Rifle Shoppe snaphaunce guns

[mike mckinney]

Greetings and salutations!
Having had no luck in tracking down a decent mid eastern snaphaunce. I am considering one of the rifle shoppe;s english snaphaunce muskets. Has anyone on this forum ever dealt with the forementioned company or built one of these kits. If so what kind of tools and skills does one need?

 

[Light Dragoon]

Tuskin;

I can't say about the kits, nor dealing with the company itself, but recently I purchased (from the company via ebay, at their retail price) one of their finished musket locks. I couldn't be happier with it, as it is a good example of the locks of the period, and sparks like a demon. Shipped within two weeks, too.

Gordon

 

[Evil Roy]

I have never done business with them myself, BUT, I have read many unkind things on various forums. The posts seem to concern long (in years) delivery times and broken promises. I can't remember the details now, but the gist was, don't order directly from them. Their products are said to be very good when you get them, though. Probably the best option would be to only get stuff from e-bay or from somebody else that stocks their stuff. That's just my opinion, like I said, I don't have any personal experience with them.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Jess is good people, He trys to be the most PC guy Ive ever known when it comes to the 1803's he makes and sells.

 

[bovey]

Well I hate to rain on a parade but I will just say that I have done business with them twice over the past years and the experience was not good. I would love to do more business with them but past experience has soured me. Sorry...

 

[Kevin M]

I would love to do business with them. However I have been waiting for 6 months to get a catalog. I call them and they say they are working on a new one and cannot send me the old one with the outdated pricing. I know 2 gun builders that will not work with them because they don't have a year to wait to get parts. I have heard they wait until they get an order to make parts rather than having parts in stock. I love what they have online though. I would love to make one of the Scottish muskets they have.

 

[rich pierce]

The trick is to buy what they have in stock or plan your projects well in advance. They have a very ambitious catalogue of truly correct locks and furniture, etc that can hardly be all kept in stock. So they are victims of their love of the muzzleloader. I also am guilty as charged.

I needed lock castings for a Hudson Valley fowler and timed it right. They had them in stock.

It's funny to me because we're on the internet talking about snaphaunces and how long we might have to wait for the parts. We love the old-timey "feel" of our hobby but want to experience it on a modern timeline. Like with the click of a mouse.

Sometimes you may have to go a little deeper if you want the full experience. So when I have to wait 6 months for a barrel and a stock blank (as I have done for my latest project), I tell myself,
"the ship from England turned back because of severe storms"
"The privateers got it- again!"
"the sluice at the barrel mill got destroyed by the spring flood"
Stuff like that.

 

[Zonie]

Rich: I'm suprised you didn't mention the goings on at the GreenToad Inn where the bullwhackers got drunked up an half tore the place down. :: One would have thought they would have known that the GreenToads owner had 37 close kinfolk living within 2 miles of the place. By daybreak, 17 of them had arrived at the site, all armed. You never heard such cussing in all your life!
I heard it took them the better part of a week for those wagonjockeys to rebuild all of the stuff they destroyed in a two hour fling.

Then there was the big washout at Heinrich's Crossing where the ferry got washed downstream and it took the better part of a week to get it towed back up stream and back in operation. :shocking:

Then that second big storm added to the one that washed the ferry out turned the road between Meadvill and the Y into a mudpit! It took them 3 days to go 14 miles!!
Someone ought to fix that stretch someday. It happens every time there's heavy rain in that area.

And don't forget there was the delay when a few indians stuck a few arrows into the lead oxen of old Horst Vanderhaus's team.
You'd think those skinners would realize they can't track down indians in those woods! Another day lost.

ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fed Ex Flight 755 is being held in Chicago due to weather conditions. A blizzard that dropped over 4 feet of snow last night has caused the FAA to cancel all flights. Visibility is currently less than 100 yards but is expected to clear by noon.

WHERE THE HE*L IS THE OVERNITE DELIVERY OF MY LOCK SCREW??? IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE YESTERDAY!!:: :: ::

 

[Kevin M]

If I could get a catalog to drool over I would not mind waiting for the parts. Its starting to feel like the mail ship has been blockaded from entering port.

 

[tallbear]

The Rifle Shoppe is slow!That being said I think they are victims of their own success.They make high quality castings of things you can get nowhere else.I have dealt with them for the last couple of years.I plan way ahead and try not to get my hopes as to when they will show up.When they do show up I have always been pleased by the quality.Like most of the gun building suppliers they are a small operation that sometimes get overwhelmed.
Mitch

 

[Henry]

Ever since I got interested with muzzle loaders
and historical re-enactement , I heard of the legends
of the Rifle Shoppe , so I planned ahead and ordered
by phone ... can you imagine that the voice at the
other end said " yes we have it ",

I received the parts one week later ,
( for a Fusil de Tulle )

Now are on my work bench until I have
the time to assemble them , probably next year ......

 

[oldarmy]

I was so MAD AT THEM I called up my credit card company and demanded a refund from them.
I waited 8 months for a stock.
There I feel much better.
After trying to get in touch with them for at least 3 weeks I sent an angry e-mail and cancelled the afore mentioned CC.
That got their attention.
I did relent and take the stock. It was a special order after all and I felt bad sticking the guy with the stock.
My big problem with them is. They never answer the phone and being a newbie, I thought they had taken my money and I would never see the stock or my money again.
I since have cooled down, but wouldn't advise any one to do business with them unless you are preparded to wait a long time for their parts.

 

[mike alexandre]

Well, I have ordered and paid for a much needed replacement lock for my Baker. Mike has promised the lock in 8 to 12 weeks which is up at the end of April. I spoke to a lady at the beginning of April who assured me that things were on track. I really hope I can report positively on this web site.

 

[Vince N]

Last November I sent TRS an email asking for delivery for a complete Dutch musket lock kit and matching side plate. Mike responded the next day "everything is in stock." I ordered and received everything within a week.

 

[mike mckinney]

I'm kinda thinking I should order their catalogue first. If it is currently out of print, when will it be back in print? Man I wish someone would make as mass produced version of one of these guns that would make life alot easier. :curse:

 

[oldarmy]

Yea, But you know it wouldn't be the same.
After reading my old post.
I would add the stock is very nice piece of american walnut and where else am I ever going to find a new 1843 Baker
rifle stock and where else could I order just one?
The answer is of course NO WHERE.
I read a post here about these small gunbuilders that want to try to make a living at building custom rifles and before you know it they are swamped with orders they can't fill and/or get behind and then it becomes a vicious cycle of late orders and angry customers.
I think I was a little too harsh on them.
Just my 2 cents

 

[dlemaster]

My son wants a copy of an 1817 Common Rifle and I was going to order parts from TRS. Maybe I should call ahead and also get a catalog.
What do you all think?

Regards, Dave

 

[rich pierce]

I just received the castings for a Dutch flintlock I ordered recently from the Rifle Shoppe and they are the best quality castings I have ever seen, anywhere. Service was pretty quick (parts were in stock) and I am very pleased with the parts. Could not ask for better. Terrific, the lockplate is actually flat, there is no pitting on the castings anywhere. This is going to be a beauty. I have been privileged to handle an original Dutch flintlock from a 1720-1740 musket and these parts are very similar, just a tad smaller. Here's the original and this one is so similar it looks designed by the same hand:

 

[benvenuto]

I've been waiting a month to hear if and when the new catalogue can be ordered.
I'd like to echo the "victim of their own sucess" theme.
As far as i see it, they either need to become a much bigger company, cut back on the range they offer, spin off parts of their range to other companies, or switch to "trade only" sales.
You just can't keep giving customers unrealistic expectations and then disappointing them

I've always thought it would be neat to get into the business myself, but I have been looking for years for training in precision casting and can't find a single course!

 

When other people do occasionally, what the Rifle Shop does on a regular basis, people try to put them in jail.

I do not care how good their parts are or how period correct, I will not subject myself to such abuse. I have divorced women that treated me better than the Rifle Shop treats their customers!

I refuse to support their incompetence by continuing to send them money so that they can do good things very badly.

:front: