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Muzzle Loading Guns, 1970's and 1980's

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Simple fact , many of us who bought muzzle loading guns in the 1970-1980 range are getting older and no longer shooting. Therefore some of those guns are going up for sale. Unless my eyes get better I'll be selling some of mine. Since I had mt last eye surgeries, I have not been able to get glasses that focus right.
 
I follow the auctions and forums frequently. In the last say 2-3 years I've noticed a good deal of muzzle loading guns, both factory and custom from the 70's and 80's offered for sale.
Being 72 years old, I recognize many of these guns Just curious to ask if anyone else in my age range has noticed this ?

Rick
While not quite in your age range (but too fast approaching IMHO), yes I've noticed the same thing. Probably original owners of that era are dying off and the guns are now on the market. This saddens me as the knowledge/wisdom of that era is dying off as well.
 
I don't know how many of you have family members who might inherit these and use them but for many of us if we don't sell them they'll just end up in a pawn shop when we're gone.
I have no heirs. This very subject has been on my mind for a few years now. I would hate for my collection of well cared for traditional AND modern arms to go to the scrap heap. No young people in my area ( I live in a deeply blue state) care about hunting/shooting. My wife will keep a few but sell the rest if I go first. If I go last, well the state will crush/cut up them. SAD.
 
You guys nailed it. One thing's odd to me. Not too many years ago, ML stuff (old timey repo's) didn't bring squat. Somehow, that's reversed and guns we saw go for $100 are now way more - like triple, sometimes more. A lot of what I see for sale was manure when made and is still junk, but apparently tastes change.

I still enjoy setting up at gunshows, jawing, and dickering with gun strokes. What doesn't sell at shows, I put in an antique mall after jacking up prices to cover costs. Cash is king and selling via fleabay or gunbroker too many headaches and time consuming. To me, there's nothing "rare" about a mass-produced, not historically correct factory gun and 1970 wasn't that long ago. So .....yup, old guys are thinning our herds.
 
Simple fact , many of us who bought muzzle loading guns in the 1970-1980 range are getting older and no longer shooting. Therefore some of those guns are going up for sale. Unless my eyes get better I'll be selling some of mine. Since I had mt last eye surgeries, I have not been able to get glasses that focus right.
Mine acquired peep sights. At age 83 that works best for me. Unfortunately the club I used to shoot with has gone under and I am now a solitary shooter. My latest flinter was fitted with a rear peeper.
 
I have no heirs. This very subject has been on my mind for a few years now. I would hate for my collection of well cared for traditional AND modern arms to go to the scrap heap. No young people in my area ( I live in a deeply blue state) care about hunting/shooting. My wife will keep a few but sell the rest if I go first. If I go last, well the state will crush/cut up them. SAD.
Same here. I have no one to leave anything too. My children have zero interest in shooting or hunting . I do not wish to burden my wife with getting rid of them, so I have to start selling too. I could leave the modern stuff to the NRA etc but my ML stuff ,which is all very nice, handmade, will hopefully go to someone who wants to carry on the tradition. I will probably try and sell on the forum, but shipping such a "long" piece is a real challenge.
 
This entire thread is just a symptom of an ongoing problem.

So what to do? Here's some suggestions, find a club that takes donations. Stipulate they'll use the guns as loaners to get new folks started. Make new, younger, friends at the range. Let them shoot the rifles a bit, then gift them to the new shooter. You could also try to salvage some of the current youth by taking them to the range and showing them a really good time. I have some rifles that were donated for use with our working with Scouts and other kids. We bring them to the range and the kids all prefer the wood stocked traditionally styled rifles to the the camp craptastic plastic so old T/Cs and CVAs are having a "second life" with us. I'd like to see others start to do what we're doing with kids and having a set of rifles to use is a great help in that kind of effort and those who have donated rifles to us or sold them at a nominal price have our thanks.

As for the price increases, well with T/Cs being parted out, it's simple economics. Sooner or later that supply will dry up. With some of the prices for the older T/Cs being where they are, it's easier for a new shooter to buy a Traditions entry level to get started. The downside to that is many in our hobby look down on Traditions entry level rifles and by their attitude discourage the new shooter leading to the new shooter leaving a hobby they perceive as filled with curmudgeons. I'm not saying in any way that the current crop of entry level rifles is up to the quality of an entry T/C but I am saying our attitude to the equipment of a new shooter is the problem.

There's no easy course here. This problem has been festering for years while many of us were oblivious to what was being done and happening. It will take years of effort and waiting and complaining will only make it worse.
 
This entire thread is just a symptom of an ongoing problem. Many folks trusted the school system and look what you have. It will take time to reverse this tide but sadly, many of us don't have that luxury.

So what to do? Here's some suggestions, find a club that takes donations. Stipulate they'll use the guns as loaners to get new folks started. Make new, younger, friends at the range. Let them shoot the rifles a bit, then gift them to the new shooter. You could also try to salvage some of the current youth by taking them to the range and showing them a really good time. I have some rifles that were donated for use with our working with Scouts and other kids. We bring them to the range and the kids all prefer the wood stocked traditionally styled rifles to the the camp craptastic plastic so old T/Cs and CVAs are having a "second life" with us. I'd like to see others start to do what we're doing with kids and having a set of rifles to use is a great help in that kind of effort and those who have donated rifles to us or sold them at a nominal price have our thanks.

As for the price increases, well with T/Cs being parted out, it's simple economics. Sooner or later that supply will dry up. With some of the prices for the older T/Cs being where they are, it's easier for a new shooter to buy a Traditions entry level to get started. The downside to that is many in our hobby look down on Traditions entry level rifles and by their attitude discourage the new shooter leading to the new shooter leaving a hobby they perceive as filled with curmudgeons. I'm not saying in any way that the current crop of entry level rifles is up to the quality of an entry T/C but I am saying our attitude to the equipment of a new shooter is the problem.

There's no easy course here. This problem has been festering for years while many of us were oblivious to what was being done and happening. It will take years of effort and waiting and complaining will only make it worse.
I agree, Not many young people will drop $1400-1800 bucks or more on a custom rifle. Not going to happen.
 
I have no heirs. This very subject has been on my mind for a few years now. I would hate for my collection of well cared for traditional AND modern arms to go to the scrap heap. No young people in my area ( I live in a deeply blue state) care about hunting/shooting. My wife will keep a few but sell the rest if I go first. If I go last, well the state will crush/cut up them. SAD.
This is exactly why I've already started putting some guns and accoutrements in "Deep Storage". By the time someone from a future generation finds and "excavates" them, they will be perfectly preserved "artifacts".

Copies of certain valuable books and "documents" will be found with them; to explain the concepts of inalienable rights and individual freedom.
 
This is exactly why I've already started putting some guns and accoutrements in "Deep Storage". By the time someone from a future generation finds and "excavates" them, they will be perfectly preserved "artifacts".

Copies of certain valuable books and "documents" will be found with them; to explain the concepts of inalienable rights and individual freedom.
Deep Storage? Like a time capsule or are you burying them on the backyard?
 
I am lucky as I have 3 sons who love hunting and shooting as much as I. But, only one lives where he can shoot like we do her at the house. My brother just past , and his daughters had no desire for other then one gun each. I bought the rest, some have been in family for over a 100 years..hope they are for another 100…
 
I agree, Not many young people will drop $1400-1800 bucks or more on a custom rifle. Not going to happen.
I agree as well.

I shot entry level guns most of my life; CVAs, Thompson Centers, Lymans. I didn’t buy a semi custom Muzzleloader until my early 40s…we need a source of good quality entry level traditional blackpowder firearms.
 
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i a gree as well.

I shot entry level guns most of my life; CVAs, Thompson Centers, Lymans. I didn’t buy a semi custom Muzzleloader until my early 40s…we need a source of good quality entry level traditional blackpowder firearms.
I agree, If there was a few firearms that were reasonable in cost yet functioned properly, it would go along way in helping to attract others!
 
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