Favorite muzzleloader kits?

[CountryGent]

For about as long as I can recollect, there has been various outfits that made muzzleloader kits for the home hobbyist to build a firearm. At least one of my brothers and myself have built such, albeit for different purposes.

On that score, any particular muzzleloader kits you really enjoyed? Any you would avoid? Links to make the suggestion for a fall/winter project? Thanks for sharing!

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[Twilight]

Lyman Great Plains kit was always a solid choice, Traditions are easy builds too. Avoid the cheap no-name imports, fit and finish will drive you nuts.

 

[Capn Jack]

When the instructions recomend against trying to bend any of the brass parts..... Believe them * Cast brass doesn't bend.

I think replacement parts have to come from Italy. (by mule).

 

[tac]

One word - Kibler.

Look 'em up.

Nothing more to be spoge.

 

[roseburger]

One word - Kibler.

Look 'em up.

Nothing more to be spoge.

Please forgive my Yankieness, what's "spoge"?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

One really nice thing about muzzle loading kits....
You can take some time...and make them yours.

As in...
Fit and finish , and little details , so as they don't look like everyone else's muzzle loader that was assembled from a mass produced kit.

Something else to consider....
Most kits...and even many custom builds by famous makers fall short in historical accuracy with the look and feel...
Of the firearm they are copying.
This does not matter to most people.
However to me it does.
Andy

 

[tac]

Please forgive my Yankieness, what's "spoge"?

Variation of the past tense of the verb 'to speak'. 'Today I'll speak about stuff' - 'yesterday I spoge about it'.

Like the compound responsive I often use 'resplone' - 'reply+response'. and 'ago' - 'syne'.

You've prolly guessed by now that Anglish is not my first spogement. Whoops, there's another one!

 

[osprey]

I spoge you splained that one gud enough for us knuckedraggers Tac!

 

[roseburger]

I spoge you splained that one gud enough for us knuckedraggers Tac!

I still can't understand what them Brits are talking aboot.

View: https://youtu.be/UGuGzH3Ne5w?feature=shared

 

[Bobbygun]

Most kits...and even many custom builds by famous makers fall short in historical accuracy with the look and feel...
Of the firearm they are copying.
This does not matter to most people.

That's because most of us don't know the difference. The last thing we want is some know-it-all telling us our stuff isn't legit. Like a little while back, someone tried to tell me my knife wasn't legitimately from Kit Carson and Jim Bridger, but I wasn't buying their "helpful" advice: (not saying it was you)

Geez, nice flex Andy.

But it will be tough to top my knife. The guy that sold it to me said it was a knife given to Kit Carson by Jim Bridger. Once I heard that, the $900 sales price seemed like a steal. I'm gonna hang onto it for a couple of years, then put it in the classifieds here for double the money. Heck, I might even throw in Boo (but not the antler).

View attachment 1926554

Do you suppose it's too soon to double my money yet?

 

[Capn Jack]

When it comes to a kit, or one of my, "Home Brews" The main things I'm interested in are appearance, does it look , "Cool" to me and reasonable accuracy.

To me a firearm is just another machine that I made work. I'll leave the, "Museum Quality" and "Historical Accuracy", to more knowledgeable people than myself.

 

[tac]

I spoge you splained that one gud enough for us knuckedraggers Tac!

Tha's reet bona.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

That's because most of us don't know the difference. The last thing we want is some know-it-all telling us our stuff isn't legit. Like a little while back, someone tried to tell me my knife wasn't legitimately from Kit Carson and Jim Bridger, but I wasn't buying their "helpful" advice: (not saying it was you)


Do you suppose it's too soon to double my money yet?

Speaking only for myself here....
It ain't so much some know it all....

It is the firearm company itself...saying that their _________insert whatever firearm here , is an accurate copy of a historical firearm...
when it clearly ain't.
Doing so give a false notion of firearms and history.
Looking at you here Thompson Center with your so called "Hawken Rifle"....plus many , many others.

In any event...
Kits like those made by Kibler are high quality in the parts.
However they are also "cookie cutter " guns....all the parts are the same...and look the same.
Historic guns ( excluding military arms or guns made to a pattern , like a Colt revolver ) did not do this as a general rule.

Please note that I am not "bad mouthing " / trash talking Kibler or other fine firearm makers.
Kibler makes a fine / excellent kit....and well worth the money spent....
For many , if not most folks...it is good enough.
I am just saying that it is lacking in many nuances to look like an actual copy of the historic firearm it is copying.
Andy

 

[Bobbygun]

Looking at you here Thompson Center with your so called "Hawken Rifle".

Gulp! That is the exact muzzleloader I own!

That's okay. I inherited it, so at least the price was right. Besides, I'm lucky if I get out the black powder more than once a year. It is a lot of fun, but I'm impatient on the reloading.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

@Bobbygun
The Thompson Center "Hawken RIfle" is....
A very popular rifle....and works well as a hunting and shooting rifle.
It is also accepted at many black powder shoots and rendezvous.
Which is just what it was made for.

However ....
Due to how it was advertised in it's heyday of the 1970's and 1980's....
It was touted as being "Just like the rifle your great grand daddy carried across his saddle horn".
Which it ain't...it ain't anything like a 1840's - 1870's era muzzle loading rifle...nor is it remotely like a true Hawken Rifle.
Yet due to its popularity and advertising myth / copy...
it is what most folks think an actual Hawken looks and shoots like.

Again...it is a fine rifle...a modern rifle....a modern muzzle loading rifle..

In any event....
No one has to agree with me here...or shoot like me...or enjoy what I look for in a muzzle loading firearm.
I do , however urge one to look beyond so called replica firearms or even most custom muzzle loaders and if given a chance to look , handle and perhaps shoot an original ....
In order to gain an understanding of the firearms of the past.
Andy

 

[Bobbygun]

a modern rifle....a modern muzzle loading rifle..

Yep. This one even has a more modern peep sight mounted on it. I think it's a Williams. The buckhorn sight has been removed. It is fairly accurate and legal for hunting in Oregon. I think that's all Dad was looking for. He didn't ever participate in formal shoots or rendezvous gatherings. As a youngster, I was with him at a friend's ranch where a couple of the guys shooting with him were dressed like Daniel Boone. It was a small gathering though and very informal. I recall he did shoot one small forken horn blacktail with it. That may have been the only time he hunted with it.