Bought a TC New Englander!

[Cowboy]

I can't count how many times other's posted about coming across great deals and I always think to myself," That sure would be nice if that would happen to me!"

Well it finally happened! :grin:

This last weekend, we were working on our float for the 4th of July parade. We were at our Post Adjutant's house. He knew that I was big into shooting BP and Traditional Muzzleloader's.

At the end of the day this last saturday, he asked me to come into his house and that he wanted to show me something. He started pulling all kinds of firearms out of a couple of safe's he has. Finally came to the one he was looking for and handed the leather gun case to me.

I pulled out a very nice .50 TC New Englander. It looked like it was new and in mint condition.

He asked me if I wanted to buy it from him. I wasn't in the market for another .50 but I asked how much he wanted for it anyway?

With a big smile on his face he blurted out $50 bucks! My jaw dropped and I about dislocated my shoulder grabbing for my wallet! :haha:

He said that he wasn't done yet and that he had other stuff that goes along with it. He also gave me the following items:
1. 2 pounds of Goex 2F BP
2. A tin of percussion caps
3. Nipple wrench
4. Short starter
5. .15 unlubed patches
6. box of .490 lead balls
7. Owner's Manuel
8. unopened still in the package's patch puller and threaded ball puller.

Lastly and most shocking, he gave me several small bottles of Sperm Whale Oil! :shocked2:

I asked him how he came across the whale oil? He stated that he had an old friend who was big into muzzleloader's and BP shooting. His late friend is the one who was responsible for talking him into buying the TC New Englander along with all the accessories. His friend had also gave him the Sperm Whale Oil as well.

My friend told me that he had purchased the muzzleloader along with all the other stuff back in 1983. He said that he only took it out one time to shoot it and then cleaned it up and put it in it's leather case and in the safe. He never shot it again after that. :idunno:

Almost forgot to add, His late friend also gave him an engraved powder horn that he gave me along with the other stuff.

I counted the box of lead balls and came up with 91. Also counted the tin of caps and also came up with the same number of caps, 91. That tells me that he shot the muzzleloader only 9 times!

Took everything home and gave the muzzleloader my usual detailed cleaning. The bore is excellent in like new condition as it should be. Everything's perfect.

The best $50 dollars I've ever spent!

Listed below are some assorted pics.

Respectfully, Cowboy :thumbsup:

 

[Brian Heap]

:bow: wonder if my turn will ever come, boy, that's a great find, congradulations sir.

 

[Cowboy]

Thanks canyon,

Here is some more pics of some other stuff.





No need to post everything he gave me along with the muzzleloader. Just posted pics of the caps because I've never heard of that brand before? Also one of the bottles of the Sperm Whale Oil, and the Powder Horn.

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[ron wehmeyer]

Cowboy I think that is the best good deal I've ever seen. Glad you got it . Does the whale oil have a smell /odor? Never have had any , only heard of it. ,,,DT

 

[Cowboy]

Hell yes!!!

It does have a strong odor to it. I can't compare the way it smells to anything else? Never smelled anything like it before.

It is also very, very, slippery stuff! Put a little bit on the end of a cotton swab and took the bridle off the lock and wiped the sear, plunger,fly, and main spring coil rod with the stuff. Lock functions very smooth!!

Also put a drop between the tips of my index finger and thumb to see how slippery it would be? After I washed my hands with Dawn dish detergent, it was still some what slippery. Had to wipe my hands real good!

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[wattlebuster]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Don]

Wow, lady luck sure smiled on you. Its amazing to me how some shooters discount black powder arms as too much to bother with. Good job . :thumbsup:

Don

 

[smo]

Take it back !!! The label on the cap tin is scratched off partially and I'm sure the sperm whale oil shelf life has expired. :haha: Congrats on a great find :thumbsup:

 

[Skychief]

You lucky Dog, you! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Eric Krewson]

I guess I look at life a little differently. I would have told the guy there is no way I would buy that gun for $50 but I would snap it up in a heartbeat for $250. That way we would both feel great about the transaction.

Now, if he was planning to give it to you one way or another $50 is an OK price.

I had a guy give me a fine longrifle, trade gun, Lyman plains pistol and a Philadelphia derringer on his deathbed just because he wanted me to have them. He was destitute and wouldn't take a penny for them, he said" these guns don't have a price tag on them". He lived 10 more years after his terminal cancer diagnosis.

 

[ron wehmeyer]

I think he did just give it to Cowboy, so to speak. Cowboy it sounds like that oil should go a long ways. Should be good stuff! DT .

 

[Kansas Jake]

The caps are from Dynamit Nobel. Nobel is the guy who invented TNT and also funded the Nobel Peace Prize. I don't know if they sell caps any more, but I have purchased them in the past. In fact probably about the time your New Englander was made.

 

[Katahdin]

I have a tin of those caps, Might be RSW from awhile ago ??? Jake is correct in what they are..

 

[The Baron]

Holy cow - score! Everyone deserves a great gift here and there. I had a New Englander .50 - shot my first (and only) BP deer with it. Great guns. You're isn't very PC though, what with the green glowing laser barrel. :haha:

 

[jon math]

You did great!I paid $200 for just a 12 gauge shotgun barrel; and $75 for a .54 rifled barrel.

FWIW, I’d be very careful talking about the oil.

Sperm whales are listed under the Endangered Species Act. The act governs the taking, possession, transportation, sale, purchase, barter, exportation, importation of, and other requirements pertaining to wildlife and plants determined to be threatened or endangered.

 

[Cowboy]

I guess I look at life a little differently. I would have told the guy there is no way I would buy that gun for $50 but I would snap it up in a heartbeat for $250. That way we would both feel great about the transaction.

Now, if he was planning to give it to you one way or another $50 is an OK price.

I just want to clear something up for you in reference to a couple of your comments.

1. Money had nothing to do with this transaction between my friend and I. He is a man of substantial means. I myself am doing OK financially.

2. We do things together all the time. I was there for him when his wife died, and a little over 3 years ago I lost my only child in a traffic accident. She was only 28 years old at the time. I couldn't function and didn't know if I could live and go on without my darling Lisa. I was in a very dark place. I bet he was there every day for the first 2 years after her passing.

3. He knows how much I am in to Traditional Muzzleloader's and BP shooting. He knows that I am a proud man and probably wouldn't except the muzzleloader unless I could give him something in return. He is also a very successful business man and knows the values of everything he owns. When he blurted out $50 bucks, it was his way of giving me that muzzleloader and was sensitive to my feelings at the same time. In an unspoken gesture of kindness, we both knew what he was doing. I would not ruin this gesture by demanding to give him more money or to try to tell him what everything was worth. His gesture had nothing to do with money what so ever.

Before you go and say what you would have done or what I should have done I think it is only fair that you know the relationship and history that we share.

His goal was to put a spark in my eyes and he ended up lighting a wild fire!

He definitely made my day!

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[ron wehmeyer]

Your a good man Cowboy and deserve a good friend like him! ,,,DT

 

[Cowboy]

Thankyou my friend.

 

[Eric Krewson]

My humble apologies, I didn't know the particulars in this case.

I gave my friend's daughter a New Englander a couple of years ago. He has been my friend for 33 years and she needed a gun to hunt on land that we designated as sidelock M/l only. Matter of fact I gave my friend my late wife's 20 ga for his grandson's first dove hunt.

A few months ago I gave my best friend a Colerain English Fowler barrel I wasn't going to use. I say gave, the barrel was free but I charged him for the Caywood jug choke and the white lightning liner that I had installed. A pretty good deal none the less, barrel, jug choke and liner installed for a total of $125.

That's the way it is among good friends, any money that changes hands is just a token of appreciation.

 

[Cowboy]

No offense taken my friend.

Respectfully, Cowboy :thumbsup: