Good Inexpensive entry level rifle

[CrackStock]

Going against the grain here, but I would order a TVM now and save up while waiting to pay it off about the time that it is ready. That is not idle advice, it is what I did for my first flinter.

You will soon want to move up and this will fill the need for you quite well.

CS

 

[pab1]

I was under the impression that the Trade Rifle was also available in flint, but darned if I can find it.

Lyman and the Possibles Shop both list them on their sites.

 

[russecv58]

third generaton shooting supply has the Trade rifle in flint for $300 according to their web site.

 

[ebiggs1]

"Good" and "Inexpensive" rarely go together, and even more rarely when one is asking about flintlocks....

This statement must rely on the use of the word “rarely”. :hmm: I disagree with it almost totally. Can you find a cheap flintlock that shoots poorly? Yes, you can, but you can also find inexpensive, comparatively so, flintlocks that will shoot with anybodies gun. May take a little tweaking but, hey that's part of the fun. Playing around with the gun, ain't it? :grin:
If you get a new GPR or a used TC Hawken, it will be fine and probably less than $400 bucks Also if that is your definition of inexpensive!

 

[hanshi]

The TVM idea posted by CrackedStock is a good one. That's how I got more than one. If you want to go even more inexpensive the T/C and GPR are fine suggestions.

 

[James Kelly]

The best quality production flint rifles are made by Pedersoli www.davide-pedersoli.com Best source is Dixie Gunworks.
Some don't like their breech system, apparently hard to clean. Has never been a problem for me.
The barrels are of decent low sulphur steel, heat treated.
Assorted calibers of the "Frontier" model are somewhere around $750, other models about $650, calibers .32, .36, .45, and .50 .
Considering that you are holding a violent explosion right there in the palm of your hand, "cheaper" may or may not be less expensive.
You might want to avoid modern Spanish made muzzle loaders.
As I am a metallurgist of several decades experience, including analyses of several nasty blown muzzleloaders, I come from a different perspective than some.

 

[CrackStock]

Before going to Dixie, you might give these people a try.

Cherry's

I have a Pedersoli and Cherry's beat Dixie by a substantial amount. That was a few years ago, so things might be different, but the Cherry's guarantee was pretty firm.

I like mine, but you must know that most of these rifles have undersized bores (at least in the .50 cals) and need some attention to learn what balls they need.

Otherwise, I like my .50 cal flint pistol from them.

CS

 

[BrownBear]

I hadn't considered Pedersoli, but that's a good suggestion. At least for a used gun rather than new, in order to keep the price down.

Interesting observation on the 50 bore. Which model is it? I have a 50 Frontier and a 50 Frontier carbine, and they both thrive on .490 and .018 patches. Seating effort isn't hard at all.

Speaking of that Carbine, I got to shoot it exactly 6 times, then mistakenly let my wife shoot it. She shouldered it once, smiled, and thanked me for the new rifle. It's very light and easy for her to shoot with little muzzle weight. I only had to give $300 for it, and a couple of years back I got the full-sized one for $250. At those prices, it's a heck of a lot of gun for the buxx.

 

[CrackStock]

Well, I am a pound them in guy, so .490 seems tight to me. Mine is their flint pistol, although I have shot other Pedersolis.
That bore is too tight for anything over .490.

CS

 

[flintriflesmith]

"Good" and "Inexpensive" rarely go together, and even more rarely when one is asking about flintlocks....

This statement must rely on the use of the word “rarely”. :hmm: I disagree with it almost totally. Can you find a cheap flintlock that shoots poorly? Yes, you can, but you can also find inexpensive, comparatively so, flintlocks that will shoot with anybodies gun. May take a little tweaking but, hey that's part of the fun. Playing around with the gun, ain't it? :grin:
If you get a new GPR or a used TC Hawken, it will be fine and probably less than $400 bucks Also if that is your definition of inexpensive!

Is how a rifle shoots the only measure of "good?" Depending on the intended use of the rifle there are many other factors that could be important. Period correctness comes to mind. Reliability is often a different issue from shooting accuracy. Joy and satisfaction of ownership --- otherwise we would all be driving the cheapest car or truck that would take us down the road!
Gary

 

[Dphar]

"Good" and "Inexpensive" rarely go together, and even more rarely when one is asking about flintlocks....

This statement must rely on the use of the word “rarely”. :hmm: I disagree with it almost totally. Can you find a cheap flintlock that shoots poorly? Yes, you can, but you can also find inexpensive, comparatively so, flintlocks that will shoot with anybodies gun. May take a little tweaking but, hey that's part of the fun. Playing around with the gun, ain't it? :grin:
If you get a new GPR or a used TC Hawken, it will be fine and probably less than $400 bucks Also if that is your definition of inexpensive!

Inexpensive? Flintlock? The PARTS for a good gun will run 500-700 dollars. Barrels 150-250. Locks 150, stocks, decent curl hard maple 200-250 for a BLANK.
Factory mades are invariably riddled with short cuts and are assembled by people who only know part of the process and really don't understand anything other than they get a paycheck.

Poorly installed breeches with fouling/oil traps ALL the factory mades I know of have this feature. Why? Because it takes time to properly fit a breech. This leads to corrosion, misfires, difficult cleaning. Vent liners that gas cut around the threads. Locks with soft parts, locks that go off 1/2 cocked. Weak springs that give reliability issues. Sloppy fits that dribble powder from the pan with the frizzen closed.

There is far more to this than how accurate the barrel is.
But most American ML shooters seem the think that the custom maker should be glad to do it for 2-3 dollars an hour. Because some factory made POS sells for less than a modern bolt action.

The difference between a factory made and a good custom is that while the custom costs more it will not depreciate and often is worth more than was paid for it initially. So its impossible to loose money on a good gun.

Dan

 

[ebiggs1]

Mr. Phariss,
We are fundamentally 180 degrees apart on this topic. You must remember I only suggested a Lyman GPR or TC Hawken (or any other TC model ) but I do not mention any other brand guns which I personally do not have experience with. Your experience with these two brands of factory made guns may be different.

Poorly installed breeches with fouling/oil traps ALL the factory mades I know of have this feature. Why? Because it takes time to properly fit a breech. This leads to corrosion, misfires, difficult cleaning. Vent liners that gas cut around the threads. Locks with soft parts, locks that go off 1/2 cocked. Weak springs that give reliability issues. Sloppy fits that dribble powder from the pan with the frizzen closed.

This statement is simply nonsense, as it refers to Thompson Center, anyway.

Yes I did send TC a few locks that they upgraded to the new style but I also had to return a well know lock (a brand that you would certainly approve of) to it's maker for a soft frizzen. Twice! Mistakes can be made by any one.

So its impossible to loose money on a good gun.

I sure am glad you do guns and are not a stock broker! Because that statement would be illegal.

 

[ratgunner]

This is getting interesting and Im learning alot while getting confused at the same time...yes Im also looking for a "good" rifle at a blue collar price. :hatsoff:

 

[ebiggs1]

Some guys on the forum let the beauty of a custom long rifle cloud their eyes. It is beautiful so it has to be better, right? But it remains that many TC or Lyman owners do just fine with their guns, also.
I guess, no, I know for a fact, it gets your goat,when a $500 dollar gun shoots as well as your $2000 one does. Beauty or HC/PC aside.
I must qualify my remarks to Thompson Center and Lyman. I have no experience with CVA or Traditions. You will need to find a person that shoots one of them. Hopefully they will be honest in evaluating one.
If you stick with a TC or Lyman, you will be fine.