Lookie What I got !!!!

[Harms Way]

Well it all started out with meeting my friend at the local Bakery this morning,... He's a car buddy. So were sitting drinking a coffee and having a doughnut when in comes another friend that goes to our Church.

I was telling my one friend about how I was going to fix the tumbler on the FIE I recently acquired when my other friend walked in,... Listening in on the conversation my friend said, why don't you just buy my old muzzle loader ? All he could remember is that it was a .45 Caliber and he bought it from a old friend who didn't shoot it anymore in 1972, or there about....

"What do you want for it?" was my first question... Well it pretty nice was Bill's response,... why don't you follow me home and take a look.

So I follow him to his home,... we go inside,... and he comes out with a gun in a case made out of several old sweat socks with the toes cut off and sewed together......

When he pulled it out, the bottom of my jaw hit the top of my shoes !..... I think it might be an old Dixie kit, but I'm not sure.... This rifle feels really good,.... So I look at old Bill and ask well.... How much ?... He said,... "I dunno' how about a hundred bucks ?".......

Holding the gun I said "Bill,... it's worth more than that" He smiled and said, how much did you charge me to do all that welding for me years ago ?...... I smiled and said "Nuttin"..... He repeated a hundred bucks.

After I paid him he said wait here,.... he brought back a shooting bag, with all the shooting gear in it.. as well as two cans of Black Powder and one can of Pirodex.

Just thought you guys might like to see it.... I am a blessed man.And this rifle has a home for the rest of my life.

 

[George T.]

Holy Smokes! I am glad for you. Haveing friends that remember things like that is a blessing. The rifle is a great find. I am glad that although it took a while that it now has a owner that appreciates her! Thanks for shareing! Geo. T.

 

[meanmike8665]

What a nice rifle and a great story!
Michael

 

[RedFeather]

A nice rifle and a better friend! You are doubly blessed.

 

[S.Kenton]

Thats the NICEST 100$ rifle I think I've ever seen!
I'd like to see your shooting bag as well.

 

[Matt85]

Thats the NICEST 100$ rifle I think I've ever seen!
I'd like to see your shooting bag as well.

:thumbsup:

-matt

 

[Captjoel]

A very sweet rifle and a friendship that is priceless! That blanket looks a lot like a rug that my great grandmother had. It now hangs on my sisters wall. Same pattern from the 1880's I believe. I have her nice old rocking chair!

 

[Drago]

Nice rifle and friend indeed.

 

[larry wv]

Good for you. And nice to have a friend like that. Larry

 

[F.G. Ford]

Most likely you have a Douglas Premium barrel "added bonus!"
Every once in a while our lucky numbers come in!
Very nice gun, great looking wood also.
Give that rifle a place of honor in rememberance of a fine friend.
All the best!
Fred

 

[Rifleman1776]

If that's a Dixie gun it is one of the nicest things they ever sold.
Good catch.

 

[Harms Way]

Thanks everybody for your kind remarks....I use to build ML's in the 70's, I started with one kit,.. got dissected with it, and went on to build them from parts from there on. Then got into building custom sporter rifles based on Mauser actions after that,.... The Muzzle Loaders were far more rewarding.

Finally I got burnt out and went back to build Traditional Hot Rods (which I still do). But getting older I am finding the old Muzzle Loader sport, once again, Intoxicating..

Bill told me he was able to cover a 5" circle at 75 to 80 yards with it "back in the day" When I talked to another friend from Church that had borrowed the gun about 10 years ago to go squirrel hunting, He backed up the clam about the awesome accuracy of this rifle (Including a tale about a 100 yard off hand shot,... Not sure about that one )... However the .45 ball made mincemeat out of any squirrel it made contact with.... understandably.

Well if the weather holds out and if I can find time next week,..... me and this ol' girl are going out to make some smoke ! :grin:

 

[Ed Wingenroth]

That's a great story but it's not about being lucky or the low price !!! It's about a friend who never forgot your kind gesture year's ago and had the chance to repay you !!! Take him with you when you take it out for the first time.... :blah:

Ed...

 

[50cal.cliff]

Karma, is what it is called! To bad we don't all practice better karma with the other folks around us.

Real nice looking gun and a sweet deal no doubt! :thumbsup:

 

[gmww]

It's hard to type my response because I'm drooling. Wow! You are indeed blessed.

 

[Harms Way]

Not wanting to hi-jack my own thread, but this is the very last Muzzle Loader I built,... It started with some J&S Hawken's parts I bought at the old OGCA show in Columbus (reported by the seller to be original Hawken parts, but I always doubted it. They are however original something)Under the barrel I noticed I wrote my name and "February 15 1978".

She's old, filthy and needs a clean up... but when I built it,... it was deadly accurate.... Everybody asks, so I'll tell you now. I was going to use one of the investment cast "Dixie exact replica lock kits".... But ended up using the lock parts that came with the pile of parts from the OGCA show,... I seen another Hawken with a Brass lock plate,.. so thought.. "What the heck !" So I whipped this up... Yes I know, it don't look right, I always felt the same way.... But I got use to it.

Thought you guys might like to see it.

 

[tranders]

That is a beauty.

Congratulations!

 

[cynthialee]

Yay!

Gotta love it when your social divideneds pay off.

Lovely rifle for an unbelievable price. :hatsoff:

(and that rifle you made yourself looks pretty cool.)

 

[hanshi]

You and your friend both done fine. :thumbsup:

 

[Lorne Johnson]

What goes around, comes around. :thumbsup:

Congratulations!