Opinions requested

[Emery1791]

I am new to muzzleloading. I very much like the beauty of these rifles. I am looking for a functional art piece for my cabin. I have looked at Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading and think the have some very nice looking rifles. I am especially attracted to the Tennessee Poor boy variations.
However, I don’t see this group mentioned this vendor at all here. Any comments welcomed.

 

[martin9]

try typing TVM in the search box, they've been mentioned a lot and are owned by a lot of folks on this forum

 

[Phil Coffins]

Are you wanting a finished rifle or a kit to build?

 

[Art Caputo]

I own a few TVM muzzleloaders that have served me well for decades. While they tend to be more generic representations of a given style, and may not have the fit and finish of a custom rile, the are all very accurate, reliable, pleasing to the eye, and a notch above factory/mass produced offerings. IMO
My TVM Virginia Rifle

 

[Emery1791]

try typing TVM in the search box, they've been mentioned a lot and are owned by a lot of folks on this forum

Thank you

 

[Winchester97]

Nice guns for sure. I have a .62 fowler that is quite nice. There are better guns for more money, but I'm quite happy with mine. As mentioned many times before, the only negative I can find is it's a tad bulky as far as wood goes.

 

[Hermit Tim]

You can't go wrong with a TVM. I don't own one currently but have a friend that works for them so I get to handle a few at rendezvous most years. It will look just as good over your mantle as it does in the crook of your arm out in the deer woods... Pulaski, TN here, by the way... Welcome to the forum.

 

[Treestalker]

The ones I've seen built by TVM seemed to be good working guns, no fluff. I've seen a fowler they made that had a 5 foot barrel, unreal! Good guns.

 

[hanshi]

I own more than one TVM and they are as good as any gun around. They tend to be generic of the styles - not copies of a particular maker - but you can choose wood type, fit, barrel, lock and dimensions of the stock, carving & engraving if you'd like and so on. And yes, sometimes they tend to leave a little more wood on the stock than some might like. If you are very specific on what you want you can certainly have a one-of-a-kind built.

 

[Spikebuck]

Roundball, a gentleman that used to post here a lot and did several interesting experiments with his guns that he posted (including using brass projectiles vs lead) had a stable full of TVM's. He sold off a bunch of them an I got his .40 "Lancaster." Now...he did have some custom things done on all his TVM's that put them a step above normal TVM's, like having the Chambers locks sent to a real lock expert for tuning and custom work on the rice barrel breeches to be a patent breech. The one I had was extremely accurate and pleasant to shoot.

As Winchester97 noted...some TVM's can certainly have excess wood on them. I've seen pictures of some that look slimmer than others. Because of some of their production processes to speed things up and lower cost, I think they tend to have a thick web which can make the sides "taller" looking and not so slim. One thing I don't like is that they route out the web behind the entry point of the ramrod. Using a router is a lot faster than carefully drilling a long ramrod hole. Net, if you pull the barrel, you are looking at the bottom of the ramrod hole. The .40 I bought also had a screwed up nose cap in that there was too much wood left up there and TVM must have just forced the nosecap on which spread it side-to-side and wood was showing along the sides between the cap edge and the barrel...and since they use the quick method of just epoxying the nose cap on, there was no easy fix. In general, I think their cheekpieces are bulky and unattractive.

On the positive side, as mentioned, was the accuracy. I won't give them credit for the incredible lock speed since that was a non-TVM specialty artisan who accomplished that. The finish on mine was very nice and since Roundball ordered all of his with highly figured wood, all of his guns really looked nice.

All in all, I think they are highly accurate guns at a decent price, especially considering what some production guns that aren't nearly as nice looking are going for nowadays. They have some drawbacks from a really well-built custom gun, but the price isn't nearly as much. Overall, a good buy for what they are.

If I were interested in an SMR or an "Early Virginia/Colonial" rifle, I'd order a Kibler kit and assemble/finish it myself....or pay for the "in the white" service and finish it myself if I didn't want to attempt the assembly...which is rather easy. Kiblers are fantastic guns for the price and historically correct.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
If you want a Tennessee or Southern Mountain rifle, buy Kibler's kit. Nothing else compares except a good custom rifle by somebody who knows what they are doing.

dave

 

[Notchy Bob]

I am new to muzzleloading. I very much like the beauty of these rifles. I am looking for a functional art piece for my cabin. I have looked at Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading and think the have some very nice looking rifles. I am especially attracted to the Tennessee Poor boy variations.
However, I don’t see this group mentioned this vendor at all here. Any comments welcomed.

It sounds as if you might want something shootable, but primarily for display. I would recommend that you check the classified section of this forum daily. The good stuff that is priced right tends to sell really fast. If the rifle will be primarily for display, an antique in good shape would be perfect, and you don't necessarily need one with a stock that's a perfect fit for your body, or a bore in the caliber or twist that might be demanded by someone who is primarily a shooter. I just Googled "tennessee rifle for sale," and found this beauty on Guns International:

That particular rifle sold for $1,600, which is less than you would pay for a new custom build. I'm kind of sorry I missed it, actually... It even came with the original horn, and it has everything you want to see in a Tennessee rifle. Based on the description, it would need some tuning up for shooting, but for display, it would be perfect as it is.

If you want a new one, I would heartily agree with @dave_person regarding the Kibler rifle kit. There are a couple of fellows on this forum who can assemble and finish it for you if you don't want to tackle the job yourself. I believe this kit is based on an original, or it may be a composite of features from several originals. In any event, it is a very accurate representation of the type.

You may want to pick up a copy of MUZZLELOADER magazine from a newsstand, and check the ads placed by custom builders. Most of them have websites.

In addition, there are resources available which may help you become better informed with regard to these rifles. Here is a link to an article by Ray McKnight, in The American Society of Arms Collectors (ASAC) Bulletin 73:26-31, Southern Longrifles Plain and Fancy.

Another article, specifically devoted to Tennessee rifles, was written by Robin C. Hale and published in the ASAC Bulletin 23:6-23: Tennessee Rifles

I would also recommend the book, Kentucky Rifles of the Great Smoky Mountains, by Randall Pierce. It was privately published in 2018, and another run was printed the following year. You can order it from the author, but will need to track down his address.

Finally, if you get a rifle, you'll need a shot pouch, powder horn, and accessories to go with it. For information regarding appropriate gear to go with a southern rifle, you can do no better than Jim Webb's book, Sketches of Hunting Pouches, Powder Horns & Accoutrements of Southern Appalachia. This was recently revised, upgraded to hardback format, and reprinted by the Contemporary Longrifle Association. You can order it directly from them: Jim Webb's Book

Good luck with your search!

Notchy Bob