Christened the new year...

[roundball]

First range trip since just before the fall deer season.
Took the .40cal T/C Hawken Flintlock with a new Tom Fuller black english flint.
Added some Hoppes No9-PLUS liquid lube into a bag of Oxyoke prelubed patches.
Shot 50 Eddie May .395s down range without ever wiping the bore or touching the flint.

I sure hope the Chambers Deluxe Siler I bought for the Virginia is as reliable as T/C's redesigned locks :grin:

 

[Bob J]

Bet it was nice to get back to the range (next best thing to huntin'!).

 

[roundball]

Bet it was nice to get back to the range (next best thing to huntin'!).

Amen to that and beautiful weather for it as well...I normally start Saturday range trips by the first of February but ran late this year.
Seems like every Saturday in January was cold...and the older I get when it's below freezing at 5:30am, the tighter the electric blanket gets a grip on me...won't let me up
:wink:

 

[MikeC]

Bet it was nice to get back to the range (next best thing to huntin'!).

Amen to that. Went to the range last Saturday when we finally had a break in the temps. Might go tomorrow as the temps should be in the low 40's but we have been having our share of wind the past few days. if it's windy like today I'll pass.

 

[Finnwolf]

I think you'll be happy with the Siler - it is the gold standard of flintlocks. When you take it out of the box for the 1st time, you'll know what I mean. It is an awesome piece of machinery, very well designed and very well made. You may even have a hard time going back to something less.

 

[David G]

Roundball, I second the deluxe siler as I have one and really like it. I think you will be pleased. My next lock is a Chambers Colonial Virginia that's going on a gun for me that Roy and I are currently building. We're putting it on Woodbury style gun. Glad you enjoyed yourself and it reminds me I need to get out myself for some shootin. :thumbsup:

 

[shootemup]

David G, I think you made an excellent choice with the Chambers Colonial, I love mine.

I think that Siler will do you right too, roundball, I have two of those and think they are excellent.

However, I agree that it's hard to beat the T/C flintlock for reliability and pure utility. I have less experience with the T/C flinter than I do the Silers, but am of the opinion that if it does its part when I do mine, it's good enough for what I do. :grin:

Spot

 

[roundball]

However, I agree that it's hard to beat the T/C flintlock for reliability and pure utility.

And that really has been the dilemma as I struggled with the decision of whether or not to bother trying a little more of a traditional style longrifle...the Hawkens lack for nothing...they're a half-stock version of a completely reliable Flintlock...the differences will be fullstock vs. halfstock, 39" barrel vs. 33", and a mainspring that's V-shaped vs. coiled.

:hmm:
I wonder if the deer will notice...

 

[PaulN/KS]

Well the deer probably won't notice but it has a certain "cool factor" when you use a gun that is built a little closer to the past.
At least for me that is... :hmm:

And my wife really likes the Siler flintlock on her 1816 rifled musket.

 

[BillinOregon]

Roundball: When and how did T/C redesign their flint lock? I have never paid the T/C much attention in flint, but now I might have to.

 

[Trench]

Roundball, I may have missed this in an earlier thread, but from whom did you order a Virginia from? Just curious. Oh, and what caliber did you settle on? :hmm:

 

[roundball]

In the late 90's...changed the overall geometry with a taller hammer & different angle of attack, a harder redesigned frizzen, and a redesigned vent liner that gives as instantaneous ignition as you could hope for. Tom Fuller 3/4"W x 7/8"L black Engish flints seem to be tailor made for the new style T/C locks...lots of sparks, long flint life...the new locks are like the energizer bunny...they just shoot and shoot and shoot.

I finally gave in and decided to get a longrifle for the experience of it before I wind down my shooting/hunting hobby...there is absolutely not a single issue or problem that the new Flintlock is expected to fix or improve on over my T/C Hawkens...100% reliability is 100% reliability and I meant it when I said it...I'll be satisfied if the new Virginia is simply as 100% reliable, fast, and accurate as the Hawkens have been for the past several years.

The good news is I've found good homes for some Hawkens I was no longer using to fund the new Virginia, and the new owners are happy campers...win-win for everybody.

 

[shootemup]

I think PaulN said it best - there's a "cool" factor. :grin:

There is no need to justify one's decision to purchase a new, or more historically accurate, firearm. It's cool though. :haha:

Enjoy the new gun and don't doubt for a millisecond that you should have done it. You absolutely should. The deer WILL notice, dam* it. :grin: If they don't they missed their chance.

Owning the Virginia won't change anything about the T/C's. You'll still love them and will still be the authority - you'll just increase your frame of reference.

:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[Bob J]

I think PaulN said it best - there's a "cool" factor. :grin:

There is no need to justify one's decision to purchase a new, or more historically accurate, firearm. It's cool though. :haha:

Enjoy the new gun and don't doubt for a millisecond that you should have done it. You absolutely should. The deer WILL notice, dam* it. :grin: If they don't they missed their chance.

Owning the Virginia won't change anything about the T/C's. You'll still love them and will still be the authority - you'll just increase your frame of reference.

:hatsoff:
Spot

Very well said, Spot :thumbsup: I still love the Lyman GPR (even though I sold it to my future son-in-law). But there is something way cool about a historical-oriented rifle that was custom built for you