Yet Another Kibler Longrifles Kit Build...

[troy2000]

"The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men
Gang aft agley..."

So much for tackling the chipped wood tonight. I sidetracked into making a very tasty and filling Thai-inspired
pork and sweet potato curry over rice, instead. But I did rough out the piece of wood I intend to glue into place.

I'm planning to head down the river Thursday afternoon with a friend for field trials, so I may temporarily ignore the repair and just assemble the rifle. For starters, I ordered .440 swaged round balls and .018 pillow ticking dry patches from Track of the Wolf; spit patching should work fine for the first day. I only have 3F powder on hand, but again: for the first day shooting, that should work fine for both priming and charging. I trust Jim's CNC late Ketland lock to spark hot...

I'll also bring my brace of Japanese Tower of London dragoon pistols. I figure they'll keep my buddy entertained long enough for me to get a few shots in with the rifle, before he wants to try it.

 

[troy2000]

Didn't make it out to shoot today. It was looking to turn into a main event; guys at work kept volunteering to come along - a couple just to see flintlocks in action, a couple latching onto an opportunity to take their own guns out, one guy who just wanted to take pic's. And then a revamped main unit we were trying to bring back online, as part of a multi-million dollar modernization project, started throwing sparks from a fuel valve... half of us wound up working overtime. And no, we still don't know how or why that happened. Gonna be an interesting post-mortem, but meanwhile the fuel valves for all eight cylinders are getting replaced.

Oh well, can't say I minded having some more time to work on the gun. I didn't start the ramrod until yesterday afternoon anyway, because I was planning to use a range rod I bought off Amazon.

I slipped the ramrod end onto the hickory dowel, drilled a hole, chamfered each end by spinning a larger bit by hand, stuck a finish nail through it, clipped it - and realized I didn't have my little ball peen hammer anymore. About three weeks ago, one of my coworkers (whom I already loved dearly for other reasons) borrowed my work truck and drove off with my tool bag setting on the bumper. Obviously, he didn't perform the 'circle of safety' mandated by the company before driving away...

It was a $250.00 tool bag, and had tools in it worth probably twice that - including some old favorites I'd owned for years. The idiot gave me five hundred bucks, and I didn't mention it to our supervisor (who I'm sure heard about it through the grapevine anyway, and was happy not to deal with it).

Anyway, every time I turn around I'm reaching for some tool that was lost and hasn't been replaced yet. In this case, I grabbed a long extension from my socket set, slapped a heavy socket on it, and used that to peen the ends of the finish nail. Took a while, but it worked. And this afternoon I dropped by Ace Hardware for a new hammer.

When I tried to insert the ramrod, it hung up because a barrel lug was sticking into the hole. I took the barrel off and filed the lug twice before the ramrod would slip past it, and then it hung up in the hole anyway. So I grabbed some sandpaper, and worked the rod down until it fit snugly but didn't hang up any more...

 

[troy2000]

I rescheduled the shoot-em-up for Monday after work - and decided that would work better anyway, because I was headed home this weekend and would be able to pick up some percussion caps for the old .50 caliber CVA mountain rifle I just bought. Then this afternoon my supervisor asked me to work 12 hour shifts Sunday and Monday, to fill in for a missing station operator. Should make my wife happy; that's a good chunk of overtime.

But so much for going home to buy caps, and so much for the whole gang going shooting Monday. But since I'm staying here anyway, I'll take my new Kibler toy out Saturday and see if I can terrorize some beer cans...

By the way: has anyone ever wondered what would happen if they overlooked barrel lugs in a Tupperware container with a quarter inch of tarnishing solution in it? And left them there for a couple of weeks, as the solution slowly dried up? I have the answer: it ain't pretty.

Mine came out rough as a cob after I sanded the worst of the flaky rust off, but I used them anyway (after running a rat-tail file through the insides). I may replace them on down the road, or try to file them smooth, or I may decide they're an honest part of the gun's history and just leave them. I re-blackened them, and they don't jump out at a casual glance.

It's nightcap time. I'm working on a whiskey sour made with Jim Beam, lemon juice, and blue agave syrup instead of simple syrup. Not trying to be precious; the agave syrup is just what I had on hand. I don't even remember why I bought it; it may have been out of idle curiosity. I also added three or four drops of Angostura bitters...

add: the Jim Beam is because Albertson's was out of Evan Williams.

 

[Doc Ivory]

About three weeks ago, one of my coworkers (whom I already loved dearly for other reasons) borrowed my work truck and drove off with my tool bag setting on the bumper. Obviously, he didn't perform the 'circle of safety'

It was a $250.00 tool bag, and had tools in it worth probably twice that - including some old favorites I'd owned for years.

YIKES!
Loosing tools I’ve had for decades is like loosing an arm.
after years of using the same wrenches, screwdrivers, etc, they just “fit” your hand.
sorry for that loss.

 

[troy2000]

Pic's of the (mostly) finished product.

 

[troy2000]

Lousy outdoor pic of the rifle, propped up against the trebuchet I'm building. I have a Galaxy Note 10 with a cracked screen, and any time it's in bright light half the display turns silver. Makes it hard to frame the pic and see what it's going to look like...

 

[Kansas Jake]

Looks nice, Troy.

 

[troy2000]

I took the rifle out for a short test drive Saturday. It reliably produced a big bang, a cloud of smoke, and a hole in whatever it was pointed at. Unfortunately I have 71-year old eyes, and the front sight lands somewhere between the two ranges of my bifocals. My first two shots at 25 yards were off-hand, and by the time I managed to squint and line up the sights and the target, I was wobbling all over the place.

The next three shots were off an ironing board, with a canvas camp chair behind it. I set my left fist, thumb-up, in front of me for a rifle rest, and at least managed to hit somewhere in the neighborhood of the bullseye. But my eyes were actually hurting by the time I did that. The original plan was to fire a group at 25 yards, a group at 50, and maybe a group at 100. I settled for uncrossing my eyes and heading home after the first group...

Gonna try two things: one, a set of reading glasses somewhere in the middle of my bifocals. Second, I ordered a set of Eye Pal Peep sights, which are patches that have a hole in them and stick onto one's shooting glasses. If those seem to work, I'll buy a fancy gadget I found elsewhere for $99.00, that has a suction cup and an adjustable camera-style iris.

I have even more respect for Daniel Boone now, because he kept right on hunting until he died at the age of 85. And there weren't any gadgets for him back then...

 

[troy2000]

The ramrod only has one coat of linseed oil on it so far, and will probably darken some with more coats and more use. But I'm not worried about trying to color-match it to the maple, cuz it ain't maple - it's hickory.

 

[Jim Wag]

Good luck with your eyesight, Troy!
I can relate.
It's rough.

But, right now, I can't take my eyes off that rifle!

Jim in La Luz

 

[troy2000]

The lock will probably get scrubbed down and re-blackened. It looked really good when it was at its darkest, but just wiping it down to clean it has left lighter spots on it. And of course, I still haven't addressed the chipped buttstock. I'm going to do that this weekend, I swear...

 

[troy2000]

Absolutely nothing to do with gun building, but this is dinner tonight: sautéed zucchini, yellow squash and sweet onion - with rosemary, garlic, fennel, cayenne pepper flakes, black pepper and sea salt. Balanced out by a grilled petite sirloin, with more seasonings than usual...

 

[troy2000]

My problem seeing the front sight is a reminder of just how long these rifles really are... I've never had that trouble with my M91 Mosin Nagants, and they're 51 1/2" - a ridiculous length, by today's standards.

 

[Doc Ivory]

Yep, my eyesight is on a downward spiral after having been super good for the first 60 years.
I use a cheap pair of "cheaters" from the local pharmacy.
They work better than my bifoculs in most situations

 

[Tanglefoot]

Take heart, gents. I spent many years juggling eyeglass prescriptions, first just glasses then bifocals, then trifocals. Then cataracts kicked in. When the eye doc fixed the cataracts he fixed two of the three vision problems and mended an astigmatism for good measure. Now in my late (very late) 70's, my vision is 20/20 for long range and mid range, and for reading or fine work I use a pair of $20 drug store "readers." I can see my rifle sights without optics for the first time, and pistol sights if held at arm's length. In spite of the problems of getting older, every once in a while medical science pats you on the back and says, "Here ye go. Enjoy."

 

[Nameless Hunter]

Lousy outdoor pic of the rifle, propped up against the trebuchet I'm building. I have a Galaxy Note 10 with a cracked screen, and any time it's in bright light half the display turns silver. Makes it hard to frame the pic and see what it's going to look like...

Cracked screen or not, THAT is a nice looking rifle. Looking at it makes me want a Kibler even more...

Not meaning to hijack... but trebuchet? A man after my own heart!
I made one a few years ago (for the solar eclipse) that would toss a cantaloupe over 250 yards.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Troy,
Ive struggled being able to see my rear sight for some time. I found a .75 power reader( pretty much the lowest you can get), Brings both sights into focus without distorting the Target too much. A pretty good compromise.
Your barrel will shoot way better when you can see.
Here’s the first shots out of my .45 SMR. First 7 shots out of new Rice barrel.

 

[troy2000]

Cracked screen or not, THAT is a nice looking rifle. Looking at it makes me want a Kibler even more...

Not meaning to hijack... but trebuchet? A man after my own heart!
I made one a few years ago (for the solar eclipse) that would toss a cantaloupe over 250 yards.

For the solar eclipse? I guess that's as good a reason as any...

The objective with mine is to see how far I can throw a 2 lb. bag of flour, and watch as it goes 'poof!' I don't have a build thread for it though; think I could convince Zonie it qualifies as a muzzleloader? Or maybe a cannon...

 

[troy2000]

Troy,
Ive struggled being able to see my rear sight for some time. I found a .75 power reader( pretty much the lowest you can get), Brings both sights into focus without distorting the Target too much. A pretty good compromise.
Your barrel will shoot way better when you can see.
Here’s the first shots out of my .45 SMR. First 7 shots out of new Rice barrel.

Nice consistency from a brand-new gun. A testament to the barrel, and to your ability to hold it.

 

[Doc Ivory]

Take heart, gents. I spent many years juggling eyeglass prescriptions, first just glasses then bifocals, then trifocals. Then cataracts kicked in. When the eye doc fixed the cataracts he fixed two of the three vision problems and mended an astigmatism for good measure. Now in my late (very late) 70's, my vision is 20/20 for long range and mid range, and for reading or fine work I use a pair of $20 drug store "readers." I can see my rifle sights without optics for the first time, and pistol sights if held at arm's length. In spite of the problems of getting older, every once in a while medical science pats you on the back and says, "Here ye go. Enjoy."

Im considering LASIK but I'll fiddle with prescriptions for a l;ittle while longer.
Im 67 so there's no rush to LASIK.