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Flintlock Snobbery

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And I'm only out marginally more than buying a new, commercially built Traditions, and much less than a new, commercially built Pedersoli, much less something higher end. I will consume approximately $20 worth of expendables building it, most of which I already own.

Ironically, the gun I'm building is a Tennessee iron mounted barn rifle, which is the kind of thing you are talking about. My main concern is that it turns out good.

I’d be interested in knowing what kit you are building that is nice, yet inexpensive.
 
Chuckle.
A guy walks in to a biker bar and pulls a gun on a guy in the bar, pointing it right at his head. ‘What do you like better, Honda or Yamaha?” He ask. ‘Ah, you’ll just have to shoot me the other guy answers
Diorama builders look askance at plain model makers, and railroaders our off on their own.
Mountian bikers ain’t long range road bikers. And trekkers are different then bushcrafters and both different then the ultralight crowd.
WTBS ain’t revolutionary or WW2ers.
name a hobby and you’ll find some elitism. We must hope it’s just good natured.
 
I’d be interested in knowing what kit you are building that is nice, yet inexpensive.
Jack Garner at Tennessee Valley Manufacturing still puts out a decent inexpensive kit. I think mine, which is my first build, turned out ok
 

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First, let me state that I have a Flintlock and enjoy shooting it on a very regular basis. It's not high priced, has its own problems, and yet I have my fun with it. Being more interested in the fur trade then in the Revolutionary war period as far as firearms used, I did believe that the trappers probably carried a lot of flintlocks. Apparently, that might not be so. I also subscribe to a magazine called The Backwoodsman. The last one, (July August), had an interesting article entitled, so just what gun did the mountain men carry? Written by David Langerman. From this very interesting article I learned a few things, mainly the most of the fur trappers probably carried percussion's. As far as research goes, from start to finish, the Hawken rifles were percussion. It also mentions that caps cost $.80 per thousand and were also waterproof. One of the things mentioned, was that by 1820, Cap lock rifles had become quite popular and there was a growing industry that converted flintlocks into cap locks. We do know the first fur trade rendezvous was held in 1825. I'm sure there were flintlocks present, but apparently there was a growing usage of cap locks.
Perhaps others get this same magazine, it's quite an interesting article. If nothing else it makes for a good discussion.
Squint
 
It has been many years since I read extensively on the mountain man/fur trade era, but I think most guns early on were flint with cappers becoming more common around 1830. If I were portraying an early mountain man, I'd carry a flint. I've always had a soft spot for the J. Henry trade rifles. Late in the period, maybe a Hawken cap lock. BTW, I read the article also. There is a good thread on firearms in the Rocky Mountain forum here on this site.
 
US patent for a percussion cap wasn’t granted until 1820.

The fur trade system of supplies thru Rendevouz gave the trappers a more or less consistent supply of caps.
 
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