? best book

[jpbvs]

I want to build a flintlock rifle, I'm leaning toward a jeager 52 or 68 cal. swamped barrel.looked at tracks, sitting fox,tvm, and redavis kits'I would like to do as much as I can myself exept barrel inletting and ramrod drilling. I do have wood working experiance building laminated recurves and self bows but none of the inletting and gunsmithing. could you guys point me in the right direction of a good istructional book to get
THANKS IN ADVANCE

 

[bioprof]

I think "The Gunsmith of Grenville County" is the best reference on building muzzleloaders, but it might not give you much guidance in building a Jaeger rifle. Most of the reference books on building refer to building American longrifles. I would think that a Jaeger would be a difficult build for a first one unless you were using a precarved stock.

 

[Twoholes]

I agree with Bioprof regarding The Gunsmith of Grenville County, but for the absolute beginner I'd reccomend The Art of Building the Pennsylvania Long Rifle by Chuck Dixon, available from many places, and a small booklet called The Modern entucky Rifle by R.H. McRory. This is an old book but a very good one and it goes into making small parts like the ramrod thimbles.

 

[rja72]

"The Gunsmith of Grenville County" is not available right now. I sent an e-mail to Scurlock publishing Wednesday. They said they had no plans to produce more at this time.

Maybe if enough people send they an e-mail requesting the book they will produce more.

 

[Vaino]

When starting out I used both editions of Buchele's "Recreating the American Longrifle", McCrory's little book "The Modern Kentucky Rifle" and Dixon's "The Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle" and from the excellent responses, Alexander's "Gunsmith of Grenville County" which I haven't read as yet but should be looked at. All these books offer good info and what some of the books detail, others don't, etc. The 2 Buchele books are the only ones that enumerate the order of procedure while none of the others do and if only one book was possible, it would definitely be Buchele/Alexander's 2nd edition. What I wouldn't have given back then to study Mike Brooks' excellent tutorial on building LRs seeing the photos "say so much" and it's available on this Forum...Good luck....Fred

 

[Birddog6]

IMHO, the Gunsmith of Grenville County is the best overall book & about twice the info as most have.
As for the Jaeger parts set, I have built them from Davis, TOW, & Tip Curtis. All were about the same, but I would be SURE that is is preinlet for a Davis Jaeger or a Chambers Germanic or that either will fit the lock panel if the lock is not preinlet. Those are the only 2 locks I would use on it. Myself, I would get it from Tip.

Not a hard rifle to build, to me no dif than the long rifles. Only exception is the lug for a sling swivel if you are doing that & if you need help with that email me & I have photos of doing all the swivel lug & etc.

Good Luck. :thumbsup:

Keith

 

[ehoff]

I'd try to track down a copy of "The Gunsmith of Grenville County". If you can't find one next on my list would be Chuck Dixon's "The Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle" and supplement it with a DVD or two.

You could also check out "Recreating The American Longrifle" by Buchele, Shumway and Alexander. I've never seen a copy so I can't speak for its contents.

 

[Stophel]

The Dixon book will work as well as any at giving a good instruction on how to build a rifle. I'm not real crazy about "The Gunsmith of Grenville County".

I'm also not real crazy about anything I've seen mass produced or precarved that is called "Jaeger"....thin wrists, way too much drop, not enough cast off, ugly locks....

:wink:

 

[longcruise]

Mike Brooks has an excellent tutorial right here on this site. Dixon's book is pretty good too. If you put those two together you will probably have all you need.

 

[sutherland]

I'd get a copy of Recreating the American Longrifle by Buchele, Shumway and Alexander. You can't go wrong with this book.

 

[jpbvs]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, last Friday morn I ordered the book The Modern Kentuckey Rifle. I thought I would start with this one look it over good then decide weather to get another book or get a kit.
I'm looking toward a Sitting Fox or ReDavis kits at this time.
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!!!!!!