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Flinter lock opinions wanted

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I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but here's my unschooled opinion, for what it's worth:

you have, I think, a Southern Mountain rifle which was made from a parts kit. the stock appears similar to the precarved stocks offered by Track of the Wolf. these are (if memory serves) made for Track by the folks at Pecatonica. They are well made stocks, and if you need a precarve, I wouldn't hesitate to contact them. I've used several and had good result. the lock is a Durs Egg - I have one on my Southern Mountain and I'm quite happy with it. the furniture looks to come from Track, so there's a pretty fair chance that this is one of their kits (I hesitate to say 'kit' because what you get is a parts set: building one of these guys is not a tab A into slot B affair.)

had it been my rifle, I would have taken more wood away, but what you have is a good and serviceable gun and you can expect many years (that would be, say, the remainder of your life and that of your heirs) of good service if the rifle is properly cared for. always clean it as soon as possible after firing.

more thoughts:

the front sight is not to my liking - were it my gun, I would change this.

you should assemble a basic kit (assuming that you want to keep the gun) some spare flints, some flint leathers, some powder (probably FFFg, but many .54 rifles like FFg - you'll have to see which granulation this particular gun likes) an adjustable measure (NEVER pour powder from the can or the horn into the barrel directly - very dangerous!) ... of course, some roundball and some patching material ... some lube ... some targets and a stapler (can't count the number of times I've lent my stapler to another shooter, nor would I admit the much greater number of times I've had to borrow a stapler from someone else) ... for the best accessory available, I would point you to Dutch Schoultz' method. His web site is here [see link, below], and it's my opinion that anyone who doesn't have a copy of his work is missing out on a really great thing. (not that you can't figure out what he tells you for yourself, but you'll spend thousands of dollars worth of powder and shot, and a ton of time doing so.) here's a link: http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/



the builder, unless the work is signed or marked, or you have some sort of provenance, would be very difficult to determine in a rifle of this nature. as regards the value, this is a very slippery thing ... you should check out the Track of the Wolf website, as well as some of the auction sites. you will see that prices vary widely (a 'name' maker will provide a better product, and thus a more expensive rifle) ... be dispassionate and brutally honest with yourself ... if you have any emotional investment (such as, if you made the rifle, or if it belonged to beloved Uncle Harry, now deceased) well, you might be well advised to forego the money thing and just enjoy the rifle, since disappointment is virtually inevitable. (everyone has a Stradivarius in their attic) ...

there you go: free advice, and no doubt well worth the cost

good luck with your project, and

Make Good Smoke :grin:
 
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No opinion. They all worth what the next owner will pay. I don't NEED it buy want it, so I offer you $200.00 CASH! Next guy may say $1500.00, but if yer in a hurry PM me :grin:
 
Thanks guys. I don't own the rifle but it is for sale. The guy is asking 875.00 but I may be able to get it for less. I just read and look so Im no eggspurt at all. I hear how good L&R locks are. Just looking for a dependable long rifle that would make a good shooter. Al
 
Over all I agree with the kit hypothesis. Nice components, wood is decent, but the overall construction leaves a bit to be desired. The wood work is average at best, not the best work, definitely not built by a noted builder, probably someone trying a rifle with good parts. The stock color is poor. Just my opinion, but to me not worth much more than cost of parts, or a little less.
 
Quality parts and looks to be a decent rifle. I would guess a fair value at $800-$1000. If you was in love with that particular weapon then $1000-$1200. If it was made and signed by a well known builder the price could be considerably higher. On the low end if it was at an estate sale ( but not a gun auction) then it may go for a much lower price around $475-$600. I WISH I could find something like that at an estate auction or a garage sale, but that isn't normally my luck! :) As you can see.........it's whatever the market will bare! If it is what you are looking for and you are confident the stock dimensions will fit your build then $875 is not out of line. Greg. :)
 
I like it. Have used GM barrels and L&R locks and find them of good quality. SMRs are my favorite and I like the finish on this. It shows the figure well.

What size is the barrel? Even w a .54 bore a 1"x42" barrel can be quite heavy. As I get older my rifles seem heavier (and it's further to the 100 yard line too).

Length of pull too. A shorter pull will make a rifle balance closer to the shoulder. Also it's easier to shoot well with too short a pull than one too long.

Parts for this would run about $700 plus freight. If this one fits all of your criteria and requires nothing in finish or other work to make it "yours" it's a good buy. If it requires much rework for you I'd suggest just buying parts or an in the white kit. $.02.
TC
 
Gents it has a 42" barrel 15/16 across the flats. Guy says its a 1 in 70 twist. Length of pull is 14 inches and it weighs 8.5 lbs. I asked him for more info. So would you buy something like this vs going for a pedersoli? Al
 
It is far better than a Pedersoli as the parts are of good quality. As I said earlier, the wood working/shaping is average, but could be salvaged by you or a competent builder. Look at some photos of period guns or those of good craftsman and you can see what I mean. (The lock panel, for example, has rounded edges, these should be more crisp, easily fixed with sand paper on a wood block.) Also, a new stain would help a whole lot. $700 max as is.

IMG_2928_zpsykhvpnue.jpg


Note lock panel and color.
 
As long as the bore is good and no cracks in the stock it appears to be a fair asking price I would
buy it before a Pedersoli :thumbsup: But to each his own :hatsoff:
 
From the picture it looks well made - at least at 3 or 4 feet (the distance the pic was taken at).

You have close to 875 in parts if it's been cared for.

You are looking at 150 for the lock, another 150 for the barrel - call it 200 for the stock and another 50 for the triggers - add in the rest of the furniture and it would be close.

Then of course, someone put the whole thing together, finished it etc.

Price sounds right for a "nice rifle" from an unknown builder.
 
Al, one of the biggest problems with buying any rifle that you can't hold onto before the purchase is lack of knowledge if the stock dimensions will fit your build. I have been lucky and bought one custom over the internet and I couldn't be happier with the fit of that rifle. Some stocks are however way to low for me and present a sight picture of only the tang/wrist area and I would hate to spend a chunk of change not knowing if it would fit or not. Just something to think about. Greg. :)
 
Yes. I know nothing about Ped. Barrel but I know GMs are good. Also have heard Ped. Finish is thin. My $0.02.

I'm sure we'll have plenty of contradicting input.
 
Yep, nice gun, fair price, particularly if you can get it for less. I'm certainly not an experienced builder and people aren't waiting in line to purchase anything that I've built (from scratch or from a "kit"), but I put myself in the shoes of whoever sold that the first time and it would absolutely break my heart to sell it for the cost of parts or slightly more (and I agree that you're probably looking at around $700 in parts). I think it appears to be well built (though you can test that the trigger and lock are properly installed, etc.) although it may or may not be a perfect example of the SMR for whatever reason. I like it and would pay that sort of money for it if I needed and wanted it. Good luck on getting a slightly better price from the seller.
 
If I saw that gun laying on a trade blanket for $800 I would have a hard time passing it up. L&R makes a good lock. .54 is my favorite caliber. I like a plain gun without a lot of foofaraw.
 
I understand the not in hand and hard to know if it fits. Im hesitant to offer for fear of getting it and not liking the way it shoulders. Buying online is tough unless one has had a gun in his hand before. But I do like the 54 caliber part. Al
 
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