Where to Purchase Lehigh Longrifle Kit in LH?

[Mattole]

I think of all the longrifle styles I have seen, the Lehigh rifle style appeals to my visual sense the most. Does anyone know where I can purchase a kit for a LH rifle in this style with a .50 swamped barrel?
Many thanks,
Kevin

[mustangpalmer1911]

I have yet to buy a kit but Jim Chambers http://www.flintlocks.com/ seems to be VERY popular. I am probly going with http://knobmountainmuzzleloading.com/ because they are local for me.

[Don Getz]

Hey Matt......maybe you should look at some, aim with it, and shoot it if you can.   You might want to change your mind.........
...........Don

[billd]

Knob Mountain is working on a component set of Lehigh style but it will be right hand only.  It's still going to be a while yet. 

Bill

[Acer Saccharum]

The Lehighs sure are handsome, but Don's advice is good: see if they fit YOUR architecture.

Boy, oh  boy, a leftie? Hmmm. I'm not sure I've seen one. You might be able to get a RH pre-carve with no lock inlet, and a little extra wood on the RH patchbox side to make the cheekpiece out of. You'd have to talk with the supplier to make certain it could be gotten.


Otherwise, you'll be hacking it out of a plank. Eric vonAschwege has a nice drawing of a Kuntz that would be helpful.

[JDK]

While I haven't seen David Keck at Knob Mountain precarve a stock, I have watched Fred Miller do it.  If David does it the same way Fred did the I don't see any reason David couldn't use a right handed Lehigh pattern and leave extra wood for a right side cheek piece, if he wants to.

Contact him and ask if you would be willing to do it for you.  Enjoy, J.D.

[Mattole]

Ah yes - great advice about trying various styles out for size and architecture!

In my research on this topic I heard that Tip Curtis at the Frontier Shop in Cross Plains, Tennessee has a big selection of longrifles to choose from. Perhaps when I relocate to western North Carolina come December I'll pay him a visit and see what fits and what he can do for a lefty. In the meantime I'll have to monitor-shop (internet speak for 'windowshop') and wonder, since here in coastal Northern California I live far removed from anything relating to longrifles. I am really looking forward to my move!

Thanks very much as always, gentlemen.

Kevin

[rsells]

I think Tip has more left hand patterns than anyone out there, but I am not sure what school he supplies.  Give him a call at 615-654-4445 and see what he has.
                                                                                    Roger Sells

[Hungry Horse]

Kevin;

  I don't know where you live in Coastal Northern California, but I live in Lake County, and after a trip to Western North Carolina, to do a little genealogy, I found the landscape similar, and the weather quite similar as well, especially around Hendersonville. North Carolina, does have a corner on the market when it comes to short, frog strangling, rain storms. I was warned about these by a cousin from Arkansas, that drive trucks through the area, but was unprepared for the severity.
 I also am building a Lehigh, but mine is right handed and iron fitted. Good luck.

                   Hungry Horse

[Mattole]

Hungry Horse, I have experienced those Western North Carolina "Frog strangling" rains. Hiking far up a trail in the Smokies one day I was caught in a deluge so intense that I had to huddle inside of a contractor trash bag I happened to have in my pack - which actually made for an effective rain shelter!

[Mark Elliott]

Just a note.  You can't make a right hand pre-carve into a left hand pre-carve because you will have cast-off instead of cast-on, and no cheek piece.    A left hand rifle is a definite custom job.    I would suggest finding someone to whom you can apprentice yourself and build from a blank. 

[Mattole]

Mark, thanks so much for that suggestion. Building a longrifle under the tutelage of a masterful and easygoing (i.e., patient) gunmaker in Western NC would actually be my ideal scenario. I could trade lessons in gunmaking for National Geographic-quality filmmaking and photography (I used to work for them). I will be living near Jim Chambers Flintlocks, so it makes sense to stop by his place after my move to NC this autumn and see if he has any suggestions for possible teachers.

[JDK]

Mark, No offence, but your making the assumption that all precarve patterns have castoff.  David list something like nine Lehigh patterns on his website and may have more.

I guarantee they do not all have castoff.  In fact I know at least one that Fred had that had a little cast on.  Enjoy, J.D.

[moleeyes36]

I'm a guy with a long neck and I found after trying many different style rifles that the drop in the stock of the Lehigh style makes the rifle fit me very well.  I recently finished a Lehigh rifle that works great for me because when I bring it up to my shoulder I'm just automatically looking right down the sights.  But as advised earlier, it would be wise to try a Lehigh, or any style rifle for that matter, before getting one.  You can have the nicest rifle around, but if it doesn't fit right you might as well use it for a tomato stake in your garden.

[LehighBrad]

LEFT HANDED Lehigh stock blank.....Knob Mountain.....bought right from Dave Keck himself at his shop a few years ago.
Well....technically, it was a Bucks county lefty stock blank.....my #49 Nicholson MADE it into a Lehigh.  

[blackbruin]

I had a lh verner bucks co style done by Dave this year for a local builder to complete.  Probably the same pattern that lehigh brad used. I think its obtainable, tell you what it throws up very nice, and no problem with cheek slapping, even with 90grains of fff in .54

[pushboater]

Sitting Fox Custom Muzzleloaders makes a left hand Lehigh kit. You can get it inlet for a straight barrel or a swamped barrel. Your choice.

Capt. David

[Mark Elliott]

Is it true that most pre-carves don't have cast-off(on)?       I have only made one rifle with a pre-carve stock because that is the wood I was given.   It was a miserable experience because I had to re-do everything.    It was just a piece of wood to me.   

[RichG]

LehighBrad- what did you use to stain/finish your Lehigh?

[JDK]

Is it true that most pre-carves don't have cast-off(on)?     ...........

Maybe the more mass produced ones, as are bought from Track of the Wolf and some of the other suppliers.

The way Fred Miller did 'em, and the way I assume David Keck does 'em now, each stock is individually machine carved off of a buttstock pattern.  The stock is left square from the mid lock panel forward.  After shaping the barrel is inlet.  They can inlet the barrel straight down the middle or point the muzzle little in either direction, imparting cast on or off.

Enjoy, J.D.

[Mattole]

Thanks for all the great suggestions gentlemen. And LehighBrad, thanks for showing your fine rifle.

[jamesthomas]

 My TVM lefty Southern Rifle precarve does NOT have any cast-on or cast off. I believe its so that you can decide how much cast-on or off you want, an go from there. In my case it will be about a 1/4 of an inch.