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Buying A Used MuzzleLoader.

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Eutycus

Cannon
Joined
Nov 11, 2018
Messages
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Location
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Sometimes be it a pawn shop, a sporting goods store or from an individual a person stumbles upon a used blackpowder gun. But is it really a steal or just someone elses headache? Other than tbe obvious rust and buggered up screw heads what does one look for? Are there obvious "red flags" that make one just walk away? From what I hear there are some real jewels out there and the widow wouldn't have a clue what they're worth.
 
ALWAYS take a cleaning rod, jag and oiled patch. Run down and watch for loose spots, if it goes in snug then loosens any at all then back to snug the barrel is "rung" (shot without projectile on powder, avoid this. Look for rust/pitting in the barrel. Look closely around the lock for hairline cracks in stock. Others have more....wait here
 
Its sad really, Junior Or some nephew will get it and wont have a clue as to how it works. Or how to take care of one.
 
Most sons would want a gun of Dads, you'd think. But how do some wind up on used gun racks? They really shouldnt be sold but some probably will. Keepsake does have the word "keep" in it.
 
Make sure the barrel is straight. Look from different angles, hold a straight edge against the exposed barrel flats. My very 1st m.l. was used off the table of used guns that is at my fish and game club most Sunday mornings. Had trouble with it for years. Jags stuck I. The bore, trouble sighting in, it would be on for wind age at 25 yards then way off at 50. Previous owner filed way too much front sight off, when I finally replaced it, I thought it was twisted as I could see one side of it when sighting down the barrel, my friend looked at it and said, "of course one side is showing, the barrel's bent."

If a cap lock make sure drums and nipples aren't routed into one solid mass. If a flintlock, spark test it.
 
Starting with azmntman and depending on where you are:

1. Does the lock work?
2. Do the triggers work?
3. Do the parts on the gun match or have they been changed out?
4. Can you get the nipple(s) out?
5. Does the cylinder rotate?
6. Be wary of brass framed revolvers?
7. Does the hammer line up on the nipple?
8. Does the timing on the revolver look correct?
9. Take a bore light/flashlight and check the bore rifling and for pitting.
10. If something on it breaks can I still get parts?
11. Is the caliber what I want or is it just close?
12. Use the ramrod and check to see if it dry balled or loaded.
13. If I do not like it, can I sell it and get my money back?
14. Would you recommend your boss buy it? If the answer is maybe or no, walk away.
 
As far as guns in pawnshops are convey many people got a ml gun and found they didn’t enjoy it, it may be in poor shape. Buying off a site like Track Of The Wolf, or at an event, the guns are likly to be in good shape. The seller wants to get rid of it to get something else, or may be unable to shoot any more or is just downsizing
 
The main thing, especially with TC guns is the barrel, just a rough guess but I bet that over 50% of them were owned by someone who didn't have a clue about proper barrel cleaning and let the barrel rust inside. You can get a shiny barrel picture with a borescope on a pretty badly pitted barrel, look closely and what looks like dust is really pitting.

Here is a pristine TC barrel, new old stock that I used in a Renegade build.

tc renegade barrel.jpg


Here is a bad one that a friend brought over, he shot pydrodex.

roached out barrel.jpg
 
I bought a brass framed revolver from a pawn shop and I think I lucked out. It doesnt appear to have been dry fired, overcharged, or left uncleaned. It probablt cpuld have been oiled a little more. But theres really no way of just visually giving it the okay, is there? P,us I thought it sounded like a good deal financially when the guy threw in the holster.
 
The main thing, especially with TC guns is the barrel, just a rough guess but I bet that over 50% of them were owned by someone who didn't have a clue about proper barrel cleaning and let the barrel rust inside. You can get a shiny barrel picture with a borescope on a pretty badly pitted barrel, look closely and what looks like dust is really pitting.

Here is a pristine TC barrel, new old stock that I used in a Renegade build.

View attachment 7659

Here is a bad one that a friend brought over, he shot pydrodex.

View attachment 7660
Pyrodex was the ruin of many a TC barrel and others! People kind of got the idea from marketing,that you didnt have to clean using Pyro.
 
I have a small flashlight on my keyring. But I don't particulary like looking down a barrel that some uneducated shooter may have left loaded. Please use the guns ramrod and make sure there are no obstructions first , right?
 
I know what you mean about Pyrodex. When I was much younger, it was praised as a new "non--corrosive synthetic". How do you know if there is just a little surface rust or really in bad shape within?
 
Other than tbe obvious rust and buggered up screw heads what does one look for? Are there obvious "red flags" that make one just walk away? From what I hear there are some real jewels out there and the widow wouldn't have a clue what they're worth.

I'm always on the alert for guns whose owners believed in "curing" the bore like you cure cast iron skillets. Don't tell anyone, but it's balderdash! Sooooo often the cure will get so thick that accuracy drops and the owner dumps. I'm not talking about rust, but a thick carbon buildup. I won't consider rusted eroded bores, but if the bore is dark but rifling is still visible, I take that as a sign of cured bacon. I won't pay a lot of money on the gamble, but more often than not a "shot out" gun turns into a tack driving jewel when you use a little (doesn't take much) carburetor cleaner or brake cleaner to get rid of the cure and go back to the nice shiny bore hiding underneath all that loving cure.

Paid $100 for an otherwise fine TC Hawken with a cured bore. Took three patches with brake pad cleaner to go back to shiny bore. Shot it a few times for ragged hole groups and a bud just HAD to have it. I wasn't going to sell it, but when he laid four crisp new $100 bills on the shooting bench I didn't walk away.
 
Knew a guy who would buy guns like you speak of. He would take the barrel off, plug the nipple, put it in a bucket, fill it with hydrogen peroxide and leave it over night. Next morning the hydrogen peroxide would bubble all the crude out of the barrel and he would have a nice clean barrel.
 
Black powder enthusiasm is fairl low down here at the time. But It was "flying high" years ago. Where are all those guns now?
 
The main thing, especially with TC guns is the barrel, just a rough guess but I bet that over 50% of them were owned by someone who didn't have a clue about proper barrel cleaning and let the barrel rust inside. You can get a shiny barrel picture with a borescope on a pretty badly pitted barrel, look closely and what looks like dust is really pitting.

Here is a pristine TC barrel, new old stock that I used in a Renegade build.

View attachment 7659

Here is a bad one that a friend brought over, he shot pydrodex.

View attachment 7660
The main thing, especially with TC guns is the barrel, just a rough guess but I bet that over 50% of them were owned by someone who didn't have a clue about proper barrel cleaning and let the barrel rust inside. You can get a shiny barrel picture with a borescope on a pretty badly pitted barrel, look closely and what looks like dust is really pitting.

Here is a pristine TC barrel, new old stock that I used in a Renegade build.

View attachment 7659

Here is a bad one that a friend brought over, he shot pydrodex.

View attachment 7660
The main thing, especially with TC guns is the barrel, just a rough guess but I bet that over 50% of them were owned by someone who didn't have a clue about proper barrel cleaning and let the barrel rust inside. You can get a shiny barrel picture with a borescope on a pretty badly pitted barrel, look closely and what looks like dust is really pitting.

Here is a pristine TC barrel, new old stock that I used in a Renegade build.

View attachment 7659

Here is a bad one that a friend brought over, he shot pydrodex.

View attachment 7660

If its a good deal do you think a little rust or light pitting is a big deal that can't be taking care of?
 
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