First after Op rifle build

[exMember]

Just got tracking number in this evening that my kit gun was shipped out today!

I can not put long hours into it every day due to my condition, BUT, I am sure in hell going to take my sweet time and go slow and keep the gun looking clean and myself feeling good.

I believe I will start on the lock and put a great deal of time and polishing into it before moving on to the trigger. I really want to deck this next kit gun out in high quality fashion and make it something to be really proud of.

Shouldn't come as a surprise but I will be doing another Traditions St.Louis Hawken .50cal in percussion. We'll see what kind of special things I can do with this rifle.

 

[Buck Conner1]

Go slow kid, don't over due anything for now.  :ttups:

 

[exMember]

And this little gadget I am going to start calling the life saver! I got my lock inletting cleaned up, shaped & fitted in as little as 3 minutes! It also is a favorite tool to remove thin amounts of wood in the barrel channel as I am bedding it.

 

[wganz]

Name of said 'gadget' and a link to where you bought it?

 

[exMember]

Straight 1/4" Curl Scraper


https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/stock-work-finishing/stock-making-hand-tools/wood-scrapers/hard-fit-curl-scrapers-prod398.aspx

 

[exMember]

Build is on hold until I get a stock replacement :evil: :evil: :Scucks:

If I don't get a new stock, I  will have plenty of spare parts for my other st louis hawken I guess.

 

[patocazador]

That's why they make Bondo, Jon.   :suspect:

 

[exMember]

Ha! I think that might do it!! lol

I just boxed it all up, tired of looking at that POS. Found more things wrong with it so now lets see how traditions plays this.

 

[Rick N Bama1]

And you thought my Hawken was bad

 

[exMember]

I'll do 3 of yours VS this damn thing! :lol:

Same thing on this one as yours. They dinged the holes in the lock so now I have to figure out what size of metric tap I need.

 

[exMember]

Dang it! Got an email from Traditions today saying that were going to ship me a new stock for it. I already sent the rifle back to the store, so we will see whats next. I guess traditions first email to me to call them did not go through. Oh well! At least they were going to replace it for me which is good to hear.

 

[Rick N Bama1]

Jon where did you buy the kit?  As you know I bought mine from MidwayUSA which has a no return policy on all firearms.

 

[Buck Conner1]

One of their sales people said because of their policy at Midway USA they have noticed a decline in sales. Daaa

 

[Rick N Bama1]

One of their sales people said because of their policy at Midway USA they have noticed a decline in sales. Daaa

I can understand that!  As Jon will tell you my kit should have went back and because of the problems with it I asked Jon to do the build and that turned out to be a good thing!  I only punch paper, and I have the feeling that it's going to be a real shooter.  Now after watching Jim Kibler build one of his kits I wonder if I might have the skills to do the same.  I would really like to build one of his Colonial Rifle Kits.

BTW, IF I ever buy another rifle kit it won't be from a "Clearance Sale"!!  There was apparently a reason it was "On Sale".  It's really made me think again about Traditions and about Midway.

 

[Buck Conner1]

In the early years there were many issues with kits; Dixie Gun Works, CVA, TC and several others had poor fit on wood to metal, screwed up threads, poor fitting parts ... the list just went on and on. The ones that survived were the ones that made the needed corrections. 

Maybe Traditions needs a wakeup call?

 

[wganz]

I'm glad now that I have to put tires on the daughter's car vs. buying such a white elephant.

 

[RustyReel]

I've been itching to build a kit but all the bad reviews have caused me to hesitate on the purchase.  Over the past few months I have picked up a half dozen used muzzlestuffers, all at considerably less than the price of a Traditions Kentucky kit (some even came with some goodies) and these should satisfy my desire to tinker for a while...

 

[Buck Conner1]

Not all kits are poorly done, there are some really good kits available, just more pricey. Like the old saying "you get what you pay for" has always been the key to getting the quality most want.

I've been having some health issues that a team of doctors are working on right now. Once these issues have been corrected and Jonathan if feeling like his old self I'm thinking about sending him a Jim Kibler kit to build. That would test his skills and be an interesting read on the process. 

 

[heelerau]

Jon you could try inserting fillets of suitable wood into the areas of excess machining. I guess you are rightly dissapointed in the quality of the stock.  I think you could still work it up into something quite nice.

 

[Hylander]

Any update on this?