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A Pilgrim and a Stranger

Muzzleloading Forum

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kervinlee

32 Cal
Joined
Dec 26, 2022
Messages
29
Reaction score
18
Location
Oakland, Ca
"I am a Pilgrim and a Stranger" to the Muzzleloading Forum today, and I am very glad of it. Through the forum I hope to connect with other muzzleloading enthusiasts in my area (Oakland, Ca) and around the country. My interest in muzzleloading goes way back to the late 1970s: my older sister's then-boyfriend built a kit Harper's Ferry smoothbore flintlock pistol (I couldn't hit a damn thing with it but my pal Alex was pretty good) and had a Thompson/Center .50 cal Hawken with a percussion lock. We used to head into the hills around Half Moon Bay and shoot, with no bother and no trouble. Very soon during that time I built a CVA Mountain Rifle .50 cal percussion which I still have and plan on reconditioning soon. That rifle unfortunately had a poorly made sear in the lock and eventually wouldn't stay at full-cock. One of my fondest memories is taking my dad to the range and getting off a nice grouping before I rammed a ball down without powder! We went home and made a ball-screw extractor on our Craftsman lathe.

At that time also Colt was producing their second-generation cap-and-ball pistols which were just too expensive for me at that time. I have since acquired an unfired 1851 Navy and hope to learn more about it here. I also was very taken by the gunmaking article in the "Foxfire 5" book that covered a flintlock being made by Hershel House.

So, right now I have the CVA Mountain Rifle, the 1851 Navy Colt, and a Thompson/Center .50 Hawken which I have just fired with great satisfaction for the first time. I'm planning on building a flintlock longrifle from a kit soon, I'm looking at the Kibler products. Also, I'm having a difficult time finding real black powder here; I'm shooting Pyrodex currently. Anyone in my area know where it can be found?
 
So, right now I have the CVA Mountain Rifle, the 1851 Navy Colt, and a Thompson/Center .50 Hawken which I have just fired with great satisfaction for the first time. I'm planning on building a flintlock longrifle from a kit soon, I'm looking at the Kibler products. Also, I'm having a difficult time finding real black powder here; I'm shooting Pyrodex currently. Anyone in my area know where it can be found?
Welcome to the forum! Black powder is kind of in short supply right now, and even at the best of times I think it would be rare to find it for sale anywhere in California. In Wisconsin I gather that there is a dealer about a hundred miles to the South of my home, but it is in an area I do not like to visit. When I order black powder, I generally order ten pounds or more to get better use of the hazmat fee I pay. There are several online dealers who sell it. Check your local laws before ordering. Most online dealers know where not to ship powder, but some do not.... and you could get into a real pickle if you receive a box of explosives at your residence without jumping through the proper legal hoops.

Oh for the days when you could just pick some up at the hardware store along with Dynamite and anything else you might need around the farm!
 
Oh for the days when you could just pick some up at the hardware store along with Dynamite and anything else you might need around the farm!

Oh yeah!! Drop in to the local hardware store for a few six-packs and a case of Dynamite - a whole day's cheap entertainment, right there!
 
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