Blunderbuss questions

[TGPN56]

Hello all,

I'm thinking of purchasing a traditions blunderbuss kit. I just had a few questions:

Has any had one and what is your input on it?
How does it compare accuracy wise to say a pedersoli repro brown bess?
How historically accurate is it?

 

[nhmoose]

Blunderbuss and accuracy??? :rotf: :rotf::rotf::rotf:

 

[Trot]

I don't have one but I have handled one. As far as historical accuracy it doesn't even remotely resemble anything historical. Most Traditions guns are kind of low end but basically work OK.

 

[Coot]

Please consider other guns. As mentioned, the Traditions blunderbuss offers neither shooting nor historical accuracy.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I was talking with Troy Roope of Stonewall Creek Outfitters this morning and was surprised to find out he had two blunderbuss kits available in walnut. These kits use Rayl 4 bore barrels, either of the Chambers round face English locks and high quality, correct brass castings and hardware. He also said he had a couple of Rayl blunderbuss barrels available as well. Care has been taken to use components that actually go together historically as well as be top of the line. I don't know if Troy will ever offer any more of these kits.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I was talking with Troy Roope of Stonewall Creek Outfitters this morning and was surprised to find out he had two blunderbuss kits available in walnut.

Did he say how much?

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Please consider other guns. As mentioned, the Traditions blunderbuss offers neither shooting nor historical accuracy.

^ ^ ^ THIS ^ ^ ^

I don't know what your budget is, but I do know you do NOT want that one ...

 

[azmntman]

I often see blunderbass barrels on a popular auction site if yer handy and make the stock?

Though I have several traditions muzzleloaders and am happy with them I agree this one is 95% of the time shot by some one saying "hey dude" before firing :youcrazy:

 

[rickystl]

Ref: What the Captain says above. If you are genuinely interested in a blunderbuss, and want something historically accurate to shoot, and it's within your budget, I would jump at one of those kits at SCO. As mentioned, they may not have any more after those are sold. My guess is the barrels are just to difficult to get on a regular basis.
Plus, many shooters realize these guns are like the short/sawed-off shotguns of the day. IMHO they are not much use for anything past about 15 yards. However.....they are a blast to shoot at 7-10 yards with about 8-10 .31 caliber balls. It seems the custom/semi-custom blunderbuss, especially second hand, seldom come up for sale - and sell quickly when they do.

Rick

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Yep, to my knowledge these are the ONLY two blunderbuss kits available anywhere at this time. When they are gone they are gone and unless someone else picks up, I don't know of anyone considering producing any.

 

[spudnut]

But one from loyalist arms or veteran arms,dont put rocks and nails and othet trash in it ,fire it with a modest load 60 to 80 gr 2f and youll be fine,

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I was talking with Troy Roope of Stonewall Creek Outfitters this morning and was surprised to find out he had two blunderbuss kits available in walnut.

Did he say how much?

Answered my own question ... $975 on their website .. which is a few hundred $$ more than I would have expected, just saying.
http://www.stonewallcreekoutfitters.com/?s=blunderbuss

 

[azmntman]

Geez, that would get expensive! But fun? :thumbsup:

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I was talking with Troy Roope of Stonewall Creek Outfitters this morning and was surprised to find out he had two blunderbuss kits available in walnut.

Did he say how much?

Answered my own question ... $975 on their website .. which is a few hundred $$ more than I would have expected, just saying.
http://www.stonewallcreekoutfitters.com/?s=blunderbuss[/quote]


Just off the top of my head....
..175 chambers lock...260 Rayl barrel... est. 90 chambers bp, tg and sp.. est. 55 for pipes trigger and plate.. 25 misc. pieces, est. 300 for precarve stock

I get 905 with that estimate. The small remaining amount can be tallied as r&D to develop the precarve to work with all the parts and for creation anD maintenance of the pattern.

I think your expectation is closer in current prices if building from a blank.

Unfortunately everything has gone up. I have a Reeves brass buttplate I found the other day with 9.00 price on it. I think they are about 40.00 now :shocked2:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

The Traditions Blunderbuss is basically a novelty gun. Because of the flare at the end of the barrel, for easier loading when the shooter is being jostled (perhaps while riding "shotgun" on a coach or aboard a naval vessel at sea), they are very tough to aim. (The flared muzzle does not spread the shot wider, in spite of what Traditions claims on their website.) The short barrel makes them handle very easily in tight quarters, but reduces effective range, SO larger bores were the norm so that a large volume of large pellets could be launched. A .54 caliber (roughly 28 gauge) blunder buss...what's the point? Plus I don't think it mounts its ramrod? I suppose IF you reduced the flare of the bell, you might be able to put a rear sight on it that's high enough to maybe shoot deer out to 40 yards??? So other than a noise maker, and perhaps you might harvest a bunny or two....not very practical. (Would work for a steampunk costume if you mounted a whacky sight and some sort of weird flashlight from it :wink: .)

Now the 4-Bore kit as others have provided a link...THAT's a Blunderbuss. That's a tad more than a 1" bore, and you are good to launch 3 ounces of lead from that bad boy. That's 24 00-buckshot pellets or 60 #4-buckshot pellets. :shocked2: That'll get her done if you're defending a coach or the deck of a ship. It might make a great goose gun if you loaded it with three ounces of T-sized bismuth and got right on top of a gaggle on the water or in a field, BUT federal law prohibits you using anything other than 10-bore for waterfowl, black powder or modern.

You asked about a Bess. NO comparison. A Bess would be much more versatile. Deer, or small game with shot.

LD

 

[spudnut]

Doglock
Over at middlesex ,550 or so complete

 

[Darkgael]

Loyalist Dave hit the nail on the head. Take that post to heart.
I scratched the BB itch a while ago with a 14 gauge item.
It is handy, easy to carry and easy to maneuver. With a barrel only 14 inches long, it is a hoot to shoot as when it goes off, everything is right there. Not very practical though.

 

[Col. Batguano]

What a great grouse gun though, loaded with a square load of 4 oz. of # 8's. Not much going to fly through that pattern!

 

[Historian]

You need to try Sitting Fox. They have a 4 bore kit or finished gun. :wink:

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

You need to try Sitting Fox. They have a 4 bore kit or finished gun. :wink:

In regards to available blunderbuss kits:

The Sitting Fox kit is an 11-gauge (75-cal) barrel of 1-1/8" breech, 1-1/2" flared muzzle, for an overall 14" barrel length.

The Stonewall Creek kit is an 4-gauge barrel of 1-1/2" breech, 2" flared muzzle, for an overall 20" barrel length.

I like the specs of SC kit better, but for a "novelty" arm I can't justify the 2X pricing. I agree the parts are better quality, but I did buy a SF fusil de chasse kit and put the piece parts next to the parts set from a Chambers kit (less the lock & barrel) and for all purposes they looked to be sourced the same.