Kibler Kit
- Thread starter hawg
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hawg
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Well, a retired master builder on another forum told me to go back over the weak spots with another coat and then buff it all back down with 0000 steel wool. I did that and it filled in the weak spots but it felt rough. The steel wool didn't help much. I ended up sanding it back down with 600 grit and there she still sits. If it doesn't work out this time I'll strip it all off and start all over. The steel is looking much better. It didn't turn out like pics I've seen of other LMF browning. Sometime today I'll neutralize it with ammonia and oil it up and see what I've got. I've got most of the brass done but it's a slow tedious go. After working on it for awhile I get tired of it and won't touch it again for a few days.
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hawg
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It looks about like it did last time. I'm not extremely happy with it but it is what it is. Maybe one day I'll get an urge to give it another try but today is not that day. The steel parts came out ok I guess. I neutralized the iron nitrate and went over it with 0000 steel wool and 3 in 1 oil. I still have to put the lock back together. I've polished the butt plate and ramrod thimbles up to 12,000 grit. They shine like a diamond in a goats butt. Not exactly what I wanted but once I got started on polishing the previous grits out I couldn't stop (7+" It will mellow out in time. I'll try to post some pics tomorrow.
woodnbow
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That’s the way… can’t wait to see the results!
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hawg
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A few stock pics.
Acorn Mush
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Looks good! I like the color you chose. 
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hawg
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Looks good! I like the color you chose.
I didn't choose it. The wood chose it.
woodnbow
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I like the new look in any rifle. After a while it will certainly look used and that’s a great look too.
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hawg
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It's too glossy for the time period but then I browned the metal and that's not proper either.
woodnbow
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Well, you don’t strike me as a stitch counter type guy anyway…
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hawg
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I'm not exactly a stitch counter but I'm more HC than a lot of people.
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hawg
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I haven't posted here in awhile but I've got it to the point of putting it back together. Two problems. First I had the ramrod fitting the stock perfectly but after staining and oiling it no longer fits. Not even the metal tip fits. I chucked it up in a drill and attempted to turn it down with a file. I have had marginal success but still have a long way to go. I'm not sure there's going to be enough metal left once it's turned down to fit. I may turn it around and turn down the other end to fit and let the metal tip show. The big problem is the lock. Before I took it apart for finishing it worked perfectly. It snapped into full cock and was difficult to trigger with it out of the stock. Once reassembled it no longer snaps into full cock. In fact unless the internal screws are left very loose it won't hold full cock at all and doesn't click when engaging full cock and let off is extremely easy with the lock out of the stock. it being a single trigger I didn't think it had a fly but it did. I say did because I lost it. I don't see where that would have any bearing on it holding full cock or operating correctly since it is a single trigger.
Jackrabbit1957
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Drag about the lock. Is it made by Kibler or is it a Davis or Chambers or L&R? I would take real close look at the sear spring, if its out of place it can cause the problems you describe. Is there any chance some wood finish found its way into the lock?
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hawg
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It's made by Kibler and is supposed to be a Chambers clone. The spring has a small tab that fits into a notch in the lock plate so it is in place. I did get a little iron nitrate on the back of the lock plate. I didn't try to remove it but I sanded it smooth. It acts like the spring doesn't put enough pressure on the sear. If I put a little finger pressure on the sear it works.
Jackrabbit1957
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Does the lock have a warranty? If so I would send back for repairs or replacement.
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hawg
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I dunno. It worked fine before I took it apart. I'm sure it's something simple. I'll take it back down and clean off the iron nitrate and polish it back up but I really don't think that's it. Maybe if I take it apart enough times I'll get it right.
troy fairweather
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I think they will put them back together, I remember Jim saying some people couldn't get there's back together properly.
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hawg
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I don't understand that, it's a pretty simple mechanism. Maybe they encountered the same problem I did and gave up on it. I just took mine back apart and sanded all the iron nitrate off the back of the lock plate and it works now. At least it works out of the stock. However it doesn't work in the stock. This thing is turning into one big headache.
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troy fairweather
Member
I don't know some people that start these kits barley know how to tie there shoes let alone build things. Sounds like you need some more clearance in the stock so blacken the lock and see where it's hitting.
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hawg
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Yeah, I definitely need clearance somewhere.
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hawg
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I discovered the lock only works when out of the stock and held upright. Any other position and it will not catch full cock. I noticed there is a very tiny amount of sear movement. Take up the movement and it works. The weight of the sear is enough when it's upright. I took the sear out and upon close examination I found this. I have no idea how it happened or if not having the fly caused it but I can't see how it would.
Jackrabbit1957
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The missing fly can very easily cause what's there. Can you take a photo of the tumbler showing where the fly is located? If it's a copy of a Chambers lock a replacement fly is available thru Track of the Wolf.
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hawg
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How's he going to fix a broken sear over the phone? I talked to a retired master builder on another forum. He said snapping the lock with it out of the gun without a fly caused it to catch the half cock notch. He also to me I could stone the tip and it might work. It didn't. He said I "might" be able to bend the bottom leg of the spring down to put pressure on the sear. I tried and it broke. So next month I'll order a new sear, spring and fly. I had an unexpected expense and my bank account is cleaned out for this month.
4f is for the pan is it not? N pyrodex does not work well if at all in a flintlock... don't ask how I was reminded of that
