Buying A Used MuzzleLoader.

[Eric Krewson]

The gun will probably still shoot just fine, the rust will come out, the pitting won't. If you keep a pitted gun clean and well oiled it won't pit anymore and shouldn't be a problem.

I cleaned up the bad bore in the above picture and got 3" groups at 50 yards with it, I scrubbed the bore with a scotch bright pad and mild abrasive and got rid of more of the corrosion but couldn't hit squat with afterwards. I sent it off to Bobby Hoyt and it came back a tack driver.

I trusted Rem Oil to protect the bore on this Rice barrel, to my horror after being in the safe for a few months I found it had pitted. I used a scotch bright pad and soft scrub to clean it up and actually removed metal, I could see it on the pad. I thought I had ruined the barrel until I shot it, it shot better than it ever did before, on a good day I can get 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards with it. You can still see the pitting which is only down close to the breech.

 

[Eric Krewson]

My recommendation before any suspect gun purchase, get on ebay and buy one of the cheap bore scopes that will hook up to your smartphone. These are dirt cheap, $8 or less, then if you are at a pawn shop you can do a quick bore check and see if the gun is loaded as well.

The above bore pictures were taken with just such a camera. One thing I didn't know for a while is there is a focusing wheel on the cord. One day my camera was taking realy lousy pictures, I thought my camera had gone bad. I saw the wheel and wondered "what is that for" and gave it a spin, it brought my camera back into clear sharp focus.

 

[Okie Hog]

i make a pawnshop tour every month. Pawnshops here seldom have muzzleloaders on hand.

First thing i check when examining a muzzleloader is the bore. IMO: Messing with a roached bore ain't worth the hassle. i run a patch and drop in the light. If the bore is pitted or rusty the gun stays there.

 

[Eutycus]

That last picture, the one with the rusty "Pyrodex'' bore. Would any of you buy it if the price was low or walk away?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

If its a good deal do you think a little rust or light pitting is a big deal that can't be taking care of?

Sometimes...….,

Twice in my life as a flintlocker, I've come across rust-bucket muskets, that I bought for a song, and they both cleaned up rather well. So I got lucky. I loooove Evaporust.

When it comes to a rifle, normally you're talking a CVA or a TC product, and IF the barrel is "roached", well then take what you'd pay for the rifle in good used condition, subtract $80 off that price to cover the cost of having the bore reamed out to smooth in the next common caliber. (or whatever the going rate is to have that done). See if the seller will accept that price....,

Rescuing a black powder rifle isn't quite the same as finding that amazing bargain at the odd estate sale or pawn shop. This IS the season though for folks to dump stuff as it comes time to pay the taxes. Estates low on cash, and high on material goods, will want to liquidate as it's sooo much easier for them to do the math. Check your auction houses as well as pawn shops.

Folks are concerned that our hobby is dying, well, rehab a gun you got for a song and teach somebody how to use it then cash out for what you put into it...., voila, another convert to the Holy Black.....

LD

 

[arcticap]

Black powder enthusiasm is fairl low down here at the time. But It was "flying high" years ago. Where are all those guns now?

It's amazing how many traditional muzzle loaders & C&B revolvers are sold as parts on eBay.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I take a what is it worth approach. In the last few years I've bought a couple of rifles real cheap at pawn shops. A $50 Ardesa "hawken" that needed a barrel wedge and a couple of screw. The screws came from the local hardware store and I made the wedge. The barrel is a little rough, but it shoots better than I can hold. The other was a TC Hawken for $100 because I wanted another one to use with a drop in 36" 50 caliber barrel. The barrel on that one is good. FYI, it was a kit gun, but not badly finished. I may redo the stock some day more to my liking. I did buy a Euroarms Rogers & Spencer at a gun show that was a bad buy. I didn't pay much, $100, but the barrel is roached. It shots, but I wouldn't depend on much accuracy beyond 20 yards.

So, my caution would be two fold. Do you want the gun and is it worth at least what you are paying given the current condition. If the price is cheap enough, then I get really tempted. Especially if I can part it for more than a I pay.

 

[Carbon 6]

That last picture, the one with the rusty "Pyrodex'' bore. Would any of you buy it if the price was low or walk away?

Sure, for the right price. it's fixable and still contains valuable parts. But not everyone is willing to deal with it.

 

[Eric Krewson]

It cost $140 for the round trip to Mr Hoyt for a rebore and rifling, if you get the rifle at a price that you can have Mr Hoyt fix and still have less in the gun than the going price you are OK. At least you know the bore is pristine when you get it back.

 

[FishDFly]

Recently, last day or so, could be in this thread someone warned about buying used T/C's and the lack of available parts. A ruined barrel rifle for $100 would be worth it for the lock and trigger assembly if they work.

Ah, it was in T/C dating thread.

 

[Eutycus]

Surely I cant be the only one who is not really "up" on which make or model is the more or less desirable. Caliber is a personal thing but I'm sure some makes are more of a bargain then the "cheapos".

 

[Carbon 6]

Surely I cant be the only one who is not really "up" on which make or model is the more or less desirable. Caliber is a personal thing but I'm sure some makes are more of a bargain then the "cheapos".

Easy! Anything in a 50 cal is the cheapest, price and desirability goes up the farther away from that caliber you get. cheapest model is the Hawken.
That's my rule anyway.

 

[Eutycus]

Easy for you maybe. Why is the Hawkens the cheapest?

 

[Prairieofthedog]

Easy for you maybe. Why is the Hawkens the cheapest?

Just a ton of them made,but a TC "Hawken" is still worth more than your Spanish Hawkens.

 

[Eutycus]

That was sort of my thinking. There wern't many makers who didnt have their version of a Hawkens on the market at one time.

 

[FishDFly]

And let the fight begin on what is a Hawken, happens each time T/C is mentioned.

 

[sgeisz]

I have long given up caring whether a TC is, or can even be, a true Hawken. Waste of what brain cells I still have in my fourth quarter. I am stunned no one has mentioned JB bore paste. I have saved several "oh, no, it's ruined" barrels with judicious and energetic lapping with the stuff. You don't even have to unbreech if you pto a patch at the bottom to catch the crud and then retrieve it with a worm when you are done. Won't remove real pits but can clean them up well. Did a Renegade and an (ugh, inline) already this year.
Sadly, muzzle loading for fun, aside from hunting, has pretty much died around here. Used to be able to shoot somewhere within an hour any weekend.

 

[BlackHillsBob]

brown bear, your reply was very informative.

 

[Carbon 6]

And let the fight begin on what is a Hawken, happens each time T/C is mentioned.

Gee Richard, Are you trying to rile up the natives ?
The "Hawken" I was referring to was the T/C Hawken . That's what TC called it, the model. I wasn't referring to an original.
The reason I chose that model and caliber is because they are the most prevalent. If a person wants one, go buy an Investarms instead. Cheaper, new and hard pressed to tell the difference. If I'm going to buy a TC, it's going to be a rare model.

 

[FishDFly]

No, it just seems that folks are always getting riled up with T/C using the name Hawken, they had to call their rifle something.

I like the rifles just fine and have quite a few of them in the safe. The stocks fit me physically well which a bunch of folks complain about.