Flintlock on a budget

[Oldnamvet]

I've been shooting percussion rifles, pistols, shotguns for a lot of years and now want to buy a flintlock. Being retired and on a frugal type budget, I can't go after one of the custom made rifles I would like to have. So, my choices are down to Lyman GPR, T/C, and Cabelas Blue Ridge rifles -- hopefully finding a good one used if I am patient. Would one of those rifles stand out as worse or better than the others? Most likely the only use will be for punching paper and maybe deer at some time in the future. So it would be either a 50 or 54 cal. But if a smoothbore was available, I could go that way as well. Can't see the sights worth spit anymore so that would give me an excuse to lower expectations on the target range. I know my way around a percussion but the flintlock is a whole different thing again. ONV

 

[roundball]

I've been shooting percussion rifles, pistols, shotguns for a lot of years and now want to buy a flintlock. Being retired and on a frugal type budget, I can't go after one of the custom made rifles I would like to have. So, my choices are down to Lyman GPR, T/C, and Cabelas Blue Ridge rifles -- hopefully finding a good one used if I am patient. Would one of those rifles stand out as worse or better than the others? Most likely the only use will be for punching paper and maybe deer at some time in the future. So it would be either a 50 or 54 cal. But if a smoothbore was available, I could go that way as well. Can't see the sights worth spit anymore so that would give me an excuse to lower expectations on the target range. I know my way around a percussion but the flintlock is a whole different thing again. ONV

A huge benefit of a T/C Hawken Flintlock, in addition to it being an excellent quality affordable one in the first place...is the outstanding real lifetime no-charge warranty service that T/C provides for its products.
In fact, T/C supports their products even when you tell them you aren't the original owner, and that really makes the purchase of a used T/C Hawken a zero risk proposition.

 

[Hanz]

I'm sort of in the same boat. My research has shown me that the Lyman GPR's twist is 1:60", the TC Hawken is 1:48" and the Cabelas (which I think is a Pedersoli) is also 1:48". If you want to shoot patched round balls I'd go with the Lyman. If you want to try conicals than try either the TC or the Cabela's rifle.

I don't have any of the rifles so I'm just guessing based on the info I've read. I'm sure someone here knows a heck of a lot more about them than I do. I'm just throwing out my $.02.

Best of luck with your choice,

Doug

 

[Ol Thing]

Here's the best prices on the Lyman guns. I've been looking at the .54 Trade Rifle in flint.
www.dnrsports.com :wink:

 

[Robert Egler]

Some years ago I had a T/C 50 cal Hawken. It was fine, no complaints. Sold it eventually. Several steps later I now have a Traditions 50 cal Hawken (currently using a 54 cal smoothbore barrel). It is fine too, no complaints here either. I've never had a Lyman, but I hear they're one of the better production guns. Had a CVA once, but now I think they only make modern inl$#e guns. Hopefully others can provide better information.

 

[cowpoke1955]

Glad to have another old vet aboard :hatsoff: . The Cabela's Blue Ridge are 1 in 48", except for the .54, which is 1 in 66". I have one in .45 cal. flint and it is sweet. I also have two .54 GPRs, one percussion and one flint. The percussion I got over 27 years ago and it's still going strong. The wife bought me the flint as a kit from DNR Sports: http://www.dnrsports.com/ . Like Ol Thing said, best prices around. The kit went together real easy and turned out to be another great shooter. I have a .54 T/C Hawken percussion. The quality and customer service is next to none. I have seen a couple of T/C Hawken flinters on a few of the auction sites. http://gunbroker.com/ and http://www.auctionarms.com/ . I have bought a couple of rifles from these sites and had good luck. All the choices you mentioned are good rifles. Good luck with your search :thumbsup: .

 

[Semisane]

I happened to be in Cabalas today, and handled a Blue Ridge flintlock they had on the rack. First, I didn't care for its' lines - seemed kinda blocky to me. Second, the particular gun I handled had crappy fit of the furniture.

 

[Trot]

Don't worry about that 1 in 48" twist, it will shoot round balls just fine. I have a flint .54 Lyman Trade rifle and it is one heck of a good shooter.

 

[flyfisher76544]

All 3 of your choices are good reproduction guns. My "bud" has the Lymans GPR and he loves it. He got his from MidSouthShooterssupply.com for like 300 dollars. So far he has no complaints. I finally got my Cabelas Blue Ridge and shes a beauty. Good fit and all. So no complaints for that one either. Its just gonna be a matter of choosing...which as always is a problem. Good luck though. :grin:

 

[ian45662]

my vote is for the blue ridge. I have had a few pedersoli guns and the blue ridge was the best in my opinion.

 

[torn moc]

All 3 rifles you mentioned are good...but of the 3 I would lean toward the Lyman. There is a .54 on auction right now at A.A. i AM PURTY SURE IT IS A .54. I buy alot on online auctions and have not got a Lemmon yet! Most of the time you get a much better price than buying from a store.
but it can take a while longer to find what you like...

 

[roundball]

"...the TC Hawken is 1:48"..."

Only TC's standard barrel is a 1:48" twist to allow both RBs and conicals to be used...and you can take it to the bank that a 1:48" twist shoots a PRB better than 99% of the people shooting them...their standard barrels are available in .50/.54/.58cals.

TC also makes .50 & .54cal 1:66" RB twist barrels...you just have to specify which barrel you want when you order it. (TC's Fox Ridge store at 1-800-243-4570)

PLUS...another HUGE advantage to having a TC Hawken is that GM (Green Mountain Barrel Co.) makes a wide range of round ball calibers other than .50 & .54cal as "drop-in" barrels for the TC Hawken in both 15/16" and 1" sizes. Furthermore, they also make smoothbore drop-in barrels.

So there's about a dozen or so calibers and gauges available for a TC Hawken stock...many of mine are cases where I've bought used TC Hawken stocks for $100-150 bucks..refinished them beautifully in a couple weekends...then bought GM Flint drop-in RB barrels in .40cal and .58cal, plus .54(.28ga) and .62cal(.20ga) smoothbore barrels...lots and lots of flexibility going this route.

 

[bart_anastasi]

"...the TC Hawken is 1:48"..."

So there's about a dozen or so calibers and gauges available for a TC Hawken stock...many of mine are cases where I've bought used TC Hawken stocks for $100-150 bucks..refinished them beautifully in a couple weekends...then bought GM Flint drop-in RB barrels in .40cal and .58cal, plus .54(.28ga) and .62cal(.20ga) smoothbore barrels...lots and lots of flexibility going this route.

Also they have some long range 45 cal barrels that would be good for shooting 500 and 1000 yards plus for around 250 bucks also a drop in style. If you want to give your old eyes a workout.

 

[SimonKenton]

Old Vet,

I don't know what your budget is, but a good rifle is a lifetime investment. I'd suggest checking out Tennessee Valley Mfg. or Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading. One is run by Jack Garner who built my first flinter and the other by Matt Avance who built "Long Tall Sally" for me.

If you want a serviceable gun with few doo-dads try a .50 caliber flintlock TN rifle. With a 7/8" barrel about 38-42" long the balance won't kill you and if you get the barrel from LC Rice he'll tailor the twist and rifling depth for the type of load you want.

Mine is swamped which adds about $250 overall to the cost of the gun but balances so sweet you'll never want another straight barrel again. LC makes a killer straight barrel though. His bores are all match grade with NO variance from breech to muzzle in bore or land diameter.

My twist is 1 in 72" which is from the old Sharon Hawken barrels he designed a while back. That twist LIKES stiff loads and the deep round groove rifling makes both loading and cleaning a lot easier.

I'd guess that with a straight Rice barrel you're looking at $700-850 for a "poor boy" of sorts. That would have no entry pipe or butt plate. For authenticity I'd choose a Late Kenton lock from Chambers. VERY correct for the time and very fast. The furniture would be iron and browned. :thumbsup:

-Ray

 

[cowpoke1955]

Here is a .50 T/C Hawken flinter with just about everything you need: http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=95620638 . Here is another .50 T/C Hawken flinter, rifle only: http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=8530611 . Just to show you they are out there.

 

[roundball]

Neither link works for me...HTTP is repeated twice in one of thme

 

[kgrohs]

Oldnamvet, if you would please pm me might be able to interest you in something. kjg

 

[cowpoke1955]

Sorry about that, roundball. I guess people will have to do it the old fashion way and look it up themselves. I will say they are pretty and if I was in the market myself I would be bidding. Just wanted to show that there are T/C flinters out there :thumbsup: .

 

[roundball]

I looked in the MLF Classifieds, Firearms for sale category, and didn't see any TC Hawken Flintlocks there...am I looking in the wrong place?

 

[Zoar]

The TC may be fine, but I have to also pipe in here about the great shooting and satisfaction I have from my Lyman's TRADE Rifle in 54 caliber Flintlock. I think from what I have heard from others the Lyman Trade Rifle is better than the TC in some respects.

It is also a 1 in 48 twist and I can testify that it shoots roundballs to cloverleafs all day. And I have lousy eyes to see closeup. But the iron sites it comes with must not be too bad because I can see them very well.

So, as some others have posted on this thread please consider the Lyman Trade Rifle in Flintlock. I bought mine for around $270 brand spanking new and you can too. How can you beat that? I would take this Lyman Trade over any other gun discussed so far because it has a shorter barrel (great for white tail hunting in cover and terrain) and it shoots accurately everytime!