Your best deal acquiring a muzzleloader, either trade or purchase

[ugly old guy]

2018: A friend decided I needed a ML rifle, and bought me a percussion T/C factory .54 caliber 1 inch across the flats 28 inch barrel Hawken, and gave me powder (Swiss FFg) ball, patches, short starter, 200 caps, snail capper, and powder measure to shoot it, also a worm and ball puller, and everything needed to clean it afterwards.
He also bought me a .50 caliber percussion Traditions "Trapper" piatol.
Thanks to a "mild" stroke a few months later, about a year in physical therapy, and assisted living since (I can have it here, after the state does their inspection) I haven't seen them for about a year Anna Half.
With the Governor's lockdown, I can't go to the rifle range just 1.8 miles away, anyhow. And, while I can use my archery (compound bow, recurve bow, and crossbow), blowgun, sling shots and Shepherd's sling in the back yard ... (provided I don't target other residents, staff, "the cute family of raccoon that moved into the crawl space", the friendly and fluffy kitty, and the neighbors mules, and steaks, roasts, and hamburger on the hoof) I can't use the Muzzleloaders there.
The lockdown might be lifted before Trump is sworn into office, January 20, 2025.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Best deal was at an Old Northwest. A fellow walked into a vendors tent with a really nice trade gun and asked if the vendor would give him three light shirts for it. I was there with my great nephew and said I would give him three light shirts for it! It was the best deal I ever made and swmbo never knew why I needed her to make me three more shirts!

 

[Dibbuk]

About 15 years ago, I was garage sailing, just looking at stuff, and I usually wind up by asking them if they had any old old firearms, ammo, or equipment they didn't want. One time, the woman having the sale told me to wait a moment, and came back with a CVA Mountain rifle. I asked how much, and she said $15. Best buy that year.

 

[BJm]

My best buy from a pawn shop in Tennesse was an original Charleville with mint bore & included the original bayonet. Shoots exceptionally well, was well worth the $500. Refused an offer for $2800 from a CW collector & brought it back home to Australia

 

[Nazgul58]

About 2 years ago a member on a local forum listed a custom fullstock flintlock Hawken for $2,000. From the pictures it looked worth about $1500 , nice curly stock, inletting good, lines straight. After a couple months I messaged him and asked if he wanted anything in trade. Traded a nice revolver that was like new for it. I had the receipt for the pistol , paid $425 for it.

Don

 

[cliff lee]

Hi from Australia Just purchased a York County Flintlock 50 Cal Made in by Allan Vaisham GRRW South Aus back in 2013 Dam Fine Shooting rifle have a nice Day.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I hade a great and very thoughtful friend die from cancer who gave me me all his BP stuff before he passed. Custom flint rifle, Trade gun, Lyman plains pistol, derringer, 3 sets of bags with matching horns both large and priming, and several other horns plus two tackle boxes full of every BP accessory known to man, flints and powder included.

He said I was the only one he knew who would use and enjoy his stuff and enjoy it I have. His gift started me on my rifle building journey, up to then I had never owned or shot anything but TC stuff.

 

[Lakeman]

Some years back I replied to a local ad for a Pedersoli Brown Bess in unfired condition. Asking price was $400. Of course, it sounded too good to be true but all that was required was an hour drive to see for myself. I met the gent and found myself examining a Pedersoli Bess that lacked even scrape marks on the frizzen. No rust anywhere. Stock was pristine. He didn't have the original box but I wasn't in the mood to haggle. The Bess had belonged to his recently deceased father and the son "had no use for it". I handed him $400 in cash. I'm not usually much of a giggler but I did grin most of the way home.
John

 

[TexiKan]

A few years ago I received a call from a local antique dealer friend. Her shop had just acquired two muzzleloaders from the wife of a deceased reeanactor. She wanted my input for resale. I went to visit the shop and she showed me two LEFT HANDED rifles--one a Cabellas Hawken and the other a flint with no name on the lock or barrel. Both .50 cal...and left handed! The flint was still in the white stock and the barrel had not been browned. There was also a problem with the lock. I told her some info on the guns and said she may want more than I could afford, but I would be interested because I am left handed. She determined a very reasonable price and I bought both guns. I sold the Cabella's and then had a gunsmith friend repair the lock. He also browned the barrel and I refinished the stock. He knows the modern builder even though it is not marked. It was a good investment at a very reasonable price.

 

[cutcheon01]

A few years back I was at a Gander Mountain and noticed a 32 Crockett in the used section that looked like it needed me to own it. They were asking $300 and I jokingly offered $200. He was more than happy to get that old fashioned side lock thing out of his store. Most of their customers were into plastic and stainless.
I discovered that a 32 H&R mag case holds about 17 gr of fffg and that 17 and 34 gr are equally precise and hit at the same poa at 25 yards. I love it.

Also picked up a 50 cal TC Hawken and all accouterments for $100 two years ago on Craig’s list or FB marketplace.

 

[Rodd Boyer]

A buddy from work owns a little gun shop in a small town fairly distant from any city of size. He came to me one day and asked if I was interested in a CVA kit that he took in trade towards a new weapon as I was the only one he knew of that shot traditional muzzleloader. It was a .45 percussion kit and I asked him what he wanted. $50 and it was still in the box! The guy had bought it at least 25 years ago and never put it together. I teamed up with my BP buddy and built it for my son for Christmas 7 years ago.

 

[jlutz]

Earlier this year i contacted a seller on the FB marketplace about a nice pair of buckskin pants they had listed. We got to talking and I asked if they had anything else I might be interested in. I ended up with the buckskin pants, a wool capote, a wool brimmed hat, a shirt, a bag, powder horn and very nicely finished kit gun (.45 flintlock). The shirt and bag were worse for the wear but everything else was quite nice and I had no complaints for the $200 I paid for everything! It was a great start for me since I’m new to BP.

 

[BruceS]

A few years back I went to a local gun show as the doors were opening and the first table, first gun I saw was a like new T/C Seneca 36 cal. The seller said it wasn’t big enough for deer so he priced it cheap. I didn’t even try to talk him down as he was asking $125 for it!

 

[bptactical]

I have one, maybe not great financial deal but a great deal for the soul.

The first rifle I ever built was a Sharon Trade Rifle kit in .50 cal. I built it when I was a 13 year old Freshman in high school for an Industrial Arts project.
I rode the Greyhound bus up to Cache La Poudre Rifleworks in Ft Collins CO and plunked down my hard earned $165.00 (IIRC). I worked hard on that rifle and for a first build, it came out really well thanks to the guidance of Russ who owned CLPRW and my cousin who was close friends with Russ.
I had that rifle until I was 18, the room mate I had at the time absconded with it (I think he took exception to my dalliances with his girlfriend). I was heartbroken and ticked off big time (about the rifle, to hell with the girl).
I always told myself I would find another one.
Imagine my surprise when a year or so ago I found a NOS unbuilt Sharon Trade Rifle kit in .54 cal either here or that other smokepole site.
I gladly ponied up the cash for it!
Haven't built it yet but I will. I just moved in November and need to get my workspace squared away



The one that got away?
That's easy- Steve Zihn Hawken I could have picked up on consignment for a song.
I had the money but the wifes car needed some work so I figured I had best hold off.
I know, dumb move.

 

[Eddie2002]

About seven or eight years ago I was at a local gun show and spotted a CVA Hawken cap lock in .50 caliber sitting behind a booth. I asked about it and for $75.00 took it home. It must of been a kit that was slapped together because the trigger was rubbing on the inletting and the finish was cruddy. After some tinkering and a refinish it became my main shooter. I also picked up a mint Traditions .50 caliber Kentucky pistol cap lock for $100.00 at a different show.

 

[Nameless Hunter]

I was at a gun show years ago, and at that time, knew just enough about muzzleloaders to be dangerous. Anyway, saw this old looking half stock caplock on a table that had a tag on it for $150.

Picked it up and tried to read the words stamped on the barrel. 1st letter was an S, then an H... the next letters weren't quite as clear, but as I looked at an angle, they popped out "Green Stamps".
Dang it! Almost...

 

[dragnetbill]

A few years back I went to a local gun show as the doors were opening and the first table, first gun I saw was a like new T/C Seneca 36 cal. The seller said it wasn’t big enough for deer so he priced it cheap. I didn’t even try to talk him down as he was asking $125 for it!

You didn't need to talk him down; he already talked himself down.

 

[Elkpurgatoire]

My best deal was a brand new 2 band Parker Hale Enfield hanging on a back wall at The White Elephant in Spokane. I couldn't believe my luck at the $198 price. 2 years later I finally got the opportunity to fire it but to my dismay I could not see where the Minie was hitting. Out of utter exasperation I stood 5 yds from the target, took careful aim and squeezed the trigger...the bullet struck high and left. The high hit I could understand but that much left deflection revealed that the rear sight was factory mounted a few degrees out of plumb. A gunsmith in Gresham OR fixed it, even restoring the lustrous bluing. It's a fine and predictable shooter now. All told, I ended up paying less for ithe rifle and the repair than for a hassle free purchase.

 

[gemmer]

Bought a Westley Richards percussions stalking rifle, 1830s vintage for $1,000.00. Hunted with it on and off for around ten years, sold it for $3,400.00.

 

[flashpoint]

A buddy from work owns a little gun shop in a small town fairly distant from any city of size. He came to me one day and asked if I was interested in a CVA kit that he took in trade towards a new weapon as I was the only one he knew of that shot traditional muzzleloader. It was a .45 percussion kit and I asked him what he wanted. $50 and it was still in the box! The guy had bought it at least 25 years ago and never put it together. I teamed up with my BP buddy and built it for my son for Christmas 7 years ago.View attachment 57812

A picture of pure happiness. Great little guy.