Custom Flinter Questions

[Stumpkiller]

I've thought on this long and hard myself. Unless you have a mentor you have to rely on what you read, what you can figure out yourself, and what you learn from your mistakes. Then, there are the tricks and having an eye for lines that only come with repeated practice and examining many firearms of a given style in 3-D.

I figure a gunsmith who has made 25 or 30 guns of a specific "school" has made all his mistakes and learned all the little quirks of that pattern. I'd rather pay him for one gun than make five myself that I'm not quite satisfied with before I "get good" at it.

The investment in tools and books to make a carved & engraved rifle is also considerable. It certainly does not justify a single project. Most tools can be used for many other wood and metal projects, so I won't say tools are a poor investment. But they are an investment none the less.

If you want the hobby/passtime/skill of building flintlocks then start gathering goodies. If you want the lifestyle of hunting the skills of shooting and trekking or reenacting you might be farther ahead with a gun built by a pro.

I would LOVE to be able to turn out fine flintlocks. I just have too much else going on to devote the time to learning. I don't see me ever owning more than three at once, anyway.

 

[RiverRat]

Nice looking gun there He-Bear. I am partial to the Lancaster style rifle. Pics look good too! :thumbsup:

 

[amccall]

I figure a gunsmith who has made 25 or 30 guns of a specific "school" has made all his mistakes and learned all the little quirks of that pattern. I'd rather pay him for one gun than make five myself that I'm not quite satisfied with before I "get good" at it.

Stumpkiller is right, If you want carvings and a certain builders style and you want it done right, then get it done by someone who is good at it. It is going to cost you a fair price but in the long run it will be worth it. :m2c:

My next gun will probably be in the white. For me I had to say I built at least one gun. I did it, done it and moving on.

 

[squirejohn]

Stumpkiller, Your advise is well taken. While my intention of pride in ownership of a finely crafted flintlock is highly desireable from my perspective, the gun must fit me, be well balanced, and above all be accurate. I've owned several muzzleloaders and the most accurate was the cheapest - a CVA caplock the sold for $150 from Gander Mt.
I do intend to take my time and "look around" .

 

[Slash]

ndbilly,
This is not a SALES PITCH!!! I ask before answering and that is the reason for the delay. I wasn't smart enough to retrieve my personal messages.
A $1000 rifle built to your specs is not out of the question. Our base prices on Lancaster is $850. We do charge the BATF (division of IRS) tax on our sales because this saves everyone problems down the road. You can add a patchbox beginning at $75 and up. Wood upgrades are available also. There is a selection of barrels and inlays that can also be added.
For the $850, you get your choice of length of pull, right or left hand, brass or silver, caliber, barrel length of 36" or 42", and flint or percussion.
We use foundry cast trigger guards and buttplates. We do not use a duplicator or inletting machine. This work is done with same hand tools.
Probably the biggest advantage or disadvantade is the lead time on a finshed piece. It can be an advantage if your budget requires saving, because you have a small deposit and months to save the balance.
Hope this helps, Slash

 

[Hoyt]

You may want to check out a used gun.. http://www.historicaltrekking.com/blanket.shtml

 

The dead center rock bottom line on buying any custom muzzleloader is seeing clearly what your buying. How else can you possibly make an informed decision. 1000 bucs is a lot of money but can even that get you what you want. Go to shows and see it in the flesh or look at really good pics with magnification and great detail. Common sense conquers all. Words are just words. Everything is wonderfull in an advertisement. Recomendations are fine if the person has exactly the same eye and standards as you have. Unlikely. See the gunmakers work first. Great pics or in the flesh. :imo:

 

[sse]

He-Bear - That's a fine looking rifle.

Regards, sse

 

[amccall]

Thanks, it is fun to shoot, and it gives me a new appreciation to those people that were and are good shots with flintlocks. It is not as easy as it looks.
:thumbsup: