TVM Custom build

azmntman said:

YOUR WRONG

(retyping resume now to add historian) :rotf:

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You might want to check your spelling as it should be "YOU'RE WRONG" :grin: (Sorry, my wife was an elementary teacher - your - you're, there - their, etc.etc.etc.)

I spent some time looking at various locks online last night after suggestions here . . . I was impressed with the Jim Chambers lock called the Golden Age, which uses a large Siler plate . . .claims to be a very fast lock. . .of course it turned out to cost more than the others ! I always seem to do that.

Snakebite said:

azmntman said:

YOUR WRONG

(retyping resume now to add historian) :rotf:

Click to expand...

You might want to check your spelling as it should be "YOU'RE WRONG" :grin: (Sorry, my wife was an elementary teacher - your - you're, there - their, etc.etc.etc.)

Click to expand...

Well I'm still a damn historian!

Don't worry . . . before I went to college, I couldn't even spell graduate. . . now I are one.

Mac1967 said:

Jim Chambers lock called the Golden Age, which uses a large Siler plate . . .claims to be a very fast lock.

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And the 'Deluxe Siler' lock uses exactly the same set of internals as the Golden Age...just outstanding, fast, reliable locks

Good to know . . . if money were not limited . .I'd get a Chambers lock, and the builder I am meeting is also suggesting a swamped barrel . . and good trigger(s) too . . . he's given me some things to think about. Not sure if TVM does swamped . . . probably do . . Pecatonica River does.

BTW - Are Rice barrels as good as Green Mtn or Colerain ?

Absolutely...had TVM use Rice barrels in all my builds

TVM is doing a swamped barrel on my build.

Do Pecatonica build rifles to sell finished or just supply kit components?

Do they offer rifles such as sthn mtn rifle in calibres .54 or .58 as TVM do?

I love my Chambers Siler lock and Davis dbl set triggers which seem to be used on a lot of TVM rifles whereas Pecatonica seem to use L & R.

My Pecatonica Virginia has a Chambers Large Suler lock on it. green Mountain swamped barrel and Davis set triggers. Very high quality kits from Pecatonica. No they do not offer a finished rifle as far as I know. Greg

The Chambers' Golden Age flintlock is an excellent lock...my present build has one. Both it and the Dale Johnson {like it for Lancasters} are used because they mate w/ the wrist better than the Siler lockplate shape. The above two locks have slightly lower "tails". All Chambers flintlocks are priced the same except the jäger.

Two items that are almost always part of my builds are one of the Chambers locks and some swamped profile of Rice bls w/ round bottom rifling.

A nice LR can be built out of any of the parts sets {kits} from the suppliers mentioned....it all depends on the skills of the builder. Making a $200 LR from an $800 parts set does happen.

Jim Chambers offers an early Lancaster that has all quality parts including his lock and a Rice 44" bbl. Have built 3 of these and have found a minimum of defects. His prices are competitive w/ the others and includes all bbl dovetails except for the rear sight. The brass is better than most.

Whatever you choose, enjoy the build.....Fred

BigBuckeye said:

TVM is doing a swamped barrel on my build.

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I had TVM put a .50 caliber, 42" swamped Colerain Classic American B-Weight barrel on one of my Early Virginia flintlocks. Along with a Chambers colonial virginia lock. The lock throws a shower of sparks and the swamped barrel really makes the rifle balance out. Which is nice for off hand shooting.

You can't beat a swamped barrel and a chambers lock. :thumbsup:

Do Pecatonica build rifles to sell finished or just supply kit components?

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http://www.longrifles-pr.com/index.shtml

There is no indication on their site they build complete rifles.

Three of my TVM rifles have swamped barrels with two of them being Rice radius groove barrels. My .50 additionally has a Chambers GA lock which is amazing. The lock plate of the GA is subtly different from and a bit more graceful than the Siler lock plate; internals are the same. My smoothbore has a Chambers Colonial Va lock that will set your hair afire.

I worked for a company for 27-years who made it a point to offer what they called world-class service. Here's how they handled it:

Ӣ Standard operating procedure was to charge for shipping when the item was shipped. If the customer decided they didn't like it, or it was the wrong size, or they should have had a different gauge shotgun built, or they changed their mind, they could return it for refund or exchange but would have to pay for shipping. To make it easy to exchange, they were NOT charged shipping on the replacement item. Basically, it was the customer's fault it needed to be returned, so the customer paid the shipping.

Ӣ If they received a defective item, we sent them a return label and covered shipping back to us as well as free-shipping on the replacement. That's because it was our fault it was being returned. Additionally, we did everything we could to get the replacement into their hands as quickly as possible.

The second procedure is what I would have expected from the builder who used a defective barrel.

Having said that, most warranties specify that they will warrant the goods against defects for "X" amount of time. However, if you need warranty work, it is your responsibility to get it back to them. Then they fix it free or at a previously specified price and cover the return shipping to you. My guess is that was what was included in the contract.

Virtually all of those warranties have an "over the counter replacement" time period so you don't get stuck with a "dead on delivery" item. Once beyond that time period (30-days, 60-days, etc.), you had to send it in to the manufacturer at your expense.

Presuming everything went as specified, I'm surprised he was not compensated for the return shipping.

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

Thanks for all these comments on locks, triggers and swamped barrels. Very helpful. The comment too, about holding rifles before buying a kit helps too. I really like TVM's late lancaster, but have never held one.

My trip to Friendship next week, will hopefully include holding some finished models to compare what fits.

My first year there, I went into this log cabin they call the gun room or something like that. . . and there were a couple dozen of the most beautiful LR's I had ever seen. It was something like what Heaven must be like. I picked up a rifle off some hooks and it was incredible, cherry stock, etc. Felt, like no other rifle I had ever held. . . imagine a 4K Jim Chamber build.

I carefully put it back and was just wowed . .staring at it, when I noticed people staring at me. A guy came over and said, "You're not supposed to touch the guns" and pointed to a sign. I apologized all over myself and left quickly feeling stupid . . .

Not sure if I painted the proper picture, but it was probably like sneaking into Mr Brinkley's house in the middle of a party and kissing Christie. . then walking out.

BigBuckeye... You placed your order with TVM and they told you 6 months!!??? Or was that just an estimate? I placed an order back in October and I'm STILL waiting, now into the ninth month.

Sorry, what's the difference between good ol' Matt "telling" a prospective customer six months vs. "estimating" six months? And doing so when it is currently at least a nine month wait!?

I had heard that a kit takes about a month . . . I wonder how long it might actually take. . .I'm thinking squirrel hunting this fall with my new .32 I built may be a 2016 event.

No difference I guess. But if you tell everybody 6 months when it's actually 9 or more, there will be repercussion.