TVM Late Lancaster in .45 . . . looking for input.

I'm getting interested in this rifle with a short 36 inch barrel. Anyone have some input or experience with a setup like this ?

My TVM late Lancasters (yes, I have 2, a flint and a cap, both lefties) have 36" barrels. Both .50 cal, and balance is great for hunting. My Early Virginia with a 42"barrel is steadier to hold for match shooting, but a little muzzle heavy for hunting.

ADK Bigfoot

I have the straight 36 inch in 54 caliber with a Siler lock. It is very reliable and accurate. In 54, the balance is forward, but not what I would consider heavy out front.
Previous I had the 42 inch 54 caliber Rice swamped barrel in a TVM Lancaster. It was a bit long to put across my 4Runner seats, so I sold it. It was the same weight as the 36 straight, but the swamped 42 felt/held lighter.
I can say that both rifles were reliable and accurate.

A 38" C weight .54 would be a better set up than a straight barreled 36" .54.

I have the TVM Late Lancaster .45 with a 42” swamped barrel, German silver hardware. Beautiful handling and shooting gun. Put about 30 rounds through it today. Use it as my target gun.

GriscomRun said:

I'm getting interested in this rifle with a short 36 inch barrel. Anyone have some input or experience with a setup like this ?

Click to expand...

Everyone here has very passionate opinions about TVM, but the fowler I got from them a while back (that now lives with a friend) was a wonderfully crafted flintlock in every sense. Very nicely made. I can't say anything further because I don't have any experience with any of their rifles. If you have the ability I would strongly suggest getting a swamped barrel. It is an enormous improvement in handling over a straight barrel

Or...(shameless plug alert)...

Get a Kibler Woodsrunner.

I have one ordered but would like to also build a "little feller" sized rifle from Chambers.

akroguy said:

Or...(shameless plug alert)...

Get a Kibler Woodsrunner.

I have one ordered but would like to also build a "little feller" sized rifle from Chambers.

Click to expand...

Once word is out i predict the woodsrunner will dominate kit sales for quite a while, Seems a perfect combination of quality, size, style, ease of assembly and investment. The only issue i see is kibler keeping up with production.

Several years ago I picked up a used Late Lancaster in a trade. From what I was told, it was purchased as a finished rifle from TVM. Barrel was .50 caliber, I guess the length was 36" (I never measured it). Plan was to use if for some accuracy experiments.

The lock was worn out (not the factory's fault) and the triggers needed some work (and I suspect they were installed outside the factory--the inletting looked like it was done after the rifle was finished). The sights were terrible for my purposes, but I don't know if they were factory--and I was going to change the sights anyhow. I did the needed repairs and changed the sights, just as I would with any used rifle.

I put ~2000 rounds through the rifle, all at targets and almost all from a rest. Accuracy was acceptable (I always wondered who made the barrel, never bothered to ask). The rifle was kinda muzzle-heavy and kinda "clunky" as far as balance and handling characteristics, but again, I was shooting from a bench/rest/prone and the rifle simply wasn't designed for that. I would have hunted with it without hesitation, but I never did.

A straight .45 caliber barrel, even a 36" barrel, will seem muzzle heavy. OTOH, it should hold steady.

I have two late Lancaster .45s. One is a 36" X 13/16" straight barrel and the second one is a "B" wgt X 38" swamped tube. The 36" rifle weighs 7 lbs even and the 38" rifle weighs 7 lbs & 11 oz. The 36" rifle has been my go-to deer rifle for many years. They handle differently but both handle nicely. I prefer a swamped barrel for an "everything" rifle and specifically hunting. The 36" straight barrel .45 is, IMHO, a superior hunting tool while the 38" rifle has never hunted.
36" straight rifle.

38" swamped barrel.