"Easy to learn on" kits?

[Simpkins01]

Guys I am a new builder of ML's too. I decided awhile back to start with the cheapo kits. That way if I screw up, its my fault/ my lesson learned. I remember a line from the Movie about the early Space Program where they had the ladies do double checking of the calculations for the Orbit. They messed up. Then the Program director tells them "We screw up down here so we don't screw up, up there". That's my philosophy. I screw up with the cheap kit so I don't screw up the high dollar kit. No one wants to take a $2000.00 kit and screw it up into a $200.00 kit because they did not practice first. Either way you should be proud of your work. You challenged yourself and tried hard. Good or bad outcome, well done!

 

[LuVerne Schumann]

I've looked at Jim Kibler's kits and even considered trying to make one of the summer classes. The reality is that I'm not "handy", and it's not my dream. More of a meditation and personal exploration. I don't have the skills for lock inletting or flash hole drilling.

When I was a teen I built a cheap percussion pistol from a kit. We somehow found it, decades and many moves later. Rusted, and not working. I can see where I took off wood with too much enthusiasm. I enjoyed the process, though. It was my handiwork. As a slightly older teen I used to walk around the local gun shop and dream. There was an old gray metal 1911 sort of thing in one lower cabinet; it was cheaper and that got my attention. They said it was a "Sistema", an Argentine copy of the 1911. It was closer in cost to the "not much" that I had, but even then it was beyond my funds.

A few decades later I got the itch to work on 1911s. Like I said, I'm not handy and don't have great mechanical skills. The 1911 is simple enough that I can understand most of it, and I found a couple Sistema's rusting away in a different gun shop. Brought them home, stripped them down, and started to learn. Found some wise people to mentor my poor skills, and rebuilt the first one for USPSA competition. I'm as lousy a shooter as I am a gunsmith, but it was nice to shoot a gun I rebuilt.

It was double nice; if the serial number chart I found on the internet is correct then that 1911 was coming out of the factory when my mom was pregnant with me. We're both old and gray, but can still shoot.

I currently shoot a Traditions Deerhunter in .50 caliber flintlock. Would like to shoot something I built, and a little less modern. As far as I can tell that rifle outshoots me.

You are exacty who I used to be.

Not being handy is not a life sentence. Skills and aptitudes can be learned. You've already demonstrated the interest; skills can be learned and developed.

You don't need a kit, you need a mentor, imho. Someone with the heart of a teacher. Find someone nearby who can coach you through each process.

 

[Capnball]

IMO, for what you're asking, a Traditions kit is going to be your best bet. Theyre low end muzzle loaders, but they shoot. Their kits are more like sand a little, maybe shave a tiny bit of wood from the lock mortice, stain, brown or blue barrel and assemble. Most of the inletting is already done for the builder. The fit and finish on there guns isn't great but in the end you will have a decent gun to take to the range or to hunt with

These kits can be assembled in a weekend, and are perfect for beginners.

I bought one of Traditions Frontier flintlock kits for my grandson when he wanted to try muzzle loading. He wanted to build so I got the kit as an easy intro into building. We had it built and shooting in one week, and that was because we took our time.

Exactly right! But I gotta tell you, it's a great way to get your feet wet in muzzleloaders. One of my best friends built a traditions kit back in like the 80s. He did an ok job, the gun worked great. He had to replace a part that was worn and thought it was a good time to refinish the stock. Man when he tore into that gun the second time he didn't miss anything. I mean absolutely beautiful job. Engraved both the metal work and the wood. Did a killer BLO finish with hand rubbed beeswax and added a matching handmade sling, beaver tail possibles bag and powder horn. Really one of the nicest (low end) gun kit rebuilds I've ever seen.
Sounds like a good thread to start. ( "Show us your first gun build" good, bad, ugly or pretty. Could be interesting.

 

[MountainSmoke]

Mid South Shooters Supply has some of the best prices I've seen for the GPR. I think the percussion kit is around $ 475. That's one of the better production guns that you can buy.

 

[87TT]

You could build one of those cheaper kits, but what will you learn? You say you already have the parts for a great rifle so build it. Get the books, watch the videos. Just take your time. What's the worst that could happen? Maybe mess up a stock. A good pre carve in a lower grade isn't that much so you can start over after you learn. Any gunsmith can help with the drilling if that is something that would hold you back. If you have questions, folks here with step up. Just looks at the answers you got to this thread. Just don't rush it and you CAN do it.

 

[Boatncamp]

I posted earlier about customizing a Traditions Kentucky flintlock kit that I picked up for $200 because it has been 40 years since I assembled a kit gun and now that I am retired I want to build a 1st model Brown Bess and need to practice many of the skills that are needed. I will add inlays to the Traditions kit, patch box and others to practice those skills. If I mess up, it does not much matter. I also picked up a couple of years ago a CVA Hawkens rifle that is in need of refinishing. Got that for just $100 so that is another project for this fall and another item to practice on without breaking the bank and ruining an expensive investment.
If your budget allows, I am all for practicing on less expensive items so that when you invest in the higher end kit, you end up with something to be proud of.
As I look at the two kits that I assembled in the mid "70s it really shows that I knew very little, did not take my time and just put them together.
The CVA Colonial pistol kit that I gave my father for a present shows his skill and patience.
If you don't feel confident in starting with a higher end kit then don't. As with everything, practice makes us better.

Woody

 

[Sidney Smith]

Here's another way to look at it;
Start with a cheap kit. When youre done, if it passes the ten foot test, you did ok. Your next kit may be a Lyman. Since you practiced on the first kit, this one will probably pass the five foot test. Then get a Kibler. By this time your skills should allow your build to pass the one foot test.

 

[Bob McBride]

I would say “anyone can do it”, but a few years ago my mother-in-law called me all bent out of shape because she bought all new plug/switch plates for her house and my father-in-law cracked the first 4-5 of them by over tightening them before she saw what he was doing and called a screeching halt to the operation. I went over and finished up. He can’t carry a loaf of bread from the car to the kitchen without smashing it or leaving a trail of bread slices down the sidewalk....

 

[Capnball]

I would say “anyone can do it”, but a few years ago my mother-in-law called me all bent out of shape because she bought all new plug/switch plates for her house and my father-in-law cracked the first 4-5 of them by over tightening them before she saw what he was doing and called a screeching halt to the operation. I went over and finished up. He can’t carry a loaf of bread from the car to the kitchen without smashing it or leaving a trail of bread slices down the sidewalk....

Lol, my dad used to.butcher anything my mom tried to get him to do. Mowed over rose bushes, put hammer holes in the wall trying to hang paintings. Painted carpet and trim work when he painted. Eventually my mom stopped asking him to do anything. He'd come home, sit in his recliner, smoke a cigar and drink a beer. Oh BTW, my dad was a pattern setter and mechanic on both comercial knitting machines and embroidery machines. Some of the most intricate machines you've ever seen. Did that for almost 40 years but couldn't drive a nail? Couldn't tell the difference between a rose bush and the grass? He was sly like a fox I think.

 

[Bob McBride]

Lol, my dad used to.butcher anything my mom tried to get him to do. Mowed over rose bushes, put hammer holes in the wall trying to hang paintings. Painted carpet and trim work when he painted. Eventually my mom stopped asking him to do anything. He'd come home, sit in his recliner, smoke a cigar and drink a beer. Oh BTW, my dad was a pattern setter and mechanic on both comercial knitting machines and embroidery machines. Some of the most intricate machines you've ever seen. Did that for almost 40 years but couldn't drive a nail? Couldn't tell the difference between a rose bush and the grass? He was sly like a fox I think.

Honestly, I suspect my father-in-law of similar hijinks. I think they all figure since I'm the handy one in the family, why rock the boat....

 

[rafterob]

Sounds like you already have the parts? If so, have confidence in your ability to turn them into the final product. As Zonie says, utilize the resources available. Lot's of good advice to be had right here on the builder's bench. Best advice I gleaned was to take it slow and stop, set it aside if getting frustrated. Get a good night's rest and start again fresh. None of the skills are too difficult but having good tools makes a big difference. You can do it!

 

[87TT]

Say you buy a cheap kit. And it costs $300 (probably more retail). A good pre carve stock is around $160 or so. If you mess it up, you can buy another. If you mess up the cheap kit, you will have problems finding just a stock so it's a pile of junk. Your "Great" rifle parts are still usable.

 

[ThreeCrows]

Search for duelist1954 for his videos on building the Lyman GPR and Jim Kibler has videos on building his kits on utube as well. These will give you a good idea of what is involved with each. I ran across other kit building videos but can't remember just what they were.

ThreeCrows

 

[Lbrown]

I've built a couple of Pedersoli rifles and can recommend them, if you want a middle of the road option. They required only minor wood shaping (rasp, sand, scraper), finishing and polishing of brass hardware. I got both from Dixie Gun Works. Best of luck, whichever you choose.

 

[bisleyjohn]

I've looked at Jim Kibler's kits and even considered trying to make one of the summer classes. The reality is that I'm not "handy", and it's not my dream. More of a meditation and personal exploration. I don't have the skills for lock inletting or flash hole drilling.

When I was a teen I built a cheap percussion pistol from a kit. We somehow found it, decades and many moves later. Rusted, and not working. I can see where I took off wood with too much enthusiasm. I enjoyed the process, though. It was my handiwork. As a slightly older teen I used to walk around the local gun shop and dream. There was an old gray metal 1911 sort of thing in one lower cabinet; it was cheaper and that got my attention. They said it was a "Sistema", an Argentine copy of the 1911. It was closer in cost to the "not much" that I had, but even then it was beyond my funds.

A few decades later I got the itch to work on 1911s. Like I said, I'm not handy and don't have great mechanical skills. The 1911 is simple enough that I can understand most of it, and I found a couple Sistema's rusting away in a different gun shop. Brought them home, stripped them down, and started to learn. Found some wise people to mentor my poor skills, and rebuilt the first one for USPSA competition. I'm as lousy a shooter as I am a gunsmith, but it was nice to shoot a gun I rebuilt.

It was double nice; if the serial number chart I found on the internet is correct then that 1911 was coming out of the factory when my mom was pregnant with me. We're both old and gray, but can still shoot.

I currently shoot a Traditions Deerhunter in .50 caliber flintlock. Would like to shoot something I built, and a little less modern. As far as I can tell that rifle outshoots me.

Don’t sell yourself short. Sharp tools, patience, perseverance and the will to succeed are all you need. The skills will come and, if you get stuck there are forums like this and youtube videos to use as a guide. Just take your time. I’m untrained having been a Royal Navy sailor all my life but I built a Rifle Shoppe Baker. It wasn’t easy for me but when it goes fizz-bang —— boy what pleasure it gives me! Just do it, let us know how you get on. Oh, and best of luck, enjoy

 

[TexiKan]

Back in the late '70's, after having lost my money to a Florida rifle builder who never produced, I decided to try my hand at a kit gun. The new Sharon Hawkens were coming out and the reviews looked good. However, the finished gun were costlier than I expected. A local gun dealer ordered a Sharon kit for me. When it arrived, I was expecting it to be somewhat like the CVA kits I had seen. No way! Far more work was required and for one who had never built a rifle, it took me a long time to finish it. It was slow and tedious work and I asked for help from a few friends. I tell people I spent more money on tools than what I could have done for the finished rifle. Ha! Anyway, I was am still proud of it, even though I cussed it while working on it. And yes, it is my regular, go to rifle.

 

[Capnball]

I've built a couple of Pedersoli rifles and can recommend them, if you want a middle of the road option. They required only minor wood shaping (rasp, sand, scraper), finishing and polishing of brass hardware. I got both from Dixie Gun Works. Best of luck, whichever you choose.

I have a Pedersoli flintlock. I love it! Shoots straight and rock solid. It's technically my son's gun but we both shoot it and a couple other guns together. I watched a factory tour if the Pedersoli factory on YouTube. They're as traditionally and technically advanced a company as anything else out there. If you're getting a kit from Pedersoli, you're going to be ok!

 

[rp77469]

Bill Raby, a member of this board, has posted extensive video of some of his builds on youtube. His most recent is the "Lancaster Flintlock Rifle Build, Haines". It is over 30 hours of video in 68 parts. With that much time there is plenty of explanation of technique, be patient, how to do it, how not to do it, be patient, how to fix it if you did it wrong, be patient, don't get in a hurry, etc. I have viewed most of the episodes, and liked them enough to d/l them, along with his Tennessee rifle build. There are a couple episodes he spends some time talking about tools and sharpening. The price is right on these. I find them interesting and educational and well worth the time to view them.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBU_q5noQX2uBSQqQ3ITN1EOt6yr2Yx2v

 

[GANGGREEN]

I think Bill Raby's videos are great. You need to have a lot of time on your hands to watch them in their entirety, but you can always fast forward through the stuff that you "get". The editorial/cinematography may not be professional level, but I think he does the best job of explaining each individual detail.

 

[sawyer04]

Built a Traditions 45 caliber two years ago for a young lady. It was a flinter but I didn't like the lock, it worked, I had an old lock on the shelf of unknown origin. In years past with good eyes and steady I had replaced the main spring. Installing that lock made that little rifle a shooter of quality.