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Mustakrakish

32 Cal
Joined
Mar 4, 2021
Messages
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My current favorite BP gun is a Veteran Arms blunderbuss. Those of you who have shot a big bore blunderbuss probably understand why I like it. Those of you that have not shot one...well, you owe it to yourself to shoot one. That having been said, not all is perfect. While I like it very much, I have three significant complaints about it.

1. There are no sights. I've shot it enough to be reasonably accurate with it, even without sights, but I'd prefer sights.
2. I live in the PNW. It rains here eight months out of the year. Flintlocks usually work in the rain, but caplocks almost always work in the rain. I'm not going to sell off my flintlocks because of the weather, but my preference is caps.
3. The build quality is not optimal.

I'm looking for something like my blunderbuss, but better. The brass barrel is fine. The caliber is fine. Hell, everything about it is fine, except that I want sights and caps. I can even live with the Indian build quality if I can have the other things, but it has to be short like that blunderbuss, it has to have sights, and it has to be a caplock. I have an original EIC 1842 that I shoot from time to time and while it checks off most of my boxes, it's a little longer than I'd like, and I don't like shooting irreplaceable antiques in bad weather, especially when they're already a bit pitted like mine is.

Certainly someone is making what I'm looking for: smoothbore, big (.75/12gauge or larger) bore, caplock, short, with sights. Blunderbuss brass and good looks are desired but not required. If this firearm exists, what is it called and who wants to sell one to me?
 
First option...
Get a Traditions Caplock Blunderbuss Kit. Pro-inexpensive and already caplock Con - it's in .54, that's 28 gauge.

Second option...,
Contact Pecatonica River and get a Blunderbuss Kit. Modify the lock to be "converted" from flint to percussion to include working with a barrel drum, and have a drum installed with a nipple on the barrel. Pro-meets all your requirements, and I think would look way cool as a "converted' to caplock blunderbuss. Con-going to cost a bit, and needs some extra work.

Sights...,
I've only seen one "sight system" that worked on a Buss. Good news was it worked rather well. The owner put a V notch in the very top of the barrel bell. THEN a tall, tang, peep sight, in the rear. Makes for an "odd" sight picture but once the shooter is accustomed to it, it seems to work. The center of the bull is sighted at the very bottom of the V.

Blunderbuss Sight.png


LD
 
Buy a percussion traditions blunderbuss. Cut the flared end off the barrel and put a bead sight on it. The flared end doesn’t serve any purpose other than as a novelty and the ability to not spill a bit of powder or shot.
 
This might fit your pistol a Pagent cavalry carbine from Militaryheritage.com. I just received a brass barreled blunderbuss from them and was impressed with the quality particularly with the lock and breeching. Paget Cavalry Carbine
 
This might fit your pistol a Pagent cavalry carbine from Militaryheritage.com. I just received a brass barreled blunderbuss from them and was impressed with the quality particularly with the lock and breeching. Paget Cavalry Carbine
i must not click on the link, i must not click on the .............
 
Appreciate the help, folks. Some more research is required on my part, but you've got me looking in the right direction now.
 

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