New Blue Ridge

[Happydog]

I am really hooked. I just bought another M/L. Since I have a Pedersoli percussion Frontier model, I bought a Flintlock Cabelas Blue Ridge that is made by Pedersoli. Does it make much sense to take both to the range to practice? Maybe work with one on close targets and the other longer ones. Not for hunting but rendezvous shooting.

The Cabelas flintlock has a nicer stock.

 

[frontloader]

I have an blue ridge been shooting it at 75to100yd the rifle will shot better then i can. :cursing:

 

[boar]

Take plenty of flints. Mine is hard on them.Also have to watch and don't push guck into breech area. Their easy to plug up. Last time I had mine out,shot,then ran a couple of patches to get some of the fouling out as it is a .32,makes it easier to load. Had three flashes on a groundhog,would not go off. Took it home and finally got it to fire. Dilly

 

[jaw69]

Polish the pan on the blue ridge they come a little rough helps with faster lock time and use lead to hold the flint

 

[Trench]

One more Blue Ridge idea. You can extend flint life by filing down the top of the frizzen spring by half, and then taking it down to a mirror shine polish. It's been working great for me.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I have a .45 Blue Ridge flinter for about 17 years now. The only thing I did was to drill the touch hole to 1/16th" and changed the front sight to a thin silver blade. I've used mine in several matches and did very well. I use Ballistol oil for patch lube and can shoot all day without swabbing between shots. She is fast, accurate, a sure sparker and just a pleasure to shoot. I often take two or three rifles to the range. The more, the merrier...until clean up time :rotf:

 

[ebiggs1]

I have read several posts that said they were hard of flints. Why is that and can you correct it?

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I think this just shows that every rifle is an individual. I've had a Blue Ridge .45 flint for about 16 or 18 years now and it has always been quick and sure to fire and I get so many shots from a flint that I've just never bothered to count. I did have to replace the frizzen a few years ago but otherwise it's been trouble free and it won quite a few rendezvous shoots before I got too shaky to shoot.
Many locks of all brands do have excessive frizzen springs and grinding them in both width and thickness can make a world of difference in flint life. The spring really only needs to hold the frizzen shut until fired, it will spark with no spring at all. You can grind a spring on an ordinary bench grinder without harming the temper so long as you hold it only with fingers, it will get too hot to hold long before it gets hot enough to draw the temper. I had a T/C lock which ate flints in a dozen shots or less. I more than doubled flint life by grinding the frizzen spring.
Also be sure the frizzen swings freely with the spring removed.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I'm with Joe. My Blue Ridge is so easy on flints I don't even count. Maybe after about 50 shots or so I may have to reknap the flint by tapping the edge with the back of my patch knife. Then I'm good to go for another 50 to 60 shots before reknapping again. I've heard the Blue Ridge is hard on flints. Maybe I'm just lucky :idunno:

 

[jbwilliams3]

Cowpoke, et al., did you do some serious tuning to the lock to get those results? I had a blue ridge that ate flints pretty regularly. The amount of force it takes to cock that hammer was excessive. Do you get good flint life even with the cock like that?

 

[Leatherbark]

My latest Blue ridge had a frizzen spring that could double as a rear pickup truck spring. Before I shot it I ground it down at least a third of its diamter.........I believe that tough frizzen spring would have caused it to be hard on flints. When I took it to the range I got 20 or so shots before I had a misfire. Then I knapped and kept on shooting. Original flint still looks usable..........Bob

 

[boar]

I have started to lighten the frizzen spring, If you want to test the frizzen spring, with frizzen closed,take your thumb on the little curl and push down till it opens. I have 5 flinters and the ones two(L&R) are the easy ones to open and they beat the B-Ridge hands down. Some guys got lucky, theirs weren't made on the bad spring day. :thumbsup: Dilly

 

[ebiggs1]

Cowpoke1955
I may have one coming. I caught a sale at Cabela's and I was able to order one for $500. I wanted a 54 cal which was not in stock. They said that it could be ordered but it has been two weeks and I have heard nothing. I should have bought the 50 cal they had. It is worth the try because I believe the current price is $750.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I didn't do a thing. Just lucky I guess :idunno: Ebiggs, I was going to get one in .54, but they jacked their prices up and ended up getting a .54 GPR flint kit. If you can find them on sale, I'd go for it. I just love a .54. Back when I bought my Blue Ridge, they didn't offer it in .54, so I got the .45. If you can't get the .54, than the .50 would be the next choice for hunting. I like the .45 for competition and it will do for deer out to 75 yards.