Rifle Kits

TheBumper78

Cadet
Joined
Jun 20, 2019
Hi all. This may get long and I apologize but here goes. I’m an avid hunter and I love shooting and hunting with my 50 cal flintlock. I also have been looking hard recently at Model 1861 Springfields. I found a “build it yourself” kit that Traditions makes. I guess ultimately my question is can anyone just build it? I’m no woodworker but I can sand paper or file if needed for final fit and finish. Has anyone ever built a rifle kit? Could a complete novice build a rifle successfully? Thanks in advance for any replies!
 
I'm sure "anyone" could build a Traditions kit, but judging from their their hawken style rifles, I'm not sure how historicaly correct they would be.

I've built kit rifles before, but not a Tradition kit.

If youre looking for a non-civil war rifle for hunting purposes, I highly recommend
Kiblerslongrifles.com. I have both of the two kits he offers.
Historically accurate and excellent shooters, and in my opinion, the best value in a kit gun.
 
If all it needs is a little sanding, staining, and final fitting you should be fine. All the components of a Springfield pin, band or screw through the stock. You should be able to produce a safely shootable arm from their parts. I can't speak to the historical accuracy of the kit, but the actual assembly isn't very complex.
 
Just made my first trip to the Smoky’s in Tennessee in May. Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. We came back to MD via 40 to 85 in NC. Beautiful rugged country out there. Never associated mountains to NC before that trip.
 
I’m not reenacting....Yet. I’m interested though. But I understand the historical part of it. An 1861 would not have “Italy” nor a serial number stamped on the barrel.
 
I'm sure "anyone" could build a Traditions kit, but judging from their their hawken style rifles, I'm not sure how historicaly correct they would be.

I've built kit rifles before, but not a Tradition kit.

If youre looking for a non-civil war rifle for hunting purposes, I highly recommend
Kiblerslongrifles.com. I have both of the two kits he offers.
Historically accurate and excellent shooters, and in my opinion, the best value in a kit gun.
Thank you. I mean I’d hunt with it because, well I’m a hunter, but maybe ultimately I’d look into auditions for a re-enactment team...Don’t know yet. Also I want to maybe build one because then I know exactly how it goes together and comes apart, and can diagnose and fix issues or broken parts if need be. Thank you for your insight.
 
Good question. I am not familiar with Traditions gun kits.

I wanted to build my own Pennsylvania Long Rifle. I knew an older chap who had re-built stocks for 24 modern high-powered rifles which included re-shaping the bolt grip. He offered to help tutor me and use his garage/shop. I collected my barrel, lock and hardware from various stores and catalogs. I went to a professional shop to select curly maple and they cut out a stock blank. This was close to the final shape as the stocks in the kit but did not have the exterior shape.
My tutor showed me a lot of the tricks of the trade. The first thing we did was make a tool to inlay the lock, trigger guard and hardware. It was a steel rod that was bent into a Z shape which was inserted into a blunt handle and the tip filed and sharpened razor sharp. This allows you to cut-out and dig down to fit an inlay.
He also showed me how to mix up a red stain using lipstick that would is used to mark the high spots that require more filing, cutting and sanding to make a perfect metal-to-wood fit.
Well, our little team was broken up by our work schedule and transfers. I knew I could not finish the inlaying of all the parts, much less finishing the wood and the steel. So I took it back to the professional who finished it for me.

My point is that you do need some special tools and the skills on how to use it. A tutor would help tremendously.
 
Thanks in advance for any replies!

You can get a finished rifle https://www.gunbroker.com/item/818359152 for less than the $900 they want for a kit https://www.traditionsfirearms.com/category/Rifle-Kits

You might want to find a used reproduction 1861 Springfield and see if you like how it points and shoots for hunting. The reason so many originals were cut down (both barrel and/or stock) is that their civilian owners found them too ponderous as-issued to hunt deer.
 
I’m not reenacting....Yet. I’m interested though. But I understand the historical part of it. An 1861 would not have “Italy” nor a serial number stamped on the barrel.
Taking the modern marking off and replacing it with period stamps is called "defarbing." None of my guns are defarbed; that's a detail I don't feel I need to add. Where I was going is that some reproduction guns are better copies of the originals in terms of stock shape, details, etc than others. I don't know the Traditions kit.
 
Thank you. I mean I’d hunt with it because, well I’m a hunter, but maybe ultimately I’d look into auditions for a re-enactment team...Don’t know yet. Also I want to maybe build one because then I know exactly how it goes together and comes apart, and can diagnose and fix issues or broken parts if need be. Thank you for your insight.
Reenacting is a hobby; you find a unit you feel you have a fit with, collect your impression and pay your annual dues. I've never had to audition. :smile:
 
The Traditions kits are actually made under contract with Armisport. They are fully inletted, and not at all difficult to assemble and finish. As for removing the manufacturer's markings and serial numbers from any reproduction muzzle loading arm, aside from the potential legal ramifications, the manufacturer's warrantee becomes null and void.
J.
 
For your purposes I am not certain that I see a huge advantage to building one of the reproduction Traditions Civil War kits for use as a muzzleloading hunting rifle. One often overlooked issue with those is that the sights are not necessarily that accurate and it certainly seems like that might impact the likelihood of hitting whatever you are aiming at while hunting. If you want that type of weapon, I would look for a good second Civil War rifle musket from the N-SSA website, where they do try very hard to hit what they are aiming at.
 
For your purposes I am not certain that I see a huge advantage to building one of the reproduction Traditions Civil War kits for use as a muzzleloading hunting rifle.

I agree. This is my experience with a .58 caliber rifle.
I bought a .58 caliber Zouave rifle off of a co-worker years ago and bought all his ammo and powder and primers. I tried a patched ball and it was extremely tight, especially after some fowling had built up. I almost had to hammer it down the barrel. The Minie' ball was much easier but I tend to believe it was too loose.
The previous owner had installed a vernier peep sight mounted further back on the wood grip. I used the production sights but never worked up a load to get a good grouping. So I just fired it to see what damage it could do. I never even really tried to get the peep sight to work.
I sold it less than a year later as it was just a waste of too much lead and too much powder with litter return on the fun of shooting it. I recently had the opportunity to purchase another one at an estate sale but I didn't even think about it.
Instead, I bought this Dixie Gun Works .50 caliber long rifle. It isn't pretty---which makes me think it was a kit build --- but it is fun to shoot.

DixieRifle.jpg
 
Here's a picture of the rifle I put together from a Jim Kilbler kit.
It's a copy of a southern mountain rifle made in the early half of the 19th century by a N. C. Gunmaker by the name of Bean.
46 inch, .36 caliber swampted barrel, and all iron furniture, which I supposed to be more historically accurate, I should have browned, but I thought the gun would be too dark if I did. The stock is Tiger-striped maple, and is a little lighter in color than what the picture shows. Again, to be more historically correct, the stock should be more dark, and of very plain wood. These were working man's guns with nothing fancy to raise the price.
IMG_20190624_200320.jpg
 
I hunted for years with a rifle I put together from a CVA kit. I even have a revolver I built from a kit. They are not that hard if you take your time and they will be as historically accurate as you make them.
 
I agree. This is my experience with a .58 caliber rifle.
I bought a .58 caliber Zouave rifle off of a co-worker years ago and bought all his ammo and powder and primers. I tried a patched ball and it was extremely tight, especially after some fowling had built up. I almost had to hammer it down the barrel. The Minie' ball was much easier but I tend to believe it was too loose.
The previous owner had installed a vernier peep sight mounted further back on the wood grip. I used the production sights but never worked up a load to get a good grouping. So I just fired it to see what damage it could do. I never even really tried to get the peep sight to work.
I sold it less than a year later as it was just a waste of too much lead and too much powder with litter return on the fun of shooting it. I recently had the opportunity to purchase another one at an estate sale but I didn't even think about it.
Instead, I bought this Dixie Gun Works .50 caliber long rifle. It isn't pretty---which makes me think it was a kit build --- but it is fun to shoot.

View attachment 313014
That looks like the Dixie Gun Works mountain rifle . I bought one in .32 cal. flintlock years ago for small game . Mine is a very good shooter but the small caliber means the bore fowls more quickly .
 
To keep this meandering topic in the direction of the ACW, I will say that the old Dixie Tenn. Mountain Rifle, among other things, is representative of the civilian rifles that were carried by many Confederate militia troops in the early days of the ACW. As for the Dixie Tenn. rifle being accurate to shoot, you bet it is! It was actually made for Dixie in Japan by the famous arms manufacturer Miroku. The Miroku arms company also made reproductions of Civil War Springfields, which are highly valued today for their accuracy not only in shooting, but overall appearance.
J.
 
Here's a picture of the rifle I put together from a Jim Kilbler kit.
It's a copy of a southern mountain rifle made in the early half of the 19th century by a N. C. Gunmaker by the name of Bean.
46 inch, .36 caliber swampted barrel, and all iron furniture, which I supposed to be more historically accurate, I should have browned, but I thought the gun would be too dark if I did. The stock is Tiger-striped maple, and is a little lighter in color than what the picture shows. Again, to be more historically correct, the stock should be more dark, and of very plain wood. These were working man's guns with nothing fancy to raise the price. View attachment 313021
I've seen and held @Booner's rifle when it was in pieces in an open box and after he completed it. He didn't need to do any inletting, but he did choose to polish the barrel flats and he had to drill some pin holes. He finished the stock from raw maple, too. He did just as good a job as the photo suggests! My point here is that you can probably build a fun shooter from a kit and you can probably find lots of instructional video on youtube which will help you. I built a flintlock pistol kit decades ago. Some of these kit firearms are simpler than others and some will produce a finer looking piece than others, but all are fun. If you follow instructions, I believe you can make a safe shooter and have lots of fun in the process.
 
That looks like the Dixie Gun Works mountain rifle . I bought one in .32 cal. flintlock years ago for small game . Mine is a very good shooter but the small caliber means the bore fowls more quickly .

I have a .36 caliber, 44-inch long barrel. I don't worry about fowling but then I do try to swab it after every 2nd or 3rd shot.

I never consider fowling as being a factor of the caliber. What type powder do you shoot? After some testing, I shoot Pyrodex Pistol powder in my small caliber rifle.
 
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