Build Questions

Okay, thanks a lot, that helps greatly, and should give me a good starting point. :redthumb:

 

[Johnny Tremain]

If your thinkin of building swamped and southern gun call:

Suzie
Phone: (479) 292-8866
MLS

http://www.muzzleloaderbuilderssupply.com/index.html

I was amazed when I talked to her. I've got my Sheetz school or Virgina rifle parts in the works now.

 

Update:

I ordered RCA I, Gunsmith of Grenville County, and Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age from TOW. RCA and GGC arrived yesterday evening, and TKRGA has shipped and should be here day after tomorrow. I skimmed through RCA trying not to drool on the pages, what a great book that's going to be... and started looking at GGC, which is impressive. He goes into way more detail than either of the other two books... I can tell it is going to be the go-to book. The only disappointment is they shipped the hard-bound version instead of the one with the ringed binder that will lay flat.

I've also had e-mail communication with the Chambers', and done some more "soul-searching", and I think I've decided to take most folks advice and go with the Chambers kit for the first one. I got lucky and caught up with them because some of them had to come back early from Friendship. They answered some questions, and invited me to call back after the 20th to see what they have in stock, and set up an appointment when I can go up there and pick everything out in person and maybe even take it home with me. Very nice folks, and I look forward to meeting them and seeing the shop. Of course, I will report back afterwards.

Thanks again for all of the help and advice. Hopefully this project will be off and running soon!

 

[Finnwolf]

Dood,
Now you're rollin! Sounds like the chips will be flying soon! From all I've ever heard, you can't go wrong with folks like Chambers. Their website, photos, reputation, everything oozes quality. I held one of their assembled rifles in my hands at Dixon's fair awhile ago - it was hard to give it back!
I envy you being able to go there and pick it all out. Let us know what you pick.
Finnwolf

 

Thanks Finn... I sure will. I'm still leanin' towards that Lancaster, but you never know, I may get there and fall in love with something else once I handle them.

Kindig's Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age arrived yesterday. Have just started to skim through it... man, it's hard to keep the drool at bay between that book and RCA Vol 1, and I'm still digesting Grenville County.

One thing I'm noticing as I look at these photos of these gorgeous originals is, I still REALLY like the Lancasters, but other schools are starting to grow on me. I've never been a big fan of Bucks and Lehigh schools, but after seeing some of the Andrew Verner rifles and others, I find myself thinking, "I could see me owning and shooting something like that..." These guys were incredible artists.

Anyway, enough rambling. I have more reading to do. :: :redthumb:

 

[Birddog6]

I suggest you fall in love with just the looks but not the thoughts of owning them til you actually shoulder some of them. I have found in the past 40 years of owning firearms that most people buy what appeals to them by the Eye, rather than what fits them & is comfortable to shoot. Personally I have owned over 50 ML's in the past 40 years of shooting & also over a hundred other rifles & shotguns & about 90% of these were purchased for looks appeal rather than what really fit me. It took 30 years for me to control myself down to appreciating & admiring what appealed to the eye & actually owning what I can shoot ! ha ha !
A good example is a Hawken fullstock. I just love the rifle, love it's looks & all things of it Except I find it a most uncomfortable rifle to shoot. I have one 28 ga. O/U shotgun I cannot get away from, a dozen other good shotguns there to choose from & when I go bird hunting that is always the first one my hand goes for......
Once you find a ML rifle style that fits you & is really comfortable for you to shoot, you will usually bypass all the other ones just to shoot the one ya like most & the rest just sit there for use now & then.

Shoulder allot of them, forget the looks til then & put your $ where it Feels right, not looks right.

The nice thing about a Lancaster rifle is the style of it lets you use lots of varibles (weight, caliber, barrel length, drop at heel, LOP, etc.) and the rifle can still look like a Lancaster & look good. Allot of the rifle styles you can't do that with & it look correct..

:results:

 

Yep, I think that's why my eye leans towards the Lancaster style. To my eye, it looks comfortable, or should I say, it looks more like a stock profile from other guns I've shot that I know were comfortable, whereas the curved lines of a Lehigh look uncomfortable as all get-out to me, though I can still appreciate the artistry involved. My eye has the same "dislike" of the curved stock of a Tulle musket, yet the straight English fowler stocks look pleasing to me.