Buying Original?

[Smokey Plainsman]

I’m in the market for some kind of U.S. .69 caliber smoothbore musket.

Originally wanting a repro, I am not seeing hardly any for sale out there. I talked with David Stavlo of Lodgewood Mfg. and he informed me he hadn’t seen any new Pedersoli or Armi-Sport smoothbores in a long time. When a repro can be found, I’m finding them priced higher than originals.

So searching around on places like Gun Broker there are a ton of original M1816 and M1842 original muskets for sale at surprisingly good prices.

Should I just get a real one? I’m wanting it as a shooter, hence why I wanted to go repro, but heck it seems originals are so much easier to obtain.

Thoughts?

 

[Marplot]

Get an original. You can find one in great condition. See if the mechanicals are good and hopefully you can get parts if needed, but go for it! Or wait a while and “Jimmy the KiB” is making a smooth bore Kibler!

 

[Sam squanch]

I’d sooner own an original. You can get parts, you just need to look.

 

[tjiann]

Get an original 1842. I got one that had the bore relined by Bob Hoyt before I bought it and it was less than $1k. It's a great shooter. Also, you can buy spare original main springs and other parts for the 42s very cheap.

 

[BEP]

If you're going to go original, the 1842 is your best bet if you ever need parts since that was the first model that had interchangable parts; previously muskets were made "to a pattern" and parts, although surprisingly similar, might could need just a minor bit of tweaking to fit. I've had very good luck with 2nd and 3rd model 1816's when it comes to fitting replacement parts but that might not always be the case.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Thanks all!

So does wood or metal weaken with age? Could an original in good solid shape safely handle service charges?

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I shot a brown bess made in 1826 for several years. No problems. I shot an English flint sxs made in 1815 for more than a decade with no problems.
I'm currently shooting guns made in the 1870s and 80s with no issues.

 

[2001guns]

GO ORIGINAL! If possible.
There is a different feeling when you handle/fire an old original musket. I am shooting my original Short pattern Brown Bess and it's a grin!

 

[kansas_volunteer]

I’m in the market for some kind of U.S. .69 caliber smoothbore musket.

Originally wanting a repro, I am not seeing hardly any for sale out there. I talked with David Stavlo of Lodgewood Mfg. and he informed me he hadn’t seen any new Pedersoli or Armi-Sport smoothbores in a long time. When a repro can be found, I’m finding them priced higher than originals.

So searching around on places like Gun Broker there are a ton of original M1816 and M1842 original muskets for sale at surprisingly good prices.

Should I just get a real one? I’m wanting it as a shooter, hence why I wanted to go repro, but heck it seems originals are so much easier to obtain.

Thoughts?

MidwayUSA has four or five Pedersolis that fill the bill.

 

[BillinOregon]

Ooooh, I would much rather be shooting original Besses in Florida today than staining kitchen cabinets in rainy west central Texas!
Plainsman, I am curious what you plan to do with your musket. I admire them and respect their place in an honored lineage, but would prefer the lighter weight and livelier feel of a sporting shotgun than a musket for hunting.

 

[2001guns]

Ooooh, I would much rather be shooting original Besses in Florida today than staining kitchen cabinets in rainy west central Texas!
Plainsman, I am curious what you plan to do with your musket. I admire them and respect their place in an honored lineage, but would prefer the lighter weight and livelier feel of a sporting shotgun than a musket for hunting.

You can move to Florida. Everybody from New York, California, and Mexico is already here. Sigh.... I'll sell you some swamp land, oops, I mean waterfront land.

 

[FlinterNick]

I’m in the market for some kind of U.S. .69 caliber smoothbore musket.

Originally wanting a repro, I am not seeing hardly any for sale out there. I talked with David Stavlo of Lodgewood Mfg. and he informed me he hadn’t seen any new Pedersoli or Armi-Sport smoothbores in a long time. When a repro can be found, I’m finding them priced higher than originals.

So searching around on places like Gun Broker there are a ton of original M1816 and M1842 original muskets for sale at surprisingly good prices.

Should I just get a real one? I’m wanting it as a shooter, hence why I wanted to go repro, but heck it seems originals are so much easier to obtain.

Thoughts?

An 1835 or 1840 in original flint will run you around 3 - 5 k.

I’ve seen many of them, not a single one i can say didn’t look bad, that’s what i would look for.

1816’s are hit or miss, if they’re reconverted I’d pay special attention to the reconversion, Hoyt can rebreech and line it.