Kentucky Rifle Kit

[9mmPatriot]

My amazing wife surprised me with a gift I was not expecting at all. I woke to a Traditions Build It Yourself Kentucky Rifle Kit. 50 Cal. Flintlock.

I've always wanted one of these simply for the historical significance of the rifle.

It took a lot of effort to not scurry into the garage yesterday and start working on it before the wrapping paper was on the floor.

I have ZERO experience with muzzle loaders and I honestly don't know if I'll even shoot it.

What a great gift from a truly amazing wife!

 

[Onomea]

Sounds like a fun project, for sure. Would be great to see pictures as you make progress....

Maybe start with here it is in the box!

 

[meaneyedcatz]

I built my .50 cal Hawken from a kit when they were more popular and affordable. It’s a CVA.
Go ahead and shoot it, it’s great fun. I’ve hunted with mine. Didn’t get a deer but that’s not the rifles fault.
Don’t let anyone tell you they are not accurate, experiment with different loads(amount of powder grains that are poured down the barrel) and find what’s good.
When you shoot a modern centerfire rifle the sound is a crack. When you shoot a black powder it booms.
They are fun.

 

[steelslaver]

Actually with a flintlock the sound is, Click, fizzt, booom. Holding steady during this period with the fizzt, close by is the interesting part.

 

[9mmPatriot]

I'm going to take my time with this project, I'd hate to screw it up.
Be patient with me.

 

[Onomea]

Thanks for the pics. Shoot it or not, done well, it will make a lovely display for the wall or in a rifle stand. (For display stands, I like this guy: ?????????????????????)

 

[ldausmc1369]

Received one for Christmas 40 years ago…built it over a period of about a year…browned barrel, fitted sights…fitted stock to lock, stain and hand finished stock with Tru Oil. Have harvested several deer with open sights! Since then have built and/or restored several more. Lots of fun…simple hand tools…enjoy!

 

[Rustyt1953]

Forum member Bill Raby has a truck load of videos of him building muzzle loaders from beginning to end. He was on YouTube but is now on Rumble.

The guy's got skills.

 

[DWalt]

Quite a few years ago, I bought some Spanish-made caplock muzzle loading rifle reproduction, .50 caliber. I think I paid about $15 for it. Fairly crude in appearance, but can it ever shoot, literally one hole groups at 25 yards. I have several much better ML rifles, both original and custom (including one by William Buchele, one of the more famous modern ML rifle builders), but that Spanish rifle will beat them all in its ablity to hit the target.

 

[Rudi]

You have a great project there. I built one of the cap & ball kits many years ago. Really fun on the 4th of July.

 

[jdlii]

You will enjoy the experience and patience is key. Make sure that you thank you wife again!

 

[merl67]

If there ever was a gun to teach marksmanship this is it. Build it, and learn to shoot it do not use any of the black powder substitutes only the real stuff Goex or Swiss if you can find it...

 

[Bill Raby]

Forum member Bill Raby has a truck load of videos of him building muzzle loaders from beginning to end. He was on YouTube but is now on Rumble.

The guy's got skills.

First video in a series of building a 4 bore rifle
4 Bore Rifle Build - Part 1

First video in a series of building a Maryland rifle
4 Bore Rifle Build - Part 1

These videos are focused on building from scratch, but I am sure there will be a few things that will help with building a kit. Only skills that you really need is the ability to take your time and pay attention to what you are doing.

 

[Bill Raby]

I messed up. Here is the right link to the start of the Maryland rifle series
Maryland Rifle Build - Part 1

 

[9mmPatriot]

No pics tonight folks, just my whoa-fully inaccurate description....


Inventoried everything against the parts list and started to dry-fit all of the parts. Marked where there was an obvious need for trimming and sanding. I'll pick up some sanding drums for my Dremel and sanding sponges and paper before proceeding.


Plum Brown for the barrel seems to be very popular and is supposed to look period correct, not sure I'm going in that direction or not.


Stock will be either a dark cherry or medium walnut.

 

[Golddollar]

Years ago Thompson Center sold kits for its muzzleloader rifles. I got a .54 flintlock Renegade kit and my dad and I put it together. We used the plum brown finish and using the stock filler as the sole finish the gun turned out looking period authentic and had no glare in the finish.

The gun turned out to be pretty accurate and with patched balls I got to the point where at 100 yards offhand I was able to fairly consistently make shots that would hit a gallon paint can lid.

 

[9mmPatriot]

Got a little more work done this evening but I did find a crack in the lower stock. Not sure if it was there from the get go or if it occurred when I seated the barrel. Either way, it's been glued and clamped. Should be ready for more work tomorrow.

 

[Chukar60]

I have not owned a ML in some years now. Last one went to my now ex sort of son in law. I had quit hunting with them and had no more use for it than I did the recipient.
Loads of fun and I shot 4 cow elk with it, two whitetails and a couple mule deer does.
Most fun I had with one was when I had my TC Big Bore 58. The guy who got me into them and I found an old 55 gal barrel out in the desert in a draw that allowed us to shoot from about 300 yards. There was quite a wait between the gun going off and hearing the impact on the drum. No we weren’t concerned where we hit the drum just hitting it at that range occasionally was quite satisfying.
Shoot it at least one range session. You may come to really enjoy it.

 

[9mmPatriot]

A problem I can't fix...

Sanded the barrel channels just enough to fit the barrel and completed the dry-fit of all of the parts...YIPPIE!!

Ramrod goes in perfectly, no warpage here....more YIPPIE!

Forward and rear stock pieces lined up nicely.

And just for comparison, my EBR with a 16" barrel....

And here's where progress came to a screeching halt. The brass end is secured to the barrel with two screws and I'm left with a 1/8" gap between the brass and the lumber. No Bueno Amigo's! I'll call Traditions tomorrow and send them as many pics as needed. I'm thinking I need a new forward stock.

Stay tuned for more updates and pics as they become available.

 

[2152hq]

Ditch the screw attchment for the forend cap to the bbl.
Slide the forend cap where it needs to be and epoxy bedit into place to the stock wood.
Use the bbl as a placement fitting during the process,,have it in place in the stock so the cap fits right. Just remember to cover the bbl surfaces with release compound.

Original forend caps on L/Rifles were attached to the wood.,,not the bbl.
They were inletted to the end of the stock carefully.
Then usually a single copper rivit was used to hold it in place. Sometimes 2 rivits depending on the builder.
The thin flat head of the rivit was in the bbl channel against the bbl flat. The stem of the rivit went down the wood and thru the thin brass cap and protrudes out the bottom surface of the brass forend cap. Then was gently rivited over.
It was a non-removeable part of the rifle unless it was damaged and
had to be removed.

Most modern L/R builders use the copper rivit as it is traditional. But many still use epoxy underneath as an extra secure way to keep it in place and strengthen the fragile piece of the stock.