Jack Garner Signed Flinter

[LonestarShootR]

Good morning from a black powder newbie. I recently bought a 5 rifle ML collection from a friend of mine. Never have messed with the stuff but now have an interest in it. Appears 4 of them are from the 1970's and the other is a newer (2009) left handed Lyman GPR. The one that got my attention is a long maple stocked flintlock in what I measured to be .40 cal. And the only marking on it is "Jack Garner" engraved on the top flat of the 42" barrel.No telling when it was last shot but I am wanting to try it out on a deer. I purchased some Hornady round balls and 3F powder to tryin it. The rifle has brass hardware but is missing the ramrod.
I have searched a little on it and have found some info so far. Does anyone have input on this? Is he rifle of decent quality and suitable for deer at close range?

I would like to post a picture of it but don't know how to do I could use some help on that.

Thanks

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I'd want a bigger caliber for deer hunting. It will work if you just have to do it if you're a good shot. Jack Garner has been making guns for probably 50 years. Quality is all across the board. he's capable of very fine work but generally made low end stuff because it sells quick.

 

[springfield art]

Good morning from a black powder newbie. I recently bought a 5 rifle ML collection from a friend of mine. Never have messed with the stuff but now have an interest in it. Appears 4 of them are from the 1970's and the other is a newer (2009) left handed Lyman GPR. The one that got my attention is a long maple stocked flintlock in what I measured to be .40 cal. And the only marking on it is "Jack Garner" engraved on the top flat of the 42" barrel.No telling when it was last shot but I am wanting to try it out on a deer. I purchased some Hornady round balls and 3F powder to tryin it. The rifle has brass hardware but is missing the ramrod.
I have searched a little on it and have found some info so far. Does anyone have input on this? Is he rifle of decent quality and suitable for deer at close range?

I would like to post a picture of it but don't know how to do I could use some help on that.

Thanks

I believe he's still alive and kicking. I have a rifle made by him in the mid-70's, but not signed or marked. I think he's on this site, and I have also a LH, Perc., Lyman .54 GPR from around the same time period, that I bought at Dixon's.

 

[LT Joe]

I believe he's still alive and kicking. I have a rifle made by him in the mid-70's, but not signed or marked. I think he's on this site, and I have also a LH, Perc., Lyman .54 GPR from around the same time period, that I bought at Dixon's.

I talked to Jack Garner at the CLA Show last August so I'm pretty sure he is still around.

 

[tnlonghunter]

I've got one of his in .54. It's a good rifle. A .40 makes a great target caliber, but it's a little less than I'd like for deer. It'll work if you make a good shot, of course. A .40 is the minimum caliber legal for muzzleloaders in my state and is smaller than required in others.

 

[springfield art]

I talked to Jack Garner at the CLA Show last August so I'm pretty sure he is still around.

Great! Thanks.

 

[LonestarShootR]

I am going to see if this photo works.

 

[LonestarShootR]

I am going to see if this photo works.

Here is another one.

 

[D.Summers]

I'm assuming the Garner rifle is the one on the right? Sweet, slender rifle!!

 

[LonestarShootR]

I'm assuming the Garner rifle is the one on the right? Sweet, slender rifle!!

Yes sir, it's on the far right. The others are all percussion and quite a bit shorter.
Looking at the replies here as much as I would like to take a deer with the .40 cal I should probably be better off using another. Now thinking the .54 cal great plains rifle wins out. I do happen to shoot wrong handed and it does feel better when shouldered.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

If you are going to be hunting deer with a .40, shot placement is going to be rather paramount. Practice, practice, practice. A refresher in anatomy-o-deer wouldn't hurt either.

 

[Fitzhugh Williams]

Jack Garner has been making guns for probably 50 years. Quality is all across the board. he's capable of very fine work but generally made low end stuff because it sells quick.

I have a couple of his guns from about 20 years ago. I always heard that he had apprentices who worked with him and I wondered if they did much of the work on some guns and he signed off on them.

One of my guns has a 44" Rice barrel and an L&R lock. Very plain, but it is my "shooter".

 

[OldSmoky1967]

Good morning from a black powder newbie. I recently bought a 5 rifle ML collection from a friend of mine. Never have messed with the stuff but now have an interest in it. Appears 4 of them are from the 1970's and the other is a newer (2009) left handed Lyman GPR. The one that got my attention is a long maple stocked flintlock in what I measured to be .40 cal. And the only marking on it is "Jack Garner" engraved on the top flat of the 42" barrel.No telling when it was last shot but I am wanting to try it out on a deer. I purchased some Hornady round balls and 3F powder to tryin it. The rifle has brass hardware but is missing the ramrod.
I have searched a little on it and have found some info so far. Does anyone have input on this? Is he rifle of decent quality and suitable for deer at close range?

I would like to post a picture of it but don't know how to do I could use some help on that.

Thanks

The rifle will be fine for deer. I think Jack is a member on here, too. I have several friends with his guns and they love them.

 

[OldSmoky1967]

Yes sir, it's on the far right. The others are all percussion and quite a bit shorter.
Looking at the replies here as much as I would like to take a deer with the .40 cal I should probably be better off using another. Now thinking the .54 cal great plains rifle wins out. I do happen to shoot wrong handed and it does feel better when shouldered.

Thanks for the replies!

Comfort and fit is everything. I prefer a .54 for deer. Or a .58 musket lol

 

[Eric Bye]

For the last 30 years or so my wife's rifle has been a Jack Garner flintlock.. It sparks well and shoots straight and is handsome to boot. It has many, many rounds through it, and it's still almost as good as new.. There are more expensive and more exquisite rifles available, but I wager that your Garner rifle will provide a lifetime of enjoyment. As for deer hunting, a larger caliber might be a better choice, and it may be required by hunting regulations where you live. Enjoy!

 

[olskool]

if you are going to hunt deer with a 40 it will be like any other caliber on this planet, shot placement, that's everything. you hit the spot it will die fast, nothing can live but a few seconds with a hole in the lungs or heart, you miss the spot you will wound the deer and it will not die right off no matter the caliber,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Sooty Scot]

I just had my .50 Garner SMR out at the range today.
It's a beautiful rifle; made meat last year; and, even with my 76 yr old eyes aiming, drilled the X at 50 yds, offhand.

I occasionally show off; it fires reliably upside down.
With new glasses, I'll try it at 100, but it'll be at my shoulder again this deer season.
Thanks Jack, for making me look competent.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I have friends who kill deer on a regular basis with their .40s, all are percussion.

Seeing as how your rifle is a flintlock, I would shoot it a bunch before you take a shot at a deer with it. There is a learning curve to shooting a flintlock, they are often referred to as "flinchlocks".

With all B/P guns you have to work up a load that is accurate, each rifle likes something different more than likely. For the GPR you could try 80gr of 2F, a .530 ball and an .018 lubed patch, this works well in all three of my .54s, one likes 85 gr of 2F better than 80 gr.

 

[LonestarShootR]

I have friends who kill deer on a regular basis with their .40s, all are percussion.

Seeing as how your rifle is a flintlock, I would shoot it a bunch before you take a shot at a deer with it. There is a learning curve to shooting a flintlock, they are often referred to as "flinchlocks".

With all B/P guns you have to work up a load that is accurate, each rifle likes something different more than likely. For the GPR you could try 80gr of 2F, a .530 ball and an .018 lubed patch, this works well in all three of my .54s, one likes 85 gr of 2F better than 80 gr.

Yes sir I agree with you, the slight delay in firing was a new experience to me. Thinking over the long run it should help prevent flinching.

I was shooting my GPR for the first time yesterday and was having issues on the gun firing with the first hammer drop. Most took 2 tries so I am researching that problem. The good thing was I didn't notice and flinching which may be from shooting the flint gun in the prior weeks.

On another note I was shooting 74 gr of 3F behind a .530 ball and at the end of the session I could feel it. Getter older sucks, learning I don't care for the recoil like I used to.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Same here, I am 76, I use a Past recoil pad when I am sighting in my bigger bore guns, My .72 smoothbore really rocks me with a 100 gr of 1F and a .700 ball. With the pad (the thickest they sell) I don't feel the recoil at all.

Sometimes percussion guns that don't go off need a new nipple or the nipple fit is too tight. If the fit is too tight, chuck the nipple up in a drill and sand the diameter down to where the cap slides on easily but won't fall off if you turn your rifle upside down. If the nipple is mushroomed you can take that off with a small file while your nipple is chucked up in the drill as well. I think GPRs takes a metric nipple. TOW would have them.

Lastly, I don't know if you take the barrel off and dunk it in a bucket of water to clean it using the cleaning jag and a patch to pump water out the flash chamber. If you don't, perhaps the chamber is cruded up making ignition so-so.