New to kit build

[Swamp ghost]

Hi everyone . This is my first post so bear with me. I'm looking to try my hand at building a kit gun. I wanted to build a Bucks County . Would this be a good gun to build for a first timer. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[sz]

Welcome to the site.

I believe Peckatonica has a kit for a bucks county rifle.  I am not 100% sure however.
I have a tutorial I did for the net that may help.
let me know if you'd like to see it.  It's building from a blank, but you simply need to omit the parts that are done for you with a kit gun.



Steve Zihn

[thecapgunkid]

Track of the Wolf has a bucks county kit and Mike Bellevue does a running set of videos on building it over there on Youtube.  Might help a lot.  You might also invest in Jim Turpins video on building a gun.

Hope this helps

The Capgun Kid

[moleeyes36]

Welcome to the forum.  As long as you aren't concerned about being historically correct, the Bucks County kits from TOTW, Pecatonica River, or Tip Curtis can be made into nice looking and good shooting rifles.

Mole  Eyes

[rich pierce]

Hi everyone . This is my first post so bear with me. I'm looking to try my hand at building a kit gun. I wanted to build a Bucks County . Would this be a good gun to build for a first timer. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

My first build from a blank was a Bucks County flintlock. Love those lines!  A first rifle is a first rifle. It likely will have some things you'd change later. But don't!  Mine is a great shooting and well loved rifle. That being said, I'd already built a couple simpler kits. I recommend a simple trade gun or musket for a first build. But kits  vary a lot in what they require.

[oldtravler61]

  Swamp ghost. If your dead set on a bucks county. Check out the kits suggested above. But for a really nice rifle that is almost impossible to mess up. Even for for a newbie. Look at Jim Kiblers southern rifle kit. IMHO it is their easiest kit out there to build. Even with know experience you should have the gun finished in a week or less. Also you will have a historically accurate firearm. If that concerns you. Oldtravler

[Swamp ghost]

I appreciate all the good information from you guys. I started with I wanted a longrifle to looking at this forum and getting wrapped up with all the beautiful guns. I guess my question is would a BC be an ideal first build , or am I getting in over my head.

[little joe]

The Kibler kit will show you how to assemble a rifle and get your feet wet. It will not show you how to over come all the problems you encounter with other kits on the market, or stocking one from a plank. Jim has worked out all the wrinkles for you.

[flehto]

The Kibler kit would be an excellent first build.  If you want something  more challenging, a Chambers early Lancaster parts set would require 100-200 hrs to com[late....depending on your skill level.

The TOW Bucks County parts set would be more challenging than the Chambers and is a Verner style BC w/ a straight combline  and won't result in a BC as pictured which has a curved combline.

The pictured BC at TOW was  my first attempt at a BC and doesn't have all the BC features. Shown below is a recent BC which does have all the BC features.....Fred


my photo upload on internet

[Bigmon]

careful !!
Dont fall off that chair!

Ya might land on and break that nice rifle.

[flehto]

I usually stand barefoot on the chair, but some might think I'm uncouth. ...besides my toes aren't that good looking. That LR has a 46" bbl and formerly used a step ladder, but the chair does the job except either my shoes or my toes are visible. .....Fred

[Bill Raby]

   My first build was the Jacob Dickert kit from Track of the Wolf. I doubt that the Bucks County rifle would be any harder. Before building I bought one of the Pedersoli muskets so I would have something to look at and get some idea of how these things go together. Also bought a bunch of books and watched a lot of videos. I did not have any problem building it, but it did take a long time. I enjoyed every minute of it and the rifle turned out great. I had little woodworking experience, but a lifetime of metal working. I think that if you are good working with tools, it is not very hard.

   The Chambers kits are very nice, but I don't think that I would want to do one. Too much of the work is already done. I want to do all the inletting and fitting and such. If the goal is get a great rifle that you built yourself, go with a Chambers kit. If the goal is primarily the experience of building it, then go with the Track of the Wolf kit.

[Swamp ghost]

That's a beautiful gun flehto. What's different on a BC kit from TOW and your Bc. What books are good to learn the different schools.

[David Rase]

I agree with Fred's advice to build a Chambers Lancaster kit.  In my opinion it is hard to beat a good Lancaster County gun when it comes to basic looks and stock architecture.  The triangulated butt stock is a mainstay in colonial rifles.
David 

[bama]

Swampfox BC rifles are a tough build to get right but if that is what you like then build it. The most important thing is to get your first one started. Your first rifle will have boo boo's so will you're second if you build it. Build what you like and you will be happy.

The guys here on the forum know first time builders sometimes take a $1000.00 worth of parts and build a $300.00 rifle. That is why they keep bringing up the Kibler kit. This kit is almost ready to assemble without any wood to metal fit up. Even a first timer would be able to sell his rifle for the price of the parts.

There will be much more work involved in any other kit that you buy but you will also learn more about actual gun building.

I started much like you. I wanted a long rifle so I went to Dixie Gun Works and bought the parts and built a rifle. That was 45 years ago and I still love to build rifles so get started and good luck.

[flehto]

Bucks County LR kits from the various suppliers  don't have the  characteristic entry pipe and the cheekpiece, leafy star. The BC LRs are very slender like the Lehighs and in fact both are  very "petite"  LRs.  Shown below are a few views of the entry pipe and leafy star. The entry pipe, star and Pbox  are made by the builder, although the Pbox can possibly be purchased.....Fred

RCA, vols 1 & 2  contain a lot of info on the various "schools" or styles of LRs. Good luck w/ your quest.......Fred

[PPatch]

I appreciate all the good information from you guys. I started with I wanted a longrifle to looking at this forum and getting wrapped up with all the beautiful guns. I guess my question is would a BC be an ideal first build , or am I getting in over my head.

"... am I getting in over my head."

Before I address that I would like to welcome you to ALR!

Regards "your getting in over your head," it is difficult to say since no one knows your past experience with woodworking or light metal working. However, if you are careful, do your research (ALR is great for that), and take your time with each step you ought to be able to build a gun from any of the kits currently on the market. It is a matter of having a firm idea of where the next step leads before you proceed. This assumes that you have some experience with wood  and hand tool use.

My first build was a .50 caliber from a Chambers Lancaster kit, it took me 13 months to complete. Previous to the build I did have a solid grounding with woodworking, but I had to teach myself quite a lot along the way, low relief carving for instance. The finished rifle has a few faults, all my own doing, but she's a shooter and good looking and I am happy with the gun.

Dave

[Eric Krewson]

I have done 2 from a plank and one from a precarve "kit" that I assembled the parts for. I would much rather make a gun from a plank after having the barrel inletted and ramrod hole drilled by one of the experts than build from a kit. I spent twice as much time trying to get things lined up in the right place on the precarve than I would have taken on the plank builds.

I have an Isaac Haines kit with a Rice barrel, Deluxe Chambers lock and obviously upgraded wood that I think is from TOW waiting in the wings (archery classified bargain find). I am in bow building mode after finishing my precarve and two TC kit guns, kinda' burned out on guns for right now.

[Swamp ghost]

Thanks again guys for all the good information. I'll get more books and videos and go from there . It's nice to know whatever I choose that the folks at ALR are very helpful. Still kinda hard to get away from the Bucks county when Fred keeps posting those sweet pics lol