Making a long gun from a kit? Any experience?

I am similarly interested and can provide no experience but have found these in my looking ......unfortunately at the prices I probably could afford to make the $14 knife. Track of the Wolf - Guns: flint, percussion, & early cartridge guns

Unfortunately, that would leave me at the gunfight with a knife. And since I have already made one for less than that......I am out of luck already.

 

I don't have any personal experience in the construction phase, but a very close friend of mine built a very nice Hawkins replica in .45 calibre. And while Bob is a nice enough guy, he is all thumbs when it comes to mechanical stuff. He is very skilled with wood working, so his stock was a beaut, but the actual rifle itself must have been pretty simple to put together since he was successful. I am not positive, but the name Tennessee Valley does sound familiar. Since he has long moved away I have no way of getting hold of him. Last I heard he was living in the Virgin Islands.

 

It's all about the wood working as the toughest part is finishing the stock. My father in law built one, to be more specific: he finished the stock and I assembled it for him. As I recall the actual assembly was pretty easy and the instructions were very concise.

 

So, I presume you know the old saying, "All tools are hammers except screwdrivers which are chisels".

I have given some thought to doing a black powder kit, but have too much going on these days. Maybe after I retire in, oh, about 30 years...

 

Another option is continuing education classes at a local CC or high school if you have them. Back 30 years ago when I finished college I was home for a few months and took a couple taught by the local high school teacher. Made a knife from scratch. He showed me a beautiful underhammer cap and ball single shot black powder piston one of his day time students (doubt that would happen now) was making. Again from scratch bored the barrel, fabricated the lock, carved the grip, etc.

 

Not to be a nudge; but, be sure to use the "Croissant Hammer" is it's metric.
I think Cabela's also has some black powder kits which are relatively inexpensive.

 

Here's one, remember youtube is your friend. Lots more there.

KTK

Westgate Black Powder Rifles - YouTube

 

I skipped all the middlemen and just went and bought one. On clearance. It's .50 cal, accurate, easy to use, and I don't worry about it blowing up in my face. 139 bucks.

 

i had a buddy that got 1 of those Tennessee valley kits in .75 cal he was doing the rondivous thing at the time and wanted to be "real" he still has it, kicks like a fracken mule

 

I'd agre with that one. You could probably get all the parts for one with the possible exception of the barrel for less than $100. Access to a hich school machine shop would let you fabricate the whole thing. Back home there was a community ed machine shop class operating out the high school cost about $30 back then to take it. It would probably have taken a couple of sessions to build it from scratch. Far less if you just bought the lock.

 

900 dollar blunderbuss...The whole point of a BB is that it's cheap to operate. What are they shooting out of it - gold chains? ..Pretty sure you could build one out of an old drainpipe. ..I made a small muzzle loader out of a coffee percolator, ladyfinger firecracker, bic pen, black tape, navy bean. ..I shouldn't even be talking about it. Secret.