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Recent content by SirFrancis

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  1. S

    E. Bond flintlock pistol

    Hi guys, I picked this one up recently. It’s damaged and I am hoping somebody can recommend a craftsman who could fit a new cock. Otherwise she’s in pretty nice condition for her years. A little bit of searching suggests that Edward Bond only worked at 45 Cornhill in London from 1820-26, which...
  2. S

    Excessive Riflousis

    I think there’s a limit but it kinda depends on what you become interested in. I don’t let myself go down the rabbit hole with some kinds of guns because I just know I’d end up needing to own a few afterwards… no need to go there. I like having my own personal firearms museum/collection/hoard...
  3. S

    India-made flintlocks

    The problem with “India made” is that it’s such a catchall. I’ve seen laughably clunky India made guns that look massively overbuilt, way too shiny, not proportional at all… stuff I wouldn’t pay $75 for (though judging by the rust around the drilled touch hole, somebody shot it and enjoyed it...
  4. S

    India-made flintlocks

    All guns can be labeled as junk. Some say Indian guns use shoddy workmanship and “non firearms spec” DOM tubing for barrels. Some say American “leaded steel” barrels are unsafe too. Some castigate Spanish guns or some of the Japanese guns as all junk. I’ve personally seen Italian made colt...
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    What is a fair price for an original 1853 Enfield Rifle ?

    I saw a ratty p53 sell on Gunbroker last year for less than $500, missing the rear sight. I saw a nicer one sell for a thousand. $2400 is very high unless it has ironclad proof of provenance.
  6. S

    Need Advice On Brown Bess

    I agree, the best way to answer the question is to ask yourself why you want one. And just to be clear, wanting a Bess is not at all a bad thing. They’re cool. They represent a great window into history. I wanted one since I was a small child reading stories about the revolutionary war. And no...
  7. S

    Tools for my first build

    I have the big wheeler interchangeable screwdriver set. Bought it for my unmentionables last year and it was a game changer for sure. I also have some brass and steel punches I got from Brownells or Midway.
  8. S

    Need Advice On Brown Bess

    I know this is not a popular opinion, but you can also consider the Loyalist Arms besses, imported from India. I picked up one used for $500 (new they may be a couple hundred more with shipping?) and later just happened upon an original LLP slightly cut down. The India made Bess is...
  9. S

    Tools for my first build

    So, I just got a Kibler kit. (I know, I know, these are supposed to be so easy that “build” is really sounding pretentious.) And I’m not very experienced with woodworking, so it’s not like I’m sitting on a lifetime accumulation of good old tools. If you were setting out to procure tools good...
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    Getting ready to take the plunge…

    My kit arrived and today I really had a chance to look it over. First, the packaging is very well thought-out. Short of it being run over by a forklift I can’t see how these could get damaged in transit, which is a real achievement. Second, what a sweet gun this is going to be!!! Third, I...
  11. S

    Thoughts on Patch Boxes - or lack thereof - on the Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age (and Colonial Age)

    I think there were probably some made without, but more made with patch boxes. Even poorer folks’ guns typically had embellishments that we’d consider luxury these days. The exception were the very plain and cheaply made trade guns. Any rifle was expensive and if you were going to the expense...
  12. S

    Japanese Matchlocks

    I’ve read that flint is not naturally occurring in Japan at least to any extent, so flintlocks didn’t have much appeal to the Japanese for this reason. With their isolationist trade policy they wouldn’t have been able to import them as some other nations did.
  13. S

    Lack of younger shooters?

    I’m in my 30s, been interested in the idea of shooting muzzleloaders since I was a kid, my parents didn’t shoot, themselves, but they weren’t anti gun and neither were any of my classmates parents, or the teachers. (Looking back this is kind of a miracle.) My parents read me old books, like...
  14. S

    English vs American stock styles.

    I assume or speculate (but don’t know for sure) that the evolution of the deeply curved buttplate on American civilian rifles of the late 18th-late 19th century was a result of the fact that it locks a little more securely to the shoulder/upper arm, and this might be perceived to help with...
  15. S

    Pietta History (some what)

    I have seen some truly abysmal repro c&r revolvers, so they are out there. Think barrel contours that look like they were roughed out by Luigi with a bastard file on a Friday afternoon, with zero finishing after that. They are, however, most assuredly not Pietta, or Uberti. And even those rough...
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