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Who makes Best Flintlock?

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limbhangers

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I know alot of you make your own but if you had to go and buy one from a builder who would you choose? Please submit your pics too!
 
There are a lot of very good builders that are members here. I don't think it would be very nice to start throwing names around to this question in open forum. I'm sure some would feel slighted not being mentioned.
 
Welcome to the forum. :)

Perhaps rather than asking about good builders, giving a description of the style of gun your thinking of and what you intend to do with it would be a better approach?

As you posted this topic in the hunting section I assume you are wanting the gun for hunting?

If I guessed right, what game are you after? The recommendation for deer, hog, elk, squirrels are probably all going to be different (although the .54's will take deer, hogs and elk). A few even say they have taken squirrel with one although I think they were lucky to end up with more than a hunk of fur and 4 feet. :grin:

Do you want to have a Percussion style gun or Flintlock?
Are you on a tight budget or is the sky the limit?

Lots of questions, I know but they will help us help you. :)
 
+1 with Zonie. What sort of gun, what style, how fancy, what price?

For example, for Lehigh rifles there is a short list of 8-10 makers everyone would agree are way up there. It would be a different list for English styled flintlock fowling pieces, or S. Hawken rifles, or Bedford County rifles, or Soddy Daisy rifles, etc.
 
I would try to get Haines or Beck to build one if I could, but I think they are retired.
 
Who makes the best candleholders?

limbhangers....just funnin' with you, the guys above have some good questions that will help steer you in the right direction, I am certain you will get some PM's suggesting resident builders as well.
 
limbhangers said:
I know alot of you make your own but if you had to go and buy one from a builder who would you choose? Please submit your pics too!

Sorry I can't provide pic's. Tip Curtis makes some nice one's.
 
Stumpkiller said:
How many numbers ahead of the comma do you want to spend?

Brad Emig?

I was eye-balling this thread just to see what everyone would answer. Then you had to hit the "how many numbers ahead of the comma" and shot it down for me!
I tell ya it's hard being blessed with all these good looks and smarts and NO MONEY!
Oh yeah ,, I'm pretty humble too!
 
Limbhangers, you have posed a virtually impossible question. There are a couple of things you should do. One is haunt this site and the "contemporary makers" site and the american longrifle site, and these will lead you to others. There are hundreds of builders. You could well spend upwards of twenty thousand dollars for a completely handcrafted work of art, complete as to every part including the barrel being made "from scratch". Or minimalist "poor boy" at a thousand or so. The other thing to do is to go to the Dixon's gunmakers fair in late July in Pennsylvania, or failing that to a regional meeting of the CLA. This will start your education. Good luck and good smoke, God Bless, Ron in FL
 
Stumpkiller said:
How many numbers ahead of the comma do you want to spend?

Brad Emig?

And how old are you? If not you, maybe your heirs will be able to enjoy it. :grin:
 
limbhangers said:
I know alot of you make your own but if you had to go and buy one from a builder who would you choose? Please submit your pics too!
I'll answer your question. I'd go to Eric Kettenburg and tell him to build anything he wants to. I'd go to allen Martin for a Lehigh. I'd go to Mark Silver for an english folwing gun. I'd go to H. House for a Woodbury gun.
These are my favorite guys, others would probably choose different makers.
 
Those guys are my choices as well for those types of guns. I'd pick Jim Kibler for the finest Bivins-style work, Ian Pratt for new school Southern mountain rifles or anything else, Mark Wheland can do almost anything, Bill Shipman for a Pennsylvania rifle of any kind done in the finest manner, Steve Davis for anything Southern, and there are up and comers who should be considered, Mitch "Tallbear" and Ed Wenger come to mind. Old guys not as famous: Louie Parker will blow your mind with his work, Taylor Sapergia makes as fine a Hawken as you'll ever see but can also do a Lehigh or anything else that interests him, Tom Caster does as nice a Beck as anyone out there. In a type G trade gun, Mike here, Jack Brooks, or Clay Smith are top notch. For a Hudson Valley fowler or any early fowler, Ken Gahagan and Mike Brooks. If you like believable Southern New School, aged well, think Chuck Edwards. Go to the Contemporary Makers Blogspot to see examples http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/. Do the search and just put in "rifle". Don't drool on the keyboard. There are more excellent makers now than ever before.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Kettenberg is one that few if any would shy away from or question his choices if they had the resources to approach him, he is one of a handfull that I would not bother to research/layout a "plan" for a gun before having him build it, he is also generous in sharing his knowledge of these guns, he used to stop in here now and then but likley has little time for all the things he does so some "choosing" probably has to be done which is the case for many of us from time to time.
 
Mike Brooks said:
I'll answer your question. I'd go to Eric Kettenburg and tell him to build anything he wants to. I'd go to allen Martin for a Lehigh. I'd go to Mark Silver for an english folwing gun. I'd go to H. House for a Woodbury gun.
These are my favorite guys, others would probably choose different makers.

To the names Mike mentioned I'd add Bill Shipman for Lancaster guns. I also like what Mike said about Eric -- "tell him to build anything he wants to". Don't tie the maker down; give these fellows latitude to do what they do best.

Regards,
Pletch
 
This brings up a question. Do you have to like the builder you select or is that not important?
 
Liking their work is important! With most folks, our thinking and our emotions are closely linked. If we find a gal to be friendly, sweet, trustworthy and caring, she may appear to be prettier than if she's haughty, mean-spirited, sneaky, and self-centered. Same is true in business sometimes.
 
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