James Kopp
40 Cal
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Looking for recommendations on companies that make an affordable “do it yourself “.....Kibler seems to be the leading company in terms of quality....Thoughts
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- Thread starter James Kopp
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Kibler and Tennessee Valley Muzzleloaders appear to have the easiest, authentic kits. Pendersoli makes lots of kits that are typically super easy but tend to suffer on the authenticity approach as per some people.
Capt. Jas.
58 Cal.
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Jim Kibler is light years from the others and on the far end of the spectrum.
Dollar for dollar, the Kibler kit is also the best value.
Dollar for dollar, the Kibler kit is also the best value.
Doc Ivory
45 Cal.
I placed an order with Kibler.
Easy and smooth as silk.
Katherine is a very nice and helpful person.
Easy and smooth as silk.
Katherine is a very nice and helpful person.
Sidney Smith
58 Cal.
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IIRC, TVMs guns are NOT based on actual authentic designs, but are more like close approximations.
Then I was told wrong. That said there are those who are not strict "documentarians" who understand that for every one famous gunsmith there are a hundred not so famous ones who made variations.
Nazgul58
45 Cal.
Have a Kibler Colonial in 58 on order now!
Don
Don
Bob McBride
54 Cal.
James has it right above. Kibler by a lot, dollar for dollar quality of parts, ease of assembly, proper architecture, etc.... Everyone else of quality clumps together in second place.
Bob McBride
54 Cal.
True that. Kibler’s SMR is a very close copy of a particular maker (Joseph Whitson) in a particular period (1820-1840) and his Colonial is representative of a period and region. I have bench copies and approximations. I love them all. My favorite gun, a Soddy Daisy c1830, is a perfect bench copy make by a builder who spent 20 years trying to get that gun copied just so. It’s a copy of an existing unsigned gun, but as it’s maker is unknown, it’s just a regional TN gun. Many contemporary guns are not very close to anything real. A conglomeration of the whole flintlock period at best. They shoot great too. My old Pap rolls his eyes when the conversation goes this way. He wouldn’t care f I gave him a 3k gun or a $300 gun so long as it hit where he aims. He takes as many deer as I do, more most often.
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I have done kits from Track of the Wolf and Chambers. Both have kits that are "more involved" on the builder's part than others of their kits. Anything with an L&R flint lock will cost you extra hours due to the overall crudeness that requires much more work to turn into something usable.
My first Kibler, a .36 SMR, will be here Friday! I have two Chambers kits on the bench, but I think the Kibler is going to squeeze in ahead.
My first Kibler, a .36 SMR, will be here Friday! I have two Chambers kits on the bench, but I think the Kibler is going to squeeze in ahead.
Kibler kits are very nice for sure and a super easy to put together with very little work. i just finished a .58 for a guy a couple days ago. if you want to learn to build a rifle though i would go with a kit that allows you to do the work. i prefer those kits for myself that way i can make the rifle to exactly what i want but that is my preference. if you want a good shooter that snaps together go with Kibler, there isnt any extra wood to take off on the SMR kits but i took a ton of wood of the Colonial as it is a chunky monkey and the 58 is the only way to go as the rest are too heavy in my opinion.
Nazgul58
45 Cal.
I have a Kibler Colonial in 58 on order now. My winter project.
Don
Don
GANGGREEN
45 Cal.
The Kibler kits are nice for sure, the quality is there, the historical accuracy and the value. I have a Kibler SMR that I built from a kit, have encouraged a close friend to build one as well (he's waiting for it to arrive) and I'll likely have more at some point in the future. That said, I see so many of these threads which don't recognize the reality that for now Jim is making 2 kits with a 3rd on the way soon. There are plenty of folks who like, need or want something of a different design. There are also those who wish to complete more of the work themselves to feel like THEY built the gun or added design ideas themselves (which is possible with a Kibler kit to some degree I suppose). I think what Jim Kibler is doing for the sport/hobby is absolutely wonderful. I hope he grows an absolute empire and continues to add one kit after another after another. That said, I don't think we should sell the other suppliers short. I'm not suggesting that anyone lie about real shortcomings with vendor A or B's products, but variety is also good for the sport and I'd hate to see any of the few suppliers gone because we need parts, accessories and yes, even gun kits from them.
Bob McBride
54 Cal.
The main reason I suggest doing a Kibler before the others is that the correct architecture, which is the hardest part, is there already. You can fondle what a longrifle is supposed to feel like. Sell it when you’re done if you want to, so when you’re ready, on the next one, to feel like you built it yourself, you’ll know what it is you’re supposed to be building. My suggestion for a best possible end product.
GANGGREEN
45 Cal.
Certainly a good enough reason. It's one of the reasons that I still insist on having Dave Keck (Knob Mountain Muzzleloading) still do the profile for my gunstocks even though I provide my own wood and feel competent to shape it myself (and have done so). Out of laziness or insecurity, I feel much better about getting the basic architecture right with his templates and profiles.
I bought a L & R Manton lock. I had to rework the thing to make it work properly! Won't buy another L & R!
tnlonghunter
40 Cal.
That's really the big hang-up with Kibler - a lack of options. But dang if the options he has aren't great. FWIW, I recently got an Isaac Haines set from Dunlap Woodcrafts in Chantilly, VA. I would happily buy from them again. I got a gorgeous piece of wood, top quality parts, and Daniel, the guy I ended up doing most of my interactions with was really helpful.
Dunlap's kut is like the ones from Chambers, Track, and others, in that it's more a box of parts and a mostly-shaped stock. But I've been quite happy so far.
Squatch84
40 Cal
When I re worked the Traditions kit that I had, I used a non inletted stock and parts from Track of the wolf. Their kits impressed me.
Cabin Creek , Kibler , Chambers
