23 years ago, back when Benjamin Martin taught his kids to “aim small, miss small,” I dove into the flintlock rifle thing and built a Jim Chambers Isaac Haines rifle. It was a great experience, and I did a respectable C+ job. I hunted with it a bit, then hung it on the wall for a couple of decades. It looks like Chambers still produces top-notch kits; you can check them out at flintlocks.com
For some unknown reason, my attention recently turned back to the longrifle. One great thing I discovered had happened in those 23 years to the flintlock rifle is Kibler’s Longrifles. For the last 8 years, Jim Kibler has provided extremely well-designed, well-executed, top-quality, and historically accurate rifle kits. He uses the latest technologies to create incredibly precise parts that result in a superior finished rifle. He also provides a wealth of information in many tutorial videos covering every aspect of rifle construction and finish. I was pleased and a bit amazed that Kibler exists. It seems that quality and ingenuity are a rare find these days. His website is at kiblerslongrifles.com, and his videos are at youtube.com/@kiblerjim.
After the bird seasons ended, I ordered a .45 caliber Southern Mountain Rifle in walnut. Building this kit was a most enjoyable and gratifying project. I am going to build another! Maybe don’t mention that to Mrs. Birdhunter. I hope you enjoy these pictures of the finished rifle.
The Southern Mountain Rifle is graceful and svelt. A swamped barrel with a minimalist stock makes for a light and lively rifle (6 lbs, 2.3 oz). The 44″ barrel yields a 60″ rifle; the sighting radius is impressive, and it is well-balanced in hand. This rifle is very fun to shoot.
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