First rifle kit

[Gillgrabber]

My 16 year old son has expressed an interest in building a rifle, but neither of us have done it before. Sounds like it would be a great project to do together. Can anyone recommend a good kit for first time rifle builders which could later be used for deer hunting? I suspect there's a lot more expertise in this forum than I can find at the local sporting goods store. Thanks in advance!

 

[jderrick]

Well, I'm not sure how much expertise I have to give, but I can at least let you learn from my mistakes....

I just finished up a Traditions flintlock Kentucky Rifle. On my blog at[url] jderrickstar.blogspot.com[/url] I've got columns written about it, photos, a link to video of me firing it the first time this past weekend.... just scroll on down.

I found it a good kit to start with. Maybe not museum quality, maybe not historically precise, but it all went together with a minimum of unreasonable hassle, taught me a lot about this sort of thing and has been a lot of fun.

I ordered my second kit last night :grin:

 

[davy]

Well, I'm not sure how much expertise I have to give, but I can at least let you learn from my mistakes....

I just finished up a Traditions flintlock Kentucky Rifle. On my blog at[url] jderrickstar.blogspot.com[/url] I've got columns written about it, photos, a link to video of me firing it the first time this past weekend.... just scroll on down.

I found it a good kit to start with. Maybe not museum quality, maybe not historically precise, but it all went together with a minimum of unreasonable hassle, taught me a lot about this sort of thing and has been a lot of fun.

I ordered my second kit last night :grin:

Well done JD! :thumbsup:

Davy

 

[Roy]

I think my first couple guns were built on the fixing the mistakes I had made... when I was done fixing the mistakes the guns were finished. There are a # of good kits these days hard to point you in a wrong direction, just try to get your hands on one that is already completed so you will have an idea what direction to go in. Have fun!

 

[captgary]

Working on a 54 cal Lyman Great

Plains Rifle. Bought the kit from

D & R sports for $269, Had to buy

a few more files and a ton of emery

cloth, assembly and fitting went pretty

smooth. Im getting ready to finish the

stock and barrel next. I would think

this kit would be a good starter gun

for anyone. A lot of good help on this

site if you run into any problems. :thumbsup:

 

[MikeChapin]

The guys mentioned the Traditions and Lyman kits. Either one would make a good starter kit and both require the about the same amount of work. Years ago I started with the old CVA kits which are about the same as the Traditions kits. I built several of the Kentuckys for my wife and other people and can recommend them. From what I've seen, the Lyman GPR kits need about the same amount of work.

Get the one that you like the best and have fun.

 

[Swampman]

At least the Lyman GPR looks a little bit like an original rifle. If you don't want to spend much it would be the way to go. The percussion would be more historically accurate.

 

[Avio]

The first muzzleloader i got and built was a hawken kit from cabelas. i am not sure how pc it is, but i built it when i was 10. i know Dixie Gun Works has the same basic kit.

 

[54JNoll]

Any of the Traditions, Cabelas, Pedersoli, Lyman, or Thompson Center kits require about the same amount of work. They will build that father son relationship too. I would recommend getting a good set of books. These will help make the project turn out just that much better.

I like Recreating hte American Longrifle by Shumway, and the Gunsmith of Greenville County by Peter Alexander. Both books adress all aspects of gunbuilding from raw materials. Just use what you need based on the level of completeness of the kit. A good book on the Hawking rifle ot other plains style rifles would be useful for that style as well.

 

[CrackStock]

T/C has the best product support policy of anything made today. They are a good company and my first 3 guns were from their percussion gun line. I always mention them out of loyalty to such a great company.

On the other hand, I really like my Lyman GPR in percussion. It looks a lot more like a true plains rifle. There was a bit more trouble in correctly setting the breach into the wood, but you can study this for a while and make an accurate and good looking first gun.

Beware, this is highly addictive, but not harmful.

CS