kit a couple of years later.

 

[airiest-falcon0n]

I just finished this Traditions kit gun. It was my 1st “build”. This is its 3rd & final iteration. I started w/shiny brass and browned barrel. Stock was lighter. I removed brown, and tarnished brass. Darkened stock, then blued barrel. Removed most of bluing to a gray color. Awaiting supplies to test it out.

 

[Eric Krewson]

A few years ago, my brother found a TC Hawken kit in my dad's closet when he went to assisted living, this was an old prewarning kit.

This kit was pretty rough, not nearly as refined as the later kits, one could slap it together and have a shootable rifle but it would be a mess by modern standards with very poor wood to metal fit.

I refined everything, took a lot of wood off and reshaped just about everything including the cheek slapper comb.

What looks like a cut-out at the back of the wrist is an odd grain swirl of lighter and darker wood.

 

[PEARL DRUMS]

I need to wipe the drool out of my keyboard. I'm chomping at the bit to get started.