New to me .68 cal smoothbore

[Rev_William]

Ok I blame my wife on this one lol. She told me not to sit around the house and I found a gun show I hadn't heard about goin on. Didn't have any money (or so I thought) for anything so I figured I was safe. Found a japanese flintlock .68 smooth bore only other marking on it so far is 1133, I assume serial number. I haven't tore it down yet. stock is really ruff. Guy was asking 150 he must of had it for awhile because when he asked how much I had in my pocket & I said I had 75 bucks he said sold. lock seems tight but since this is my 1st flintlock I've ever really got to play with couldn't tell you for sure. I know I should've saved the money but it looks like a good project gun to learn on and if I do anything stupid I'm not out to much money. I also got it as "loaner" I seem to have a guy at work that always wants to go hunting but doesn't have a gun. He can use this and not mess up any of the ones I like lol. End of barrel to touch hole is 31". It goes from oct to round and absolutley no taper, light rust over the whole thing looks like barrel and lock was left in white
and stored with out oiling. Putting up some pics if this cooperates. Just need to wait for payday to get what I need to shoot it.

http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r590/Rev_william/rifle4.jpg
http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r590/Rev_william/rifle3.jpg
http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r590/Rev_william/rifle2.jpg
http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r590/Rev_william/rifle1.jpg

 

[Sharps1863]

If it sparks your lucky. These were made I think back in the early to late 70's. The Frizzen might have to be hardened on it to get it to fire. Go to you tube and type in the search
Minuteman Muzzle-Loader Rifle
It will bring up a bunch of video's of a guy that has one in Canada he shoots. It has some history about it as well

 

[Rev_William]

Cool Thanks. It does spark I took the flint from my fire kit and just mcguyvering a piece in the lock sent sparks everywhere. I need to get one better knapped though. I need to get the ball and shot to take it out next weekend if I can get away.

 

[Matt85]

thats a nice score, id jump on it aswell at $75.

 

[MSW]

well, it isn't the most graceful and elegant looking gun i've seen, but i will quickly conceed that it is the most graceful and elegant $75.00 gun i've ever seen...

:rotf:

who knows, this might be a tackdriver in clumsy cloathing. i would clean it up and work up a good load and see what it throws by way of a pattern- i wouudln't be surprised if it were pretty good, de[ite the ugly duckling exterior.

Good luck with your new rifle!

 

[Rev_William]

LOL I agree... Thanks to sharps I found out that it was sold put together or as a kit gun. I think mine was probably a kit some one rushed to put together. I'm going to start the disassemble tomorrow and see what happens.... Wife didn't bean me when she got home thats a good sign

 

[roundball]

Cool Thanks. It does spark I took the flint from my fire kit and just mcguyvering a piece in the lock sent sparks everywhere. I need to get one better knapped though. I need to get the ball and shot to take it out next weekend if I can get away.

You've probably already done it, but if not, you might want to make sure it still doesn't have a load in it before sparking it much more.
Be interesting to see how it shoots...

 

[Rev_William]

Yeah I checked that before I even started the negotiations lol I was hopin if it had a load I could have talked him down more

 

[asbrown]

It's your gun,and this is my opinion, but if your using it as a practice project, I'd try a lot of stuff. I'd cut it off at the brass band and make a halfstock. Shorten the barrel 4", solder on a rib and thimbles. Cut that brass plate on the stock and make a patchbox out of it. Of course you'll refinish all the wood. While your at it reshape the stock to more pleasing dimensions. Hell, for 75 bucks I would have a ton of fun messing with it. Good luck, and be sure to take some pictures of the finished project. :hatsoff:

 

[Rev_William]

Ok so I couldn't wait til tomorrow to break it down. I can see why they never became common. The barrel and hardware are pinned in real weird areas. If this was a kit, which still feels like, trigger guard and trigger were preinstalled and pinned in place forearm is and thimbles are pinned to the forearm. Soldering on the barrel very Bad Quality. Inside the lock very thick old grease looks like cosmoline. Overall think I'm going to refinish the sttock for sure and clean up the lock. Bore is dusty no rush I can see doesn't even showbsigns itself been fired.bathe only marks on the frizzen I put there today testing for sparks. As ugly as it is it fits and ballances great. I think I just mite keep it as simple as possible and use it as a loaner/kids gun.

 

[bpollock_sr]

If my memory serves me right,many yrs ago I had heard of some inexpensive (cheap) imported guns where the octogon to smooth barrels were 2 pcs sleaved together.I would check that barrel very closely before trying to fire it.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Knew I'd seen your gun before, but had to go back to the 1974 time frame to find it. Doesn't give the maker (probably Italian or Spanish), but it's listed as being sold by Liberty Arms, a muzzleloading outlet at that time. It was called a "Tower Flintlock Rifle" with a .69 smoothbore...so much for truth-in-advertising or a new variation on smooth-rifle! :haha: Anywho, it was advertised as a, "Smoothbore musket similar to those used in the 18th century". At that time, it sold for $54.95 with a "Deluxe version" listed at $59.95. No comments listed as what constituted the "Deluxe" listing. Old photo is identical to your gun but appears to be very highly polished...maybe that's "Deluxe"!!?? The same magazine's directory listed Liberty Arms Corp. as a box number in Montrose, California. They also advertised a "Kentucky" type rifle in flint & percussion, also a Zouave rifle & carbine...this also makes me believe it's Italian.

I've never heard the warning about a sleeved barrel but imagine it's a good idea to check that out before loading it. Good luck.

 

[Rev_William]

Actually its Japanese and barrel looks to be turned from octagon to round.

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

Greetings!

From your pictures, it appears that you have an "Ultra-Hi" Japanese manufactured flintlock smoothbore. While these are usually scoffed at (especially if too much is paid for them), I found one that works pretty well. Make sure you get all that rust out of the barrel; and you can refinish the whole gun if you want, 'cause I don't think that they have a huge amount of value.

I think Navy Arms used to import these as .69 caliber guns, though I measured the muzzle at 0.670 inches. With a tightly patched 0.648 cast ball (old Lyman mould), and approx. 70gr of FFg... It will shoot 3" groups at 30yds all day long. A little more than double that size at 50yds, but my eyes aren't as young as they once were. The sights do help the shooting considerably.

I must have missed what you paid for it, but I would never go over $125, and that for a really nice once. Of course, I'm pretty thrifty and I bought mine about 22yrs ago... all of the real stuff with value and the look-alike stuff keep costing more as well.

Have it checked out good if you've got a good BP 'smith nearby or a very experienced friend... and then have fun with it.

Shoot safely,
WV_Hillbilly

PS I see where you paid $75 for it... "goody" for you! I paid $125 for mine, 22yrs afore, but it looked brand new at the time.

 

[Rev_William]

Just an update on my progress. Took this in to local BP shop and it is a .69 for sure. It's been kind of hectic so still haven't had a chance to shoot it but finally got all the stuff to shoot it. Shop owner is the guy I referenced earlier about some of his prices, told me that as this thing sits (pics in 1st post here) would be worth 400.00 dollars lol and wanted to know if I wanted to sell it. I said no ( still kicking myself) he'd give me 200.00 for it. I was thinking I just bought all the stuff to shoot it and hadn't yet and said maybe after I had taken it out 1st. After talking I asked if he'd trade that brown bess dolled up as a trade gun he still has and he was all for it til he found out I had pd 75 bucks for it. He didn't want to give me that much trade up I guess.

 

[KABAR2]

Back in the late 60's my mom would get a catalog from this one furniture company that did alot of early colonial.... at least that's what they called it..... they advetised these as decorator items.... the touch hole probably wasn't drilled.... and yeah I do remember seeing these in adds as shooter...... Thank God demand for more accuratly reproduced guns caused Dixie and Navy Arms to have the originals copied.....