How many muzzleloaders have you built

[64Springer]

One antique 20ga scratch build.

One Frankenstuffer .45 rifle/16ga scratch build.

One .44 cap n ball kit.

Half a dozen or more new Traditions pistol and rifle kits.

Four Traditions/Jukar/Ardesa Kentuckyish rifle rebuilds.

The rebuilds are by far my favorite pieces because it took a lot of creativity to make them serviceable again.


PS: Great thread idea. Unless of course the OP is a federal plant sent here to find out how many black powder guns are floating around.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Out of my nearly 400, I haven't had a muzzleloader to shoot in 25 years.

 

[mushka]

One TC kit in 1987.

 

[godutch]

Roughly 25. 1 Caywood kit, probably 4 Rifle Shoppe sets, and the rest off my own patterns, plus a few 'assists' for friends.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

Started in the late 70's with a CVA Mountain Rifle kit, Everything since has been custom builds. Made all my own and built some for others. Lost count somewhere along the years but had as many as a dozen at one time. realized I was only shooting two of them so figured it was time to re-home the others. Some I sold others I gave to Grand sons and great nephews. Now I am trying to use all the parts I have collected over the years before I die. Some of those parts have been sitting in the workshop for 30 years, I have a Douglas barrel that has never been in a rifle. What I build now I donate to the group I ride with to help raise money for our Christmas for Kids fund.

 

[ed dillon]

I'm pretty new to the muzzle loading world. I built my first kit thinking I wanted a nice long rifle for my collection. But I enjoyed the process so much, I've started my second kit, ordered my third kit, and have an antique fowler in need of restoration on the way. I'd like to get my skills honed a bit and then try a scratch build. It feels like I could have found a lifelong hobby. Then of course the nagging question of "just how many flintlocks does a man need?" starts to creep in.

Just curious how many muzzle loaders have you hobbyist builders have made? For the non-professionals among you...do you keep all your pieces? Sell or give some away? Have a large collection after many decades at it?

I've been building since 79 and lost count. Probably over 150. I'm 77 now and haven't been building for a few years. I lost patience was rushing and getting sloppy. I was always under the belief that the person with the most muzzle loader get into heaven first. You can never have to many. Ed

 

[reddogge]

I started in 1977 with two kits, a rifle fashioned with new hardware on a Fajen stock, 3 pre-carved stock rifles, one plank smoothbore, one plank rifle, and one rifle finished up my dad had started and not finished in 1978. This is sandwiched in with bass fishing, archery, golf, and decoy carving hobbies. Kind of a busy lifestyle.

I built one of those for my son, sold the one T/Ckit, and built the rifle on the Fajen stock for my BIL. The rest I still have.

 

[Rob M.]

Only 4 "scratch-built" longrifles. 2 kits. Up-coming winter project is to "scratch-build" a pistol.

Ah ! Youll love the pistol scratch build ! You can make or have the barrel made easily if you want ..D.O.M. Tubing with .625 I.D. is pretty easy to find these days . Then turn it , or have it turned to a taper and breech it . Its really cool to have made almost all the parts of a firearm , more parts the better , Gusler style ! LOL !

 

[64Springer]

Ah ! Youll love the pistol scratch build ! You can make or have the barrel made easily if you want ..D.O.M. Tubing with .625 I.D. is pretty easy to find these days . Then turn it , or have it turned to a taper and breech it . Its really cool to have made almost all the parts of a firearm , more parts the better , Gusler style ! LOL !

Using 4130 DOM to make a Kentucky Pirate flintlock pistol.

1 inch OD x .625 ID x 10 inches long.

1 inch breech. 1 inch muzzle. Swamped in the middle with a .100 wall thickness.

TOTW curly maple Kentucky stock.

 

[Mgbruch]

Assembled three kits many years ago. After that, two from a pre-carve; the second being re-do of the first. More recently, eleven from a blank. All flintlocks; and I do all the work. Most now are iron mounted Southern Mountain rifles. I make all of the iron furniture, and my own double set triggers. I sell them these days, and have three I've kept over the years. Two rifles; a .50 and a .58. And a 24 gauge trade gun.

 

[Cruzatte]

Just curious how many muzzle loaders have you hobbyist builders have made? For the non-professionals among you...do you keep all your pieces? Sell or give some away? Have a large collection after many decades at it?

Two.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Out of my nearly 400, I haven't had a muzzleloader to shoot in 25 years.

Who's falult is that????? I think you need to squeeze in one for yourself. Try some shooting, it is a hoot!
Larry

 

[mikesto44]

Put together just about every kit on the market from the 70s to now. Including three Kiblers. But I don't call that building in no way shape or form.
Built 26 guns from scratch except for the locks and barrels or the brass cast trigger guards and butt plates. Recently I started making trade guns. Have four to do and two pistols.
The gun making is for winter and honey do work for summer. LOL...! no pro builder by a long shot, but they all make meat...

 

[Dale Lilly]

None and some. None: scratch .... 10-15 kits. Several rebuilds/restorations. Too many other things to work on like restoring/building thirty sailboats, sailing 'em and fishing. I did find time to work every once in a while, Polecat

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Who's falult is that????? I think you need to squeeze in one for yourself. Try some shooting, it is a hoot!
Larry

I shoot 3 or 4 days a week, just not muzzle loaders.

 

[Norman Brooks]

Out of my nearly 400, I haven't had a muzzleloader to shoot in 25 years.

Dang, Mike. That sounds like an auto mechanic that never has time to work on their own vehicles.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Out of my nearly 400, I haven't had a muzzleloader to shoot in 25 years.

Hopefully one of the two you are building now (or soon) will be yours to keep. It’s not right that you don’t have one of your own.

 

[tnlonghunter]

Just two, both precarve sets. As much as I love woodworking and tinkering, I just didn't enjoy rifle building as much as I hoped I would. I may do a Kibler SMR or plain WR, but I don't see any more part sets in my future.

 

[Kmcmichael]

5

 

[gray fox]

Three flintlock rifles for my target shooting.

Not exactly what you are asking about but 325 (actual count) all wood working replica muskets for a local historic pioneer village military and sale in their general store.

Ken.