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An opportunity to buy a custom rifle

L & R
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K

KR_Rabbit

32 Cal
Joined
Oct 17, 2024
Messages
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Location
Tucson
Hello Forum, new member here.
I was at the local gun shop today and I saw a muzzleloading flint lock rifle up for sale. This rifle is fairly plain, no patch box. It has a .45 cal. barrel that was made by Getz and a Siler lock. On the top flat it says R Ambright 2005 No 33. I am looking for any information on this rifle, it kind of sings to me and I am sorely tempted to pick it up. It is in very good shape, well cared for, just kind of plain.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Mark
 
You should first, be sure it's not loaded when you handle it. You'd be surprised at how many times when I've looked at a muzzleloader at a LGS, I've found it was loaded and the clerk had been waving the muzzle all over the place.

Then inspect the bore. The best way is to get a cheap inspection camera around 5mm size off Amazon, that plugs into your phone.
The "field expedient" way is to make a bore-reflector by taking a modern cartridge casing such as a 9mm Luger or .223 Remington casing, and cover the primer-end with a shiny bit of aluminum foil. Then drop the casing down the barrel with the shiny side toward the muzzle, and when you shine a flashlight down, the foil will reflect enough light back up toward you, to give a moderate check of the bore. IF the bore looks OK then I'd buy it, depending on the price, but that's just me.

LD
 
Grenadier1758 said:
The parts identified in the original post are quality parts. If R. Ambright was a good assembler, the Siler lock should be a good lock, perhaps even great. Does it have set triggers? If the barrel checks out and the price is reasonable, then it does not belong in the local gun shop.
Click to expand...
The rifle does not have set triggers, and no patch box. But the lines are very pleasing, and I will probably go for it. I did call the phone number listed above for Robert Ambright, it is no longer any good. I did write an e-mail to Mr Ambright, so let’s see if he responds.
Thanks for the help guys, my inexperience with custom built guns is showing, but your comments are helpful.
Mark
 
I have comitted to buying the rifle, the first custom style rifle I have owned. Here are a couple of photos.

IMG_0842.jpeg



IMG_0845.jpeg
 
Guys, I picked up my rifle yesterday. I do have another question. I have a copy of The Pennsylvania-Kentucky Rifle by Henry J. Kauffman, and I have been going through it. I can not find a rifle in the same style as mine. The lines are right, but my is plain. I am not complaining, I really like it. But I am interested in finding out what kind of style this rifle is modeled on. I did see an offer by Cabin Creek Muzzleloading that they call a Pennsylvania Mountain Rifle. It is very similar to the one I bought. My rifle does have a butt plate and toe plate, the Cabin Creek rifle does not. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for all of the kind comments, I am pretty excited. This is only the second custom rifle I have handled, the first one I waited to long. This one did not get away!
Mark
IMG_0877.jpeg
 
I'd say its generally a York or Lancaster style. Carving and patchboxes associate a gun with a particular maker, but the shape among several builders is often similar. Very few original plain guns survived. Most of what we have are fancy because the well-to-do families that owned them didn't use them very hard, so we have them today. Working guns of the time were used, upgraded to percussion, then outright replaced when cartridge guns came along.
 

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