Show N Tell your first MLer rifle

My first was/is a custom built left hand .62 cal percussion by Mike Adkins out of Arkansas, modeled after a Hawken that resides in the Firearms Museum in Cody, WY. That was in 1992 after I met make at one of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation camps. It is a great shooter that has accounted for two elk and one Muley plus lots of cans, boxes, targets and dirt clods, all for fun. I still have that wonderful rifle but it "forced" my transition to flinters for which I am eternally grateful.

Technically my first was a old asm Walker. My grandpa had me carry it around the farm for rats and the occasional rabbit or squirrel loaded with bird shot. After the first year of carrying it in my belt he cut up a old saddle to make a holster for me. A few years later one of my uncles found out i was getting all of grandpa's guns and he stole them. Long story short, i got it back.

Every time I grab this gun i hear my grandpa say guter hund That's good dog for those of you that don't know German.

First one. T/C Hawken .50 caliber, 1973 while I was still in High School. Paid for it by washing dishes nights and weekends at a local restaurant. Certainly influenced by the Movie Jeremiah Johnson released in 1972. 5 Digit S/N.

My first muzzleloader was an authentic .58 cal 1861 type 2 US Springfield rifle/musket. Her name is Dixie. I still have her and I shoot her several times a year.

I love the smiles on people’s faces when I let them take a few shots with her

Mine was a Zoli Zouave .58 rifle from Navy Arms about 1967. I could never get it to shoot well and sold it to a club member who was a NSSA shooter and re-enactor. He had it accurized, changed the mini ball to a more modern design, and proceeded to win competitions with it. I watched the 1998 movie "Gettysbug" the other night and had the joy of seeing my friend on the wall of the angle shouting "Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg" after Pickett's Charge. He is not with us any longer though.

A friend that I worked with was a ML shooter and got me interested. My first ML was a Lyman GP .50 cal. perc. kit that I bought at a gun show at the National Guard Armory in Boulder, CO back in the 1970's. IIRC I paid $165.00 for it, and I could tell that it had beautiful wood.
It is more accurate than I am! I added a different rear sight and some accent lines to the stock contours. I still have it and plan to shoot it more often now.

My first was a pair of CVA's Kentucky rifle and pistol. Bought in the early 70's when Grants stores were closing. Last ones in the gun dept. Paid a full $35 us for the PAIR.

The hunting ammo was also on sale at $3 a box. Bought 10 30/30 and the full case of Federal 45/70 govt. Best buys I ever made.

My first was a cva bobcat from a pawn shop. I know it was less then $75.00. And it was a struggle to come up with the cash. My best kill with all my hunts was with that gun. Nailed a big Doe running away with a classic Texas heart shot at about 35 yds. I still have it.

TC .54 cal. Renegade that I bought in 1982 give or take a year or so.
Still got it and it's still a shooter.

Century to late said:

Nailed a big Doe running away with a classic Texas heart shot at about 35 yds. I still have it.

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??? the gun or the doe??

2 shots said:

??? the gun or the doe??

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Both she's in my body someplace.

A Thompson Center Hawken 50 caliber in the early 70s is what first infected me with a lifelong disease.

Mine is this Numrich Arms Hopkins & Allen Heritage Model underhammer .45. My father bought it in 1969 - 70. He gave it to me in 1981.



A few months ago I decided that I want to shoot it in woods walks. The lollipop rear sight and globe front sight weren't suited to that so I went to Numrich's website and found that they still had in stock open rear and front blade sights used on some of their other underhammers.








I used it in the first woods walk of the season and did ok, scoring 15 out of 20.

Unfortunately, the wrist of the stock split last year but I repaired it with glue, a couple pins, and some artificial sinew wrap. Seems good now.

My first was a Navy Arms Remington New Model Army made by Pietta. I bought it in December 1980 at a store called The Emporium right across the street from the OK Corral in Tombstone AZ while I was an army 2LT at Ft. Huachuca. I paid $125 for it and also got the Lyman mold and handles, Remington flask, caps and display case. The proprietor of The Emporium told me where I could get powder at a hardware store in Sierra Vista. I bought a cast iron pot and lead dipper there also. I can't remember where I found lead but I melted some on the stove top and went out into the desert to shoot it. I bought my first ml rifle in the summer of 1981 at a hardware store in Hinesville GA while I was at Ft. Stewart. It was a Sile .45 Hawken. Being new to muzzle loading I thought I could load the .451 ball I shot in the Remington with a patch in the rifle. After one try I discovered I needed to go read some more books. It was 1991 when I got my first flintlock, a Pedersoli .50 Kentucky. Since then the flintlocks have grown. Years ago I ordered a .50 Green Mountain drop in barrel for the Sile and fitted it though it was made for a TC. I have never fired it since replacing the barrel. A year or so ago I bought one of the Lee Production Pots to melt lead outside but have not had the occasion to use it yet, so during all those years all the balls I have cast have been on the stove top with that lead pot and ladle I bought so many years ago. My wife was with me when I bought the Remington and all needed to shoot it, and when I went into the desert to shoot it. She passed away in January 2021 and I have not shot any of my guns since, though I have continued to buy more. When I do get back out with my Remington I believe I will feel like she is there with me.

I won my first rifle in a sales contest in 1981 a Thompson Center 50 cal Hawken.Still have it and it's been shot a lot. I would carry it along with my first pistol an EIG Kentucky 36 cal that I bought for $45 in 1960 it's still around here somewhere. Since then the amount and variety of muzzle loaders have expanded exponentially to 39 at last inventory. The last to come my way is a Charles (Charlie) Caywood SMR 50 cal flintlock just this year.

My first was an H&R Huntsman in .45 and not allowed to be talked about here. I thought my first was underpowered so I sold it and bought a TC Hawken in .50, the problem back in the early 70s was we were all new to B/P and didn't know squat about working up a load. The Hawken wasn't accurate with what loaded it with and I never changed anything, I sold it thinking it was a dud. Next was a tack driver Renegade that I kept until I went the modern route for a while until I realized it wasn't for me. I probably ran through at least 6 or 7 TCs before I learned about working up a load of a particular gun.

I bought a .45 cal flintlock pistol kit from Dixie Gun works when I was in high school. I've still got it and it still shoots well. Nothing like putting your own gun together. Bill

My first one was a T. C. 50 Hawkins kit. It was a present from my wife. 50+ years ago. Still have her and the gun. Owned a lot more since then. Including numerous kits and guns. Now if I want anything I just build it. I buy the lock barrel and a plank of wood and presto...new gun..

The first ML I bought and used for years was a Ted Hatfield half-stock in .54. I got it in the early 80s. It was a nice-looking rifle and very accurate.

My first bp gun was an 1851 colt repro bought in the early 80's at a GEM store. Shot two gun loads through it but didn't like reloading it, cleaned it up and set it aside for years. My first MZ is a TC Hawkin kit my wife got me for Christmas of 85. I put it together the winter of 88 and shot it a few times over the years. About 6 years ago I started shooting it more often.