What would you do if?

[bowjock]

I am looking at getting and building my first flintlock. I have put together a CVA kit, percussion years ago, but want a really good flint lock. I now have a GPR, a Traditions Ketucky, and a Traditions Pensylvania in flint and love those guns, but want a more reliable, period correct gun that was used in or between the years of 1740 and 1840.

If you had about a $1000.00 to put into a gun or a kit what would you look for and by who? I looked and Chambers guns, and like the Mark Silver-Virginia and also the Early Lancaster Pennsylvania Rifle kit. I do believe I can do both with a little time and patience and lots of help from on here. I will be looking at more along the lines of a 50 cal, since that is all that I have now.

Would you buy a kit in progress like this, or would you sit down, go through a catalog (TOTW) and just buy pieces and parts and go from there.

I know this has been asked many many times, but I would really like your imput and will probably get lots of questions hopefully that I failed to ask or just plain don't know

 

[ossabaw]

I have one of the Chambers smooth rifles that I built a couple of years ago. You have to be patient because many of the parts are as cast with none of the holes drilled in the buttplate, tang, etc. I would not call his guns "kits". They are a collection of high quallity components that require much careful fitting. This is one of those jobs where you measure three times and cut once. With attention to detail, you can build a very fine gun from his sets.

 

[Le Grand]

Hey, Before you do get a kit, take a look at the rifle kits from TVM, that's Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading, the TVM of Matt & Toni Avance. (There are two TVMs, so I'm being specific.) Their kits come with the holes for the lock, breech, and other parts already drilled. Too many of the other "kits" are just collected parts and components. TVM's are good kits, just what you need for building that first flintlock. Having the holes already drilled means you won't be needing a lot of the shop tools, such as a large drill press, often required for proper rifle assembly. Take a look at their guns, at[url] www.avsia.com/tvm.[/url] Le Grand

 

[tg]

I would suggest that you decide how much time/effort you want to put into a gun and how authentic to the originals you want to be then decide from there, these two factors may help narrow down the choice of vendors.

 

[Cherokee]

I would watch the Guns for sale at Track of the Wolf. You sometimes can find a really nice shooter grade for $800-$1000 and maybe less. Ofcourse you dont get a really fancy rifle but you can be making smoke and hunting with it in no time.
I have seen a few in the $500 range that I would have liked to had and maybe refinish.
Figure what you want caliber and maybe a specific barrel or type of rifle and keep an eye out for one.

 

[bowjock]

Tg. As far as time,,,,I have plenty. This is not something that I am going to do to have a gun in any certain length of time. Effort wise, I can do most anything, but I am limited in the gunmaking tool department. I am willing to do what I need to do to get as close as I can to an original of either of the two guns I listed. I have never done any carving of any type. Nor do I have carving tools, but willing to get what I need to do so. I have no means of drilling long holes into a stock for the ram rod. Such things as that, are what is leading me to try and find a "Kit" project that will get me as close as I can to an original with what I have to work with
And thanks everyone for you help on this. I will make a gun...just not sure where it will come from just yet....lol

 

[ke4usl]

If I may, as a newbie...
I'm puttering along with a Chambers York in .45 cal. I fiddle with it some on weekends and it's all I can do not to take an extended vacation and jump in whole hog on this thing. Every minute I spend working on it is pure joy, but I'm deliberately taking my time completing it. It is NOT a kit in the same way the Hawken was I put together with a friend several years ago, but neither is it anywhere near as difficult as I imagine working on one from assorted parts would be. I will never regret choosing to go this route. Although it is taking longer than I thought it would to complete, that's OK, because this has turned into a labor of love. I am thoroughly smitten and love it! Mr. Chambers makes an outstanding product, and I thank him for that. :thumbsup:

Also purchased "Recreating the American Longrifle" and "The Gunsmith of Grenville County." Worth every penny.

 

[Ed Wenger]

bowjock... I sent you an e-mail also... I've built several "kits" and really like the Chambers. Excellent quality and well worth the money. Keep in mind these are not slap together, ready to assemble rifles where the lock will fit in from a two feet drop. However, you don't need lot's of high end tools to create a quility, well made rifle, just plenty of patience, research and fore thought. In addition to the books mentioned, there's also some good dvd's on gun building available. Ed