Cabela's Blue Ridge Percussion Rifle .54cal?

[roadrat79]

Thanks Slippyfoote,
I dont really need one that is period correct but I do like the look of the frontier style rifle and the longer barrel. The most important thing is a straight shooting gun that will put the ball/conical where I aim it, as good or bad as that might be :grin: I'm just a hunting guy so the ML doesnt need to be pretty just well built and reliable.
From the sounds of it there arnt any negative qualities about the Blue Ridge. Thanks all for your opinions. I think thats the way I'll go.

:hatsoff: RoadRat

 

[Catof9tails]

Good question RoadRat. Can anyone answer that question about the blueridge 54 has slow twist. Cause I've been looking pretty hard at that rifle and prefer the long barrel and slow twist.

Can someone chime in on this question? It might help out with the original post and help this old cat as well.

Cat9

 

[John Wasmuth]

Just curious, what modifications would be made to make either the blue ridge or the kentucky Period Correct?

 

[Ron Stone]

for those who say blue ridge is not pc it is an exact copy of the hatfield rifle made in st jo mo. which was made by the hatfields who were descendents of the famous Hatfield & McCoy fueding families and the hatfield rifle is a copy of and orignal handed down in the hatfield family

 

[tg]

The copy of the Hatfield rifle that the Blue ridge now replaces may be a copy of a gun from the post civil war period but I have yet to see a pic of this "original" nor know anyone who has, it has a very large lock for a late flint gun and has a strange way of attatching the barrel to the stock, and a lot of wood up front,quite a bit of myth with a pinch of fact may be behind the orgin of this particular gun. it does somewhat resemble some of the curved stock guns of the late 18th/early 19th century, but really falls into no particular area/school, If you were to query half a dozen of the most knowledgeble gun students/builders on any ML forum this is the opinion you would get. I think Hatfield used a lot of poetic liscence and the lack of general knowledeg of the public, and this has carried on. I will gladly listen to any contrary views if backed by firm documentation as to this gun being a replica or being closely based on anything from the past.

 

[Ron Stone]

check out the J M Davis gun musem in claramore okla with hundreds of orignal muzzleloaders it is the largest private gun collection in the world no the orignal did not have screws to attach the barrel this is a mass production shortcut as well as not having a hand welded barrel as the orignal did

 

[tg]

Once again I have seen nothing but post like the above to link the modern Hatfield with anything from the past, I do not believe Ted ever showed anything to support the connnection to an heirloom gun from his family, surly if such evidence was there it could have been shown to add validity to the guns history, anyone else have any solid history to share on the linage of this style of gun that has become the Blue ridge? The feuding Hatfields were around quite a bit later than the ML era, it makes an interesting story but seems to be just that without a bit more to support it, certainly somewhere is something concrete to connect the style of gun to history....Brooks?... Dutchman? any gun history buffs out there have any thoughts on this?

 

[John Wasmuth]

Answers that. What about the Pedersoli Kentucky Rifle? What makes this rifle not at all accurate as far as period correct goes?

 

[tg]

I don't think you will find an original with the same architecture, type/size of lock and moulding style along the forestock, as well as the method of attatching the barrel to the stock, some guns may resemble this gun from a profile but when all the factors are figured in they are mostly generic to the late flint period,like the TC Hawken when compared to the original Hawkins, they are not bad guns, I had one of the last American made version and it shot well but when carefully compared to originals many "faults" were evident, you might find something in an original that was close enough to make some modifications to and have something passable from a PC perspective. Some of the veteran builders/gun students on the forum could add more if they are not weary of going through all of it again as it comes up whenever these guns are mentioned

 

[sparkie]

Cabelas sells the Blueridge in a kit that you put together yourself! This is in .50 cal only, you will have to call one of the stores as they don't offer these in their catalog's. I purchased mine at the Wheeling,WV store about two years ago for $329.00.

Mark

 

[Leatherbark]

Drill three holes crosswise through the stock at various places slightly under the barrel and drive a finishing nail and file flush.. and All of a sudden you have a Psuedo pinned on barrel.
Now how to deal with those holes in the thimbles?.........