Modified and/or Accessorized

[Urban Coyote]

Have you made modifications or added accessories that enhance the performance of your muzzleloader? If so please share what you found the benefits to be.

 

[longcruise]

I firelap most of my ml barrels from the get go. This applies to all Italian and Spanish made and also a few GM barrels. I find it makes a big difference.

 

[deermanok]

Changing sights is about the only modification I've ever done to any rifle.

 

[EC121]

I usually disassemble the lock and polish all the contact surfaces of new rifle. Some builders do a great job of building a rifle, but they don't always take time to polish the functional parts of the lock. I have soldered blades to an existing back sight because I didn't want to file the front sight too low. I have removed set triggers a number of times to see why they don't work and polish the contact surfaces(Wood changes after the rifle leaves the shop.) or add a mainspring shim. Once I made a single trigger and plate to replace a broken set trigger. Because epoxy will give up after a while, I put a screw in the nose cap of a high dollar rifle because it kept moving forward under recoil. All my rifles have swamped barrels so they are usually well finished. Not much work needed there, but sometimes the vent liner flash channel is too long(for me), and I counter-bore them from the outside. That helps ignition.

 

[hanshi]

Changed and modified sights on a few, polished a few flint pans and added sling swivels to one. Also had one bored out to another caliber.

 

[Urban Coyote]

My first muzzleloader, a T/C .50 Hawken, had adjustable sights that I replaced with a set of T/C "primitive" sights I drifted and filed that have held POI for 40 years. I bought it in either 1975 or 1976, it had been sitting in a local hardware store for well over a year before I walked out with it.

Over the years I've added several other muzzleloaders and usually replace wooden ramrods with synthetic less likely to break. I've added sling swivels to a few and Hot Shot type nipples. I've also put peep sights on a couple. I recently had a .50 T/C White Mtn Carbine rebored to .54 with a roundball twist, I love it. Lately I've been toying with replacing the double set triggers on one of my T/C Hawkens with Davis Deer Slayers.

 

[dave951]

I'll post a couple-

Disassemble, clean and polish all bearing surfaces in the lock.
Depending on trigger pull, some sear and tumbler work might be needed.
Glass bed the breech end.
Measure the bore to confirm actual diameter.
On "some" of my guns, the sear notch is altered a bit to shorten hammer fall meaning faster lock time. Don't laugh, it works but isn't for a beginner to try.
Get better sights. Most traditional ones are inadequate for competition.

Most important- range time. Shoot, practice, experiment, practice some more.

 

[sheriff john]

I replace nipples, especially on originals, but keep the original nipples to go back to "original" if desired. I did this after finding two original nipples were corroded or simply manufactured with oversize "flash holes" (unsure of correct term). Both blew back cap fragments. One shot smoke & flame. Also make fiberglass ramrods to use instead of wooden if they're going to be used afield. Other than that and cleaning/close examination, not much.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Sights and "fine tuning" locks is the only modifications I make on my guns.