Hey guys, so to be frank, I've never done anything like this before, but I think it's doable given time and research.
So for all my adult life I've been collecting big bore rifles. I started out with a 45-70, got bored, and then moved on down the line to 458 lott. The lott kept my interest for a while until I built my 12 gauge from hell. Now, that cartridge will absolutely never get old to me, but there is one caliber in particular that's been at the top of my "need to have" list. And that would be the mighty 4 bore.
A few years back, I inquired on having one built and was quoted $5k+ not including materials and a several year long wait. Needless to say, I'm not quite that "baller" and a few year wait makes me shiver.
I figured my best bet for getting to own my dream big bore would be to make it myself. So the other day I commenced to doing some research and priced a barrel. To my surprise, a 4 bore barrel is actually very cheap. I was thinking it would cost over $1k, but actually I can get one for around $600.
While I'm not a machinist, I have access to a machine shop (and machinists) that can help drill and tap items with a mill. If there is something complicated (like installing the breach) I can just send it to a Smith for that process. I figured the hardest part (and would take the most time) would be making and inleting a stock from scratch. I've done some small inleting tasks before, it's a pain but doable if care and patience is applied. In my mind, I would guess getting the lock and trigger put in place correctly will be the hardest task at hand.
I've ordered two books to help me get some knowledge on the subject which are "The Art Of Building The Pennsylvania Longrifle" and "The Gunsmith of Grenville County: Building the American Longrifle". People seem to reccomend them a lot.
So I guess my question is, to those that have built their own, what was the hardest process for you? What are some tips that can make the process a little less intimidating for a novice? General tips will also be very much welcomed as well.
Like I said, I've never done anything this in depth before, but I am a good fabricator, I learn fast, and I know when to ask for help. I think it's entirely possible for me to do this, though it will be challenging. Thanks for any advice given!