Hello everyone

[Justin Watson]

I want a smooth rifle for my first gun because of the versatility of shot and round ball.

How should I start? Should I get a kit? (Seems cheaper) or find one already built?

If building one what tools do you use? Could you post a list? Seems like some people use a lot of tools and some use less...

If finding a built one, Where or who is a good place to look for guns (website, stores, etc)?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Hey Justin, Welcome

So I moved this over to smoothbore since that's what you're ultimately looking to get.

Now I'm going to suggest what I would do. There are several things that can be done to meet your needs. You didn't mention any particular style nor historic era, so I'm going with you simply want a black powder long gun, for targets and hunting, being very versatile, and ALSO not being too hard on the beginning budget. The following is only one method. Other folks will suggest other ways, and if you narrow down what you're wanting I'm sure there will be more detailed answers and options

So I'd look to find a good looking rifle, be it a full stock or half stocked "plains style" rifle. In fact you are likely to find such in a plains style simply because of CVA, Leman, and Thompson Center making so many of them. Find a used one with a bore damaged by improper care. Likely not able to shoot a round ball well because of the rust, BUT that should bring down the price of the used rifle. The lock working right is the main thing in this first scenario.

THEN what you do after getting the rifle, you send out the barrel to a fellow named Bobby Hoyt, who will ream-out the barrel to a bit larger caliber, removing the damaged portion of the barrel, and returning to you a newly made "smooth" rifle barrel. Voila! You are now ready to shoot. Flint or Percussion is your choice.

Typically, folks have old rifles with "roached" barrels reamed out to the next popular caliber so a .45 becomes a .50, and .50 becomes a .54/.55 (.550 is 28 gauge), a .54 becomes a .58.

LD

 

[Grenadier1758]

I want a smooth rifle for my first gun because of the versatility of shot and round ball.

How should I start? Should I get a kit? (Seems cheaper) or find one already built?

If building one what tools do you use? Could you post a list? Seems like some people use a lot of tools and some use less...

If finding a built one, Where or who is a good place to look for guns (website, stores, etc)?

You didn't mention your budget although you did express that getting a kit would be cheaper. Do you want the lock to be percussion or a flint lock? First gun, probably percussion. Then follow @Loyalist Dave's suggestions.

Look through the Forum's Classified ads for a selection of suitable guns.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I’ll add, finding a rifle with a bad bore and having it bored out by Bobby Hoyt is likely to be cheaper than buying a new kit with a smooth bore. I bought a cheap Thompson Center Renegade at an antique/thrift shop several years ago with having it bored smooth in mind. It appeared to have a roaches barrel and my plan was to have it bored out. Fortunately/unfortunately the barrel cleaned up quite well and I can’t bring myself to have it bored out.

 

[2 shots]

welcome

 

[Rob M.]

I want a smooth rifle for my first gun because of the versatility of shot and round ball.

How should I start? Should I get a kit? (Seems cheaper) or find one already built?

If building one what tools do you use? Could you post a list? Seems like some people use a lot of tools and some use less...

If finding a built one, Where or who is a good place to look for guns (website, stores, etc)?

If yer interested ... I have a building manual I can send ya . Its for building N.W. trade guns , a smooth bore ( basically a shotgun ) but it can help you with building techniques , tools needed , etc . whether to many to build a N.W. trade gun , smooth rifle , fowler ....whatever . I'm enamored with N.W. trade guns , its all I build , and the manual really helped me get started building . My other suggestion ... Go to the library and check out Hershel House's great VDO " Making the Kentucky long rifle " 1991 ... It helped me a lot as well . Later if you like it and need it you can buy a copy , I did ! LOL ... Any who ... If you want a copy of the build manual just send me an email to send it to ya ....You can go kit or scratch build ... . Best of luck to ya .

 

[Rob M.]

Oh yeah .... Keep checking the " For Sale " ads on here , Gunbroker , Track of the Wolf .... Ya never know ! Ive seen some really good deals on some nice guns ! Those good deals dont last long so ....keep checking and when ya see what ya want .... Grab it quick ! LOL ...you can always build one later ! ... Best of luck to ya

 

[Ponderosaman]

A lot of folks around here call a smoothbore a fowler.

 

[Brokennock]

Wouldn't call it a fowler, or a fowling piece, if the man wants a smoothrifle.

 

[LSLibelo]

Welcome from California.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

So Brokennock threw out the term 'smoothrifle'. There are both smoothbored guns and smoothrifles. The difference is the smoothrifle is a smoothbored gun with rifle sights: a rear notched sight and a front sight. A regular smoothrifle has only a front sight. For me, I never could hit anything having just a front sight. My shots were all over the target without a rear reference point. I ended up buying a Jim Chambers smoothrifle already built in .54 caliber/28 gauge. That worked better for me.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[roundballman]

I have a Kibler Colonial in 58 smoothbore. I love it!
If you decide to build a kit, it is easy and first class.

 

[dracer]

welcome to the forum

 

[Brokennock]

So Brokennock threw out the term 'smoothrifle'. There are both smoothbored guns and smoothrifles. The difference is the smoothrifle is a smoothbored gun with rifle sights: a rear notched sight and a front sight. A regular smoothrifle has only a front sight. For me, I never could hit anything having just a front sight. My shots were all over the target without a rear reference point. I ended up buying a Jim Chambers smoothrifle already built in .54 caliber/28 gauge. That worked better for me.
Ohio Rusty ><>

Hey! Don't blame me
Thats what the poster stated in the OP....

I want a smooth rifle

Very 1st line.



But yes. A smoothrifle has all the normal attributes of a riflegun, same furniture and stock architecture, rear sight, maybe even a patchbox,,,, but no rifling in the bore. Fantastic for deer with a roundball, and squirrels, turkeys, sitting rabbits and other small game one might take with shot but the shooting style is more
rifle-like. I have taken a couple pheasant on the wing with mine, but a fowling piece properly balanced and fitted is better for "shooting flying."