Anyone traded with Middlesex Trading?

I'm very intersted in this buck'n ball double flintlock shotgun:
http://www.middlesexvillagetrading.com/MDBF.shtml

Anyone know of them, or done business with them? Looks like a fine shotgun. Their FAQ says the gun is imported from India.

Kenneth

I bought three of their Brit Heavy Dragoon pistols. I was aware of their lack of quality when I ordered, knew what to expect, and was not disappointed. None of the three was fully operational as they arrived. I expected to have to work them over, and did one. I chose the best of the three, made a nice pistol of it, and sold the other two. If you are able, and prepared to do some extensive re-working of the locks and probably a few other things, then go for it. If you don't think you can do the work yourself, I would say pass on it. If you have to pay someone else to do the work, it will get expensive. Here is what I ended up with, but it took a lot of time.

I had a similar experience with the locks on a Howdah pistol from Middlesex. VERY heavy trigger pull. They sure needed some work. Once that was done, the gun was/is quite functional.
I also picked up a Blunderbuss from them. It works just fine. I'd rather it was not so shiny but it works just fine and the trigger was/is OK.
Not the best quality but quite functional.
Pete

hey,

i got a cal .62 doglock pistol from them
the only main issue i have with it are the screws - they wear off from using too much - i found my jaw screw lost it's threads after having experimented with different flints in it too much.

I now have to re-thread the hole and fit a new screw

Otherwise all works fine

Thanks for all the replies. It looks a bit pricey for all the extra work involved to get it right, but a double flinter is too good to pass on.

I understand some will custom build a double flinter shotgun for you, but they are few and far between.

The pistol that was "worked over" looks real nice.

Kenneth

Kenneth--I have to say that gun looks like a toy or a wall hanger. It is nothing I'd want to load with black powder and shot or ball. I suggest you hang out here some more and look at some real guns (see some in real life too and try to shoot some) before you make a purchase.

Wick, do you have any before pics?

I appreciate the advice. I just don't know of any other double flinters out there. The FAQ says it's not a toy and can be fired, and it appears others have had experience with Middlesex Village Trading Company, and that was my primary purpose of posting this inquiry. So some have, though not with this particular firearm, at least not yet.

If anyone knows of other manufacturers or builders who make a double barrell flintlock shotgun, then I would like to know of them. My preference is for 16 gauge, but I'm not one to be particular.

Kenneth

There was a post a while back by somebody that converted a percussion double to a flint. Do a search and see if you can find that. It looked very well done.

I'll echo what was stated here. I bought an 1816 Springfield musket from them about 2 months ago. I completly stripped it down. The metal was polished like chrome. I gave the wood and metal an aged finish as I will use it for 1850s Virginia milita and early war use. So I wanted it to look 40+ years old. It had one main problem when it arrived, the cock (hammer) was loose on the tumbler. I contacted them and they said send the lock back. I did, he put a new tumbler in it and it seems to be fine now. I told him I wanted it back in time for an event if possible. He sent it back overnight express mail so I'd have it in time. Excellent customer service!

I like tinkering and refinishing them and I knew what to expect. So, overall I'm pleased with it. But if you want something out of the box ready to shoot and look flawlessly, plan to pay a good bit more money elsewhere. If you don't mind working on them a little, you can probably make a nice gun.

That's what I had in mind. I don't mind doing the work. I'm planning on building a .32 cal flint squirrel rifle for my son, and if I choose this particular shotgun I don't mind working on it.

Aside from that, however, I have zero experience with flint shotguns! I bet that will be a completely different clay pigeon busting experience!

Kenneth

If anyone knows of other manufacturers or builders who make a double barrell flintlock shotgun, then I would like to know of them. My preference is for 16 gauge, but I'm not one to be particular.

Click to expand...

Here's a couple I built a few years ago. Starting price is $3500.
14 bore double 1
14 bore double 2
There have been several nice ones pop up on TOTW in the past few months for around $2000.

Mike----Now, those, those, are beautiful...

Kenneth--If you plan to build a squirrel gun soon I would consider buying the parts for a double flinter and or as suggested buy a percussion and convert it! There are several double percussions out there. And as far as the parts, The Rifle Shop has some double flinters.

I have done a couple of builds now as well as buying a complete gun and then 'needing to fix it'. But that double you posted from Middlesex looks just plain tacky to me and it would need SO much work and changing so many things about it---that I would opt for buying the parts and making a gun or buying a nice percussion and converting it. Just my two cents. And, by the way, a double flinter is actually on my build list after I finish this small 50 cal pocket pistol I'm involved with and a really small Twigg Muff gun in 45 cal. Both are flintlocks. I am budgeting around $1100 for the parts for the double rock thrower.

Mike's work is incomparable as you can clearly see. MVTC offerings are not even in the same ball park. That's being said, there is still a place and use for MVTC offerings. It all depends on what you want out of it and what you want to put into it. My 1816 will only be used for pre- and early Civil War reenacting. I made a couple changes to make it a little more authentic and tried to make it look like it had 40+ years of use, in and out of governemnt arsenals. It not a prefect replica of an 1816, but I think it is a fairly decent representation of it. It serves my purpose well.

I've put a few photos of it on my webshots site here: MVTC 1816 Springfield

I saw one at Dixon's last month. I was not impressed, even considerig the price.

Duane

There are two main clues that this is not a gun that you will be proud of nor will it be one that you will be likely to hit anything with. Your first clue is a price of $695. There is no way you can get a decent double barreled flint gun for only $695. I have serious doubts about how, or even if, the barrels are registered to a single point. One probably shoots to one point and the other to a completely different point.

Your other clue is the fact that it is made in India. Personally, I have not seen a single gun made in India that was anything other than cheap junk. If you buy it, you will end up putting a bunch of work into it and then still have a piece of junk that you will want to sell so you can buy a decent gun. A good double flint gun will cost you at least $2,000 and likely to run over $3,500. Just save your money until you can buy a good gun. Don't be dazzled by a cheap price and something that looks flashy. I know it is hard to keep saving and saving to buy something that you want. I have done it more than once and have never been sorry that I didn't buy something cheaper. In the short run, quality costs but in the long run it really pays.

In the final analysis, it is your money and you certainly are entitled to spend it however you wish but I hope you will listen to what most of us are telling you and pass on the junk gun made in India in order to buy a quality gun at a later date. You won't be sorry if you do. :nono:

Just the opinion of an old coot who has been building and shooting muzzleloaders for over 40 years. Hey, my opinion's free and you may be getting overcharged at that. :haha:

Anyone know of them, Just what I heard on here.

or done business with them? Nope

Looks like a fine shotgun. Their FAQ says the gun is imported from India. To each his own I guess, :barf:

"Looks like a fine shotgun."

Generally it takes more than a look at a photo of a gun to determine if it is passably acceptable let alone "fine" You should have enough imput from the others to decide if this gunfits your needs, good luck whatever your choice may be.

tg said:

Generally it takes more than a look at a photo of a gun to determine if it is passably acceptable let alone "fine" You should have enough imput from the others to decide if this gunfits your needs, good luck whatever your choice may be.

Click to expand...

So far, the posts received from those who have done business with Middlesex Village Trading Company are that their products are fine, albeit with certain caveats concerning workmanship, fit and finish. This particular shotgun is a new offering in their product lineup, so it was perhaps too much to expect someone with direct experience with this shotgun to comment in this forum.

Reviews of this company's products on other sites have echoed some of the statements posted here: a little work is required to make the firearm workable to the desired degree of the purchaser from its out of the box condition. That said, as much as I would like to have a double flint scatter gun, I don't have enough information yet about this firearm. I sent a note to their technical inquiries email address and asked about the barrels aim point, as mentioned above, as that is the one thing that would make the firearm unserviceable for all practical considerations. The locks could be replaced if necessary, but if the barrels are misaligned there would be no point in placing the order. I am not rich enough to roll the dice and pay $700 just to see if they are ok.

Kenneth

I have no steak in this. But what others are trying to say and I will say is, Don't get that shotgun! You will not be pleased with it. You will not be able to sell it for what you paid for it and if you ever do go for the better flint gun, you will be out that $700.00. That is enough to possibly cause you to never get the gun you want.