Hanging out with Jim: Questions and Answers Part 1 August 2024

[@Ken-xm1rf]

It's very cool to see how you're bringing modern production methods and mindset to muzzleloader manufacturing. There were folks who said these guns were too complicated for this. You're proved them wrong. Well done.

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks for the kind comment. There were definitely some who said it couldn't be done.

[@richarddean3154]

"Two different guns were smushed together in the lock area". That was funny. It will be interesting to see what Kibler comes up with, in terms of a Hawken design, when Jim turns his full mind toward the project. Pretty exciting. I would have already purchased the fowler if I didn't get my Colonial American in smoothbore. Thank you for all the effort you put into producing fine longrifles and KZbin content.

[@BootmakerSamVasta]

I just finished a woodsrunner, I’m thankful for the technology and the expertise that allows you to make these flintlocks, I just couldn’t find the time to finish one otherwise. I’m going to show it off at a mountainman rendezvous in the end of September (Fall River, Kansas)!

[@kiblerjim]

I hope your rendezvous goes well and we really appreciate your kind words.

[@carlschmidt7522]

The up side to all the requests for more products is that your quality is so great that everyone wants their favorite rifle built to your standards. I've built four of your kits and built a fifth using one of your locks. Thanks

[@kiblerjim]

Wow! Thanks for your business and for watching. We wish we could meet all the requests to get people what they wanted

[@garydzidowski1134]

I am impressed with the amount of care and detail you are putting into your products. Now that you have me getting back into black powder, I am "patiently" waiting for my Woodsrunner to arrive. Some may criticize your using modern tech for producing these "reproductions", but regardless how they are produced they are still reproductions. As such, they should be made as functional as possible, and you are batting a 1000 in that respect. IMHO looking at the BP offerings at the local sporting goods store they have become mostly modern rifles that burn black powder. These are just to meet the basic requirements to use in BP deer season. The product you have is very suitable for hunting or target, reliable and accurate, and is a true BP arm. Thanks for your passion.

[@thatsthewayitgoes9]

Production is extremely interesting. I admire you and wife and employees surmounting the many challenges

[@ShepFL002]

Quality products from great business. Great owners and thanks for your efforts to create heirloom quality rifles.

[@samueldamewood5273]

Everything you have going on is impressive. The quality is there, period. They have quality people too. Very patient too which is more important than anything else when it comes to dealing with customers. You run a first class operation, and this very satisfied customer appreciates it.

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks. We are grateful every day for all of our amazing customers.

[@ReidCoffield]

Jim, having purchased and put together one of your Colonial rifles I am totally delighted with both the rifle and the service I received from your company. You folks are great! I definitely would purchase a Bess when you get to the point you can add one to your line. Thank you again for a fantastic product, great company, and a darn interesting and informative video!

[@kiblerjim]

We haven't started a Bess yet but it seems like it would do well. Thanks for the feedback and for watching.

[@JESSE-uw7np]

unreal the quality ! and perfection !

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks a lot!

[@byronrudrow7938]

Very well done and helpful video! Very informative. If you ever get to the Brown Bess, I’ll be at the top of the list!👍🤣👍

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks! Keep on the email list and you will stay in the loop for future kits

[@richstone2627]

Thank you for sharing your time. I enjoyed the video. Keep up the good work.

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks for watching!

[@paulherbst752]

Yeah, Hawken!!!!!! Sign me up.

[@kiblerjim]

List should be coming out before long. Make sure you are on the email list for announcements

[@minigpracing3068]

I refinished a Turkish Walnut airgun with Ferric Nitrate and it came out really good. All deep browns on this sample. Finished up with sealer to a semigloss.

[@johncyr5623]

Amazing attention to detail!!! My Woodsrunner is just great and a Fowler is in the future. Thanks much.

[@kiblerjim]

Our pleasure! Great to hear

[@davidaguiar1387]

My first Muzzleloader ever was a Hawken built from an inexpensive kit some 45 years ago. That rifle is long gone and despite not being as classy as my SMR, the Hawken design still holds a place in my soul. I look forward to a Kibler Hawken to fill that void once again.

[@shellmaker10]

Love these videos! Thanks.

[@kiblerjim]

Glad you like them!

[@trevorfitzgerald4996]

Really good video, looks like you got your hands full. They are amazing those cnc machines.

[@kiblerjim]

The CNC definitely helps us get it done but the possibilities are endless

[@markpasswater5708]

Love your kits, and quality of them.

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks so much!

[@stevemyers7698]

I love watching your videos. You must have an amazing crew. Keep it up, dry soon I’m going to be a new customer, just have to figure out which one I want to get. Thank you.

[@kiblerjim]

Give us a call if we can help you decide. We definitely have an amazing crew. Thanks for the comment

[@thehistorygeekdidyouknow3359]

The Brown Bess would be a great add to your line up. It is a staple of the reenactment community and would have consistent sales over time.

[@BigBloodThief]

I agree. I'm somewhat holding out hoping for more brown bess options.

[@loupuleff571]

Jim, thanks for the heads up on new things you have coming up. I do have one special request on the Hawken please please offer it in .58 cal !!

[@allencampbell4460]

Great informative video.

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks 🙏

[@5777alan]

That machining process is quite amazing. Had bought a Colonial rifle a few years ago, and am very happy with it. Have been thinking about a Woodsrunner. You do an awesome job with your rifles.

[@RogerF56]

Great video! Really nice to see some of the inner workings of your shop. Was the “mystery” wood curly ash?

[@geargnasher9822]

My guess too after he pointed out the holes from the dreaded boring beetle. I hope that within the quarantine restrictions on transporting the dead wood, as many of the dead trees as possible can be salvaged for future use since eventually that species will be virtually unobtainable.

[@kiblerjim]

Yes it was! Thanks for the comment.

[@RonOhio]

A good day is a Q&A with Jim and a Baker Rifle video from Rob at British Muzzleloaders, all on the same day. Love watching the machining sequences, and the modeling of the relief carving is top shelf work. If you hand carved that and digitized it, the file size would be astronomical. Off to find the Hospice raffle.

[@kirkhowes5663]

That's an amazing accomplishment I know you are a heck of a lot smarter than me! Keep on doing what you're doing I mean you had a vision unfortunately it's all working out for you and that's a beautiful thing

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks for the nice compliment

[@nigelkavanagh2048]

Brilliant vid Jim! Thank you so much. A great Insight into your operation, one question I would have sir would be, I have just build a brownbess around a willets lock from track, any chance a kibler's lock would drop into it? Tks again nigel

[@mattquigley6518]

"Coffee with Kibler!"

[@kiblerjim]

That’s a perfect title 😃

[@kirkhowes5663]

It's been 20 years or more but I did Pitch the idea of doing French dueling pistols or French of some sort to my buddy with CNC technology. Basically what you're doing and I said you know we could produce these kits with CNC technology but that was before you even probably were even thinking about doing this stuff it's it's just amazing that somebody finally did it and I'm glad you did it

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks for the support. I have heard the pistol recommendation but I’m not yet confident it would sell well enough since it wouldn’t be useful for hunters or target shooting. It would be more of a novelty. Hmmm

[@ashby559]

A Long Land Pattern Brown Bess would be amazing and they had wood rammers.

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks for the comment

[@gbrehmo43]

This is awesome 😂

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks!

[@gerald5344]

I suspect that's ash and I'd love to have a stock made of it, even if it comes with a few filled beetle holes. I'm also much looking forward to your improved Hawken-style rifle.

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks! The HAWKEN will become a reality. Hope you got your ash order in with the office!

[@jgt4862]

I would definitely buy a Hawken!

[@kiblerjim]

Great! We are definitely going to do one

[@whaleyisp]

Robert Woodfill knows more about Hawkens that anyone. He wrote the book. He's right here in Indiana. Super good guy talked to him for a long time at the Hawken Classic.

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks-just bought his book

[@jacobwilbert1018]

Siiiiick

[@kiblerjim]

ha! thanks

[@skooter2767k]

Kibler Bess would be awesome! I’d buy a few

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks for the feedback

[@ol1guy994]

Thanks, interesting

[@kiblerjim]

Glad you think so!

[@45calibermedic]

Dear Mr. Kibler and team, I would buy a Long Land Pattern Brown Bess from you **YESTERDAY**! The War of Austrian Succession, the Jacobite Rising, the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, that pattern saw so much history that a kit to your superb standards would be a must-have for military and historical collectors, reenactors, and regular flintlock enthusiasts alike (with the drop in its stock and overall design, it's more of a craft appreciator's and shooter's piece than later patterns). If you made your Bess appropriate for the French and Indian War and before (Patterns 1730, 1730/40, 1740, and 1742), a wooden ramrod would be perfectly accurate to history and, furthermore, my understanding is that older guns with wooden ramrods soldiered on alongside new-fangled iron ones into the 1770s. Higher cost due to extra features like sling swivels and so on would be perfectly understandable. Best of luck with the Hawken and thanks for taking the time to answer our questions!

[@generalwyf]

Definitely need a bess kit. I know it is difficult to do but if you could do a 1st and 2nd model land patterns that would be great. The 1st model is severely underrepresented in the reenacting community.

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks for input!

[@michaeldemontigny3017]

Love to see a flintlock pistol kit

[@richardmeyers8781]

Jim you greedy capitalist. 😂😂😂 just kidding. Jim let me come to his shop to pick out the stocks I wanted from his inventory on hand. He took time to stop working on everything to help me. Then he prepared the 3 kits I bought. The girls boxed them up for me and helped load them up. Great company great people. Thanks. I hope to get one of the Fowlers in the near future also maybe a hawken.

[@minigpracing3068]

Have you thought about renting time on some of the 3d probe based measurement tools? That would let you draw with the probe to follow carving on a loaner to digitize it for refining and cutting. The optical and ever laser based scanning can leave a lot of clean up needed but might save some time over a from scratch based design.

[@TornadoCrewStormChasers]

BROWN BESS KIT YES YES YES

[@kiblerjim]

@@TornadoCrewStormChasers hey we love storm chasing videos! Will check your channel out!

[@TornadoCrewStormChasers]

@kiblerjim I have the woodsrunner and colonial. I have ordered the SMR in 32 cal couple weeks ago.

[@ChoppersModelworks]

Just be sure your fully aware of the hazards with mixing and using Potassium Dichromate especially in true powder form as that stuff hardens organic tissue like your lung tissue if inhaled and liver cancer if absorbed through the skin. I say this as i am heading to use it in 19th century oil print photography but i need to be sure myself i have everything ready to dispose any byproduct as well as any accidental spills. It is also VERY reactive and can cause combustion if contacted with some materials. Just trying to give a heads up before someone gets their hands on some without the full awareness before its use.

[@kiblerjim]

We appreciate the input-definitely important to keep that in mind. We won’t use it and will mention this

[@mattfurey6952]

Would love to see a brown Bess

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks for the feedback

[@jamespalmer4727]

I wish I was that experienced builder. Sadly I am not.

[@kiblerjim]

I have spent many many years

[@d.pierce.6820]

An early French trade gun would be interesting…a pistol kit would also be nice-I’m sure you must have lots of left-over pieces of wood that are too small for rifle stocks, but would be perfect for a pistol stock

[@kiblerjim]

The wood would definitely be an easy part of a pistol kit. Just want to make sure it would be a seller before development

[@d.pierce.6820]

@@kiblerjim well, I'd buy one or two!

[@jacobwilbert1018]

Jim, you sir are a freak of nature. Maybe a Force is a better way of saying it. Fortune favors the driven 👍🇺🇲🇺🇲

[@kiblerjim]

Thank you kindly

[@loupuleff571]

If you want to study Hawken rifles I'd look for a GRRW hawken I might even be able to set up a loaner for you ?

[@gravityalwayswins1434]

"I wanna this and I wanna that. And I want it ASAP." Just ike a little kid. Tell you what. Go sit in the corner. lol Thanks for all your hard work Jim. Do what you can, when you can. I'm 70 and ran a business for 37 years. Whatever you do, don't lose your health over trying to satisfy everybody, and trying to do 'too much". Know when to say "Enough is enough." A MASSIVE thanks for all the advancement you have brought to AAA grade custom muzzleloaders.

[@olskool3967]

i have my 17th Kibler on the way, will be here Monday. Jim and his people do a fantastic job! can't wait for the Hawkin, i like the idea of them but i don't like the weight of them and the way they don't balance! please Jim, make them light and shorter,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[@kiblerjim]

AMAZING!!!!!! Thank you!!! I think you are going to love the Hawken...

[@maddog45auto66]

That ain't cool that's freaking awesome.lol.

[@mennoburmeister1973]

Kind of off-topic but how about another "open house" weekend sometime . I would drive a whole day to see your facility.

[@kiblerjim]

We are doing tours but not the “event” like the open house. This weekend September 28th and 29th. Give the office a call if you want to sign up

[@johnjamieson6368]

35 years ago I ordered a bunch of parts and built a mutt of a rifle. If I can ever buy another rifle /kit, it will be one of his. It will be money well spent.

[@kiblerjim]

Wow, thanks for that. We would love to get you back into it.

[@johnjamieson6368]

@@kiblerjim Do you know if an L&R Twigg lock would fit on your fowler? I have one that was worked over by Bob Roller. Got it about 13 years ago but never built one.

[@craigcook1571]

Can y’all imagine what the gunsmiths from the 17-19th century’s would think watching that CNC machine work

[@kiblerjim]

It's always interesting to think about how people from the past would see the world today

[@craigcook1571]

Our founding fathers would shudder! They would probably go back to England. Sad isn’t it 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@robertlittle7407]

Cool man Cool

[@kiblerjim]

Thanks

[@bennetttalley4024]

Northwest trade gun possibly?

[@kiblerjim]

Probably not

[@loupuleff571]

Green he may be talking about the old Aqua Fortis that stuff turned green over time.

[@kiblerjim]

No they were asking about legitimate bright green dye. That old magic maple did turn green though. Unfortunately I used it really early in my career

[@strangleholdoutdoors]

🇺🇸

[@kiblerjim]

🇺🇸

[@larry648]

A real Hawken would be nice. No patch box, iron fittings, two barrel wedges, 34” .54 caliber.

[@docr8197]

I would respctfully sugest the you record at a higher volume ,👂 we can always turn it down to 0 but not much higher. I can barely hear the dialog 😐😣

[@robgoose8126]

Pretty loud for me 🤷

[@kiblerjim]

Sorry about the trouble. The levels seem to work for most on on our tv it’s pretty loud.

[@thomasozminkowski2589]

Wood working is a bit different than metal working. Ive done both.

[@kiblerjim]

Yes, they are different

[@thomasozminkowski2589]

Jim you also need people that know production wood machining and little or no muzzleloader/firearm experiance. They will bring in a different experiance.

[@kiblerjim]

yes

[@tonylatham5915]

I can't imagine what it takes to CAD a stock. Good grief.

[@kiblerjim]

Yeah, it’s a bit of work for sure. Thankfully I enjoy it

[@tonylatham5915]

@@kiblerjim You must. I do a bit for 3D printing, but I swear, I won't turn that machine on once I get my fowler. I swear. ;)

[@olskool3967]

Jim was that ash wood? if it was i will take a SMR in ash please! LOL,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[@kiblerjim]

Yes, it's ash and it's a dream to work with. Thanks for being such a great customer!

[@loupuleff571]

If your looking for any help in developing a Hawken rifle I know my gunsmith who worked at GRRW back in the 70's and he is a very well known builder he may be willing to help advise on a new gun for you I could ask him if your interested he is actually building my Leman trade rifle for me at the moment it will probably be his last build for a private buyer he is getting up there in age but his work is unbelievable he built me a Hawken and a Trapper pistol set it is a work of art.

[@jackcook8613]

With cnc equipment, you can do anything and repeat it over and over again. Just keep an eye on your tooling.

[@kiblerjim]

That’s the beauty of it for sure

[@thatsthewayitgoes9]

Ash?

[@reloadNshoot]

Dont have anything against left handers other you it wont make as much money. At least you are transparent, we all know that a left handed lock is much more complex than the right handed lock. Gotcha 👍

[@jimkibler786]

Really? Do you not realize the purpose of a business is to make money? This isn't a charity. You'll never see me apologize for this.