New Build Kit for a begniner?

[John Kucharski]

I'm sure this question has been asked before,but I can't find it.I've been a woodworker for 40 years,building many projects for home & family that I never made time to build a rifle for myself.I have intermediate metal working skills.Recently I purchased rifle building manuals for reference and direction.
After review,I was looking to build a kit that is rather simple,for lack of a better word, just to get initial experience.I looked @ GPR in flint, for hunting.I see various kits in cabelas in and of course the high end kits.I'm not concerned about paying for a kit as long as it has good quality.
What kit can you recommend for me,that is readily available, good quality and moderate assembly.
I would love to sink my teeth into a Chambers or Pecatonica build, Lancaster or similar but I don't know If they're that advanced.or to what degree they are finished.Any recommendations before I undertake a build I can proudly pass on to my Grandson.
Thanks in advance

 

[Keb]

You say you have 40 years woodworking experience & intermediate metal working skills? You got the books?
I can suggest you get a plank of wood, a hand full of gun parts and start making chips. You won't have to put up with mismatched parts and off location inlays that way.
You get a kit gun and basically all you will do is wood finishing.
Just my 2¢

 

[Vaino]

If what you want to build could become a family heirloom and you do have manual skills, then an excellent choice would be a Chambers' kit. They're historically correct {HC} and have quality components. I've built 3 Chambers' early Lancaster kits and the finished LR, whether ornate or plain, has outstanding architecture and is very pleasing to the eye. Of course Chambers has other styles of "kits" and his website displays rifles of each style. Chambers' parts sets {kits} aren't sand, finish and assemble factory kits which more than likely won't be family heirlooms, but do require a certain amount of skill and know how to complete. The advantage w/ a quality parts set is that the architecture is already determined whereas starting from a blank, the architecture has to be drawn by the builder. This can be difficult for somebody not versed in the various "schools" or styles of LRs. There are other quality parts sets from suppliers such as Dunlap and Pecatonica River just to name a couple....Fred

 

[John Kucharski]

Thanks for your insight.

 

[rich pierce]

Woodworking experience can vary quite a bit and may mean mostly power tools, jointers, planers, bandsaws, dovetail jigs, routers, etc. Here the important skills for finishing kits are working with chisels, rasps, scrapers and hand-modeled surfaces. These may or may not be in your wheelhouse. Inletting may be a whole new game. Technically a logger could have 40 years of woodworking experience, lol.

 

[Rogue River]

I would start out with a GPR or Cabela's kit to get your feet wet so you would kinda get an idea what a high end parts kit could involve. If you think you are qualified to take on a parts kit by all means do it! Just my opinion.

 

[Paul R]

Huma, Rich Pierce made some good points. If you have some experience with solid wood furniture; cabriole legs, etc., then you are ready to jump right in & have a great time building a really nice gun. That is where I was about 16 mon. ago. I wasn't sure how to go about building, so I had a TC hawken that I restocked. All the parts were there and the old stock gave me a real good pattern for all the internal work. The cost was right, and with a nice cherry short from the shop, I jumped right in. The original external shape wasn't to my liking, so I made some changes. Techniquely, it ended up being a pretty good build, but not so much artisticly. Still, I learned a lot & the next build is turning out better. Both are still TC hawkens, but I've gained a lot of experience, at low cost, for my next build which will use a swamped Rice barrel, a new Ketland lock from Chambers, & a nice maple plank I got from my wood supplier.
All the best to you, whichever route you go. You have one huge advantage over me, you found this site before you started to build.
And, always keep in mind this is supposed to be fun.
Paul

 

[ryzman]

Ya i highly recommend the lyman gpr kit in 54 cal... parts are not too difficult to fit and the more time you spend the better it will turn out... also it would be a good rifle for grandkids as your not shelling out a bucket load of money to make it...
a percussion cap would be more historically correct but a flinter would be fun...
here is a link to my very noobish attempt to build a gpr... GPR Build

 

[dyemaker]

Since you aren't concerned about cost maybe it would be possible to piece it together yourself with help on correct parts etc. It would cost a thousand bucks or so. Shipping might be a problem and the more parts from one place would minimize that. It really depends on exactly what you want. Sometimes you can find "in the white" offerings also. White muzzleloading sometimes has various "in the white" choices. knobmountain muzzleloading is a place I just discovered. A wide variety of stock duplications plus some barrel/inletted stock offerings. It's worth a look as well as gunstockwood.com for a different selection of stocks. You could have a stock inletted for you elsewhere but again that would add cost, shipping charges, and time. Knowing the correct quality parts to use is a big help and you can always ask experienced builders here because this is the right place. That's the beauty of it. I'm not that experienced with building but have researched it well. White muzzleloading sometimes has various "in the white" selections. I hope this makes a little sense. I tried to get my thoughts across but I'm worn out. Sometimes I very make little sense when I'm not.

 

[John Kucharski]

Thank you all for great advice. Im beginning to appreciate your friendliness and dedication from what Im reading.
As Moose pointed out,I'm sure glad I signed on! I can tell you speak from experience, as it is, the best teacher.

I feel confident I can be patient enough to undertake the wood carving, based on my experience working with various grain and compositions of hardwoood types.

With no gunsmithing trade experience, I was a bit more concerned about the metal working craft, particularly,the metallurgy of components in relation to their positioning and the overall safe operation of the firearm itself.

Thank you all again! Learned alot already and I am diligently narrowing my decision.

 

[John Kucharski]

Thanks for directing me to your build. From what I saw you did a nice job! You should be proud. I was concerned that a kit like this would be more of a correction and retrofit type of build. but as you've mentioned and from what I can see the kit was pretty decent quality.

Are Chambers or Pecatonica builds this straight forward?, or are they more demanding?

 

[Black Hand]

Are Chambers... this straight forward?, or are they more demanding?

In my opinion, the Chambers kit was easier/more straight-forward. Can't speak about Pecatonica.

 

[ryzman]

Thanks for directing me to your build. From what I saw you did a nice job! You should be proud. I was concerned that a kit like this would be more of a correction and retrofit type of build. but as you've mentioned and from what I can see the kit was pretty decent quality.

Are Chambers or Pecatonica builds this straight forward?, or are they more demanding?

Huma... Chambers and Pecatonica "kits" are much more demanding but they are the best choice by far for a pre carve. I could probably finish a chambers kit in about 3 months (i think) but some members here are taking years on their projects...

The lyman gpr goes together pretty quickly as the in letting is very very good. the inlet for the lock was perfect and buttplate went together very well after a little fiddling.

its really up to you but i suggest the gpr as your grandson will love it and you could then build a 1200 dollar chambers together after he is hooked on smokepoles...

the time and energy to make a chambers rifle is so much more than the lyman and what if your grandson is not interested?

if the rifle is going to your grandson then the lyman gpr is the perfect starter rifle for him... you give him a 1200 dollar chambers rifle and you might be a bit nervous and regret passing it down to him...

just my $0.2... let us know what you plan to do

 

[John Kucharski]

Ryzman, if you don't mind me asking where can I get a good price on the GPR kit?

 

[ryzman]

I bought mine here in january of this year and paid 383 for it. Im pretty sure they have free shipping... if not i would check around... http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000156031112

They are out of the flinters it looks like...

 

[ryzman]

they have free shipping it looks like....
maybe since you have woodworking skills you should try something more advanced....
the gpr was fun to build but it was not really a challenge...
i just dont know what you should do... i would just hate for you to spend 1000 hours on a rifle that your grandson wont appreciate... maybe its my pessimistic outlook i dont know....
being a teacher and student i see what the new generations are interested in and muzzleloading is not one of them...
best of luck deciding... if you dont go gpr then keep updating us on your ideas k...
ryz

 

The Lymans, TC's, Tradition's. and Cabela's kits are just that, they just need the wood and metal finished, and with minimal fitting they are assembled. They do allow some customization, but they still look like a production gun, and nothing like an original of any type. All but the TC's are made overseas in Italy or Spain. They are kits much like when you saved up your allowance to buy a model car to assemble. Next would be kits like Pecatonica or Track offers. Pre-carved stock, of Native American wood, which is somewhere between 85 to 95 percent inlet, an American made straight barrel, un breached, parts that are probably Silicon Bronze instead of Brass, and an American made lock. The barrel Mortice is not squared, and if the lock mortice is precut, it needs to be installed first, and if you haven't done your homework, the components may not be correct for the style. Next there are parts sets like Dave Keck offers. He has over two hundred profiles since he took over Fred Miller's business. He will give you a perfectly fitted barrel, and ram rod channel, with a pre carve from the lock back, and a squared for arm, which is an aid in building. Dave also pre inlets for a lot of the Pro Builders. Last are parts sets from people like Chambers, or Mike Brooks, where the barrel is a Rice, swamped, with round bottom rifling, and a fitted breach plug, and the barrel channel is drop in ready, with a quality Lock that you will know who assembled. real brass furniture, and someone you can call for support, and warranty, and all American made. Oh, by the way the Chambers Haines kit is on sale $100 off for Christmas. The kits come with an instruction sheet, that may or may not have been written by someone whose first language may not be English. The parts sets have no such instruction, you will probably have to by a book, and rely on forums like this. Buying one of the kits will only help you learn how to , or how not to finish a M/L, and where most of the parts go. A parts set will teach you how to build. A parts set, will cost two to three times more, but will give you more satisfaction.

Bill

 

[John Kucharski]

Thank you for good advice.

 

[John Kucharski]

Im leaning towards the parts kit. and yes I guess I had a sentimental idea about passing somthing nice down to kin. Grandson is young but I'm working on quality time with him, maybe I can build some character in him that will serve others.
Thanks

 

[fosters]

Hey Huma,
The Lyman GPR is a great shooter, I have one in a 50cal. and it will drive tacks. You can't go wrong for a hunting gun I don't think.

Now having said that, currently I am working on my 1st build. It's a Chamber's kit. I have no woodworking skill and no metal working skills. My 1st attempt at anything like this, but with everyone's kind help on this board if I'm not careful I'll have a really nice looking gun an a great shooter to boot!! Chamber's uses really good components from what I know, but I went with them because I do believe you get what you pay for.
There are others out there for sure. Tip Curtis kits get great marks as far as I can see. Mike Brooks does as well, and people give Northstar West high marks also. Also members seem to like Pecatonica as well.
With your background I would feel more than comfortable building any of the above.

My 2 cents
fosters