I have been down this road before and this is just my opinion:
I wanted to get into flintlocks for hunting at the lowest entry cost. I tried to get the best value for the money like anyone would. Frankly, I was disappointed in many ways and in the long run ended up spending more money to get the value rifle right than if I just got a better one to begin with. Once I was done tinkering with the rifle, I still wasnt in love with it and ended up with a different one anyway and took a small loss on the original.
The patent breach system is a mass manufacturing necessity (my opinion). It reduced efficiency by its nature. You have to get powder to go down into the smaller chamber. Maybe easy on first shot, clean dry barrel. Next shot you have crud, moisture and minute deposits throughout the barrel. You pour powder and it is supposed to get down the barrel and back into that small chamber without hanging up. My experience is that it's hard to get the patent breach full after subsequent shots. The patent breach is hard to clean too. Then the flash hole is tiny. It's easy to drill it out. Exactly how much though? A lot of information points towards 1/16th. I found that is not so in every case. It might be a tad small yet or it might be too big. Then the frizzen. In some cases with "factory" rifles the springs are not adjusted properly for good spark, easy opening or the hardness is in question. The "factory" or Importer warranty is just to replace the part. They're not spending time tuning it or making it right, just switching things out without really tuning anything. You have to check the **** angle. Then, there are many reports of concern about wood-to-metal fit. Sights are not my first choice for hunting but that's a personal thing.
If you are patient, have realistic expectations, don't mind tinkering and can afford to have down time for your rifle then go ahead with a factory rifle. They are better than ever and the Lyman's by Pedersoli got initial rave reviews. Me, I'd rather find a used proven rifle. If you can talk to the owner of a used Lyman or anything else you want and trust the seller you can find one that has already been tweaked or has never had a problem. Even better is if you can try before you buy.
I realize this sounds negative and to some extent it is. I read everything I could about flintlock shooting, shot with a mentor and his rifles and went to town trying it on my own. CVA Hawken flintlock, Traditions Pennsylvania, T/C Renegade and Lyman GPR (all .54 caliber and flintlock). I spent more time frustrated and puzzled and lost the enjoyment. Then I figured out the advice aforementioned. I got a T/C Hawken .54 from an owner that replaced the barrel with a GM. He let me shoot it pretty much all day until I decided to buy it. It was reliable, accurate and had good features. I figured out it was a little heavy and unbalanced when I started to hunt with it. That's just a personal preference. Finally found a semi-custom rifle at around $1000 and haven't looked back. Instant ignition, extremely accurate, well balanced, long flint life, good trigger pull, lightweight, excellent hunting sights and the lock has been tuned. The lock is a popular brand so parts or repair are available.
The enthusiasm that you have to get started with your new rifle is fantastic. Please don't let that make your decision short and potentially regrettable. Maybe make a pros and cons list of what you want compared to what you get or "prefered" features vs. "compromise" features. Ask lots of questions here and elsewhere. I wish you all the best and look forward to exciting reports of your progress!
I asked the lock-maker what they recommended for flints and stuck with that. They've been fantastic. One last a long time in my rifle. I would start with at least a dozen. You are going to need black powder. A lot of rifles will charge and prime with 3F and work great. Some prefer 4F prime and some may prefer 2F charge. Again, if you can talk to a previous owner you can determine this ahead of time. Otherwise, trial and error is the only way to figure that out. You will need to order powder or find a good source. You might order one pound 4F, and two each of 3F and 2F. Then you can figure out the load and prime situation for your new rifle. Once you do, one more order will get you a lot of powder and about 87+ shots per pound of powder with a hunting load. For prime a pound will give you 1750 shots or more. You should also see what the lock manufacturer says about lead or leather for the **** and possibly try both of those. It seems leather is more popular but I have a lock where the manufacturer spent time listening to me on the phone and told me switch to lead. That made ignition better with a lot more sparks.
Good luck!
