Buying my son a Flintlock for Christams

[Grenadier1758]

You must have had a typo. I'm sure you meant to say REAL black powder simply works best in a flint lock. Substitutes work poorly in a flint lock.

Thanks spikebuck, I meant that the substitutes should not be used in a flintlock. Hurried typing, I guess.

 

[Dibbuk]

Just my opinion:

A T/C or Traditions would be an excellent starter. There will be a learning curve, and mistakes happen. It is much easier to forgive a mistake made with a less expensive rifle. Once you have more knowledge and experience in handling them, you can consider getting one of the hand crafted rifles.

 

[Erwan]

A T/C or Traditions would be an excellent starter.

The Hawken Tradition are too lights and they are like boards for good shooting but the TC is good and I'll also say more: it is good and pretty nice for learning......

 

[michael mcghee]

lyman deer stalker.. lyman trade rifle... they might fit him.. the deer stalker has a rubber kick pad..

 

[Sean Adams]

I am seriously grateful to everyone for your input, as the clock is ticking toward that merry day, and I really want my gift to be one that has lifetime memories. I can only hope that one day in the future he will pull it out to shot with his son and explain how it was his first BP rifle and a Christmas gift from Grampa, just like the story my dad told me when I was 8 and he taught me to shot my most cherished revolver, a Ruger Single Six, that his father bought him for Christmas in 1954. Like the Ruger, which passed the test of time, your expert opinions are going a long way to help me find the right rifle. I must say Spikebuck's link to the Pedersoli Pennsylvania 50 made my heart race. Though more than I want to spend, I am very tempted given the deep discount , comb height issue he made reference to, and stunning looks . With that said, the TC is still a strong contender, admittedly because New Hampshire is stamped on the barrel, where my family has lived for almost 400 years, and everyone seems to agree on the quality, albeit a lock upgrade desirable.

 

[Pete G]

There will only one first rifle; make it a good one.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Be aware of the idiosyncracies of flinters vs cap guns;

1.) For flint you MUST use real BP, which can some times be problematic to find. Not a big deal if you plan ahead for it.

2.) Same thing with flints. You have to plan ahead. Real BP and flints are generally not to be found at the average gun store or big box sporting goods store.

3.) You have to be aware of keeping your flints sharp, and properly oriented and the **** jaws tight. On the range most of us tend to push it until we get a clatch, but for hunting new or sharp flints are a must.

4.) The touch hole has to be kept clear. A little bit of wettish fouling in there will obstruct the flash through the hole.

5.) No matter how fast it is, it is still going to have a longer barrel dwell time than a cap gun, which makes accuracy more challenging, especially from unstable positions. like standing. If he's a newish shooter, and of just moderate skill, this may be a source of frustration for him. Cap guns will be similarly fast to cartridge guns, and similarly accurate that way. So the "frustration factor" may be less.

6.) Flint guns will take about 10% more powder to generate the same velocities due to the gas escaping through the touch hole.

All that being said, flint IS a lot more fun to shoot, and is just as reliable, but it is a bit more finicky to keep everything working consistently. You have to pay much closer attention to protocol with flint.

As to caliber, a 50 will be more versatile, and loads can be kept tame (like 30 gr.). If you NEED to find things in a hurry, the 50 is the most popular caliber, so if they carry BP supplies at all, it will likely be for a 50. The 45 isn't far behind though.

 

[Enfield58]

I would suggest that after your son gets his flintlock that he joins this forum

 

[Erwan]

I would suggest that after your son gets his flintlock that he joins this forum

Yep, and after that he will ask a new rifle that more perform...

 

[Sean Adams]

I am happy to say the search is over. I am sending Torpedo a money order for what appears to be a very fine TC Hawken. I went to the Kittery Trading Post today to handle their traditional Muzzle loaders, about twenty of them, but only one flinter which appeared to be someones not so perfect attempt at a kit. It was a good time because I used the information gathered here to compare , feeling the difference between the Renegade or New Englander stock compared to the Hawken . Though the renegade style did feel more natural to me coming from a center fire world, my son specifically asked for a Flintlock, and something traditional. I feel 100% certain that getting a rifle from some one in this community is better than taking my chances with the one off the self locally, or a Traditions online.

 

[Flintlock62]

Hello I just saw on the Muzzleloader sales page the is a tc cap lock for sale at 400.00

 

[Col. Batguano]

Since he specifically asked for flint then get him flint. All I was saying with my earlier post is that due to the nature of them, they will be more challenging for him to achieve quick success with, so by all means you should help him manage his expectations that way.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I am happy to say the search is over. I am sending Torpedo a money order for what appears to be a very fine TC Hawken.

OK SO....we are going to be waiting to see a photo of him with his rifle...so don't forget, and keep us waiting!

LD

 

[fragmag]

I am happy to say the search is over. I am sending Torpedo a money order for what appears to be a very fine TC Hawken. I went to the Kittery Trading Post today to handle their traditional Muzzle loaders, about twenty of them, but only one flinter which appeared to be someones not so perfect attempt at a kit. It was a good time because I used the information gathered here to compare , feeling the difference between the Renegade or New Englander stock compared to the Hawken . Though the renegade style did feel more natural to me coming from a center fire world, my son specifically asked for a Flintlock, and something traditional. I feel 100% certain that getting a rifle from some one in this community is better than taking my chances with the one off the self locally, or a Traditions online.

Sounds like you made a good choice, one that you'll both be happy with for years to come!

 

[Sean Adams]

He is happy, and so am I. It was a truly memorable Christmas.

Thanks to Torpedo

 

[fourbore]

He is happy, and so am I. It was a truly memorable Christmas.Thanks to Torpedo

Wonderful ! Congratulations on a fine boy and his first rifle.

 

[Griz44Mag]

JOLLY GOOD SHOW!!!!
This is one he will remember forever!

 

[Critter Getter]

Special times!! Greg