Avast ye me hearties!
Whilst I am not actually showing a video I did want to share with you how underwhelmed and unimpressed I am with two Pirate Fashions real blackpowder guns I took a chance on...
These folk are apparently trying to break their way into "this thing of ours" (to quote Tony Soprano) re: serviceable arms. Their gunsmith, Mike, took the better part of a year, including making basic design improvements, to make a decent Catalan escopeta miquelet in a (1-1/2" too-short-for-me) oak stock. But worthy of trying repeat business...
More than five months ago I bought and paid for a Snapmatch (snapping matchlock) and a what they call a Matchlock Caliver that is really a petronel, but don't tell anyone...
They were accomodating on the extended LOP so I could actually shoot them and said it would be about six weeks, but, a week later they called to say they couldn't get any octagonal barrel stock due to hunting season and asked if I'd accept round and nice European Walnut because that's all that was available too. "OK, fine."
After five months I called to see what was going on. A couple of weeks later I got what you see bits of below.
The snaplock is sheet-metal lock parts with filing marks everywhere and is weak-springed -- except for the fact that the serpentine wobbles when uncocked that's OK because it may not snuff the slowmatch out as another I have could. Has an ugly welded-on pan with rough filing and a gap at the touchole that itself couldn't be lower in the simply drilled-out pan which is true for both guns -- they are simply in the wrong place! Forget that a lockscrew (nail) was loose. Both guns came somewhat pre-rusted which is OK only when it is bluing or browned! And what's with all the file and lathe chatter marks!? Look at the barrel and also note the most embarrassing "wedding bands" anyone has ever had the audacity to put on guns. These are SUPPOSED to be .50 Colerain barrels. WTF!?
I can't even shoot them until I mic the thinest parts to see if they are safe which I have my doubts about though they have been double-proofed, to be fair, which is comforting.
The sheet-steel snapmatch serpentine is at least aligned with the drill-bit diameter "pan" though it has a cheesy ring that slides up to tighten the matchcord. But the caliver? If you look at the picture you'll see how far away the serpentine is from the pan and the end of the pen is where it would hit the pan fully closed. Ever see string hold itself straight enough for a couple of inches to hit a drill-bit sized pan? Even if it could the serpentine wobbles left to right and back and forth a half an inch! What junk!
As you can see the caliver also came with a pre-repaired skouring stick (ramrod) channel and I dare not try to put it back in -- I don't know how I got it out and it won't go back more than a few inches before it feels like it's gonna break. The muzzle flair -- now isn't that special? The tiller trigger has internal forces working on it I can't even describe...
Wood-to-metal fit goes from awful, as in along the barrel of the snaplock on the left where it is all GLUE, to OK in some places. But how do you sand waves into a flat side of wood?
I'll leave this as it is for now except to say that too much of the work seems like an inner-city vocational High School Junior shop class project and one gun is completely unuseable as the bits-n-pieces-welded-together to make a serpentine are not in battery with the tiny pan. Especially sad is that it actually took a whole semester to make 'em this way, kids. And though I got these "guns" at a lower price than what they are being offered for today, they weren't worth it even if they can be salvaged.
I didn't have high expectations, and I know quality doesn't cost, it pays, but STILL!
Recommendation? Do NOT buy any real blackpowder arms from Pirate Fashions anytime soon (like until Obama leaves office) unless you are AT their Tampa store where they will warmly greet you like the pirates and swashbuckling gay blades they are, oh yes, and you can handle the merchandise for yourself, matey.
Arrghhh!
Whilst I am not actually showing a video I did want to share with you how underwhelmed and unimpressed I am with two Pirate Fashions real blackpowder guns I took a chance on...
These folk are apparently trying to break their way into "this thing of ours" (to quote Tony Soprano) re: serviceable arms. Their gunsmith, Mike, took the better part of a year, including making basic design improvements, to make a decent Catalan escopeta miquelet in a (1-1/2" too-short-for-me) oak stock. But worthy of trying repeat business...
More than five months ago I bought and paid for a Snapmatch (snapping matchlock) and a what they call a Matchlock Caliver that is really a petronel, but don't tell anyone...
They were accomodating on the extended LOP so I could actually shoot them and said it would be about six weeks, but, a week later they called to say they couldn't get any octagonal barrel stock due to hunting season and asked if I'd accept round and nice European Walnut because that's all that was available too. "OK, fine."
After five months I called to see what was going on. A couple of weeks later I got what you see bits of below.
The snaplock is sheet-metal lock parts with filing marks everywhere and is weak-springed -- except for the fact that the serpentine wobbles when uncocked that's OK because it may not snuff the slowmatch out as another I have could. Has an ugly welded-on pan with rough filing and a gap at the touchole that itself couldn't be lower in the simply drilled-out pan which is true for both guns -- they are simply in the wrong place! Forget that a lockscrew (nail) was loose. Both guns came somewhat pre-rusted which is OK only when it is bluing or browned! And what's with all the file and lathe chatter marks!? Look at the barrel and also note the most embarrassing "wedding bands" anyone has ever had the audacity to put on guns. These are SUPPOSED to be .50 Colerain barrels. WTF!?
I can't even shoot them until I mic the thinest parts to see if they are safe which I have my doubts about though they have been double-proofed, to be fair, which is comforting.
The sheet-steel snapmatch serpentine is at least aligned with the drill-bit diameter "pan" though it has a cheesy ring that slides up to tighten the matchcord. But the caliver? If you look at the picture you'll see how far away the serpentine is from the pan and the end of the pen is where it would hit the pan fully closed. Ever see string hold itself straight enough for a couple of inches to hit a drill-bit sized pan? Even if it could the serpentine wobbles left to right and back and forth a half an inch! What junk!
As you can see the caliver also came with a pre-repaired skouring stick (ramrod) channel and I dare not try to put it back in -- I don't know how I got it out and it won't go back more than a few inches before it feels like it's gonna break. The muzzle flair -- now isn't that special? The tiller trigger has internal forces working on it I can't even describe...
Wood-to-metal fit goes from awful, as in along the barrel of the snaplock on the left where it is all GLUE, to OK in some places. But how do you sand waves into a flat side of wood?
I'll leave this as it is for now except to say that too much of the work seems like an inner-city vocational High School Junior shop class project and one gun is completely unuseable as the bits-n-pieces-welded-together to make a serpentine are not in battery with the tiny pan. Especially sad is that it actually took a whole semester to make 'em this way, kids. And though I got these "guns" at a lower price than what they are being offered for today, they weren't worth it even if they can be salvaged.
I didn't have high expectations, and I know quality doesn't cost, it pays, but STILL!
Recommendation? Do NOT buy any real blackpowder arms from Pirate Fashions anytime soon (like until Obama leaves office) unless you are AT their Tampa store where they will warmly greet you like the pirates and swashbuckling gay blades they are, oh yes, and you can handle the merchandise for yourself, matey.
Arrghhh!
