Period Correct Flintlock Longarms

[squirejohn]

Are there any PC 18th century rifles and/or smoothbores that are being produced by off-the-shelf manufactures such as Pedersoli, CVA, Lyman, TC etc.; if so what time period and region would they be appropriate for? No big deal - just wondering if a person just starting out could even find a relatively inexpensive off-the-shelf flintlock.

 

[scatteringlead]

squirejohn, I have a traditions pa. flintlock it is suppossed to be approved by some reenactment organization, for what that's worth.It is a moderate quality rifle at a good price, look around a can find one at a dealer on the enet preety cheap, mine shoots really well and has never giving me one moments trouble. I have only shot it about 500 times so I don't know about longevity. It is a long gun and alot of fun to own.

 

When GreenRiver Rifle Works stopped making their Hawken, that was about the last of the really good repo's being made although it too was quite generic, cover-all type.
: None of the rest are perfect either, although there may be 1 or 2 that carry the 'flavour' of period correct guns.
: Some of the military rifles are/were very good, as in the ParkerHale Enfields & Whitworth, right down to the increasing depth rifling or hexagonal bores, but the American rifles like the Zouave SHOULD & all converted muskets to rifles should have had the same rifling as the Bitish Minnie rifles, rifling deeper at the breech, shallower at the muzzle.(according to Firearms of the American West, 1803-1865. It's brother book, 1865 to 1896(or 4) is also an excellent volume. thankyou to my brother for giving me those volumes- Incredible reading- & detailed)
: Off hand, I can't think of any made today that are really good repro's, but that doesn't mean there aren't any - I'm just not familiar with any(other than some of the mil. guns.
Daryl

 

[musketman]

DAVIDE PEDERSOLI & Company offers these "exact" copies...

Brown Bess was the weapon used by the English troops during the colonisation of Indian and American territories and Australia. Also used by Wellington

 

I have a Cabela Blue Ridge in flint lock,which is generic 18th century,shoots well after I enlarged the vent,ground the foot of the frizzen to make it roll better,and a few other minor enhancements.Look it over well when you get it,as I had to return the whole rifle the first time because of a cracked stock and rust in the barrel,and had to return the lock of the second one because the mainspring wore out after less than a hundred shots because it was not temperd properly.It was a good thing I was patient.I might have a string of bad luck.Happy now though.

 

[Zonie]

Musketman: I would steal your pictures and drag them back over to the Builders Bench but I don't know how to do that.
So, for those interested in building a gun, or even buying one might I suggest you take a good look at the stocks grain in Musketmans posted photos.
I can't tell about the top picture but the 2nd and 4th picture show what is good and the 3rd shows what is not good.

Notice the grain is running parallel with the wrist of the stock in the 2nd and 4th picture. These stocks will not be prone to breakage from rough handeling and recoil.
Note the 3rd pictures wood grain is running parallel with the barrel and is not parallel with the wrist of the stock. It actually seems to run "thru" the wrist from front to back.
This is where a crack can easily occur.

If you are buying a stock blank, look for a grain pattern like photo 2 and 4.

If a gun you own has a grain pattern like photo 3 should you get rid of it? NO of course not but be aware that this is potentially a weak place and treat it nice.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Jim,

Right mouse click on the image you like and then select properties. This gives you the address if a nested image.

The third picture is at http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/img/previews/s243.jpg

You can go to that site and copy the images you like, or just copy the addresses using the above method off Musketman's post.

That's one of the reasons I like a swirly grained stock. The 'fault lines' are confused.

 

[Claude Mathis]

Brown Bess web page.