Smoothbore Kit

[kawaker900]

First question and many more to come!
Great site! Many knowledgable members :thumbsup:

I'm looking for a smoothbore kit, not exactly sure of what type. I do like the Fusil Type C. Could anyone give me some websites to look into?

 

[Le Grand]

CardSplitter, Take a look at www.northstarwest.com and then www.avsia.com/tvm/ for Northwest Guns, Chief's Grades, and Fowlers. That should get you started. Le Grand

 

[blacksmithman64]

Hey cardsplitter, also check out the Mold and Gun Shop down around Jackson, Ohio. Don't know if they have a website, but they do have nice kits with options and good prices :thumbsup: Mebbe somebody on here knows their address, I lost it :shake:

 

[howdydoit]

try sitting fox. nice fusil there as well as many others.

 

[No Deer]

Yes, I agree, Sitting Fox, that is where I got mine (although not as a kit, he built it for me).
[url] http://www.sittingfoxmuzzleloaders.com/intro.html[/url]

 

[Tommy Bruce]

The address to mold and gun shop is
6493 State Route 139
Jackson Ohio 45640

The phone number is 740-286-2743. Larry doesn't have a website but give him a call. He's a good man to do business with and will send you a catalog.

 

You might also check out Caywood and Track of the Wolf.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Chambers would seem the obvious choice to me. I'm building one of his officers fusils at the moment.
http://www.flintlocks.com/

 

[Frank/Pa]

I agree with Mike. Go with Chambers. Quality parts and all the hard work is done.

 

[kawaker900]

No Deer - Do you have a picture of your gun to post. I went on sitting fox and could not tell too much from the drawings of the kits!

 

[No Deer]

Not at the moment. I will try to take a good one and get that posted.

 

[BillinOregon]

Cardsplitter: I just ordered a Tulle fusil de chasse kit with 98 percent inletted plain maple stock (that was my choice -- could have had walnut for more) for about $569 shipped to me from Pecatonica.[url] http://www.longrifles-pr.com/tulle.shtml[/url]
These guys supply the stocks for other sellers such as Track of the Wolf ...

 

[blacksmithman64]

Thanks Tommy Bruce! Seein as thats where my next guns coming from! :redface: :haha:

 

[tg]

If authenticity is a factor for you most fall short with the French guns, but they can be had of modified if you wish to take the time, or possibly ask the builder to build to your specs, your own research wil be needed as left to their own many suppliers will stretch what they have into the history books.

 

[BillinOregon]

TG is right about many of the French guns. Maple is wrong, the lock is not quite right, the sideplate isn't either, etc. I wanted something that would just give a sense of the fusil de chasse design and its handling and performance for a price that fit my budget and a kit that fit my admittedly pathetic skill level. Will I feel a LOT better about taking the Pecatonica Tulle hunting instead of say, a Lyman GPR? Oh yeah, baby.

 

[tg]

I am sure the gun will serve you well Bill, i thibk that lock is pretty close for a later Fusil just not as good for a 1720 one, a plain maple choice was a good one, the really fancy maple stocks are what scream out of place to me, many use the maple as a restock effect, have fun when you get it shooting.

 

[Okwaho]

TG is right about many of the French guns. Maple is wrong, the lock is not quite right, the sideplate isn't either, etc. I wanted something that would just give a sense of the fusil de chasse design and its handling and performance for a price that fit my budget and a kit that fit my admittedly pathetic skill level. Will I feel a LOT better about taking the Pecatonica Tulle hunting instead of say, a Lyman GPR? Oh yeah, baby.

Bill,you're OK here. TG is right about the plain maple.I did an early French gun in maple for that exact reason. On your gun the only feature I would change is that sideplate.The only published example is an archaelogical specimen found on the only known left handed fusil yet found {T.M. Hamilton,"Frontier Colonial Guns" P.60}.I do,however, know of a Buccaneer with that same sideplate but I just think it looks out of place on a Fusil de chasse.I would saw off the openwork section but that's just me.Otherwise the kit looks pretty good.I would add a little more advice here,though.Try to take off as much wood as you can particularly on the forestock and under the lock and sideplate panels.Look at the closeups of the fusils shown by Hamilton and don't sand to the point of looking like glass.Thse guns were scraped not sanded and shouldn't have a glassy look.
Tom Patton

 

[kawaker900]

TG I'm not worried about the authenticity. I really like the shape of the Fusil, also I prefer the maple over the walnut. I guess I'll have some explaining to do at the shoots! Thanks for the advice.

 

[tg]

I am sure you will love the gun, they handle as well as any I have ever used and your decisions about the type of wood and level of authenticity are yours and yours alone and the important thing is that they are imformed decisions, often folks make the choices thinking one thing then finding out different later which can be a bummer,that is the only reason I bring up the PC factor, what anyone does or doesn't do with it is driven by their own preferences, enjoy, the hardest part is the waiting for parts, and do think about Toms advice on the finish, I think these look better not as finely finished and sanded as a deluxe mdl 700, and with a brite or aged a bit barrel they are very attractive, browning while not PC also does not offer a nice contrast twixt stock and barrel/furniture which adds to the look of these guns IMHO.

 

[Okwaho]

Bill,my gun,even with a maple stock,looks like an old restock which is what I wanted.With a very plain piece of maple,the stock scraped, and a very dark finish the gun looks much older than it really is.I wanted my gun to look about 50 years old which I thought appropriate for a 71{then}year old Indian to have owned for some 50 years when doing F&I and earlier events.
Tom Patton