It's Got Wessonality

[BigSkyRambler]

OK. Got your attention. This is kind of long, so grab a beer, cocktail or coffee and get comfortable. I recently (and another member a bit earlier) had one of those early 70s Wesson style rifles for sale. Some pics for reference at end. In any event, it sold on Gunbroker yesterday and the buyer is trying to back out saying I misrepresented what alloy the receiver was. He says it is an aluminum alloy, but I saw nothing about this in my Googlemotizing. Pretty sure he isn't a metalurgist. He claims, without providing proof, that these rifles are dangerous and known to fail. Didn't see anything about that in my wanderings through cyberspace. What I do know is this: the breechplug and nipple bolster are cast into the alloy receiver (one photo kind of shows this). Therefore, all of the pressure from firing is retained within the barrel, just like any muzzleloader. The guy is screaming that I am selling a dangerous gun and he won't pay. He was all in bidding it up like a fiend. Even tried to BuyNow by entering that price as a bid, rather than hitting the BuyNow button. I suspect Buyer's Remorse or he saw something he wanted more. So after all of that, and I do appreciate your patience, have any of you heard of these rifles having a catastrophic failure? One photo of my rifle and one of a gun taken apart to refinish.

 

[Jim Wag]

If I was a
Wise guy
And I am
I would say
The rifle looks fine in picture two
But, in picture one
Catastrophic failure
The rifle is blown apart
Was picture one taken after firing?

Jim in La Luz

 

[user 48679]

While those repos DO have coated aluminum alloy frames ( just do the magnet test), IME they're not more dangerous than any other factory muzzleloader.

I've keep my ear to the ground for decades (ever since I bought one on the mid-1970's), and can say that I (personally) have never ever heard of one of those Wesson repo's failing - although an abused example, or one that was shot using smokeless powder might have.

 

[BigSkyRambler]

Need clarification: The steel breechplug and nipple bolster are cast into the receiver. Tuping faster than my brain was working.

 

[user 48679]

Tuping faster than my brain was working.

Still are....

 

[hanshi]

I had one long, long ago and it was so poorly built I sold it without even firing it. Kinda turned me off of that style.

 

[BigSkyRambler]

I had one long, long ago and it was so poorly built I sold it without even firing it. Kinda turned me off of that style.

But the question is, quality aside, did you consider it dangerous or did you hear they were dangerous? Lots of POS guns out there that aren't dangerous.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I don't know much about the Wesson rifles. Never owned one, never really looked into their story. However, I have been interested in muzzleloaders since farther back than I can remember, and I have not run across stories of these rifles, original or repro, blowing apart.

You have piqued my interest, though, and just yesterday I ran across mention of a Wesson rifle being used in a western Indian fight. A native man (...and I am not making this up...) was "mooning" the white fellows, which was evidently a pretty common gesture of derision in those days (late 1850's - early 1860's). The range was in excess of 250 yards. An expert marksman was handed a Wesson rifle, and the native man took a non-fatal round in the fanny. He did recover, but reportedly had some difficulty riding for a couple of weeks. It was not clear if the Wesson rifle in question was one of the precision muzzleloaders made by Edwin Wesson and used by Civil War sharpshooters, or if it was one of the early rimfire unmentionables by Daniel Wesson, which started production in 1859. Just an historical anecdote, for what it's worth...

I would be interested in seeing some close-up photos of the breech area, including the bolster or snail and the threaded plug. I've never seen one of those rifles taken apart.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[BigSkyRambler]

NB:
Rather than take mine apart. here us an article I found on one. That is where I skeefed the one photo from.

https://blackpowdersmoke.com/colt/index.php?topic=1460.0

 

[outdoorman]

I don't know anything about your gun. The whole episode you describe, to me anyway, sounds like the buyer (I use the term loosely in this case) is just trying to stir up trouble. Maybe he is influenced by some of the bull that is going around in our country today.

I would just consider the deal with him nullified, and try again on another day.

Just my opinion.

Outdoorman

 

[user 48679]

Given that GB usually sides with the seller (GB's real paying customer) in most disputes, I would lodge a complaint to them to compel the buyer to complete the transaction - if he doesn't comply, there's a good chance that he won't be allowed on GB, going forward.

Not much solace for you, but at least you still have the gun to sell.

 

[hawkeye2]

By bidding and winning he has entered into a legal contract to buy your gun. The only person that can let him out of that contract is you! I don't know about Gunbroker but eBay will stand behind the seller and has a procedure to help the seller collect. From what I have heard about Gunbroker I don't believe they will hassle you at all. I believe you can possibly file a non-payment claim with Gunbroker and get them involved that way. If he paid top dollar and you could use the money I wouldn't let him off specially with the game he is playing.

As far as I know (or have known for years) the action is a cast aluminum alloy which should not pose any problems. I assume you didn't tell him the receiver was brass or something else in your description. I have never heard of any safety issues with these guns. If it were me I would insist he meet his obligation and wouldn't back down.

 

[BigSkyRambler]

Since he has stated repeatedly in emails that he does not intend to pay, I asked Gunbroker if I can open a non paying bidder complaint early.

 

[Woody Morgan]

An alloy receiver and nipple bolster? Who cares? This is a black powder arm and not subject to modern pressures. If anything, the alloy will make the gun lighter and if anything is unsafe, it's the "buyer".
Tell him to suck it up and pay up or he'll never be allowed on GB again. Bastid.

wm

 

[BigSkyRambler]

Woody:
Bolster and breechplug are steel. The alloy receiver was cast around them. Essentially same chamber as any other muzzleloader.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Woody:
Bolster and breechplug are steel. The alloy receiver was cast around them. Essentially same chamber as any other muzzleloader.

Well then. Hammer him. Period. No quarter...then sell the rifle to someone deserving.

wm

 

[Brokenbear]

Ever heard of win a battle and loose the war ????
You likely could enforce him paying up with GB's backing ..that's winning a battle ...
But you could easily lose the war by once that weapon is in a vengeful new owners hands.... there is no telling what some nut cases would do to the gun to make it fail ...with you ending up in the line of fire legally .....
You couldn't even explain to a lawyer the chain of events for your weapon's value!!!!!
Things are different today ...never heard of road rage 20 or so years ago ...now society is loaded with folks who do not recolonize or even think about taking responsibility for their actions
Live to fight another day ..just relist it saying the previous sale failed

Bear

 

[rafterob]

If you still possess the rifle, I would allow the buyer to back out. Sell it to someone who really wants it. I would still complain on gunbroker.

 

[BigSkyRambler]

Gunbroker needs to cancel the auction fees and state taxes I have been billed for. They will likely just ban him from platform, and that is fine.

 

[erhunter]

He begged for it, now sell it to him.