Yesterday's Weapons Forums

this is really interesting , sad you must give up and give up use of your firearms to get these martin , but i understand the need to make adjustments to maintain your enjoyment

What if you did build your own? Would it have to go onto your permit? There are kits available that require minimum skills to make. Essentially just some sanding & putting a finish on the stock & browning or bluing the metal (which doesn't even necessarily need to be done)

well here's a few links if you decide you want to

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.ph ... 95ad0fefe1

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.ph ... 22_162_193

Oh and here. Check put a little down the page to the Lyman Great Plains Rifle kits. I have a left handed Flintlock in .54 cal. It is a hoot to fire!

http://www.possibleshop.com/rifle-kit.html

These are made by Investarms in Italy. These are top quality kits using beautiful walnut stocks. Maybe your Duetscher connection can hook you up with a kit at an affordable price.

All of those kits require very basic skills. Sanding & finishing basically.

Now one of these will take a bit more

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categorie ... x?catId=13

But man what nice stuff they've got!

This is more Kaintuck (OlTom) or NebrHogger territory

The first set of kits are basically sanding, finishing & assembling. The Track of the Wolf kits are a heck of a lot more. Lots of inlet work & most of the metal bits are rough cast. The barrels are essentially blanks, although for minimum charges the company will cut dovetails & mount the breach plugs & the like. You would still have to file, sand & polish the barrels.

The top set are easy-peasy

If I may be allowed a brief moment of seriousness, anyone attempting a meduim skill level or harder kit needs to pause for thought.

Take a moment to honestly evaluate your behaviors. Give yourself a "frustration rating" on a scale of 10 with 10 being when you are so mad a stroke is imminent. If you sincerely believe you are a 5 or lower, then go for it with a happy heart. Otherwise you will get frustrated - then mad - then possibly violent and have a large pile of teethpicks & a tomato stake.

Select a kit or "untouched yak fat special" from IMA. When you unpack it, make actual notes on paper concerning what needs to be accomplished. Then set a goal. I set a goal of last Easter on my P1841 Brunswick musket & did a face plant on that one. The stock was a lot worse off than I thought. Never say die, though! I get the book done, I'm diving right back in.

Also set goals of how you want it to look. If you're going for "fresh from the armory", you need a lot of patience. When in doubt with a kit or yak fat special, GO SLOW!!

I've written up my misadventures in the projects forum, and at surplusrifle.com there's an EXCELLENT antique rifle forum. A fellow going by Norm Sutton is an actual wizard with these projects and has a ton of excellent advice.

Long story short, you won't need to buy a lot of tools - you will just need a clear idea of what you hope to accomplish and a LOT of patience.

It can be done and from where I'm sitting, it's relaxing and a lot of fun. SW

Nah... just a BFH & a belt sander. SW

Mac, there are 2 Great Plains kits on Gunbroker now. Percussion not flint. 1 in .50 & 1 in .54

$379 each

back in the Navy days if you brought out the BFH and that did not do it you got a bigger machinist mate.

We had a BFH nicknamed "Thor". It weighed over 50# and was made of solid lead with a pipe through the middle. It was used to knock apart the weapons loading skid after 36 or so torpedoes/tommy-hawks running up/down it.

The Possible Shop type can be done on your back patio. Might take a total of 10-12 hours. You can leave the barrel & other bits 'in the white' and allow a natural patina to set in. The stock would just need some BLO rubbed in. These are entry level kits. No barrel forging necessary

Here's a .50 cal FLINTER @ $360 now. NEW and FULLY ASSEMBLED!

19 hours left.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =255654334

I'd like to drop in on this conversation........i have 3 going at once right now
in different stages.....one is being sorta whittled out in the wood by a fellow in PA~ it'll be mailed back in 3 months.....my sis's is ready for me to start inletting the barrel into it's 'channel'......and my stock is, well, 'put up till the barrel arrives (someday)........big question is:
do you want to shoot it~ or make it?
get one already done if you like shooting....see, i like building stuff.......shooting is small part of my flintlock loves......so building IS the thing for me.....

everyone here knows how nutty i am with making stuff..........I WISH those TV shows would make me rich by filming things i build!!!!!!!

I'm the opposite most of the time - as soon as it goes "POW!!" I'm done. Well, I have gone back later & done more but mostly if it shoots, I'm good with it.

I'll be sending off one of the pistola stocks I got from you & then start piling up parts for the lefty flint grinder. SW