Kentucky kit

[tractorholic]

Yesterday I finally bought myself my first muzzle loader. I bought a Traditions Performance Firearms Kentucky Rifle kit in .50 caliber. We were at Cabela's when I bought it. did I do OK?
It's my first muzzle loader, and I can hardly wait to finish it and go shooting. While finishing it I need to get hold of some information on using it, and how to care for it. The ready to go rifles are beautiful, but I can't afford those at the moment. I love the full length stock, and beautiful wood. Just makes my ol heart sing. I've wanted one for so many years it's not funny.
While at Cabela's I was pleasantly surprised to find Kentucky pistol kits also available. I remember when they were under 30 bucks for the kit. Now to pick up one and have a matched pair.
:v

 

[blacksmithman64]

welcome to the forum bluefeather! Traditions makes a good product. I bought my girlfriend a half stock .50 flintlock deerhunter and it shoots better than my Golden Age custom! :cursing: :haha:

 

[Kentuckywindage]

its an excellent rifle!!

 

[Zonie]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM bluefeather!
Actually, I think you will end up with a nicer looking, better made rifle from your kit than you would have if you had bought the factory made gun.

You need to go to our Gun Builders Bench area and look around.
This area of the forum has some of the best builders in the world contributing to it and no question is too small or too "dumb" to ask.
This area was set up to help people just like you as well as the people who are building more advanced "kits".
If you have ANY questions about building your kit just post them there and you will get some of the best answers that are available.

 

[BadHeart]

Welcome, I built one of these a few years back and I wish that I had known about this forum and all of the knowledge here when I was doing mine. It is a pretty straight forward assembly. Take your time and it will turn out fine. And since no one has said it. We want pictures of it when finished.

 

[mykeal]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM bluefeather!
Actually, I think you will end up with a nicer looking, better made rifle from your kit than you would have if you had bought the factory made gun.

You need to go to our Gun Builders Bench area and look around.
This area of the forum has some of the best builders in the world contributing to it and no question is too small or too "dumb" to ask.
This area was set up to help people just like you as well as the people who are building more advanced "kits".
If you have ANY questions about building your kit just post them there and you will get some of the best answers that are available.

Mr. Zonie is absolutely on the mark - advice worth repeating. With patience and the sound guidance of the forum's experienced experts you will certainly have a fine gun.

 

[MSW]

welcome to the forum- the best available... honest without being overly diplomatic sometimes, but you can always count on the advice you get here.

several years ago, i bought a kit... well, it's just a kit, and i'll probably just take it out a few time a year, and it's sort of interesting, but this muzzle loading business won't interfere with my centerfire shooting... yea, right... haven't seated a primer in almost half a decade... too busy shooting real rifles.

so, if you're like a lot of us, this won't be your last kit, and building them's almost as much fun as shooting them (just one guy's opinion), so you may want to get a few good building books: i recommend Peter Alexander's The Gunsmith of Grenville County as a good starting point- it's kind of pricey, but more than worth it in parts you don't ruin, and tasks you don't have to repeat.

good luck- don't be shy about posting photos!

 

[tractorholic]

Thanks for the help and advice guys, this is just what I was looking for and hoping to find. Pictures will follow when it's finished. It's nice to hear that it's a fine gun and kit. I love working with wood, and love building things with my hands so this is one I'm looking forward to doing. Thanks again guys.

 

[Musketeer]

Good luck on that kit. Keep us posted as you go. :thumbsup: I need to get back over to Cabela's and pick some stuff up. I went when the Glendale store first opened, but it's waaaayyy over on the other side of the Valley, so it's sort of an all day affair going to and back. I'd like to check out those kits for myself. I was too busy fondling muskets on my first trip there to notice much else. :haha:

One thing I wonder about the Traditions Kentucky, though, is how the front part of the two-piece fullstock is attached. It looks like it fits into a socket at the end near the lock, but how does it attach to the barrel? Are there screws going through to the bottom of the barrel, or into nuts doevetailed to the bottom, or is it pinned, etc.? :hmm:

 

[Kentuckywindage]

nose cap screws + the stock is pinned with 2 pins.

 

[Musketeer]

Thanks, Kentuck. :hatsoff:

 

[tractorholic]

Hi Blunderbus;

The barrel is attached in the rear to the stock via a bolt that goes thru the trigger piece upwards and screws into the tang on the rear of the barrel, then the front piece of the stock is held in place with two machine screws that hold the brass underbarrel end piece and screws go thru that piece into holes machined into the lower barrel. I'll find out how it works as soon as I finish browning the barrel. Put on the first coat a while ago.

 

[Mulebrain]

The only way you could have done better, was to buy it at Bass Pro six months ago for 179.00 :grin:

Congrats on that first one! I think that rifle is a good starting point!

I have two of them, and they are tack drivers! Some of the best shooting guns I have!

 

[DEVERS]

Are you shooting 490 round ball and patch or sabot?

Pyrodex or GOEX?