Any experience with DIY black powder kits?

[jiggerachi]

I just stumbled on these this morning and i'm just drooling all over them. I'm a huge fan of these old black powder pistols and long have contemplated buying one just because, i'm also a huuuge DIY fan.




http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=512_481" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Anyone have experience with such a thing?

Anyone who has blackpowder experience, flintlock or percussion? My unexperienced self would want to go completely oldschool with flintlock, any reason not to? Where would I go in DFW to even shoot such a thing?

Thanks everyone...now if I could just grow a beard...

[2farnorth]

They are fun. To make it look nice you need a little patience, wood finishing, and metal finishing skills. I've seen some done to being functional but not really good looking. Fit and finish left a lot to be desired. The second one I was involved in looked a lot better than the first one..lol These kits have been around for many years. This company http://www.dixiegunworks.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; was the one I worked with back in the 70s but I haven't done anything with them for a long time. Not their fault, I just lost interest as the Air force was moving me around a lot and it is hard to do projects on the move.

Darn, now you lit a bit of a flame burning in the back of my mind again.

[Chris]

Track of the wolf has a lot of good kits too. I love old flintlock and percussion guns.

[OldCannon]

Dixie Gun WOrks, Track of the Wolf, and October Country -- all excellent black powder resources. I <3 my bp rifles :)

[SC1903A3]

I got a CVA 50 caliber Hawken kit back in 1992 a a father's day present. I took my time putting it together and it turned out looking great. It's name is deerslayer because it has.

[DocV]

I have put many kits together and like them all. Had not seen that particular kit. It looks really nice.

[jiggerachi]

Thanks guys. I'll put one on my birthday list.

Any experiences with percussion w/ flint lock? Also, any ranges local allow blackpowders?

I think I may start with the pistol, but i'm sure i'll want a rifle in no time. These guns are purely nostalgia and cool factor, and nothing beats cool like a pirate's pistol.

[DocV]

All of mine are percussion. Reliable ignition and no need for priming powder.

[OldCannon]

Thanks guys. I'll put one on my birthday list.

Any experiences with percussion w/ flint lock? Also, any ranges local allow blackpowders?

Many outdoor ranges not only permit it, they often have Muzzle Loading Rifle Association groups that meet monthly. (http://www.nmlra.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

[Pete92FS]

Built 2 back in the mid-80's - both kits made by CSA. Built a .44 Navy Colt and a .50 cal. Hawken. Had intensions of deer hunting with the Hawken but we lost our lease about that time and never got back in to it again. They were both fun to shoot.

[Rex B]

Built 5 of those back in the 1980s. Still have all but one. Fun to do. I'd build another if the kits hadn't become so expensive.

[jimlongley]

Built a CVA Kentucky flintlock back in the 70s, a gift from my wife and daughters. Blued in the manner of the era, and seven layers of linseed oil (hand rubbed with my left hand) but I left the brass cap off the butt because it didn't fit well, and all of my inletting efforts meant I had to reshape the butt , which actually led to me making it fit my hand better than it would have originally.

For a period of time I owned a pistol in NY State without having to license it, antique and replicas of same not having a license requirement.

It was stolen when our home was burglarized. Boy did that lead to one of those confrontations with the police, like we see on You Tube, when we reported the burglary. The police finally came to the conclusion that it was legally possessed because it was not a firearm under state law, but the thief still got charged with felony theft of a firearm, and his attorney never pointed that out, so he was convicted.

I never got the gun back.

[aggie67]

My son and I built rifles and pistols from kits like this when he was in high school 25 years ago. I am proud of mine and he is proud of his--we did a fine job if I do say so. My homebuilt 50 cal caplock is as good as its TC cousin.

My son lost one of his blackpowder pistols in the Bastrop fire (while he was fighting the fire) and I have two kits to give him for his son and him to build. I gave him a Navy Revolver, but one you fit and finish yourself will be special and what an activity for Fathers and Sons.

[RottenApple]

These look like a lot of fun. But I've got a couple of questions:

1) Is there any legal requirements (other than the standard age & criminal background) to be able to buy and build one of these?
2) I know woodworking fairly well, what do I need to know about metal finishing to do a build?
3) From reading some of the comments and watching that video (thanks Andy!) I assume these are working firearms, yes?

And that's all I can think of at the moment.