Buying A Used MuzzleLoader.

[Michael Temple]

Oh sorry. I should have included that I was using it only to clean the inside of the barrel. I posted a pic above that shows the rust inside the barrel. I used a shotgun brass bristle brush with two big cleaning patches with the compound smeared on them. The bristles got into the grooves enough to remove a lot of the rust.
I went over the rust on the outside edges of the barrel with fine steel wool, alcohol, then Permablue bluing to make it purty again. It turned out ok. View attachment 10004

Ah, I see, now that makes sense. Thank you! I will give this a try. So you don't feel this is too severe for the inside of the bore, i.e. it won't screw up the rifling or anything like that in your opinion?

 

[SDSmlf]

Here's a better before and after. The camera flash reveals all. It's not perfect, but a lot better.View attachment 10005 View attachment 10006

I would hit that bore with some Green Scotch Brite Pad (the least aggressive of the three) wrapped around a jag, with a bit of polishing compound, and give it 25 - 50 strokes, repeating a couple of times. Should clean up even more, but won’t remove any pitting.

 

[gharrod]

Being near Fort Bragg (NC), pawn shops end up getting black powder guns that were pawned and lost to the owner. I've been lucky picking up unusual or custom-made muzzleloaders from the various pawn shops around here. I leave my contact info when something comes out of pawn or is purchased outright by the pawn dealer. For him it might be a guaranteed sale.

Such was the case a couple years ago, when one pawnbroker called me to come look at a trio of custom-made Hawken-style rifles he bought. When I looked at them, I recognized the maker's names on one of them, "Ted Fellows" (BeaverLodge/Spokane, WA). The second one was unsigned but accompanying that rifle were about a dozen letters and photos between the maker, John Bergmann (of Tennessee) and the original owner. That's called provenance. After bringing them home, I found the the maker's name on the third by removing the barrel from the stock to find Joe Corley's name on the bottom flat, which is customary among known gunmakers when a maker is not supplying the parts to build it. Joe was one of the gunmakers at Art Ressel's Hawken Shop in St. Louis, in the mid-1980's)

I asked the pawnbroker for the price on all three, and he quoted about $ 2K, which would put each one at about $ 650.00. For him, he was satisfied with the sale as I was. You can't know everything in any business, so for him, seeing "Ted Fellows" on one rifle and nothing on rifles two & three, meant nothing to him. He was happy doubling his money in five days. It was a good deal for me too, I doubled my money on two of the three, and have about three or four folks standing in line to buy this little "jewel" of Joe Corley's. Its likely the finest-made custom Hawken rifle out there, complete with a Ron Long lock and a .54 caliber H & H barrel. All the steel furniture is color-case hardened.

To me, paying the price of a Lyman GPR for each of the three rifles, it was worth it. Just call it the "luck of the draw" for everybody.View attachment 9917

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Wow! I haunt the pawn shops around here pretty regular and have never run across a good deal like that. But, I keep hoping........

 

[eggwelder]

That last picture, the one with the rusty "Pyrodex'' bore. Would any of you buy it if the price was low or walk away?

right price, yes i`d buy it. lots of those "roached barrels" are still good shooters

 

[Bledfor Days]

@SDSmlf I'll give the Scotch Brite a try. I'm hoping to get out shooting this weekend and can't wait to see how this one shoots.

 

[SDSmlf]

@SDSmlf I'll give the Scotch Brite a try. I'm hoping to get out shooting this weekend and can't wait to see how this one shoots.

Don Getz (Getz Barrel) used to recommend the Green Scotch Brite for smoothing up barrels that were cutting patches.

 

[Joe Miller]

Sometimes be it a pawn shop, a sporting goods store or from an individual a person stumbles upon a used blackpowder gun. But is it really a steal or just someone elses headache? Other than tbe obvious rust and buggered up screw heads what does one look for? Are there obvious "red flags" that make one just walk away? From what I hear there are some real jewels out there and the widow wouldn't have a clue what they're worth.

All the little "warts" are bargaining chips.
Muzzleloaders are only "hot items" just before hunting season.
"Dang...look at that...and that...sheese!
I'll give you $xx, or you can hang onto it 6 more months...and somebody "might" buy it. I'm just looking for a project.."
Pawn shops generally have very little in anything...especially muzzleloaders.

 

[Don H]

I've been looking in the local pawn shops for a small bore (32 or 36 cal.) side lock but the only thing I see around here are inlines.

 

[Eutycus]

I mentioned a drs.appointment next week in the "big city". If I can scrounge up a few bucks, I'll check out a few pawn shops. Is this a good time of the year?

 

[SDSmlf]

I mentioned a drs.appointment next week in the "big city". If I can scrounge up a few bucks, I'll check out a few pawn shops. Is this a good time of the year?

The good time is when they have what you want and you have the money. Only way know for sure is to check the shops out yourself.

 

[Eutycus]

Then it's a bad time. I'm broke !

 

[arcticap]

Then it's a bad time. I'm broke !

There's no need to practice your haggling technique with us.
That's what your supposed to say to the pawn shop owner.
Why not bring some trade fodder along with you?
After all, you're going to visit pawn shops that like to buy, sell and trade all kinds of stuff.

 

[Joe Miller]

There's no need to practice your haggling technique with us.
That's what your supposed to say to the pawn shop owner.
Why not bring some trade fodder along with you?
After all, you're going to visit pawn shops that like to buy, sell and trade all kinds of stuff.

Around here, it's like:
"How can I trade you on your $200 gun, for this $250 gun"?
"Give you a great deal....your gun and $200"...
I don't even try...
The only good deal I ever got was a pair of Steiner binoculars back around 1980.
The guy didn't know what they were since the usual fare they dealt with there was Sears or Kmart stuff.
"Steener?? Them's some of them furiners ain't they"?

 

[Bad Karma]

All the little "warts" are bargaining chips.
Muzzleloaders are only "hot items" just before hunting season.
"Dang...look at that...and that...sheese!
I'll give you $xx, or you can hang onto it 6 more months...and somebody "might" buy it. I'm just looking for a project.."
Pawn shops generally have very little in anything...especially muzzleloaders.

Exactly this. Poor mouth the rifle until they beg you to take the relic off their hands and then take it home for a bit of elbow grease and make it into a bragging gun...

 

[Kansas Jake]

As Joe Miller noted, most of the pawn shops around here will haggle for cash, but have little interest in giving anything close to retail on trade for another firearm. My guess is they loan about half of retail on firearms they get on pawn. Maybe they would do better on black unmentionables or something that will sell close to retail easily.

 

[Eutycus]

Pawn shops are just not what they used to be. Guns are more of a sideline and not one of the mainstays they used to be. And the "genius" behind the counter was probably flipping burgers last week.

 

[Juice Jaws]

I would think the genius behind the counter could out talk and out trade 99% of the people that come in their shops. They are in the business to buy cheap and sell high and they are very good at it. Nothing wrong with flipping burgers, every one has to begin somewhere.

 

[Eutycus]

Sorry I was referring to the youngster working at the pawn shop not the owner.

 

[FishDFly]

I would think the genius behind the counter could out talk and out trade 99% of the people that come in their shops. They are in the business to buy cheap and sell high and they are very good at it. Nothing wrong with flipping burgers, every one has to begin somewhere.

I do not know any poor pawn shop owners.

My local pawn shop has over 2,000 guns and not one M/L. He will not take them in on pawn, no market here. Last gun show I went to there was no M/L.

 

[SDSmlf]

I do not know any poor pawn shop owners.

My local pawn shop has over 2,000 guns and not one M/L. He will not take them in on pawn, no market here. Last gun show I went to there was no M/L.

Curious where ‘here’ is?