Started work on a .32 Kibler SMR

[Texcl2]

When I heard that Kibler’s was producing a run of .32 SMR’s I ordered a plain maple kit. It showed up at the PO a couple days ago. I have it all together minus 2 ramrod pipes. I’ve gotten to where I can assemble one in about two afternoons, the finish work takes a lot longer of course. This gun looked mostly plain when I received it but as I worked on it with my dirty hands lots of figure started to pop. It looks like there’s enough curl to grade at fancy if I can make it pop. The areas I scraped with my cabinet scrapers exposed quite a bit of curl. I’m going to try to mostly scrape finish this gun, I need to make some more scrapers for detail work like for inside corners where the Comb meets the wrist before I can do it all with scrapers I think. Anyways this is how she lays after a couple days work….

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Thats a nice chunk of plain maple right there.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I did the same thing…once I heard that Kibler was going to produce a limited run of .32 calibre SMRs, I got my name on the list to receive one. I ordered a fancy maple stock, and the kit arrived yesterday. I was shocked at how much beautiful curl was in the stock…way way more curl than the expected 30% to 60%.
Simply beautiful…

 

[stubshaft]

She shore is purty!

 

[chrisLD]

Nice! How do you plan to finish the wood, barrel, and hardware?

 

[Budwell]

Looks great! On a pod cast kilbler said there may be a percussion version in the future. I will wait and get one of those.

 

[Texcl2]

I’m going to finish it with a coat of tannic acid and aquafortis to bring out the curl probably will have to knock that back so it’s not too dark. Then I will use perma blue knocked back to an iron grey color. Screws will be fire blued. I’m lucky enough to have an understanding wife, but I’m probably not going to be able to get anymore kits till Christmas, (if I’m lucky)lol. If it wasn’t a limited run of .32 barrels I would have had to wait I think. Years ago I built a .32 caliber southern rifle from another kit manufacturer and really regretted selling it to finance something else but I’m not made of money and that’s the way it goes sometimes.

 

[Shipbuilder]

When I heard that Kibler’s was producing a run of .32 SMR’s I ordered a plain maple kit. It showed up at the PO a couple days ago. I have it all together minus 2 ramrod pipes. I’ve gotten to where I can assemble one in about two afternoons, the finish work takes a lot longer of course. This gun looked mostly plain when I received it but as I worked on it with my dirty hands lots of figure started to pop. It looks like there’s enough curl to grade at fancy if I can make it pop. The areas I scraped with my cabinet scrapers exposed quite a bit of curl. I’m going to try to mostly scrape finish this gun, I need to make some more scrapers for detail work like for inside corners where the Comb meets the wrist before I can do it all with scrapers I think. Anyways this is how she lays after a couple days work….View attachment 390897

Finding the right stain to make figure pop can be a real hunt. I found a beautiful piece of birdseye maple in a dusty old gun shop long ago and refinished it five times before something worked. It was a good learning project. Wish Jim had offered a 32 when I bought the two I have. Nice guns. Very nice.

 

[Texcl2]

Tannic acid in conjunction with aquafortis works well at darkening the curl in my experience . It turns everything very dark then you rub it back to where you want in most cases. It affects every piece of wood differently of course so it’s different every time.

 

[Texcl2]

Barrel stamp if anyone is interested…

 

[rusty]

very nice.

 

[olskool]

Specs on the barrel if anyone is interested…

View attachment 391239

I can tell this, I have done a few Kibbes and I am fairly certain those specs are not correct. I am pretty sure the 32, 36, and 40 cal. SMR barrels are rice. the only GM one is a 45 I was told they were stamped incorrectly because I questioned it. and I think the 32 is 1-48 twist. you can contact Jim to be sure,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Texcl2]

Interesting, maybe Jim will see this and chime in. As long as it shoots well I don’t care, lol. I’m basically wanting a good short range small game rifle, I’m hoping it shoots well with small powder charges.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I can tell this, I have done a few Kibbes and I am fairly certain those specs are not correct. I am pretty sure the 32, 36, and 40 cal. SMR barrels are rice. the only GM one is a 45 I was told they were stamped incorrectly because I questioned it. and I think the 32 is 1-48 twist. you can contact Jim to be sure,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I was hoping that the twist rate was1:48…I have a maxi ball mold just waiting for me to finish this .32 calibre Kibler Kit.

 

[Flintleather]

Barrel stamp if anyone is interested…

View attachment 3912391:72 is really slow for a 32, hope that is a mis-stamp.