Anybody have experience building this kit from Petonica? I am looking for a first rifle to build. My only experience is putting together a T/c Hawken about 20 years ago. Looking for advice as to whether this will be a project that a novice can handle.
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Transitional Kentucky Rifle
- Thread starter tsuppa
- Start date
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This rifle is my version of the Pecatonica River Transitional Rifle.
It is swamped barreled and I thought I would use a very plain brass patchbox instead of the wood covers often found in the 1740-1760 period.
For a very minimal fee, Dick Greensides will cut the barrel channel for the swamped barrel (if that's what you decide to use.) If you use a straight barrel (not very HC) the barrel inletting comes at no extra cost.
The rifle is fairly typical of the kits Pecatonica River sells and can be built by you if you have some experiance with woodworking, metalworking and finishing AND if you are willing to take your time with it.
There is actually quite a lot of wood that needs to be removed from the stock blank, but with the use of rasps, files and LOTS of sandpaper I'm sure you can build it.
If you decide to buy it, keep in mind that these rifles came from an age when big bores were popular so think .54 or .58 caliber. :grin:
zonie
PS: This is an example of Pecatonica Rivers #2 grade curly maple and the stripes are not as pronounced as his #3 grade.
I used a #3 CM stock blank when I built this shortened version:
Take my advice and pay the little bit extra for the #3 maple. You'll be glad you did.
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tsuppa, welcome to those who are about to build! whichever kit (i use the term loosely) you decide to do, you will have a tool which is, in the end, uniquely and wholly yours, and i know of few other hobbies which provide this level of satisfaction. Pecatonica makes really good stuff- i'm in the midst of a build now which uses one of their stocks, and i can attest that Dick Greensides is a very accomodating fellow who sells nothing but first rate gear- he will absolutely go out of his way to make sure that you're happy, and you usually get a stock that's actually a half to a full grade better than what's advertised. (thus endeth the 'plug')
if my work were half as nice as Zonie's, i'd be in fat city, but it's not, so i ain't. yet. he has all manner of good advice, and he's never steered me wrong.
now, as i have used the term 'kit,' you should be aware that this isn't the sort of deal where all you really need is a screwdriver and a can of varnish in order to make a rifle. my first build took hundreds of hours (almost all of them fun) if you count fixing the goofs and figuring out how to get to the next step. (i did this before i found this forum- had i been able to pick the brains of the cool guys here, it would have gone much faster and probably turnd out better). What you'll get is a collection of parts, and you'll have to do a good bit of fairly high precision woodworking to get them to fit together properly and work the way they're designed to go.
i would recommend that you take the plunge and purchase, if you don't already own them, Recreating the American Longrifle, The Gunsmith of Grenville County, and while you're plonking down money, get the catalogs from Track of the Wolf and Dixie Gunworks. (Track's catalog has full sized photos of their stuff, and Dixie is a good reference source.) It will be money and time very well invested: the saving in broken parts, blood stains on the wood, and colourful language will far exceed the purchase price of good books and good tools. Thumb through these sources, and you'll get a good idea of what's going to happen after the UPS guy leaves.
You're gonna have a blast, but be warned, you'l be getting all excited about bits of sharp rock before too long.
best of luck
msw
if my work were half as nice as Zonie's, i'd be in fat city, but it's not, so i ain't. yet. he has all manner of good advice, and he's never steered me wrong.
now, as i have used the term 'kit,' you should be aware that this isn't the sort of deal where all you really need is a screwdriver and a can of varnish in order to make a rifle. my first build took hundreds of hours (almost all of them fun) if you count fixing the goofs and figuring out how to get to the next step. (i did this before i found this forum- had i been able to pick the brains of the cool guys here, it would have gone much faster and probably turnd out better). What you'll get is a collection of parts, and you'll have to do a good bit of fairly high precision woodworking to get them to fit together properly and work the way they're designed to go.
i would recommend that you take the plunge and purchase, if you don't already own them, Recreating the American Longrifle, The Gunsmith of Grenville County, and while you're plonking down money, get the catalogs from Track of the Wolf and Dixie Gunworks. (Track's catalog has full sized photos of their stuff, and Dixie is a good reference source.) It will be money and time very well invested: the saving in broken parts, blood stains on the wood, and colourful language will far exceed the purchase price of good books and good tools. Thumb through these sources, and you'll get a good idea of what's going to happen after the UPS guy leaves.
You're gonna have a blast, but be warned, you'l be getting all excited about bits of sharp rock before too long.
best of luck
msw
