Japanese Made Flintlock Musket ca. .66

[BigSkyRambler]

Anyone ever seen one of these? Any info. appreciated. It is about .66.

 

[tenngun]

Yes I had one, called ‘Drug in the Mud’. I restocked it and left off the patch box.
The problem with these guns was the barrel is two pieces. The round part screws in to the octagon.
If you use a tight fitting patch on a jag you can feel the joint. This is a week spot, and you can get fouling in it that rust the joint.
It shot well. In three hundred and fifty shooters at the Second Annual Mid West Musket Frolic, in Defiance Mo, I came in seventy third
I cut it off and made it a canoe gun, then gave it to a friend.
That was thirty years ago I would feel apprehensive about shooting it now

 

[BigSkyRambler]

That was thirty years ago I would feel apprehensive about shooting it now

There is on in a lot I am bidding on. No choice if I want the rest. Description is pretty vague, but looks like it is possibly unfired.

 

[tenngun]

Often the frizzen spring is week. To get it to shoot you might have to replace it
You might want to scope the barrel before a shot

 

[Y2GREY]

Those were popular during the Bicentenial. They could be purchased at most sporting goods stores that carried firearms.

 

[Y2GREY]

Some quick research: Miroku firearms of Japan is probably the manufacturer. They made a "Kentucky" Rifle with a 2 piece stock at the time. They also manufactured the "Tennessee Mountain Rifle" for Dixie Gun Works.

 

[springfield art]

Some quick research: Miroku firearms of Japan is probably the manufacturer. They made a "Kentucky" Rifle with a 2 piece stock at the time. They also manufactured the "Tennessee Mountain Rifle" for Dixie Gun Works.

Never saw one of these guns. BTW, I have a TMR by Miroku from Dixie. They were left-hand only, which was a big risk to do a run of them back then. It has Japanese Cherry stock, (cherry trees are practically holy in Japan!) I had my barrel shortened a few inches, it's 50 cal., and a very nice gun. I only have seen two others since; one at Dixon's and one at a small gun show, both second hand.

 

[Y2GREY]

I also have a Miroku TMR that I got sometime in the late 80s. It's not left hand. It's also a 50 and started life as a percusion gun I converted it to flint and teardropped the grease hole. It's a great shooter. I've done a lot of white tail hunting with it. it is muzzle heavy compaired to my Hatfield .50 of the same vintage.

 

[skoda]

I bought one from a member here last year. I landed up taking a foot off of the front end and flairing the muzzle. I love it. I find the locks (I also have the horse pistol from that maker 'Ultra-Hi') spark well. The caliber is .67 though mine is marked as .69. I shoot it as a shotgun with buck shot. I also shoot 'junk'' out of it - old primers, scraps of metal. It's a hoot. I don't see any sign of problems at the barrel joint but I'm also using light loads of about 50 grains of powder.

 

[Y2GREY]

I don't really think there is a joint. it's octagonal to round so it might give that impression. My buddy has one he bought in 76 I can ask him...

 

[skoda]

I didn't see any sign of a joint either but I read that several times so what do I know. I think that the transition from round to octagon is just very abrupt and gives the impression. I can't feel any transition in the bore and mine was unfired when I bought it (as new bore finish).

 

[Y2GREY]

I have a Jim Chambers Pa. Rifle that's an octagonal to round 46 inch long smooth bore barrel, the bore gets tighter at the transition point.

 

[William Lincoln]

Miroku made some decent guns-- and produced some kits. The steel quality
was on par with American--whereas Chinese and India steel was often softer.
In my experience during that time frame.

 

[Hermit Tim]

I was bidding on one on GB a few weeks ago. Was in the lead for several days at something like $139 or $169 then, toward the end, they started bidding it up. Don't remember what it went for but was more then I wanted to put into it. It was a flintlock and .65 smoothbore. Don't know anything about them but, if I got in one for the right price, would love to try one out. Good luck with it.

 

[BigSkyRambler]

I ended up letting the lot go. Kinda wish I had bid a little more - just out if curiosity

 

[nhmoose]

A gun with a choke tube has a screwed in barrel part. Anyone shoot them?

 

[bajabuc]

Hundred bucks...gunstore...out the door. all the barrel hold down in the stock were broken. Made a leather band...soaked it shrunk to fit. I shoulda used rawhide. it was brown..quite ugly sanded it off aquafortise...it's kinda pretty now.

 

[skoda]

Hundred bucks...gunstore...out the door. all the barrel hold down in the stock were broken. Made a leather band...soaked it shrunk to fit. I shoulda used rawhide. it was brown..quite ugly sanded it off aquafortise...it's kinda pretty now.

Nice purchase. What part broke? The 'nut' that is welded to the barrel?

 

[bajabuc]

The wood of the stock...the part between the ramrods and the stock...the screws clench the qwood to the barrel. all of them were gonw.

 

[skoda]

The wood of the stock...the part between the ramrods and the stock...the screws clench the qwood to the barrel. all of them were gonw.

Hmmm, since it's a hidden area you could easily glue in a piece of hardwood, re-drill the hole, and be nearly as good as new and no one could tell. But it's your musket.