Here's a Model 1817 Common Rifle I built from parts obtained from The Rifle Shoppe and from Track of the Wolf (Track no longer carries TRS parts, the few parts they have they are disposing on their site). I received the lock parts within 90 days from The Rifle Shoppe. The parts from Track were faster because at the time they carried sets of The Rifle Shoppe parts (though they had a habit of sending the wrong stuff that YOU had to pay the return shipping costs).
This is what the parts look like when you receive them:
The parts are castings and you have to clean off the casting sprues, drill holes and fit things together and then hardened the tumbler, sear and springs. The castings only require cleaning & straightening because they are made from the actual piece. I made all the screws (including the wood screws), made the breech plug, the ramrod, the butt plate, and welded casting flaws in the barrel bands and trigger guard. You will have a high quality reproduction when (if) you finish, but it is not a beginner's project. TRS will do certain work like assemble & hardened the lock and some barrel work, but that makes more time until they ship the parts (you need to check their site if they still offer that work).
ALWAYS make sure they have the parts in stock BEFORE ordering. The have to make all the wax positives first and bring multiple orders to a foundry, then bring them back and cut the parts apart and assemble your order. It is no small thing to do what they do. It took me over 90 days & 6 e-mails just to get a catalog from Blackley & Son (England), so I decided not to order from them - they are completely disorganized & claimed they had sent the catalog twice, when they had not sent it.
I think the 1803 rifle is probably one of the more requested guns. They used to advertise finished guns for about $2400 but that was over 5 years ago & I don't know if they offer that option any more. Good luck, Mike
