Pondering a flintlock. Educate me.

smoothshooter · Sep 16, 2024

longcruise said:
I'd jump on a 40 or 45 Kibler SMR TODAY
take your next year to put it together. Give yourself lots of time. @6 - 7 days/week you will appreciate it.

A Woodsrunner in 45 would meet your criteria too but as you progress through your retirement years, the longer barrel on the SMR might serve your eyesight better.

Just my POV. I think you will get plenty of food for thought in this topic.

For me a Woods Runner .40 with an “A” weight barrel would be perfect.
SMR’s have too much drop in the stock for me.

smoothshooter · Sep 16, 2024

WarDawg said:
Ok I’m thinking Kibler SMR. This would be a plinking rifle. I don’t hunt. I was thinking 36 , 40 or 45. Again this would be shot at paper and steel plates and fun . Not knock down style. I never put a kit together. But can watch the videos. I’m not a woodworker either. SMR for the smaller calibers. But if I went with the 45 , they make it in the woods runner also. I’m reading and watching like hell. Absorbing all I can. I’m even hung up on what type wood for the stock. I have a investarms in 50 already. There is a North Carolina group not far from me that shoots every month. I don’t know any of them. But I retire in a year. I’m going to contact them and shoot with them in the future. I work 6-7 days a week. 2 straight years now. I got one to go. Thinking this might be a retirement purchase. Project. I like a Kibler Hawken when it happens. That’s why I was thinking a small caliber right now. Get a 45 or 54 in the Hawken. Anyone been in my situation. Don’t know enough to have an informed decision? Sorry for the rambling. Wardawg

A .40 caliber is the smallest that still allows the use if a 3/8” ramrod. Big plus.
I have to say that my first semi-custom flint rifle I had in the early 1990’s was a .36 and found it very useful.
Sometimes I am tempted to get another one.

wiscoaster · Sep 16, 2024

Spikebuck said:
..... It was actually a Pedersoli that I completely rebuilt and converted from cap to flint. Amazing how nice the walnut looked after getting rid of their thick finishes...and about half of the stock wood!

Ya, I stripped and refinished my Pedersoli, too. So much nicer to replace that factory finish.

flatcreek · Sep 16, 2024

A plain maple stock with american walnut finish makes for a good looking stock. Plain maple will still have a bit of curl in it to give it character.

springfield art · Sep 16, 2024

WarDawg said:
Ok I’m thinking Kibler SMR. This would be a plinking rifle. I don’t hunt. I was thinking 36 , 40 or 45. Again this would be shot at paper and steel plates and fun . Not knock down style. I never put a kit together. But can watch the videos. I’m not a woodworker either. SMR for the smaller calibers. But if I went with the 45 , they make it in the woods runner also. I’m reading and watching like hell. Absorbing all I can. I’m even hung up on what type wood for the stock. I have a investarms in 50 already. There is a North Carolina group not far from me that shoots every month. I don’t know any of them. But I retire in a year. I’m going to contact them and shoot with them in the future. I work 6-7 days a week. 2 straight years now. I got one to go. Thinking this might be a retirement purchase. Project. I like a Kibler Hawken when it happens. That’s why I was thinking a small caliber right now. Get a 45 or 54 in the Hawken. Anyone been in my situation. Don’t know enough to have an informed decision? Sorry for the rambling. Wardawg

Your program of studying and thinking about this is the way to go! Best of luck with your retirement, nothing like having a good hobby to fall back on!

springfield art · Sep 16, 2024

JohnBHM said:
A couple years ago one of my sons said he was interested in getting a flintlock. I told him to do his research and order a kit and I would build it for him. He ordered a Kibler Woods runner 54 cal.. I was so impressed with his I ordered a SMR 36 cal. in walnut for myself as soon as I finished his. The best part with these kits is that almost anyone with a screwdriver can have a functioning flintlock in no time but you have a blank canvas to take your time and do whatever you want from there. I practiced carving and gathered some quality tools while building my sons WR, for mine I did practiced pouring pewter with some scrap walnut and poured a nose cap I also melted down an old silver fork into a disc and cut and carved a moon and star to inlay into the stock. I have done a lot of things but melting silver and pouring pewter was new.View attachment 348805 View attachment 348806

Love that Moon inset!

Tenring · Sep 16, 2024

It’s great that your nearing retirement working 6 to 7 days a week is great because as you probably know they go by your highest quarter when determining what your monthly SS check will be, good luck in your rifle and retirement.

Spikebuck · Sep 16, 2024

Tenring said:
...as you probably know they go by your highest quarter when determining what your monthly SS check will be...

Not to derail this thread, but one's SS benefit calc is based on much more than one's best quarter of income.

https://www.aarp.org/retirement/soc...ers/social-security-benefits-calculation.html

AwwNaww · Sep 16, 2024

My first Kibler SMR (warning! I did not plan on more than one!!) is one of the very early .40 when the locks were chambers and holes were not drilled or tapped. I really like it, and it is very accurate. Before that, I was shooting a .50 Lyman GPR flinter and the kibler was a long step up in every way. That said, the GPR is a good rifle. The recent SMR is upgraded in terms of ease of assembly and the lock is superior (although Chambers locks are not to be depreciated). You will, I think find assembly to be reasonably easy with lots of room for your own artistic impulses.
I see nothing wrong with a walnut stock.

But wait! There's more! You can buy a second barrel. Since they are pinned in, frequent swaps are not a good idea, but you can easily do it.

J.D. · Sep 16, 2024

tenngun said:
IMHO I like .45 for small caliber ML.
.40,.36, .32 are all accurate, cheap to shoot, handy for small game. But all the stuff is itty bitty. And fat fingers don’t go well with itty bitty
Try playing with a 5/16 or 14 inch rod for cleaning and running ball home
You may be great with it or find it tiny

This is true. The older you get, the harder it is to handle smaller diameter balls. Sometimes the fingers just don't work as well as they used to. The 45 is pretty versatile. It's fairly economical to shoot, low recoil, accurate, and it will ring a gong, at range, fairly reliably, with proper powder charges. And the 45 caliber ball is large enough to make it easier to handle, with old, fat, somewhat neuropathic fingers. Not to mention, the larger diameter of the bore, the lighter the barrel.

sportster73hp · Sep 16, 2024

If you choose the smr, go with a 40 or 45. The smaller caliber loose too much energy at longer distances . My Kibler .40 is using 50 grains of powder so 40 to 45 will only save lead.
The woodsrunner is only a single trigger , while lighter with the shorter barrel not meant to be a target gun. I would hunt with a 54.

WarDawg · Sep 16, 2024

J.D. said:
This is true. The older you get, the harder it is to handle smaller diameter balls. Sometimes the fingers just don't work as well as they used to. The 45 is pretty versatile. It's fairly economical to shoot, low recoil, accurate, and it will ring a gong, at range, fairly reliably, with proper powder charges. And the 45 caliber ball is large enough to make it easier to handle, with old, fat, somewhat neuropathic fingers. Not to mention, the larger diameter of the bore, the lighter the barrel.

sportster73hp said:
If you choose the smr, go with a 40 or 45. The smaller caliber loose too much energy at longer distances . My Kibler .40 is using 50 grains of powder so 40 to 45 will only save lead.
The woodsrunner is only a single trigger , while lighter with the shorter barrel not meant to be a target gun. I would hunt with a 54.

How is it at 100 yards.

mikesto44 · Sep 16, 2024

WarDawg we have a river shoot in our area. With a 8 inch steel gong on the other side. About 100 yards away. My 40 rings it no problem if I do my part. It's a great coyote getter..!

longcruise · Sep 17, 2024

AwwNaww said:
But wait! There's more! You can buy a second barrel. Since they are pinned in, frequent swaps are not a good idea, but you can easily do it.

Or, bypass the pins and go with tiny keys.

Indy Durtdigger · Sep 17, 2024

For what it's worth. If you've never done a kit the Woodsrunner is far more refined and easier to do than the SMR but both are pretty straight forward and leagues better than any other kit rifle I've done. The buttplate on the SMR can and will give a beginner fits of frustration.

sportster73hp · Sep 17, 2024

WarDawg said:
How is it at 100 yards.

I shoot mnlra targets at 25,50 ,and 75 yards. Not sure on a 100 yard target. I would assume since there isn’t much drop between distances and i use the same charge for all , 100 should not be a problem.

Wncman · Sep 17, 2024

WarDawg said:
Ok I’m thinking Kibler SMR. This would be a plinking rifle. I don’t hunt. I was thinking 36 , 40 or 45. Again this would be shot at paper and steel plates and fun . Not knock down style. I never put a kit together. But can watch the videos. I’m not a woodworker either. SMR for the smaller calibers. But if I went with the 45 , they make it in the woods runner also. I’m reading and watching like hell. Absorbing all I can. I’m even hung up on what type wood for the stock. I have a investarms in 50 already. There is a North Carolina group not far from me that shoots every month. I don’t know any of them. But I retire in a year. I’m going to contact them and shoot with them in the future. I work 6-7 days a week. 2 straight years now. I got one to go. Thinking this might be a retirement purchase. Project. I like a Kibler Hawken when it happens. That’s why I was thinking a small caliber right now. Get a 45 or 54 in the Hawken. Anyone been in my situation. Don’t know enough to have an informed decision? Sorry for the rambling. Wardawg

The Woodsrunner is practically 90% assembled. Don’t know about the smr. I did a colonial and it was not difficult. Just be patient either way.

WarDawg · Sep 17, 2024

Guys I really appreciate the reply’s. Feel like a damn woman and can’t make up my mind. 40 or 45 ? Maple or Walnut ? The stock not really a big deal . I’m thinking the walnut with just an oil Finnish. But if I go 45 do I go SMR or woodsrunner. I don’t know these rifles to make a call. This is going to be a fun rifle. I’m still studying everything. Hopefully I’m not sitting down when I pee when this is all over. . Embarrassing

WarDawg

Spikebuck · Sep 17, 2024

I don't have a Woodsrunner, only the SMR. For me, the SMR does not have enough drop at the comb. When I bring it up, I'm looking over the sights. Higher sights did help some.

You may want to call Kibler to get more specs on each to help you decide which might fit you better.

The great DISadvantage to a kit that is virtually finished is that it gives almost no room to change the fit.

WarDawg · Sep 18, 2024

I went and done it. I ordered a Woodsrunner 45 cal / walnut. I’ll be asking some Finishing questions down the line. From metal to wood . Learning alot from you guys. Thanks. Wardawg

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