blackpowder rifles

[uncleduck]

Im looking into the possibility of getting an old style blackpowder rifle, and was hoping some of you guys might have some advice on where to look for one/ what to look for in a rifle once I find one. Right now I have an inline, but after starting to build bows a few years ago, I am wanting to get into an earlier time period gun. Thanks ahead of time.

[wildman]

How authentic are you looking to be? Alot of directions you can go with this, caplock,flintlock,rifle,smoothbore and on and on. As an off the shelf gun T/C still makes some more traditional style rifles as well as Lyman. You can get some decent kits out there for around $700 that anyone that can build a bow can produce a working firearm. Guess what I'm saying is the possibilities are endless.

[killir duck]

check out jim chambers muzzleloaders and muzzleloader kits

[mullet]

And Dixie Gun Works and Track of the Wolf.

[wildman]

Jedidiah Star and NW trading are also good

[JW_Halverson]

In case you should run across a used one that you are thinking of buying, go out to a sporting goods store with a large fishing department.  Ask for the little LED light replacememts for the glowing fishing bobbers.  Firefox makes one that is only slightly larger than a pencil lead!  The battery doesn't last too long, but for the $3 you spend, you can save your life.

Drop this little led booger down the barrel with the light shining back up at you and stick your eyeball to muzzle.  Look at the condition of the bore.  If ANYTHING looks crappy, ask them to swab the barrel with a couple of patches with solvent or at least water.  Look again.  If there is anything that looks rough or pitted, walk away quickly and steadily. 

There are thousands of second hand muzzleloaders that have been shot and not cleaned.  They tend to be the least expensive guns with questionable steel barrels in the first place.  No sense buying what you think is a rifle only to find it is a grenade!

[Eric Krewson]

This is going to take a while;

If you are just getting into traditional black powder go with a finished rifle, like JW said, lots of used ones out there, lots with essentially ruined barrels from not being cleaned but some gems as well. TC doesn't make side locks any more, Lyman does and would be my first choice. Traditions, Cabalas' and CVA make OK entry level guns.

As for kits there are two types, assembly kits(TC, Lyman,Traditions) that are no more than minor parts fitting and stock finishing and parts kits like the Chambers kits that require a considerable amount of wood and metal working skills a vast array of tools, a shop or other place to work and a couple hundred hours time to complete. The third choice would be a scratch build consisting of a block of wood and a pile of parts ,the most difficult to complete but also the most satisfying.

Here is my last scratch build, an English Fowler turkey gun.



Finished except for applying the stock and barrel finish.



Another choice would be percussion or flint. I like flint but it definitely has a learning curve to be proficient with. They don't call them "flinch locks" for nothing.

[uncleduck]

This is some great insight, thanks a lot everyone!

[Stoker]

Good advice JW.. Just bought a lyman deerstaker.. My freind pete gave me the exact same advice.. There's lots of junk out there.. You can find good used.. But you get to look at alot of junk first
Thanks Leroy

[DQ]

Beautiful fowler, Eric.  Great job.  Good luck with the turkeys!

[IsaacW]

Things to consider (some said earlier)

-Level of authenticity desired
-Whether you want simply "old time/fashion" or something of a particular time period and area
-The above two can help with the decision of flinter or percussion (or even Matchlock... whooeee  )
-What do you want to hunt with it?  Squirrels, deer, bear, turkeys, waterfowl....

There are a lot of good makers out there for custom, semi-custom, as well as some mass produced guns.


Isaac

[Danzn Bar]

Ditto Dixie Gun Works been there many times............have bought many supplies and parts from them. 
DBar

[seabass]

the guys at Dixie are good guys.they helped me with info on a gun I had.i thought I had a 1835 springfield musket.it turns out,i had a 1816 spingfield musket.it was marked 1835,but that is when it was sent back to the arsenal to be converted to caplock from flintlock.really good guys at Dixie.

[Trapper Rob]

Check with Stonewall Outfitters Troy is the owner he is a good guy really helpful.

[wildman]

I was on DGW sight last night good kit guns from around $350 for Lyman not real correct, but a primitive shooter for sure. I used a Pedersoli Ky long rifle flinter kit last year add and left out a few things to my liking and ended up with  a solid shooter decently period correct with around 30hrs in it for around $ 700