(Can of worms) Builder recommendations?

[Forager]

Looking to have built (assuming CFO approval) an “early Virginia Rifle”, James River Basin school style rifle.  .54-.58 caliber; high grade maple, 42-44” swamped barrel (coned, if possible) with round bottom rifling.  No carvings, inlays, or adornments; a hunting rifle.

Seriously considering having TVM do it, but want to see if there are others I should consider.  Price range, spec’d via TVM would be roughly $2k, so there’s the ballpark.

Thanks!

[RobD]

i would Highly recommend a jim kibler colonial, circa 1750-1760, in .54 bore, not with round bottom rifling, and not muzzle coned.  the kit is a $1k and for jim to build it adds another $600, add in $200 for AAA curly maple.  this is the colonial .54 kit i built earlier this year ...

[Forager]

i would Highly recommend a jim kibler colonial, circa 1750-1760, in .54 bore, not with round bottom rifling, and not muzzle coned.  the kit is a $1k and for jim to build it adds another $600, add in $200 for AAA curly maple.  this is the colonial .54 kit i built earlier this year ...

Gorgeous.

Okay, why neither coned nor round bottomed?

[amm1851]

Avoid Jackie Brown. If you've got the time and the money, Don Bruton builds a gorgeous, plain southern-style rifle. It took almost a year for me to get mine, but I am very well satisfied.

[RobD]

Gorgeous.

Okay, why neither coned nor round bottomed?

some say round bottomed grooves make for easier loading, but IME that has never been the case with 3 totally different rifles, and builders, i've owned and used.  round bottomed rifling does increase the depth of the rifling and that typically will require a thicker patch to fill the deeper .012" grooves.  i truly believe that the old school shallow square rifling of .008" or .006" is simply better - at least for me, as a result of my personal testing with .45, .50, and .54 rifles.

some say coned muzzles make for easier loading, but i've never found that to be true with the pair of rifles i had muzzle coned.  unless the coning is accomplished to perfection, the results could easily be decreased accuracy. 

i can only echo what john has posted as to guns made by mr. jackie brown - just say NO.  having commissioned him to build me a .62 smoothbore, which was a very far cry from "right" the day i received it, i spent countless hours and dollars fixing what he did, and documented the whole affair in making a truly bad gun into a truly great gun.  SO, i'd suggest avoid jackie brown guns like the plague.

there are Many really good builders out there and my current go-to is jim kibler, though i prefer to just buy his kits and do the build myself.

[Oldetexian]

i would Highly recommend a jim kibler colonial, circa 1750-1760, in .54 bore, not with round bottom rifling, and not muzzle coned.  the kit is a $1k and for jim to build it adds another $600, add in $200 for AAA curly maple.  this is the colonial .54 kit i built earlier this year ...

Rob, this is one of the most beautiful rifles I have seen in years! You do some dang fine work, my friend...If I had the ducats I would try to twist your arm to make a copy of this beauty for me...

[ridjrunr]

If I were to order custom rt now I would call Mark Cambell in Oklahoma.

[Spotted Bull]

I'd make a post similar to this on the ALR site and see how many responses you get. There are some really great builders over there.

[dmarsh]

I second Spotted Bull's recommendation and also agree with the Kibler colonial recommendation. 

Dave

[doggoner]

Avoid Jackie Brown. If you've got the time and the money, Don Bruton builds a gorgeous, plain southern-style rifle. It took almost a year for me to get mine, but I am very well satisfied.

Don IS NOT taking any orders at present. http://www.booneguns.com/index.html  or  http://www.whitewolf1750.com/ to view his two web sites. I agree his guns are the cats meow.

doggoner

[Keb]

I'd take Rob's advise. The Keebler kits are 2nd to none in historical accuracy and quality.

[Eric Krewson]

That is a beautiful gun Rob and good job of putting it together. I did one of the Kibler mountain rifles and have to admit its shaping turned out a much better looking gun than any of my scratch builds.

Are you going to polish the lock on you gun? they do look a bit better afterwards.

[RobD]

That is a beautiful gun Rob and good job of putting it together. I did one of the Kibler mountain rifles and have to admit its shaping turned out a much better looking gun than any of my scratch builds.

Are you going to polish the lock on you gun? they do look a bit better afterwards.

thanx eric, it was an interesting build.  if jim ever offers a smoothie, i'm in for one for sure!

as usual, i took the lock completely apart for the build in order to tune it and use the plate to better adjust its stock rout.  but i will not polish it, nor will i do anything to the barrel other than allow it to patina on its own.  i just prefer both that way - rustic and worthy.

[BEAVERMAN]

Forager, did you ever pull the trigger on this build? if so who is doing the work or is it done?