I have a TC kit gun, 50 cal. and Italian side by side 12,, plus revolvers. I have never had a problem with my TC, and it shoots where you point it. I have Friends with kit guns, and factory guns, from TC, never had any problems with them, well made, and they stand by their products. One Friend that has a TC 5o, also has a custom flint rifle. I have shot it, and it is spot on the money. I Want to build one myself one day, with a nice curly maple stock, Siler lock, or L&R "Durs EGG" style lock, and swamped green mountain barrel. I want to make a roman nosed penn, or Kentucky style stock, maybe even go so far as to put a cant in the butt stock. For a newbie if you can try one of each, the in-line, cap lock, or flinch lock, if you can. If possible go to a rendezvous, or a bP shoot. I don't like the CVA as the ones I have seen, and fired, have poor locks, and triggers. I do have a Kentucky pistol by CVA, and the lock is terrible on it, as is the stock,but the barrel, is extremely accurate, as were the rifle barrels, on the rifle that I have shot. I still have my BP guns, and have not shot them in a long time, but when I did, it was fun, and addicting as heck. When I can afford it, I will build myself that Flinch Lock rifle, but it is expensive even building it yourself. But it sounds like you have gotten one at a great price. If it doesn't have one with it, get, or make yourself a vent hole pick. Keep your flint sharp, and the Frizzen clean. You can make a cover for the lock, for inclement weather. A simple cheap vent pick, is a piece of guitar string, with a loop in it to grasp, as a handle, or a short piece of dowel, with a piece of wire in it. You will have a blast, and a ball...
, oh, I would recommend you wear glasses of some sort, just in case of excessive flash in the pan. You can make a neat little load carrier, by taking a four or five inch piece of two by four, and drilling a slightly larger holes than your caliber, and and put your patched and greased ball in the hole, or Maxi, real, sabot, etc. bullet type bullets in the holes. You then put a piece of soft leather over the end, and let each side hang down to cover the bullets in the block, and attach a thong, lanyard, etc. to the block, or just put it in your pocket, and you have a set of bullets ready to be started down the barrel, with having to fumble in a pouch for them, and they already greased and patched.
Mine has a strip of rubber, with little holes in it for the caps, plus it has two holes with brass tubes in it for my powder loads, with small corks for stoppers, with strings attached so I don't lose them. I also used to carry a piece of leather with holes around the circumference with slits in each and a cap in each, and then I just put the cap on the nipple, and pull the leather away. It was shaped like a shoe tongue. But get ready to get dirty, and grinning! Oh, and if you get really addicted like J.W. said, you will tend to slide away from societal norms, and start dressing strangely, get cravings for hunting knives, patch knives, scalpers, skinners, tomahawks, moccasins, floppy hats, and well...... you start to look and act like J.W. etal.
Wayne
P.S. Be very careful with Black Powder, even the pyrodex types. Do not leave the lid off the can, do not pour from the can, or horn, use a measure!
Do not shake the metal can to see how much powder is in it, on the chance of static electricity....Never heard of it happening, but have read about warnings on it a long time ago. Just one tiny spark, and there will be two loud bangs! One from the powder going off, and the other from your rectum slamming shut!
