Need blackpowder help - Kentucky Long Rifle?

G

Gino

New member
Hey guys, I need your help. My girlfriend, born and raised in Kentucky, would like a Kentucky Long Rifle to hang on the wall. I know I can't afford the real thing, so I need some help with getting a kit. I HAVE NEVER MADE ONE BEFORE. What I lack in skill I make up in enthusiasm! Where can I find one? What manufacturer do you recommend? Do you have any advice on putting it together? I'd appreciate any help!

Thanks,
Gino
 
GINO,
The kit will save you only a few bucks...and it requires alot of finish work to make it look good....not exactly what you are looking for.

Instead contact NAVY ARMS or visit there website...they have what you are looking for..at a reasonable price...great quality.

Also ...a comapny named TRADITIONS...also caries a nice reproduction.

And the manufacturer of these weapons for either company I beleive is PEDERSOLLI, from ITALY.
The quality is excellent.....and these weapons can be shot along with being displayed.

As far as displaying the weapon....you will need a powder horn, and rifle bag...to make the display look good....look too OCTOBER COUNTRY ...for these items.

And if you get the BUG to start Blackpowder shooting...contact an area BUCKSKINNER CLUB.

Hope this helps.........WOLF

[This message has been edited by WOLF (edited September 05, 1999).]
 
Golden State Arms sells a full stock Kentucky Rifle kit for $440 plus $7 p&p (flintlock) or $425 + 7 (percussion). Your choice of caliber (.32, .36, .40, .45, .50), 42" Green Mountain octagon barrel (specifiy 13/16 or 7/8 flats), Siler lock (a good brand), butt plate, trigger & trigger guard, side and toe plate, underlugs, sights, nose cap, ramrod pipes, lock & tang bolts, tbreech plug. Included is the book, Buidling the Kentucky Rifle. The hardware is steel (so you'll have to buy some browning solution - which you'll need for the barrel anyway).

Golden Age Arms may be reached at
115 E. High Street
Box 366
Ashely, Ohio 43003
740-747-2488.

It is less than what I paid in parts for my kit. I also bought inlays and a brass patch box and a Grade 4 (lots of curl) stock. I've put over 100 hours into mine, and am still working on it (6 coats of wax on the stock and it's still not shiny yet). Very fun and very rewarding. If you buy a kit, keep us posted and I'll try to help where I can.

My next kit will either be a jaeger or a Baker or Hompesch (at least a composite from what I can tell from pictures).

If you want a half stock rifle for considerably less money, you can also buy a Lyman Great Plains flintlock rifle kit for about $231.72 (cat#LY6031114 for .50 cal and cat#LY6031115 for .54 cal). They're easy to put together. Finished rifles are only $281.16 (cat#LY6031105 for .50 cal and cat#LY6031106 for .54 cal) D&N Sports may be reached at http://www.dnrsports.com Lyman isn't listed on their website, but they do stock them. Email them for info.


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If you go the Golden State Arms route or whatever kit supplier, you'll need tools:

rasps - straight rasp for shaping exterior of stock. Most stocks are 90% precarved, but leave lots of wood for final shaping to your personal taste. A "surform" tool from Stanley (both straight and round) are very useful here.

Files: Triangular file with one side ground flat. You'll need this for inletting the barrel to take the underlugs. A 00 Mill file is a favortie of mine. 1/4" wide pillar file. Needle files (for trigger guard).

Chisels - can't have enough of them.

Good work bench with vise. Have a wood block on your bench which can support the stock while it is clamped in the vise (rawhide leather padded jaws).

Inletting black - to help with fitting of metal parts to wood.

Patience.

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I'll also recommend Davide Pedersoli - though I had some trouble with a Sharps (posted on the "Gunsmithing" forum) their reply was quick and effective. Generally they have a good name for customer service. Their guns are not 'collectors quality' maybe, but well within modern manufacturesrs standards, at the top third anyway.

Find them at www.davide-pedersoli.com

Also Italian, reputed to be very good quality, are the guns from Armi San Marcos. You will find them at Taylors Firearms (thank you fal308, for the reference) at
www.taylorsfirearms.com/kentucky

I like kits myself - and 4v50Gary's advice is very sound, but be warned - they are a lot of work, mainly fit and finish - the reward is the satisfaction of having played a (small) part in building the gun. Your girlfriends reward, perhaps, not so small at all :)

Hope it helps- from here in Argentina those are our choices... I'm sure you have many more in the US - good luck, and congratulations to you both! :)

Peter Knight



[This message has been edited by Elchimango (edited September 06, 1999).]
 
Should have mentioned that Cabelas has a 33" barrel Shenandoah rifle. Not sure what that means, but from the photo, it looks like a shortened Tennessee Poorboy (kinda like a working rifle version of the Kentucky - no fancy fixings). From what I can tell, there is no cheekpiece and the foreend of the stock looks like it needs to be reshaped. You can dress it up by adding a brass patchbox and inlays. The flintlock version is $289.99 (cat# GK21-1245). The percussion cap version is 269.99 (cat #GK21-1244). Phone is #1-800-237-4444. You may want to ask for a catalog first to see what it looks like.

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