Lol generational gaps. Ok boomer.
Lol generational gaps. Ok boomer.
Difference between assembling a piece of equipment and producing a work of art.
I built one a couple years ago, a Traditions Shenandoah 50 Cal rifle. It turned out ok, if you don't know what one should look like, you might think mine looks good. So many mistakes, but I learned a lot from browning the barrel to inletting the wood.
The picture shows the finished rifle along with some of the tools and materials used to complete it.
Don't kid yourself, it takes way longer to complete than you may think but is absolutely a great project for those who have the time.
The picture shows the finished rifle along with some of the tools and materials used to complete it.
Don't kid yourself, it takes way longer to complete than you may think but is absolutely a great project for those who have the time.
I've got a little derringer kit (I think it's a .32) tucked away that I should drag out and finish. I think I got it at a garage sale. Somebody had opened it, and never did anything with it. I'm not even sure all the pieces are there.
My only experience building a BP firearm is with a Pedersoli "Kentucky" pistol kit. As somebody mentioned above, expect to invest a lot of time in it. As far as I know, T/C isn't making any of their traditional looking muzzle-loaders any more, so unless you can find an unmolested example on gunbroker or are willing to buy individual parts and make a custom gun, you're pretty much limited to the Italian or Spanish reproductions.
I'm no woodworker or machinist but ultimately mine turned out ok. The instructions left something to be desired (at least partially due to the marginal Italian to English translation) which resulted in a couple boo-boos that sort of bug me but probably pass unnoticed by anyone else. The brass bits were all in their rough as-cast condition so I had to remove the flashing and then hit them with the polishing wheel on my bench grinder, faithful, I'm sure, to the way they did things back in the 1800's. I also had to mess a little with the inletting of the wood to get some of the metal parts to fit.
Pedersoli sells this same style in both flintlock and percussion (and rifle and pistol). Mine was a flintlock when I bought it, and I found a place selling the percussion lock (and corresponding drum/nipple) that fit the model so I can easily convert between the two as the whim strikes.
It came along with me (configured as a flintlock) to an Eat-n-Shoot a while back, at Tri-City. A few of the folks here were brave enough to pull the trigger on it, I think I shared a bench with you druryj but I don't remember if you tried it.
I'm no woodworker or machinist but ultimately mine turned out ok. The instructions left something to be desired (at least partially due to the marginal Italian to English translation) which resulted in a couple boo-boos that sort of bug me but probably pass unnoticed by anyone else. The brass bits were all in their rough as-cast condition so I had to remove the flashing and then hit them with the polishing wheel on my bench grinder, faithful, I'm sure, to the way they did things back in the 1800's. I also had to mess a little with the inletting of the wood to get some of the metal parts to fit.
Pedersoli sells this same style in both flintlock and percussion (and rifle and pistol). Mine was a flintlock when I bought it, and I found a place selling the percussion lock (and corresponding drum/nipple) that fit the model so I can easily convert between the two as the whim strikes.
It came along with me (configured as a flintlock) to an Eat-n-Shoot a while back, at Tri-City. A few of the folks here were brave enough to pull the trigger on it, I think I shared a bench with you druryj but I don't remember if you tried it.
I built a rifle kit for a friend about 42 years ago.
I remember the ENS at Tri-City was a very good one, and I remember shooting a whole lot of different guns but can’t remember if I shot that one or not. It’s purty though.
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I’ve poking around for some kits after reading this thread. I think I want to build a rifle. Man, things aren’t as cheap as they used to be.
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/category/category_id/327/name/Percussion?view_all
https://www.traditionsfirearms.com/category/Build-it-Yourself-Kits
https://www.oldsouthfirearms.com/kitsdoityourself.aspx
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/category/category_id/327/name/Percussion?view_all
https://www.traditionsfirearms.com/category/Build-it-Yourself-Kits
https://www.oldsouthfirearms.com/kitsdoityourself.aspx
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Jeeezzzz, ain't that the truth! I'm sure I paid less than a hundred dollars for those I bought. I didn't see an underhammer boot pistol in any of those either. Last time I really searched for one, I found it, but they wanted a king's ransom for it. And, there's nothing to them!
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