Black Powder Kits

[ponycarman]

Thanks. I would really like to try a flintlock sonetime. I know they are a bit more complicated. But it seems like when you head toward the traditional stuff you can't stop going back further haha. I also have this idea that shooting and hunting with flintlock would be neat and make me feel more in touch with history.

[desdem12]

I need to add a flinter to my pile also.I am kind of in the hunt for a .58 at the moment though. I prefer the larger calibers. The bigger the better. I like my .50 hawken but the .54 will kill it in accuracy and has a bit bigger of a kick to it. I was lucky to find an inline .54 cal and I would not sell trade or give it away for anything. Deadly accurate and kicks like the borax 50 mule team, or was it 20?. (old commercial) There are a couple of 2 band .58 muskets here at the pawn shop. I am waiting for the price to drop and I will hopefully get one.

[Darryl]

Musket or rifle? .58 cal muskets and .58 cal civil war era rifles are a little different than a Hawkens .58 cal. You can not load them as strong as a Hawkins. The breach is a little thinner so the load has to be a little lower. They also typically have a little less accuracy, but the modern versions have made up for that a bit.

I have a Hawkens .58 and I also have .75 cal muskets. I will guarantee you the Hawkens hits a lot harder and can be loaded heavier than the .75 cal. Also, the kick is a lot more. Oh, and the .75 cal Bess has an effective range of only 80 yards. It really depends on what you want to do. They are all great to shot and fun as heck! And I have never seen one that doesn't turn heads when it goes bang.

Darryl

[desdem12]

Replica civil war rifles. Just for fun mostly.

[Brian the Brit]

Hmmm a kit might be in my future. Would be pretty fun. Finish the wood up nice and brown all the metal. yep that would be nice

Browning the metal is something I don't know how to do. I think kits like this will help me learn how some of these things are done. I have done wood work before, but nothing very extensive.

Browning can be done exactly like bluing. There are chemical for browning just like they have for blue. Birchwood Casey does a lot of that stuff, but if you want "authentic", then find something from one of the custom guys like track of the wolf or something. But they all make it brown in the end.

That plains rifle is a nice kit. A very good one too. It is all about patience and taking your time. Especially the finish. you'll have a blast (oops!)



Don't be afraid of flintlocks. Especially if just target shooting. If you already have percussion, then maybe its time to jump into flints....maybe! What ever floats your boat.

My first "kit" pistol. A CVA Colonial Pistol. I know my eyes are closed. This was my first test of the pistol. As if closing my eyes would protect them! I wear shooting glasses now....always!

Don't do this at home!
Darryl




They won't let you use steel core ammo out here on the range because they are afraid of sparks and a fire.
But you can fire one of these at the range all day....go figure!





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[Junk Yard Dog]

The Bess being a smoothbore will deliver unpredictable accuracy past 50 yards or so, I can keep it on a 3'x3' piece of cardboard at 75 most of the time.

[warhawk77]

Great info I'm wanting to build a kit also and i want to go into something like that with lots of info so I don't screw it up. I'm also a few months away from building one. Might buy it if I can find a deal and shelf it for a while.

[Junk Yard Dog]

If you have basic wood and metalworking skills then a kit should be no problem, tools also of course.

[gurn]

After the 1859 Remington i'm ready to do a long gun now. Flint would be fun. Anyone make a wheel lock?

[Junk Yard Dog]

Yes, I believe one is now being made in India, but it is a fully finished gun, not a kit.

[gurn]

Guess I will have to make my own then.

[Junk Yard Dog]

It's been done, but they are a complex mechanism, that's what made then so expensive , and delicate. They depend on the key to wind them, lose the key and you are f***ed until you can find a blacksmith to make another.

[gurn]

here we are http://strzelecka.net/obrazki/Wheellock_Plans.pdf

[Junk Yard Dog]

That should keep you busy for a couple of years

[gurn]

busy doing this

[Junk Yard Dog]

Do you have the skill, and the tools? Remember in India old men make these at tiny forges working with hand tools on the floor, that town in Pakistan also.

[gurn]

I don't have those skills really but do have a nice Dremel set ,files,buffer and a nice caliper

[Junk Yard Dog]

That's more than the Pakistanis have