Frustrations with my used TVM

[lakota]

I bought a used poor boy from a member here in 2009. It was a stellar deal or so I thought. The gentleman was forthright about the problems he was having with it and the fact that TVM didnt seem to care to correct them. This gun was not supposed to be a kit but it looks like it was put together by a boy scout. My latest problem is the rear sight. It just fell out and the dovetail isnt tapered correctly. The sight just slides right through freely from either side. I have tried peening the dove tail and it has yet to tighten. I am about to just epoxy it into the dove tail and be done with it. I have fiddled and fiddled with this gun since 2009 as soon as I correct one gremlin another seems to appear and I am getting sick of it. About 5 years ago I had a rifle on order from them but by the time it was complete I was having financial troubles and they sold it out from under me. After seeing this used example of thier work I am glad i didnt shell over the $1600 for the new one I had on order. I do not blame the seller. He was very striaght forward with me. When he sent me the gun he even sent a money order refunding $100 of the purchase price. I think I was just too starry eyed and drooling over the rifle to hear what he was saying at the time. Prior to owning this muzzle loader all I had owned were T/C's and I have to say that they put this gun to shame quality wise.
Sorry for the rant but this rifle is really starting to get under my skin.

 

[Drago]

I took one in a bundle trade and it looked decent but I never heard anything good about the Spanish makes so I traded it in on a TC.

 

[rabjr]

Your absolutely positive this was not a kit gun?

Has anyone, including yourself ever contacted TVM to try to fix the gun?

 

[jdkerstetter]

I took one in a bundle trade and it looked decent but I never heard anything good about the Spanish makes so I traded it in on a TC.

What??? J.D.

 

[54ball]

I'll play Joe Friday, so here's some statements and questions about the facts.

What TVM are we talking about?
There were two companies from the same town, Tennessee Valley Manufacturing and Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading.
Tennessee Valley Manufacturing recently changed owners. Both firms offer Tenn. PO Boy style rifles. Both originate from Jack Garner.

The gun is second hand, What did the original owner do to it?
Was he in fact the original owner?
Was he honest?
Was the gun a kit?
Do you or the prior owner really know for sure?

You may be able to tighten up the sight by taking a punch and dimpling the inside of the dove tail. Don't punch the center over the bore. You could also dimple the bottom of the sight.
I would solder the sight in before I used epoxy.

 

[flyfisher76544]

how about some picts

 

[lakota]

This was a Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading gun. The top of the barrel is marked "M Avance". I dont know if they mark the barrels on kits like that or not. I was told it was not put together as a kit but people can say whatever they want when they sell something. The original owner did send me the shipping label where the gun was shipped to him from TVM in 2004 or 2005 I believe. I have looked high and low and cant find that label. His original gripe was that the hammer would not cock unless the set trigger was set. He said he contacted TVM and they werent very receptive. I took it to the Log Cabin Shop and Dan said it was an easy fix but he wouldnt worry about it if it were his rifle.

Now back to this sight- The more I look at it the more it looks like a square notch rather than a dove tail. I'm not sure there is much I can do with it at this point. It may have to be soldered in place and windage adjustments made with the front sight.

This was almost my dream rifle-the only things it lacked that I wanted were a nose cap and it is .45 instead of .50 but its turning out to be more of a nightmare than a dream.

It has sat in a safe since last November 2011 because I was so frustrated with it. I took it out the other night because my buddy wanted to do a little shooting with his new front stuffer. The rear sight fell out on the first shot. I have had accuracy issues from the start with this gun but I figured they were related to the learning curve switching from a capper to a flint lock. The rear sight always seemed tight and I never attempted any adjustment. Now I am wondering if there was play in it and it was shifting during recoil and messing up sight alignment from shot to shot? I have never shot a charge of 3F Goex above 80 grains so heavy recoil shouldnt be too much of an issue.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Lots of unanswered questions in your post.
How about a listing of the problems?
You can order a sight with a bigger base and just file that to fit the dovetail. That really isn't a problem. Every new ml gun has things on it that need tweaking.

 

[Deadeye]

Good answer .54 Ball. The dovetail can be easily tightened or the base of the sight expanded to fit, sights are cheap, get a larger one and cut to fit. Either of the TVMs would be glad to help but you'd have to return it,neither are Spanish, by the way. If your not Muzzleloader literate, get someone who is to help you.
Deadeye

 

[54ball]

Like this.

 

[lakota]

As I stated above on further inspection it appears that there is no dvetail. It now just looks like a square notch. The sight will just drop in and out. No side to side sliding required. There is what feels like a burr of metal on either side of the dovetail. I believe that a few years of putting the gun into and pulling it out of a case has tugged on the rear sight and buggered out what slight ledge there was inside the dove tail to start with. I was trying to shim the sight in and there just isnt any thing there to hold it down into the slot.

The front sight is nice and tight and the dovetail looks clean.

 

[rafterob]

Now I am wondering if there was play in it and it was shifting during recoil and messing up sight alignment from shot to shot?

I have had that very thing happen and suddenly start questioning my ability to shoot straight. Sometimes we overlook the simplest answers to our questions. Muzzleloaders are pretty simple, yet complex creatures and most here enjoy the problem solving aspect of the hobby. Take a deep breath and solve one issue at a time. I think you will discover in the end that you have a fine shooting piece.

 

[54ball]

I took it to the Log Cabin Shop and Dan said it was an easy fix but he wouldnt worry about it if it were his rifle.

He must not hunt much I would defiantly worry about it if it were mine.

He said he contacted TVM and they werent very receptive.

You may have much better luck. I think You the present owner need to contact them.
Since it is second hand you may have to pay alt least in part for the repair. I would call them.

With that said if it had My name on it I would repair or replace for free, but that is me.

 

[lakota]

Here is the rear sight and dovetail. I dont know if I can focus down fine enough to show the lack of a ledge inside the slot to hold the sight down:

 

[54ball]

That is poor but who did it?
Before you proceed much further you need to contact TVM.

 

[rabjr]

It was made using a chisel instead of being machined, no big deal so aren't mine. You can tighten it using a hammer and punch.

 

[rabjr]

That is poor but who did it?
Before you proceed much further you need to contact TVM.

I agree, they should have been contacted long before now.

 

[lakota]

The previous owner claimed this was a TVM build. He said he contacted them several times and they were not receptive to his complaints. He said he would not buy from them again based solely on thier customer service. I wish I could find the shipping label he sent me. I not sure I even remember his name.

If you think that one little photo is bad I could take some of the elongated holes on the barrel lugs where it looks like several attempts were made to locate the pins!

Like I said he was very straight forward on the low quality. He said TVM built it and it was not a kit. I asked several times because that would have been a deal breaker for me. Looking back through the 20/20 vision of hind sight I now know I ignored the negative things he was telling me about the gun because I flipped for what I saw in the photos.

Now I have a useless gun with no rear sight and no money to repair it with.
:surrender:

 

[Rev_William]

Nows the time for "yankie" ingenuity lol roll those sleeves up and make it "your" gun now :hatsoff:

 

Drago,
What post are you answering to, Spanish????
Mark