Want to build a kit rifle.

[mini14jac]

I'd like to build one the blackpowder "carbine" kits.
(Renegade I think?)
I won't scope it, or hunt with it, it'll just be for shooting paper, and tin cans.

I know it's going to require a lot of hand finishing, so here's my question:
Can I just buy the cheapest kit I can find, or are some better than others?
Any specific kits that you recommend, or that I should avoid?

Thanks in advance!

 

[JPM63US]

Blackpowder and carbine are two words which don't really go together.

I suggest a Lyman Great Plains Rifle kit. Best basic kit on the market. If you really want a carbine, cut down the barrel.

JPM

 

[4v50 Gary]

Ditto on Lyman.

 

[mini14jac]

No good things to say about the Hawken and Renegade models?

I really like the shorter barrels.

Having never shot a blackpowder rifle, I'm honestly seeking information here.

What's not to like with the shorter rifles?

Also, if I want to get the Lyman, where's the best (cheapest) place to buy?

 

[TerryBob]

I have never shot the Lyman but I have heard a lot of good things about them. I really like the Thompson Center Hawkins. It's a very handy rifle with good accuracy. I would recommend a .50 cal if you plan on doing any hunting in the future. Maybe a .54 cal if you want to hunt Elk or like size.
If target shooting is all that you want it for, than .36 cal or a .45 might be desirable. The smaller calibers are more accurate.

Black powder has a slower burn so that's why the longer barrels give you greater accuracy. There are shorter lengths available but the only benefit is that it's easier to trek through dense woods with it. If you want to simply target shoot, then you should think about a longer barrel.

TerryBob

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Look up Deer Creek Hawken kits.Saw some very impressive accuracy results posted on the Traditional Muzzleloader hide,I understand that the kits are not very expensive and fairly easy to assemble.

 

[stevelyn]

Midsouth Shooters Supply has the best prices I've seen to date on the Lyman GPR.

 

[Mark whiz]

I'm looking at building me my own in the future too, and unless you are wanting to get into some SERIOUS bucks for a custom gun, the Lyman Great Plains is THE way to go.

Just to get a feel for what it takes to put one of these together really well, check out this site. It's kinda slow due to the pictures.......but it has GREAT info for the job:

http://riflestocks.tripod.com/50cal.html

 

[Tinker]

rifle kit

Mini14jac,

You say you want something you can build just to plink with. I'd go with a small bore like a .32 to .40 cal. Small bore sip powder and lead. That is something to think about now that real BP and subs are so expensive.

Also, if you do eventually decide to hunt with your "plinker" you could take small game with it.

I finished a .36 cal Pedersoli percussion "carbine" kit last year. Bought it from Dixie for $370. Barrel was blued, stock inleted for everything. It just needed some light stock work, sanding and finish and brass polishing. It has a nice brass patch box and set trigger. I will eventually brown the barrel when I get a round-tuit.

The one I have is actually considered a woman's or child's rifle with it's scaling, but I love to shoot it more than my .50. Even my 68 year old mother-in-law loves to shoot it and she's not even a "gun person". Should've seen the ear to ear grin she after she touched it off.

 

[BigG]

1. Use a sanding block on the stock. Keep the flat parts flat and the curves curved. 2. Tear a strip off a sheet of sandpaper about three inches wide and tear that strip into three equal squares. Fold that square in three and use it for the curves with the ball of your thumb. I have seen blackpowder kits put together that looked like a million dollars and others that looked terrible. Much of the difference was in the accuracy of the stock fitting and finishing.

 

[Hutt]

Another idea would be to find a used T/C hawken or renegade at a local pawn shop .Some are in need of total refinishing to bring these fine rifles back into their glory. Just make sure the bore is in good shape. Completely strip all finishes and go from there. Some can be had for less that an imported kit an just as much fun.

 

[mini14jac]

Thanks for the input guys.

I really am looking at this from a casual standpoint.
As cleaning the BP guns is such a pain, I probably won't shoot it more than a couple of times a year.

I like the idea of a .36 caliber rilfe, as the Colt Army Police that I have is a powder puff to shoot.
I can imagine how tame that caliber would be in a rilfe.

I really want to keep the expense under $200.
(Too many centerfire arms that I want to buy. )

As I don't know if I could get the time set aside to build a kit before winter, I'm either going to pick up one of the wooden stocked Bobcat or similar budget guns, or hit the gunshows and pawnshops looking for a used gun.

Since a BP gun that is not cleaned correctly can turn into a wallhanger pretty quickly, how hard is it to tell if a used gun is worth the $$?

 

[Tommy Gunn]

If it is a pain to clean, then you are doing something wrong. Just use hot, soapy water. It cleans up right quick, then dry and lube with T/C's Borebutter.

 

[Tinker]

Mini14jac,

I remember (on some ML board somewhere) about someone mentioning that a company still had the Bobcats in .36 cal. for less than $200. I don't think CVA still makes them in that caliber. These were some new in the box-old production that they had.

 

[Alex]

Here's just a suggestion, the other day I was in the East Grand Forks Cabelas store and I saw several of the Cabelas Hawkens on the rack in the Bargain cave. Over the last couple years I've bought several nice guns from this area and they usually don't have anything wrong with them except that there may be a slight, usually unnoticable blemish somewhere on the gun. Anyway they have a 54 caliber right hand Hawken right now for $197. So, if you just want something you can shoot in the meantime there is nothing wrong with this one, if at some point you want to dress it up a bit consider it a kit with virtually all the hard work done, you can strip the stock and refinish the barrel with a brown if the mood suites you, or you can just leave it the way it is. There number is 1-218-773-0282, I cannot say for certain that they will ship a bargain cave item, but it's worth the call to find out. I won't say these guns are as good as a Lyman Great Plains or a TC, but they are a hell of a lot better than the bargain rifle your talking about and about the same money. Even if you order one new from the catalog (kit or finished) the prices are still reasonable.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Just an FYI,the Cabelas rifles are made by Investarms which is the same company that makes the rifles for Lyman.I have two Investarms rifles and they are well made and decent shooters.