RE: Kit gun
Kits can be very simple or very complex. Also depending on who puts the kits together can run a couple hundred bucks to a thousand dollars. Frontier Gander put a kit together a while back and I think he did an excellent job on it. Also it appears to be an excellent shooting Hawkins style rifle. You might want to contact him for more information in that department.
Lyman also makes some nice kits in their plains rifles. While they do not have all the fancy brass, they are a great looking, great shooting rifle with some very traditional lines.