Black powder rifle build kits?

[Usmc0844spare]

Does anyone have any good links that explain these kits and so forth a bit more? Interested in understanding the different types ("here's a block of wood and a slab of cast iron, go to it" vs "just stain the stock and you're done") and anything else about them.

I have zero black powder experience, FYI.

[Dutch3]

You can look at Track of the Wolf, they have a variety of kits and information.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Category.aspx/588

[Garand Hunter]

CVA maybe, used to be quite popular, don't know if they are still around or whatever. Their kits were some work and not just a hunk of wood and iron/brass.

Psalm 1

[CptDan]

Do a YouTube search on Kibler Rifles a great video on putting a southern Mountain rifle together

[M1NM]

Here is a good magazine. https://www.muzzleloadermagazine.com/
My LH Southern Mountain Rifle custom built by Jack Garner.

[Tom-ADC]

You can look at Track of the Wolf, they have a variety of kits and information.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Category.aspx/588

Good info here plus Cabelas has kits. I recall years ago walking through a outdoor sale at the Sear store in Chula Vista and bought .58 cal Zouave rifle kit by Zoli was less than $50 made a great shooting accurate rifle.

[peterinsj]

Book

A great book for understanding the hunk of iron and piece of wood version is: Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle, an illustrated instruction manual, by Dixon, Ehrig, and Miller.

When I read through it I learned that I didn't have the skill, tools and experience for that type of project but I got a lots of information on how to finish and older Track of the Wolf kit that had a unfinished curly maple stock and rough in the white barrel. I got it from a guy who had it sitting untouched since purchase collecting dust for 20 years I didn't have to dovetail the barrel but I spent many weeks draw filing the barrel, fitting the sights, smoothing the various metalwork. The stock came out beautiful, the metal was finished brown. I ended up with beautiful rifle. After that I stripped my Traditions flintlock and refinished it completely.

Like everything else, you can go off into the dark side. I have heard the Lyman Plainsman kit is a good quality gateway kit.

[THBailey]

I got a Lyman Great Plains Rifle kit from MidwayUSA a few years ago. They had a good sale on them so I thought why not? Wasn't a whole lot to putting it together. The stock was pretty fully inletted so it only required final sanding and some polishing and finishing for some of the metal parts.

These are some web pages I have found helpful:

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/

https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/

The first is for the Dan'l Boone reenactor types, the second for those after the latest and greatest.

[Bainter1212]

I have a Kibler Colonial kit I have yet to start working on. It is a nice kit, all of the work you have to do is wood and metal finishing.

[rmnc3r]

Depends on the style and era that tickles yer fancy

I build Longrifles using blanks and pre-carved stocks - since the late '80s

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=61420.0

I hear Kibler Kits are beginner friendly and Jim Kibler offers great support

https://kiblerslongrifles.com/

https://www.jimkibler.net/

https://www.youtube.com/c/JimkiblerNet/videos

Great site for learning and exchange of ideas: https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php

Gun Building: https://americanlongrifles.org/forum....php?board=2.0

[THBailey]

Depends on the style and era that tickles yer fancy

A really key point. What do you plan to do with it? If you plan to hunt with it in California you need a gun that can shoot something "non-toxic" which rules out the classic patched round ball. Other states have other requirements. Gonna just make holes in paper or hang it on the wall? No worries.

[MajorSideburns]

I have a Kibler Colonial kit I have yet to start working on. It is a nice kit, all of the work you have to do is wood and metal finishing.

Man how long have you been sitting on that thing!

[Bainter1212]

Man how long have you been sitting on that thing!

Haha. Well over a year now. It's on the top shelf in my garage.

[Spyder]

Tagging for info, as this is one of the things I've been wanting to do for a bunch of years and never put in the time.

I want a Pennsylvania rifle reminiscent of the stuff used in the 1770s, and a front stuffer shotgun that I can take out and shoot a couple of dove with once or twice a year.