Kentucky kit (first)

[BlackNet]

Hello,

Just found this forum and I was hoping to get some input on the kit I just put together. It's a 54 caliber kentucky pistol.

This is durring work, was working with the brass doing a semi polish job but trying hard not to make it look to good. I was trying to keep in mind how the original ones looked.

Here is a completed image. The patch knife I made myself, mistakes and all.

Here's another finished shot, bought the pullers from dixie along with all the brass in the photo above.

I am most impressed with the color of the lock.

The biggest problem I ran into was putting the sights on. I managed to scuff the barrel with the punch, should have been more careful.

I am tempted to strip the blue and put this brown stuff on to see how that would work. Before it's over with I may just do that.

any suggestions on what I could/should do differently?

Ed

 

Here's mine, I did a few things differently than you did:

I polished all of the brass and the steel muzzle cap, and put three brass inlays in the gun:

Yours looks great! I love the color of the wood... did you stain it? I didn't stain mine, just sealed it with tung oil then finished it with BC Tru-Oil.

 

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Both are very nice pistols !!!
there is something so nice about a flinter....even nicer when ya take em out to shoot...

*** WV SCROUNGER ***

 

[BlackNet]

Hello,

I wetsanded with 600 grit and minwax #208 natural sealer. Then I added about 3-4 drops of chestnut ridge military stock stain in some tung oil. Despite the bottle saying 'dark walnut stain with a hint of red' is misleading, it's highly red and gives it that springfield arsenal color. After that I used some tru oil then alot of gunstock wax. I choose not to fill in the grain.

Over time a standard tung oil/BLO finish WILL have a color shift towards a redish brown due to oxidation of oils.

I did polish the brass but left some blemishes, I was almost tempted to use brass black but decided not to.

The thimble i was somewhat skeptical on polishing that. It did seem fine the way it was so I just left it.

I took it to an instructor I know and he said this was one of the best kits he has seen to date, noted the flash hole was in perfect alignment with the pan.

Ed

 

Yeah, I didn't go bananas on the brass either, just shined it up good. There are still some scratches and stuff here and there, but it looks fine. I hand-sanded the muzzle cap with 220-grit... man, that was loads of fun... NOT. It took forever, but I'm happy with how it turned out.

It is a nice kit. The only thing I do not like about it is the trigger... there's a buttload of slack in it, and it's very heavy. Funny though, it still shoots great regardless. I agree, the flash is in perfect alignment with the pan, and after the first couple of shots, mine started firing so fast you couldn't tell it was a flintlock. I haven't drilled out the vent or anything... it's as it came in the box.

 

[BlackNet]

That's the other thing, the trigger. I was looking at it wondering what I could do to adjust the pull, looks like it will need to be a spring change out for that to work.

Ed