I would strongly recommend getting a copy of "Recreating the Long Rifle", by Buchele, Shumway, and Alexander. It is chockablock full of no BS wisdom that will guide anybody building his first rifle, be it a basic no-frills kit to a scratch-built elegant masterpiece- Pennsylvania long rifle, percussion half-stock, it doesn't matter, the basic principles are all the same. Buy the book, read it, then buy the gun parts or kit.
Be it a kit or a handful of raw materials, the quality of one's end product will be a result of how much dedication/patience/knowledge one puts into it. It's as simple as that.
Last edited by gnoahhh; 05/04/15.
