1803?

[m-g willy]

Anyone have the Harper Ferry 1803 rifle?
What make ?
And how do you like it compared to your other rifles?

 

[BobKrohn]

I have a Zoli made .54 cal.
The lock was garbage so replaced it with a Davis lock.
It's not a drop in replacement. I have pics of it on the rifle if interested. I think I already posted them here some time back.

Embarassed to say I have not shot it yet so can't report on accuracy.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Anyone have the Harper Ferry 1803 rifle?
What make ?
And how do you like it compared to your other rifles?

I have shot originals, never a repro. They are muzzle heavy and not very handy.

 

[jeep44]

This past weekend, I picked up a Navy Arms .58 1803. I won't be able to shoot it for some time yet, but it certainly does not seem to have any trouble sparking (I went through old threads here-this rifle seems to excite some controversy here :haha: ) For some reason, I always was attracted to these,and there it was in front of me at a very reasonable price. Interestingly, at the same show were two original 1803s,both converted to percussion.They were not going for too high a price,either.

 

[m-g willy]

Thanks for the replies.
I was thinking a 1803 would be a good gun for the early Rocky Mountian flintlock time period 1820-1840 instead of the Hawken and plains type rifles with the deep cresent butt plates.

 

[nkbj]

Jeep44,
When you do get a chance to try her out please give a report.

 

[LaBonte]

Thanks for the replies.
I was thinking a 1803 would be a good gun for the early Rocky Mountian flintlock time period 1820-1840 instead of the Hawken and plains type rifles with the deep cresent butt plates.

FWIW - the M1803 did not become available to the general public until the 1820's when the gov't saw fit to offer them a surplus arms.
Of course that only counts if you're seriously interested in the historical aspects. Also learning to shoot off one's upper arm as required by the crescent plates is easy to learn. Just lift your shooting arm elbow until it's about the same height as your shoulder and you will automatically get a spot for holding the buttplate. I've shot 54's and 62's regularly with crescent plates and no problems at all handling the recoil. Actually the raised elbow method was the method taught by the military, NRA, et al until at least the 1950's.

 

[rabjr]

Anyone have the Harper Ferry 1803 rifle?
What make ?
And how do you like it compared to your other rifles?

I built a kit that was a mix of TRS and Track parts, with Colerain barrel. Its ok, did the job I wanted it for but I have to agree with it is muzzle heavy, theres a lot better rifles out there. It hangs on my wall after shooting two deer with it and I have no plans on ever using it again. But who knows, I may again someday.

Compared to everything I have, I'd probably even use the 42" 1792 before the 1803 again because the 1792 is so accurate and I can't deal with long rifles to well but I did shoot two deer with the 1792 too. At the range the 1803 isn't as accurate but accurate enough at 50 yards.

 

[MattyB]

I have an 1803 that my wife bought for me for our 10-year anniversary. It was my first ML, first flinter.
I don't know who made it, it only has military/arsenal repro markings on it. It doesn't ignite reliably, but that could very well be my fault and not the guns. It will lay a deer down in it's tracks and it is much more accurate than I thought it would be. It's what started me into muzzleloaders.

 

[sheba]

I ve just purchased a US 1814 Common rifle made from Rifle Shoppe parts.It is still in the white, I m going to brown the barrel and have the furniture and lock bone case colored.This gun was the replacement for the 1803.

 

[Shane Carter]

Looks nice, I'd leave it in the white but,jmo.

 

[Dphar]

I ve just purchased a US 1814 Common rifle made from Rifle Shoppe parts.It is still in the white, I m going to brown the barrel and have the furniture and lock bone case colored.This gun was the replacement for the 1803.

Make sure who ever does the color hardening knows the alloy IIRC TRS used 4140. 4140 will through harden and be brittle unless the temp is kept low enough. Properly done even 4140 will have a hard skin and a soft core.

Dan

 

[varsity07840]

I ve just purchased a US 1814 Common rifle made from Rifle Shoppe parts.It is still in the white, I m going to brown the barrel and have the furniture and lock bone case colored.This gun was the replacement for the 1803.

Did you buy that from Doc White?

Duane

 

[sheba]

Yes I JUST BOUGHT IT FROM dOC wHITE.