I just wanted to share a few pictures of my newly completed SMR, it took me 2 weeks of evenings for a total of 37hrs to get her put together! She looks good and shoots great! Ignition is super fast and it has the sparkin'est lock I've ever seen!
Thanks for putting out such a fine kit! There will be more Kibler builds in my future!
I have been dazzled by the beauty of original vintage flintlocks since I was a young man. My first trip to Numrich arms upstate New York to their Museum floored me. That was in 1974 built several Thompson arms rifles even one Sears Roebuck kit. But after moving to Florida no one was interested in black powder. I worked law enforcement 27 years have always been an avid shooter but got away from black powder. I do vintage weapon repair along with other types of antiques. And chance the pawn and estate sale with a group of really beautiful black powder weapons some have been water damaged. I bought the entire group and restored all of them started shooting black powder again even making my own powder and casting on my own lead. I've been reloading and casting bullets for over 50 years. When I saw the Kibler website I was again taken by the beauty of the tiger maple in the balance in the flow of those weapons. I enjoy shooting 32 Caliber squirrel guns no need to send all that lead down the range if you don't need it. I ordered the South Mountain rifle for my 70th birthday for something to do. Jim put the kid together and sent it out to me much quicker than I thought it would. Absolutely tickled with the whole process. His choice of wood was excellent I tried using the iron nitrate for the first time with magnificent results. Couldn't be happier with the whole process I even did the case hardening the way they did it during the Civil War with charcoal and bone chips. Came out fantastic. For people who are adventurous and have some dexterity as far as building things this is not too far for you. They're magnificent and functioning and the fact that you have held every nut and bolt and screw in your hand and finish this artwork. Well that's just a sense of pride I allow myself that. Thanks for doing what you guys do I hope people never forget how this all started. Get away from AR-15s and get back to what is real and an art.
Ordering a Kibler rifle is a simple as it gets, the web site makes this process painless, input the information and payment for the rifle, a conformation is sent and a few moments later an e-mail for payment of the lock is received, when this is completed a conformation for the lock arrives. Very user-friendly system as it should be.
Prior to shipping Kibler sends a ready to ship e-mail for shipping address conformation, this is outstanding! Once conformation is received an addition e-mail will arrive with the tracking number.
Kibler listens to their customers and makes continuous improvements, case in point- anyone who has gone through the process of drilling the underlugs holes in the stock knows how stressful this can be, well Kibler predrills these holes in the stock and now has added a drill bushing kit with each rifle. The touch hole liner is also installed before shipping, attention to detail indeed. The shipping box is not a cardboard box but a very well-made wood box, mine took some damage somewhere between Ohio and the west coast, no damage whatsoever to the contents.
Kibler's YouTube how to videos are without question another great asset for anyone who is building their first rifle, they cover all the bases.
My Southern Mountain Rifle came out beautiful and shoots extremely well, it’s now my go to competition rifle. No issues at all during the build.
As a retired Quality Manager I would like to commend Jim, Lori and the rest of the staff at Kibler Long Rifles, keep up the good work, you are truly a World Class Company.
I have built three of these Tenn Style kits. I ordered all with the best wood they had - why spend the time and effort on anything but the best stock avaliable. I spent a little more time to put a patchbox in them and added carving... all that said, I will order another one soon. Great kit and very good workmanship by Kibler - worth every cent!
All I can say is Jim outdid himself on these great little rifles. I have a physical disability that prevents me from performing a lot of tasks requiring motor skills and I lack the finesse to set a rifle build apart from an average build, but Jim has these kits that are tweaked to the point that even I could do it and make a very nice rifle. I used a lye wash for the stock since it is cherry and added a bean-type patch box along with a toe plate. The little rife shoots wonderfully well and I couldn't be happier. I have already placed my order for the Woods Runner and am looking forward to the fowler when it makes its debut.
