Jason holgate
40 Cal
What's best option for a quality smoothbore
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Best value smoothbore
- Thread starter Jason holgate
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many fine builders out there, or do you want to build a kit????
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Just my opinion ... All these firearms are stupid expensive . I just hate it when a working family or individual wants to get into shooting flintlocks , reenacting or going to rendezvous . Who can legitimize buying a 2k gun or rifle they are going to use 3-4 times a year ...basically a toy . Its too.much . You'll get weirdos like myself that use them a lot all year round and it becomes more of a tool than a " toy " so its a bit more worth the price , kind of paying for it self in.meat and useage . So ....best value in a fowler/ smoothbore .....The very best is a short N.W. trade gun you build yourself . The lock is 160-200 , the barrel with plug $40 , 26"barrel , 18 for sdeplate , wood free , parts you make.... So about $260 for your gun ....the NW gun is great because the parts are the easiest to make , simple straight forward parts to make . BUT ....that short barrel is just not the greatest .....good for bunnies and R.B. ....Once again , Just my opinion , my west coast buddies that love their short barreled guns would disagree but I think a 36" barrel is minimum length for Muzzleloader smoothbores , to get good results in R.B. and shot patterns ...Ive had small town machinists make , turn a barrel for me out of D.OM. tubing , darn cheap. ... Once again building is your best , cheapest route but few go that way . They are a specialized chore , indeed. Pecatonica have a kit for , I believe, around $700 -800. That'd be good choice. Pedersoli from Dixie has their version of a NW trade gun for $1300 , I think ... Some weirdo hillbilly in Ohio makes an authentic N.W. trade gun for $1700 finished , guaranteed for life , I think Caywood makes them finished for $1800-1900 , me thinks .... So ....If you can , or really want to make one . If not you can decide what style you want and start buying a part at a time , then when you getvall your parts you need you can either start your own build or contract with a builder to do it for you .... I have suggest this so many times and have no idea why folks dont do this .... or ....start saving your money .I have one fellow in W.Va that sends me $200 every fee weeks to add to his credit , soon he'll be paid up for his entire scratch build of a Fusil de Chasse .... Best of luck..
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Not done yet but close ....I have $250 in it but ...it very limited in its abilities though being that short . Add about $140 and it could be a 36" barreled trade gun . This one will be great for kicking up birds and bunnies on the move . Weighs 4.5 pds. P.S. if you ever decide to build ...get Hershel Houses 1991 VDO and Pryor Mountain Bill Newtons building manual ....
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What you do isn't gun building...it's art!
All this is my opinion and should be taken as such.
I believe that this smoothbore should reflect what you want to do and should be your first decision. In example, I got a smoothbore musket from Loyalist Arms to use for practice for my hobby, N-SSA competition so that I don’t use my original Model 1842 musket except for competition. N-SSA competition drove my decision to get those 2 smoothbores. Now, I got another Loyalist Arms replica of a British 1839 musket to use for hunting since it was .75” to deal with the >800# boars on my farm. Again, purpose drove the decision.
Now, I’m ratholing $$$ from each paycheck to have sufficient funds to have the aforementioned “some weirdo hillbilly” make a trade musket based off of a trade musket that was recovered in Michigan. There are several posts here of my pursuit of pictures of this piece. The desire to have a Historically Correct (HC) trade musket has always been a personal itch of mine since college and the simple pride of ownership is the driving force. I know that the rendezvous recreation scene isn’t what it was in the 1970’s in Texas & Louisiana so, I’m under no delusion of my dressing out for such. There is a black powder club in the Dallas area that I’m going to join & participate with it in their competitions. So, it isn’t going to be just a wall hanger that the grandkids will have to deal with one day.
In summation, in my opinion and suggest to you that you refine your desired use for a smoothbore and your budget; then, work from there.
Hope this helps & best regards in your quest,
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I’ll be whipped with my ramrod for saying this, but I’m now a fan of Loyalist arms and their India made guns. I just got one and fit and finish compare well to a Perdisoli. The barrel is too bright for my taste and had to be treated.
The lock sparks like the forth of july.
They import many smooth you just can’t find any where else. Several French and British muskets covering a century, then Spanish and German. Also an early and classical English trade gun, the North west gun, and a French trade gun, the Fusil de Chase. It shoots out of the box, although minor modifications make it better
Price is in the $800 range, about the cost of a kit, and 1/3 of a custom or less.
The top is my new dog lock musket, that is close but not an exact copy of an original cr 1710, next to my Centermark Fusil
The lock sparks like the forth of july.
They import many smooth you just can’t find any where else. Several French and British muskets covering a century, then Spanish and German. Also an early and classical English trade gun, the North west gun, and a French trade gun, the Fusil de Chase. It shoots out of the box, although minor modifications make it better
Price is in the $800 range, about the cost of a kit, and 1/3 of a custom or less.
The top is my new dog lock musket, that is close but not an exact copy of an original cr 1710, next to my Centermark Fusil
Jason holgate
40 Cal
I guess so even a complete 50 cal to get going percussion tc would work....I have a kibler colonial I guess for around 320 I could swap out barrells
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Thats a great idea. Changing out barrels like that you can get any kind of game you want/ need !
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Well thanks bud.
Paul-in-PA
36 Cl.
I second the Kibler two barrel option. But you will still have a heavier long fowler/rifle.
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
My barrels cost $315 and locks cost $300 with shipping and walnut stocks go $150. I must be doing something wrong. 
I never thought I'd hear you say that!
hanshi
Cannon
My barrels cost $315 and locks cost $300 with shipping and walnut stocks go $150. I must be doing something wrong.
Well, we'll get to that later.
hanshi
Cannon
Well, we'll get to that later.
hanshi
Cannon
Sorry about the double post but I just don't know how to delete one of them. On second thought some of you might want to delete both or maybe not even stop there. 
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
You look so much like Tom Sellek, we'll cut you some slack!Sorry about the double post but I just don't know how to delete one of them. On second thought some of you might want to delete both or maybe not even stop there.
Do you have a website to go to?My barrels cost $315 and locks cost $300 with shipping and walnut stocks go $150. I must be doing something wrong.
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I think it’s deerstalker on this four. bought a Layman GPR in 50 or 54 cal with a good barrel. then found a trashed barrel for it and had it bored out smooth. It’s a thought!!
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