Well, she's finished!

[tenngun]

Do you have an empty feeling when the project is finished?

 

[GAHUNTER60]

Do you have an empty feeling when the project is finished?

Maybe just a little. For the past couple of weeks its been apply this, sand that, scale this, reapply that -- basically every single day (sometimes several times a day)!

But there is still plenty to do. I'm a shooter, a hunter, a reloader and a bass fisherman! I've neglected these other passions while working on the rifle. I'll be occupied for a while looking for the perfect, spot on, jam-up, drop dead load for the gun, and unless I find one that puts five shots touching each other in the bull at 100 yards, I will not be satisfied. I've got 400, .54 caliber balls, and may need more to hunt with next fall, unless I get lucky and find a load combo that sorta, kinda, may be acceptable, pretty fast.

On an aside, I will be hunting this coming fall on a tract of land that has a fairly healthy black bear population. If given the opportunity, I will shoot one with the Kibler (one of the reasons I went with a .54). Taking a bear with a flintlock, rendering its fat, and producing enough grease and oil to lube my bullets and guns for the rest of my life is one of my bucket list items.

One needs to keep his goals out in front of him, don't ya know!

 

[Big Bubba]

Looks good.

 

[longcruise]

I'd pull the pipe and dress down the lug a bit.

I think that was a barrel pin lug in the picture??? Could pull the barrel and file it but seems like it's been solved.

 

[Curley 50 cal]

Handsome rifle. I hope you are proud!

 

[M. De Land]

Do you have an empty feeling when the project is finished?

Yeah , your right I don't see a split in the middle that a pipe lug would have ,upon looking closer at it. I used staples and wedges on my SMR from TOTW.

 

[Are. M.]

Problem solved. Just a few passes with 60 grit, 150, then 220 to smooth her up and she works like a charm! May be a little tight, but that's not necessarily a bad thing on a woods rifle.

I had to do the same thing. It was still a little tight but it gets easier to remove as you use it.

I recommend leaving the ramrod out after cleaning as whatever moisture is down in those recesses will cause that tip to rust.

 

[oldhunter1954]

Looking forward to seeing what load setup works for you. I built one about a month ago. So far I have 75 grains of 2f, .530 round ball and lubed 0.02 patch.

 

[trad_bowhunter1965]

Very nicely done !

 

[TomV]

My new Kibler Colonial .54 is headed to the range today for the first time -- warts and all (I know where they are, but I'm not going to point them out).

Only issue now is the ramrod sticks to the point of only being able to pull it out with a pair of vice grips. Been trying to heat it and bend it straight all morning with little success.

BTW, I did NOT order the rifle with upgraded wood. This is Jim's version of standard wood. I'm very pleased!

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Beautiful

 

[Whitworth]

Nice looking rifle, I would be proud of it

 

[MSW]

great work ... let us know how it shoots

 

[GAHUNTER60]

Just returned from the range. Going to post results in separate thread when I get through cleaning the rifle.

 

[Omhra]

That is very elegant. Thank you for sharing.

 

[zerosprk]

Nice build! I'll bet it shoots better than it looks and that's saying something...