Dunlap woodcrafts

[Gemoke]

Has anyone ever built or seen one of Dunlap woodcrafts kits. they sound like a good kit for a biginner.
cut finger

 

[Finnwolf]

Hi Gemoke,
That would depend on the beginner. I have a Dunlap kit that I bought in June. I'm a beginner - I have built a couple pistols but that was 20 years ago and I kinda slapped them together at that. Since then, I bought a house and over the years, I've done my share of wood finishing and even built a cabinet or two. I've refinished a few modern rifles and shotguns, both wood work and metal work. But, I've never built a flintlock rifle.
The Dunlap kit requires final fit of the barrel, tang, lock, trigger, sideplate, nosecap, buttplate and ramrod ferrules into the wood. Metal parts have to be filed, sanded and polished. Wood has to be shaped and sanded, finished applied. Lot's of chisel, gouge and file work is involved. Holes have to be precisely located and drilled on wood and metal. Threads have to be tapped and dovetails have to be cut into the barrel. And that's without even thinking about carving and engraving.
Not saying a beginner can't do it - I'm trying to proove a beginner can - you'll have to judge if your beginner can do it. Some real experienced folks on this forum recommend a pistol kit or a GPR kit for beginners. Others recommend if you get one of these kits, get the trickier stuff done for you

 

[TANSTAAFL]

That word beginner can be tricky. If, and may be a big if, one is attentive to details and has the proper instructions, (how to books and videos) it is entirely possible. If naturally sloppy or plain unsure of one's self, a $100.00 gun can easily result from $800.00 worth of parts.

 

[Birddog6]

Yes, I have built about 5-6 of his parts sets & have been very pleased with them. Can a beginner build one ? Good question, just depends on your talents. It is N O T a sand put together GPR or T/C or CVA kit, I can tell ya that. It will take some time, patients, thinking, hand tool skill & a Builders Book. (I suggest Gunsmiths of Grenville County)

they are about the same skill wise as Tracks, MBS & the rest of them as far as what they are calling kits. I think that is VERY misleading term. They should be calling them Parts Sets for This/That rifle, not a kit. The CVA, Lyman kit etc. is a kit. You sand & brown/blue & put it together. These Parts Sets from Tracks, MBS, Tip Curtis, TVM, etc are a set of parts of which you build a rifle from. They don't just pop together & unless you have skilled hands, as Tanstaafl says, you can invest $800 & turn it into a $100 rifle in a short time if ya don't watch closely.........

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