Question about Loyalist Arms and Repairs

[Flintlock Whiskey]

I was kinda hunting around for an indian trade or short land pattern bess and came across this company. Their prices are significantly less than what I have been seeing. Is this because the guns are made in India or what?

 

[wganz]

Yes, Indian made.
A US distributor is https://www.muzzleloadershop.com/factory-guns/loyalist-arms/


Waiting for the inevitable cut&paste responses that they're not true firearms since they weren't manufactured/exported as a firearm. They're not proofed or the wood is too heavy + cannot be reduced in size or not PC/HC. Here, below, is a rare photo of an attempt to proof test an Indian smoothbore, per their detractors:

What did I miss?

 

[Colonialnerd]

You left out “junk”. That word gets thrown around. Oh, and telling you not to bother with the hobby at all unless you spend $1500-$2000 or more for fill in the blank preferred manufacturer/kit maker.

 

[Sam squanch]

If you like to tinker around and think you can improve them, they are ok. The barrels are safe enough, just HEAVY trigger pulls, and bad lock fitting.

 

[64Springer]

Indian guns are the original 80% guns.

 

[ColonialRifleSmith]

I was kinda hunting around for an indian trade or short land pattern bess and came across this company. Their prices are significantly less than what I have been seeing. Is this because the guns are made in India or what?

Don't listen to the India Gun Haters. Buying one from a reputable sell will get you a safe gun as long as you follow safe shooing practices. 2 other places to look are Veteran Arms and Heritage Arms. Heritage Arms is the least expensive, however they don't drill the touch hole. If you don't know how to do this properly, you will need to get someone to do it for you. I rework India guns for $50.00 + shipping. People usually have the musket shipped to me, I work it, then ship it to the buyer ready to shoot. Semper Fi.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I wouldn't own one.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Don't listen to the India Gun Haters. Buying one from a reputable sell will get you a safe gun as long as you follow safe shooing practices. 2 other places to look are Veteran Arms and Heritage Arms. Heritage Arms is the least expensive, however they don't drill the touch hole. If you don't know how to do this properly, you will need to get someone to do it for you. I rework India guns for $50.00 + shipping. People usually have the musket shipped to me, I work it, then ship it to the buyer ready to shoot. Semper Fi.

I will keep that in mind. If Im not mistaken, the guns come with proof paperwork?

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Yes, Indian made.
A US distributor is Loyalist Arms


Waiting for the inevitable cut&paste responses that they're not true firearms since they weren't manufactured/exported as a firearm. They're not proofed or the wood is too heavy + cannot be reduced in size or not PC/HC. Here, below, is a rare photo of an attempt to proof test an Indian smoothbore, per their detractors:
View attachment 221862

What did I miss?

I can see I opened another can of worms with all the differing views.

 

[hawkeye2]

I will keep that in mind. If Im not mistaken, the guns come with proof paperwork?

No gun comes with "proof Paperwork". Those that are proofed bear a proofmark stamped into the barrel. None of the Indian guns you buy anywhere, or for that matter a custom built in America, will be proofed. Judging from the posts made here over the years Loyalist seems to have the best rep & service. If I were to buy an Indian gun they are the one I would go to even though they may charge a little more.

 

[Grenadier1758]

In my unit, the best King's Muskets were the few made from Rifle Shoppe parts or the Narragansett Arms guns. For a long time, the only affordable Brown Bess muskets were the Short Land Pattern offered by Pedersoli or Mitsubishi. At the present time, our muskets are the Long Land Pattern and the best of those were bought from Loyalist Arms. My King's Musket is a Loyalist Arms musket and it has been reliable and is serving me well.

 

[DuncNZ]

No gun comes with "proof Paperwork". Those that are proofed bear a proofmark stamped into the barrel. None of the Indian guns you buy anywhere, or for that matter a custom built in America, will be proofed. Judging from the posts made here over the years Loyalist seems to have the best rep & service. If I were to buy an Indian gun they are the one I would go to even though they may charge a little more.

I own and have owned a number of firearms with both proof marks and proof certificates and several with no proof marks .
The Indian made muskets etc are great as prop guns as used in movies . The flintlocks may take some work to get them to flash in the pan

 

[WALT53]

I was kinda hunting around for an indian trade or short land pattern bess and came across this company. Their prices are significantly less than what I have been seeing. Is this because the guns are made in India or what?

My first flintlock smoothbore I bought was from loyalist arms .The reason was to see how I would like it and get along with a flint lock smoothy .Blair and Linda at loyalist arms are very very good to deal with and professional.
And as far a quality goes it shots as good as my custom flint smoothy ,only difference is it cost a lot less .And they go threw them before they ship them to make sure they work as they should.

 

[Hermit Tim]

I've owned one India made gun. It was a short percussion musketoon with musket nipple. Don't know who made or imported it. I got it used online. The wood finish wasn't very good at all, and it had a heavy trigger pull. But all that was fixable and I really like it. Wish I still had it. I, for one, don't have a problem with India guns.

 

[tenngun]

I will keep that in mind. If Im not mistaken, the guns come with proof paperwork?

No, but none of my Sharron,Green River,Green mountain or CVA barrels came proofed either.
Just got one from Loyalist. Lock is smooth and a sparker, trigger pull is good. It sports a 46 inch barrel. It is the doglocks civilian style musket and could be fitted with a bayonet. It is just shy of ten pounds, about the weight of a bess. Very close in visible size to a 1710 doglock. Stock demissions look the same, buttplate tail different, wood metal fit is equal to what I can do myself, and no different from perdisoli and my old navy arms.

 

[tenngun]

Please keep in mind, until I started research on Indian guns I had all the prejudice you can think of about curry poppers and Bombay pipe bombs. I couldn’t have been more wrong

 

[Hermit Tim]

Please keep in mind, until I started research on Indian guns I had all the prejudice you can think of about curry poppers and Bombay pipe bombs. I couldn’t have been more wrong

Curry poppers...

 

[ArmorerRoy]

I have a 1724 Dublin Castle Brown Bess Musket that came from loyalist arms. I purchased it used from another member here. I love the musket and have no complaints.

 

[Hermit Tim]

I have a 1724 Dublin Castle Brown Bess Musket that came from loyalist arms. I purchased it used from another member here. I love the musket and have no complaints. View attachment 221944

Tis beautiful.

 

[wganz]

You left out “junk”. That word gets thrown around. Oh, and telling you not to bother with the hobby at all unless you spend $1500-$2000 or more for fill in the blank preferred manufacturer/kit maker.

Thanks for reminding me of 'junk'. I'll add that next time.
These are the ones that take a helo to their yacht that is the size of a Nimitz class carrier with the top deck filled with Swedish supermodels all sunbathing topless. Minimum acceptable price for a ML is in the upper 4 digits. Yeah……

I wouldn't own one.

That is your choice and it is just like my choice that I don't buy Cuban cigars.
Based on strong personal feelings that you're not going to change my mind regardless what you say.


I personally chose Loyalist because of their reputation & not price.
Their Arkansas distributor ships months quicker if stocked.
Got 2 percussion muskets so I cannot vouch for their flintlocks yet.
My next ML is a trade gun from @Rob M. ; so, the Loyalist replica 1766 Charleville will have to wait.