Started my Kibler Colonial...

[Nazgul58]

Nice!!
My Kibler 58 settled in right at 100 grains for hunting.

Don

 

[Sudsy]

I didn't read the entire thread so this may have been mentioned........
This is an old furniture repair trick that could work well here.
You'll probably be sanding the stock, capture and save some sawdust, add a tiny drop of stain, let it dry, mix it into a paste using a long cure epoxy (more than 20 minutes - the longer the cure the tougher the epoxy). Drill a few small shallow holes to give the epoxy a place to grab onto. Using tape, build a little wall around the area to build up, fill with the paste, pressing it into the holes you drilled. Let dry and shave to shape and to remove the tape residue.
If done right it's invisible.

 

[Shadowalker164]

I am also building Jim Kibler’s Colonial. And also have a slight gap at the stock-breach connection. Lots of good advice on a fix. I had a bit of a gap at the breach on a Traditions Kentucky pistol, it closed up nicely on its own after around 20 50 grain shots. Beautiful gun, hope mine comes out as well

 

[bladegrinder]

I am also building Jim Kibler’s Colonial. And also have a slight gap at the stock-breach connection. Lots of good advice on a fix. I had a bit of a gap at the breach on a Traditions Kentucky pistol, it closed up nicely on its own after around 20 50 grain shots. Beautiful gun, hope mine comes out as well

Your going to love it Shadow, just take your time with it. mine shoots great with 85 gr. FFF and FFF in the pan. I'm debating on ordering a new front site though, I was shooting about an inch low at 50 yrds. so I put a file to it, now I'm an inch high. I'll be shooting again in about a week and move out to 75 yrds. and see how things go. your going to love that rifle for sure! be sure to post pics!

Also... I just bought the case Kibler sells and I love it, fits perfect, has a sleeve for the long cleaning rod they offer and the inside is lined with what looks like tapestry from the 1700s over the padding. it adds some WOW factor when you zip that thing open with that beautiful rifle in there!

 

[Redlemur60]

I started my Kibler Colonial a few days ago. I live in Florida and according to Laurel Mountain Forge Browning solution directions and reading up on it, it requires high humidity for best results.
so looking at the weather the humidity in my area was going to be in the high 90s yesterday and today with rain too so I figured that should be perfect. so I went ahead and set the barrel, drilled the tenons, oblonged them a little for stock changes, and set the nose cap.

I finished the barrel to 320 grit and started the browning, with this kind of humidity the first coat started to rust in 5 min., off to a good start ! I applied 5 coats 3 hours apart, carded a couple times and applied one last coat this morning, cleaned up and oiled it real good with a couple wipe downs. this barrel came out great ! I don't think I could have asked for a better looking finish.

So...a couple problems,
First, when I set the barrel back in the stock the pins wouldn't go in. big uh oh moment. it turns out that stock was sitting out in that humidity for two days and grew 1/6" with an ever slight bow downwards. I elongated the the holes in the tenons and alls good again, in a way it might have been good for this to happen because this rifle is going to see a lot of humid days hunting and now I won't end up with bent pins or stock problems in the future and wonder what happened.

Second problem is when I set the barrel I got a little too ambitious with the inletting, in the end I have the tang fitting perfect in the mortise, the bolster is making good contact, but the back of the barrel has a gap of 12-14 thousands between it and the stock.

I'm thinking now I need to either place a backer shim behind it or a shmeer of JB weld, does anyone have an opinion of the best way I should go with this ? Thanks...

"For stock changes" I just want to point out .Before some youngun
Say nah ima skip it.stock strech or swell and contraction is only half the reason .when you shoot the barrel gets hot and when its brass monkey cold well it gets cold.so mostly its NOT about relative humility. Think onn that!

 

[Redlemur60]

I am also building Jim Kibler’s Colonial. And also have a slight gap at the stock-breach connection. Lots of good advice on a fix. I had a bit of a gap at the breach on a Traditions Kentucky pistol, it closed up nicely on its own after around 20 50 grain shots. Beautiful gun, hope mine comes out as well

Get it to fit, no force.Time is not an issue. Figure out why it is not right and fix it.This iz the gunmakers task.
BUT heres a clue when it comes to kibler breech, the only correction ive ever made for a PERFECT barrel fit .
Was squareing the radius at the breach bottom at the backwall.

 

[PathfinderNC]

That wood is dazzling!

 

[Snooterpup]

Yes, the brass plate came with the kit but no screws for it, the only screws I had on hand were phillip's head. I felt really wrong using them...one day I'll find a couple small flatheads to replace them

You can find flathead un-plated steel wood screws at Track of the Wolf. I used very small flat head steel screws on my Kibler Colonial I bought from them and once installed, ground off the screw slots flush with the brass. Enough of the bevel holds in the countersink in the brass plate. I figured I didn’t ever need to remove them anyway.

 

[Redlemur60]

Ya in light of this Im going with my original plan and just make some nails from pin stock