New Builder needs Help

[mikea]

I would like to build a long rifle and need some advice. I have looked at several plans and books on the net but I'm not sure which ones to purchase so any advice would be great. Wheres the best place to buy supplies? A little background on me ...... woodworker with complete shop, bladesmith with all the tools.

[Ezra]

This forum is a tremendous resource.  As for parts, you can start with the following:

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(4pequk452u4itfvockxd0oe3))/index.aspx

http://www.muzzleloaderbuilderssupply.com/

http://www.stonewallcreekoutfitters.com/

If you desire a kit, try these folks, they are the best.

http://www.flintlocks.com/

Good luck.


Ez

[Roger Fisher]

I would like to build a long rifle and need some advice. I have looked at several plans and books on the net but I'm not sure which ones to purchase so any advice would be great. Wheres the best place to buy supplies? A little background on me ...... woodworker with complete shop, bladesmith with all the tools.

Keep the first one plain and simple - this question although new to you is getting a little old to others on this board.  Check the archives all the good suggestions should be there re: books sources etc.   !

[lew wetzel]

welcome mike,with a woodworking and blade smithing background you should do just fine on your first build..keep it simple and the costs down..incase you wreak havoc on it right out the gate..and use the archives and try to search old threads that are pertaining to a problem you might be having....some of these old grumpy guys hate to repeat themselves everytime a new guy comes along...lol...but its all good...welcome to the best site out there....

[northmn]

I am getting to be a "grumpy old guy" but I agree fully with Roger.  Another point I will make.  If you want help and can post pictures do so while construction is in progress.  Showing your "first" as a finished rifle and asking for input is a little late for advice.  While some of us may vary a little in style, there are certain things like wood removal, which you will at first find intimidating and proportions as in the wrist and web area.  Good luck and have fun.  As to the full wood shop, many of the more experienced builders ahve graduated to more simple hand tools as a power tool can really mess up an expensive stock in a hurry.  Speaking of which, when we say start out plain, buy a plainer stock.

DP

[Seven]

Welcome to the board Mike!  Ezra directed you to the best general places for parts and such on the net.  It might help to get you some more recommendations if you knew what you wanted to build.  In other words are you planing on building a Lancaster, a Bucks, a southern, a Virginia etc.  Any original makers that you are drawn to?  You know that kind of stuff.  -Chad

[Jerry V Lape]

You are lucky there are several books to help you with the building process.  Probably the best of them is
"Gunsmith of Grenville County", another good one is "The Art of Building the Pennsyvlania Longrifle".  Many now purchase DVDs of various builders showing how they do it.  I haven't gotten into DVDs so maybe someone else will give some advice for them. 

[Nate McKenzie]

Welcome Mike. here is a very good tutorial that has helped me a lot.

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/tutorials/brooks/Brooks1.html

[Bill of the 45th]

Welcome,  As Jerry, Ez, grummpy Roger, and others have offered great advice already, I'll just add a couple bits.  The term "Kits" that have been mentioned, and listed on the other sites, is no more that a set of parts for a particular style of gun.  They do not include instructions, Thus the need for the books, or video's.  American Pioneer offers some great ones as well as the Chambers .  You're a bladesmith, so you must have sharpening skills, which will go far, as most work is with hand tools, chisels, and gouges.  Other than a drill press, most power tools will have you learning new combination's of expletives, that might make a sailor blush.  The knowledge base here is as good as it gets, so ask away., and again welcome.

Bill

[Ky-Flinter]

Welcome aboard, Mikea!  All good advice so far. 

Seven made a good point to ask what style you want to build.  That can be a daunting question.  Most of the fellows here strive to build guns that are accurate to the desired time period and place.  There are many good reference books on original long rifles and they are listed under "Books & Videos" on the main ALR page.  Unfortunately some of these books are expensive.  What I would suggest, is to check them out from your local public library.  If they don't have the book you want they can probably borrow it for you thru the Inter-Library Loan program.  Later you can buy the ones you really like.

A follow on question to Seven's is...  What do you plan to do with this rifle, once it's finished?  Deer hunt?  About any style will do, but IMHO caliber should be .45, .50 or .54, some might say bigger.  Hunting squirrels or punching paper?  .40's are very popular. 

As you can tell from my ALR handle, whatever style you decide on, I believe it should be a flintlock!

-Ron

[mikea]

Thanks to everyone for the replies.  I will be building a flintlock. As for tools I learned a long time ago to take it slow and use hand tools when you can, a 120 grit belt can ruin a set of handle slabs in a hurry. I ordered 2 sets of plans yesterday and will have to decide which one to build after they arrive. Again thanks , Mike

[George F.]

I don't know where you live, but if you live within 200-300 miles of Allentown, Pa. TRY to make it to the Gunmakers fair on the last weekend in July. There will be more details as the month of July approaches. You will not regret it.   ...Geo.

[brokenflint]

Welcome aboard Mike, pay no attention to us grumpy old men, we gots cabin fever LOL   we need all the new guys in this sport we can find as our numbers are dwindling, MuHAHA.   Here's some guides in addition to whats been posted, which may or may not help you out.   

Starter Books which will give you the basics:
Recreating the American Longrifle by Buchele
The Art of Building the Pa Longrifle by Chuck Dixon
The Gunsmith of Grenville County by Alexander.

Starter reference books:
The Rifles of Colonia America Volumes I & II - by Shumway

Join the MNLRA and find some local black powder clubs, there are always be folks who are builders of one sort or another, but take advice with caution.  Attend a few shows to look at everything you can to help you settle on what you would like to attempt.  Kits are easier, but that will limit what you can pick and chose from.   Good luck

 
Hey Mods, I've got a suggestion here, we need stickies to help new builders out, then our responses can just point a new builder to a generic post which would include basics, suppliers, etc.  Can this be done?

Good Journeys
Brokenflint

[keweenaw]

For we anal retentive guys, flintlock is not a style but an ignition system. You'll see comments from time to time that some flintlock used on a rifle is patterned after an original that dates 10 years later than the style of rifle it's on (horrors of horrors), so bear with us.  One of the advantages of starting with a kit, rather than simply picking out parts that look cool is that the kit will usually have stuff that is appropriate for the period and style. Styles might be things like York, Lancaster, Christian Springs, Virginia, Lehigh, Tennessee Mountain, etc.  Look at Jim Chamber's site http://www.flintlocks.com/ and look at the different styles of rifles for which he as "kits" , see what blows your hair back.  If you want something racier looking, well there is no hope for you, but there are some nice Lehigh/Allentown rifles for sale at http://www.trackofthewolf.com/ in their guns for sale area to give you an idea of that style.  There is a great mountain style rifle by Ron Borron pictured toward the bottom of the page at http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/ which could also be built as a flintlock.

Some of these guns look deceptively easy to build but turn out to be very difficult.  Getting a Lehigh rifle just right is considerably harder than making a generic Lancaster rifle.  Some of the styles work very well for our contemporary shooting styles, while others don't.  Some of the styles look ok with minimal carving or ornamentation, others just don't work without extensive carving.

Figure out what you like, then ask questions to get some practical advice before you commit to anything or order anything. 

Tom