Middlesex Village Guns

Anyone have experience with these?

How is the finish?

How does the lock compare with the other locks available (L&R, Chambers, etc)?

They have really good prices on pistols. Even if I sanded it down and refinished it the price would still be good.

I guess my main concern would be the ability to get replacement parts for the lock.

They seem nice for the money. I don't think the lock could be compared to a Chambers or L&R. I'd check out Loyalist Arms too.

I have a doglock blunderbuss from MVTC and I'm quite pleased with it. We(my history group)have firearms from all the 3 vendors that have a good selection of the Indian made guns (MVTC, LA, & Military Heritage).

This the facts that I know and my opinions so far:

LA & MVTC carry parts for the guns they sell, Military Heritage does not.

All 3 brands spark better than any of my other flinters... my 2 North Star guns & my custom flint Hawken with a L&R lock. :shake:

LA does their own finish work so the guns look nice out of the box, MVTC and MH does not so you can get stuck with a crappy finish. (As you pointed out we can refinish them).

LA and MVTC both ship vented firearms, HM does not.

MVTC and HM takes credit cards, LA does not.

If LA took credit cards I'd do more with them but it's a pain to send them a bank check and hope that the gun you want doesn't sell to someone else while your check slowly works it's way though the Canadan mail system... and yes they are slower than ours mail system. It's also cheaper and faster to ship UPS Blue label with MVTC than 10 day express mail from LA.

The wood used on all the Indian made guns is rosewood... aka teak. Each of the North American companies has their own Indian manufactures making firearms for them. They might look a like but they are not the same guns.

So there ya go.

Cheers,

DT

I purchased a heavy dragoon pistol from MSV. I am happy with it. I have looked at originals in collections and the Indian one appears more authenic than the Italian ones that were on the market awhile back. They looked too perfect and appeared to be made of investment castings rather than forgings. The springs are strong. My pistol worked fine right out of the box. I think that the polish job on the metal is a bit shiney. That can be rememdied with some fine steel wool. My MSV pistol probably will not win any target matches, but it sure punches a big holes in the paper at 25 yds.
:thumbsup:

I have been giving serious thought to one of their pistols with a stout load of shot for busting bunnies in the brush.

Oh I dont know about if they compare to this or that or not., I think it is all preferance., I am very happy with my MTVC Ketland Trade Pistol., Its one of my better guns., Its not as refined as my Pedersoli however it sparks just as well., and the barrel is just as good. I dont think "Where" its built matters much. The "Preferance" to where it comes from by an individual buyer I guess is a personal thing.

Some I find are very against them and others really like them., I find those that have them like them., I really like mine. Alot. They spark well., and they shoot straight. They are built strong. They are historically accurate pretty much for most., and the owners do extensive research before the Indian Company they contract too gets the O.K. to make it.
Dollar for Dollar., they are hard to beat., Everyone can afford one.
Sounds good to me.

When you figure that the old guns were made with 18th Century technology and that in India it's pretty much still a 3rd world country that uses 18th century technology then it's a given that their guns will look more like the old, original ones. From what I've read the locks are forged instead of investment cast just like the originals were made and that makes them stronger so they'll work better then a "modern" lock from the Italian companies. The only "problem", if you can call it one, is the rosewood/teak stocks. The wood is heavier and more brittle then the stuff we're used to like Maple or Walnut.

Anyone have experience with these?
** Yes, I have been shooting an MVTC New England Fowler doglock for some time now. Over 1000+ round ball and shot loads through the bore now. It became my favorite shooter almost instantly!

How is the finish?
** Glossy, very glossy. Also, the shapng can be a little rough in some spots. Sanding, scraping, or finish remover will rectify this. My stock is rosewood. It can be stained to resemble walnut if you prefer a more PC look. I toned down the "Cadillac bumper" shine of the overly polished steel with lemon juice. Then I "patina'd" the shiny brass with black powder fouling.

How does the lock compare with the other locks available?
** Apples to oranges. But my MVTC lock is constructed well and functions very very well.
Pete personally backs the locks on these guns. So if a lock fails from normal usage, he'll repair or replace it.
My MVTC lock sparks like crazy and misfires are nonexistent. Although it is not finished as smoothly as an L&R. But....I installed one of those L&R "RPL" locks in my Dixie Tennessee and it was so unreliable that I put the original Dixie lock back in the gun (Yes, I tuned it and tried all sorts of tricks to fix the reliability issue, it was simply too fussy of a lock for me to keep using).

Pete and Wendy at MVTC are great folks also. They are offer us safe, affordable arms that shoot well.
Jack

Well, sounds like the general consensus here is that they are good guns for the money.

Thanks guys.

I'm packing for a Trek and won't be around for a few days but anyone else wanting to chime in is appreciated.

Ridge: I'm happy with the two I purchased from MVTC. They are good people to work with. :thumbsup:

Hey Rabbitears: I have the same Heavy Dragoon. What size flints do you find work best in yours? Thanks, Rick.

I have been using a MVTC Long Land Bess for close to a year now for re-enactment and while the relationship hasn't been perfect I am happy with it. I did have a problem with the lock so I called Pete up and he had me sand it back for hardening and things have been good since then. The finish on the wood was just butt ugly, being very red and glossy. I sanded off the varnish, stained it with a dark walnut stain and finished it with Tried & True Original Wood Finish. The metal dulled down after getting rained on several times and polishing with a brick dust and oil mixture.
I have shot both blanks and round ball and it handled well, as far as misfires go I was at a re-enactment two weeks ago in very damp weather with some light rain and she went off everytime I pulled the trigger(24 shots). I was using 2f powder for both main charge and prime.
Overall, I would say that if you don't mind doing a bit of work you will end up with a gun that won't break the bank but will do what you want it to do.