Hows the quality of the cabelas blue ridge flint rifle

[murph]

guy's thanks for all the good info on the cabelas blue ridge.One more question how do you clean the blue ridge rifle.It' does not have a wedge pin.

Thanks,murf

 

[agill]

guy's thanks for all the good info on the cabelas blue ridge.One more question how do you clean the blue ridge rifle.It' does not have a wedge pin.

Thanks,murf

My method.
First Step: remove ramrod
Second Step: remove flint
Third Step: remove lock machine screw and wood screw
Forth Step: remove two machine screws holding the barrel to stock (they are found in the ramrod thimbles, which have access holes for a flat tip screwdriver)
Fifth Step: remove top tang machine screw (at rear hand grip). The barrel is now able to be removed from the stock.
Sixth Step: remove vent from barrel
Seventh Step: place flint, lock, and vent in bucket of hot soapy water
Eighth Step: Scrub barrel with hot soapy water until all fouling is removed
Ninth Step: Flush flint, lock, vent, and barrel with clean hot water
Tenth Step: oil metal
Eleventh Step: reassemble in reverse order

This sounds worse than it is. This method takes about 15 minutes or so counting getting hot water.

If I'm going to hunt or shoot the rifle the next day I do not oil the barrel. been shooting the rifle like this several years without damage.

Flint

 

[Okwaho]

murf,
I have a 45 cal blue ridge. Shot alot of deer with her. I've been pleased with the rifle so far (bought it in 1996 I think). So, I've used it every season for 10 years now and have not replaced any parts. I did have to drill out the forward lock screw hole in the stock and put a dowel pin in the stock so that the screw could grab the wood. I took the screw out so many times that I wore out the wood. The screw holds fine since. I think that was a year ago that I did that. I don't own a custom rifle, but I like the blue ridge.

Flint Hunter

I have a Hatfield {the forerunner of the guns in question here}that I bought for my wife in the late 80's.It is a flintlock in .45 caliber and is numbered 367.I picked it up at a gunshow and it had never had the frizzen struck.As I recall I paid about $100.00 for it. She used to fire it when the boys and I demonstrated muzzle loading shooting.I doubt it has ever had over 10 rounds fired through but we did fire a lot of blanks. We had problems with the lock until I finally found someone in St. Louis who was involved with the successor company to Hatfield who fixed it.It hasn't been fired in about 13 years and now sits in my safe til I can decide which boy wants it.It had only the one lock bolt with no screw on the front of the lock.The bolt had no washer.I have always liked the gun and some day we may start firing live rounds with it again.I always thought that with some creative wood removal, recontouring, and a simple two piece box it would make a nice Allentown gun from the early 19th century but I doubt I will do that now.I even still have the original Hatfield cloth gun case with the squirrel on the flap above the name Hatfield.
Tom Patton

 

[Rebel]

I cleaned mine by removing the lock bolt and wood screw that holds the front of the lockplate, and removing the lock and clean it then plug the vent and cleaned the barrel in the stock. But if you want to remove the barrel it isn't that hard to do. Just remove the screw that goes up through the ramrod thimbles, (2) of them, and the tang bolt and the barrel comes right out.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I clean mine just like Flint Hunter. It's almost as easy as removing the barrel from my GPR. With the barrel removed you can give it a good scrubbing without worring about the stock. After the hot soapy water and hot rinse, dry everything and give all metal parts a light coat of oil. Wipe the stock down, especially around the lock area and put it all back together. Like Flint Hunter says, it sounds harder than it is. I've had mine for over 10 years and it's a dream.

 

[tg]

I always did like Rebel says,no need to remove the barrel or vent, pour some water down the bore(cold works fine) and slosh it back amnd forth then dump and keep wiping with wet/dry patches till clean.

 

[leatherneck]

I got my blueridge (.50cal) 2 yrs ago, it is my first and only muzzle loader rifle and have not had any problems with it. Ive taken 8 deer useing patched round ball and 60gr of powder and one 340 lb black bear useing a 350gr TC maxi-hunter with 80gr of FF. I've found the rifle fires both ball and maxis equaly well. I shoot friendly competion just about every month, couldn't tell you how many rounds I've put through her but I've gone through at least 5 cans of GOEX. The only minor beefs I've had with the rifle were I did'nt like the front sight (replaced it with a Ted Cash) and she will chew up machine cut flints, but who wants to use those anyway! It is a fine weapon!

 

[murph]

Thank you guy's for all the great info on the blue ridge rifle.I've always been into hawken rifles but it's time for a flinter.And i realy like the looks of her.What time line would the blure ridge fall under,Or what persona would this rifle work with.Murph :thumbsup:

 

This is great, and comes at a perfect time as I am looking to get shed of my Lyman caplock Trade rifle and go to something more traditional -- like a Pennsylvania or Kentucky rifle. Frankly - I do not know the difference between the PA an KY rifles, but like the idea of a longer barrel and longer fore stock than what is on my GPR. Which I like very much and shoots great - BTW.

 

[murph]

Rebel,what do you plug the vent hole with.And when you pour the water down the barrel,do you put a towel around it.So the water does not run down the barrel and on to the stock.I real appreciate all the help and great info from you guy's.Murph

 

[Rebel]

I use a piece of round toothpick to plug the vent. Sometimes i wrap a towel around the barrel at the forend but usually i just carefully pour water in out of a plastic glass that i squeeze the sides on to form a spout. I let the water sit in the barrel while i clean the lock then dump about half of it, put thumb over muzzle and slosh the remainder around and dump it out. Then i fill it part way again and slosh it around and dump then swab bore, dry, and spray with WD-40. Take longer to type it than do it. :grin:

 

[cowpoke1955]

Hey Deacon,
Cabelas has a sell on for the Blue Ridge flintlocks. $409.99 for .36 and .54 cal. All others are $489.99. Excellent buy, considering they are normally $519.99. Tell the wifey you need a Christmas present now! Good luck.

 

[ronrryan]

FWIW, I get a toothpick from the box of wood picks, usually chop them in half (el cheapo) and then trim a little from the working end so when inserted it will not interfere with the patch/jag. Then I tap it into the touchhole with the short starter ball or some other handy instrument. Doing this regularly will give you a feel for how much to tap. I always check when I have poured water in bore, to see there are no leaks. So far have not had one break off and stick in the vent, but probably some day this will happen. Good smoke, ron in FL

 

[tg]

".What time line would the blure ridge fall under,Or what persona would this rifle work with."

This type of gun would likely be post 1820...late flint period, and is not really a replica of any particular gun that I have seen any evidence of but is kinda close to some guns of this era and is generaly accepted at most events as kosher, some say it was a copy of a Hatfield made gun way back when but I have never seen a pic of said gun or found anyone who has. this type of gun(late longfifle) would have been carried by most anyone during the time period from earten farmer to wetward bound frontiersman.

 

[cowpoke1955]

Pedersoli says the style is from 1760 to 1840. I placed my Blue Ridge next to a Hatfield. They were identical, except the Hatfield had alot more brass. I have seen some pics of some southern rifles from that era that came very close to the Blue Ridge, in style and lack of much brass. It's not a copy of any certain rifle, just style. It would fit in anywhere from the Revolutionary War to the beginning of the fur trade era. It fits in my closet real nice too :rotf: .

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Pedersoli is wrong. That is a very long time span and rifles changed a lot in those 80 years. Doesn't mean it isn't a good rifle, but it does mean that a date of 1820 and later is more appropriate.