After the Kibler Kits

[sturmkatze]

How would you find out if it fits you if you don't have access to one of his guns?

Because I know that I need a longer "pull" than his guns have. Not his fault. He can't make them for everyone

 

[ronaldrothb49]

Because I know that I need a longer "pull" than his guns have. Not his fault. He can't make them for everyone

With Jim Chambers kits you have the option of ordering it without the inlet for the butt plate with extra wood left. That way you can get a longer LOP by doing the butt plate yourself. Would think that would be an easy option on a Kibler.

 

[LongWalker]

I teach a Kibler kit building class a couple times a year at the education building at Friendship. Most guys are quite happy to build their kit and never build another gun. A very few take my "build it from a plank" class after they do a Kibler. Some will be in way over their head in the plank class. I also teach a carving class which some guys are using Kibler kits to do their carving on.
Kibler kits are a great way to get an excellent rifle for a very reasonable investment. Probably sparks some interest in muzzleloading in general.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ is why I have a Colonial on order now. I ordered it knowing that the dimensions weren't what let me shoot my best, and that I don't particularly care for the design. I generally build what I want, but this time what I wanted was a production rifle that anyone can get.

More than 1,000 people got their first exposure to shooting a flintlock using my personal rifle. One thing people commented on was what they saw as a barrier: my rifle was "custom", so of course it worked. They didn't think they could do as well with an off-the-shelf rifle, or that they had the tools/knowledge/skill to build one. There's some truth to this, there haven't been a lot of decent production flintlocks in the past, and most of the better kits are rather intimidating to the beginner. Kibler seems to be offering an answer to both those problems.

But I'm not expecting it to have any impact on future from-the-plank builds.

 

[TDM]

Kibler provides a top shelf product that most anyone can build. Amazing in this day and age.

 

[Norman Brooks]

Kibler provides a top shelf product that most anyone can build. Amazing in this day and age.

A big thumbs up to that.

 

[Ross5403]

I have actually never built a kibler. Not saying it's a bad kit because it seems like a well put together product and was very tempting. I wanted something a little different so I built a chambers new England Fowler. I guess I'm progressing backwards as well because my next build I'm preparing for is going to be a .54 cal York with octagon to round barrel. I plan on buying all the parts as I go and having Dave keck I let the barrel into a plank and profile the butt stock leaving the rest of it square. I can see where the square edges would make things easier that a precarve. I will say this for kits it taught me the importance of the right tools and how to use them.

 

[BJHabermehl]

I’ve come to this party from the opposite direction I’ve built a good number of guns from part sets and from the slab. The big advantage to assembling one of Jim Kiblers kits for a beginner is the fact that it’s easy. I recently assembled one of his colonial rifle kits for a friend. Hands down it was the most straightforward assembly job I ever did. I doubt that I had 6 hours into the assembly including breaks. Making a finished rifle from this really nice assembly takes more time. But is all part of the fun. The big advantage is now the beginner now has a quality study piece for not only proper construction but architecture as well. It’s a really great first step into this obsession. A tremendous leap from the Thomson Center kit I started with 40 years ago. Especially in lock quality, night and day. BJH

 

[James Kibler]

We buy logs and saw them ourselves as well as sawn lumber for gunstocks. I was talking to some Amish friends from the "Big Valley" in PA during the open house. We've gotten a good amount of wood out of this central PA region.

 

[James Kibler]

We have had to control as much as possible ourselves. In our experience there are few companies we are able to work with and trust. Unfortunately, many of the companies in the niche market aren't run like a proper business and are impossible to partner with if you want to run a quality and successful operation.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

We have had to control as much as possible ourselves. In our experience there are few companies we are able to work with and trust. Unfortunately, many of the companies in the niche market aren't run like a proper business and are impossible to partner with if you want to run a quality and successful operation.

DITTO. I'm selling brass cast gun mounts now and am at the mercy of the foundry. Even though the foundry is only 12 miles away, and the owner and I are buds I seem to be a "hobbyist" and am always at the bottom of the list. I order 3K to 4K worth of castings several times a year. VERY ANNOYING!
He wants me to come pound up the molds and help pour, which I have done. I'm already cutting the parts off the casting gates and grinding off the flash. All for no price break! If I were younger, I'd get my own set up.

 

[troy2000]

Factory made kits and rifles all have the same problem, they are made to fit what someone decided was the average size shooter. Unfortunately most of us are not average size. Back in the 70's when I started shooting my first rifle was one of the better kits being offered then. It was vey accurate off the bench but I could never get good with it because it just didn't fit me. My next rifle was made from parts to fit ME and that is when I started wining matches.

I'm lucky in a way, I guess. I seem to fit the average manufacturers are aiming for, on just about everything.

 

[troy2000]

While I have all the respect in the world for anyone who builds a rifle, regardless of whether it's from a kit or (especially) from scratch, I've bought a Kibler southern mountain rifle kit and a Woodsrunner kit because I wanted the finished guns - not because I wanted a challenge. And there's no way I could otherwise afford the quality that Kibler and his crew bring to the table...

 

[Togo]

I just got my 54 Woodsrunner in the mail. True to his word Jim Kibler delivered perfection. I can't wait to get this one finished, I have a feeling it's going to be a tack driver like my 40 SMR.

 

[billraby]

In the original post I asked about experiences of moving on to more complicated builds after building a Kibler kit. 73 responses so far and almost none of them have anything to do with the original question asked. Oh well.

 

[TDM]

In the original post I asked about experiences of moving on to more complicated builds after building a Kibler kit. 73 responses so far and almost none of them have anything to do with the original question asked. Oh well.

Maybe the answer is between the lines. Personally, I think the finished Kibler product makes the most sense for most folks. You get to taste the building experience and learn how to finish wood and metal. But unless you put it together with a hammer you get a fine shooting, dependable firearm. I love my SMR so much I plan to buy another one. And I ordered a Woodsrunner a month ago. UPS swears my Clay Smith Trade Gun kit will be delivered tomorrow. When it does show, I’ll take my time and enjoy that too. But it’s tough to beat the near instant gratification of a Kibler kit.

 

[büchsenmacher64]

In the original post I asked about experiences of moving on to more complicated builds after building a Kibler kit. 73 responses so far and almost none of them have anything to do with the original question asked. Oh well.

I hope you don’t let that make you stop putting your videos out there. I speak for myself and others in saying they are invaluable. Thanks for taking the time to teach us your skills.

 

[billraby]

The videos are still coming. Next one goes up this weekend. Actually two of them going on Rumble this weekend. I got a modern project started now. But I won't be posting those on here.

 

[buckleymarka56]

This is an apples and oranges comparison. The Kibler kits are engineered so that virtually anyone can turn them into a safely, functional firearm. Now when it comes to fit and finish, that depends on the talent of the builder. Building from a blank requires a different skill set, better tools, and a correct vision of what the blank will become. With that being said, building a Kibler will give you metal and wood finishing skills which is a plus.

 

[TDM]

Very, very nice there @buckleymarka56 !

 

[buckleymarka56]

Very, very nice there @buckleymarka56 !

Thanks. Extra fancy maple. Kibler kit