S Zihn wants your input

[Joel Boyles]

I'm very partial to the Tennessee/Southern style rifles, just something about the graceful curve of the stock, the long barrel and browned iron furniture really floats my boat!

Enjoy today,

Joel

 

[john4645]

It would be two, A smoothbore, english in style from 1750-1765 not to fancy but a nice fowler. and a early rifle same time period, a rifle that could have been in the F&I war, but not a jager or a christian spings gun. .60 or .62 cal, not to fancy either but accurate as heck.

 

[biliff]

If by "Dream Gun" you mean "next gun that I don't need" I'm thinking along the lines of a Bedford County style squirrel rifle, flintlock of course.

 

[rabjr]

A nice New England style Fowler.

 

[ldykeman]

I have a mental picture of my dream rifle, and I don't think it matches any historically correct rifle from any particular period. It is a flintlock full stocked rifle, in .45 cal. with a fairly long barrel. I am 6' 1" tall and I would like it sized proportionately in length so it doesn't look too short or long when I hold it. The balance point should be just a few inches in front of the trigger guard. It would be .45 cal. but in a very slim barrel, so that it would be as light as possible. The barrel would be octagonal for its entire length, with a gradual taper to a thinner muzzle (not a swamped barrel). The twist and rifling depth would be optimal for a patched round ball in that caliber. It would be a working rifle, very plain, with no embellishments of any kind. no nose cap, no patch box, no carvings, etc. The fixtures would be iron/steel, with nothing shiny to reflect light. The metal would all be blued, now browned (personal preference). The length of pull would be longer than normal, as I have long arms and long neck (my T/C Renegade punishes my cheek bone). Because of my aging eyes, it would have to have some sort of peep sight in the rear, the closer to the eye the better. The front sight would have a silver bead. The reason I specify a .45 cal. is that it would be adequate for our whitetail deer here in NY, and still be small enough for small game. I am pretty handy around tools, but haven't gotten enough courage to acquire the various components to build this rifle. Maybe someday.
Larry

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Dream gun? That's an easy one to answer and it is a hard one to answer. When I decided to get into front loading and build something, my dream gun was a Hawken style. My Lyman GPR percussion was the result. Now I want a flinter and I am drawn towards a Southern style; North Carolina or Tennessee. After that it might be a Lancaster. It's kinda like the antique airplanes I love, Steve. There are just too many of them that I gotta have.

Scott

 

[Le Grand]

Steve, The only problem with your question is that whenever someone gets a "dream gun," they start dreaming about getting another one. I've seen your guns at a couple of rendezvous and they are very nice. The guns I like the most are the guns of the mountain men, authentic Hawkens, Lemans, Henrys, and so on. My dream gun must be a plains rifle, pistols and smoothbores take second place. Le Grand

 

[Gary]

German jaeger. Short, handy and accurate. :thumbsup:

Better yet, a Ferguson with a synthetic stock coloured to look like wood. No fear of it breaking in the field. Gee, since they're polished, make it from stainless steel too! Might as well have a vinyl sling since it's non-rotting unlike leather or canvas. How much more fone-ney kin ah git? :haha:

 

[Bountyhunter]

Steve,

What I see while kickin up dust down here is a mix of Hawkens, some GPR's with the new guys, but Santa Fe's, and several nice custom Hawkens. Plain rifles, no shiney stuff to give ya away, they's still some savages out ther that'ud raise yer hair if they saw yer shine. I'd say maybe 40%.

But the favorite that I'm seein now is North West Guns, 20 ga flinters, and for some reason, almost all NorthStarWest guns. Matt has a good following in the Rockies and Sangre de Cristos.

Here, the bore is generally big, but other than that, less is more.

Bill

 

[Bountyhunter]

RB,

Yes, a real copy. I cant say that I have seen anyone shooting an actual Hawken....I would if I had one, but then that is me. I have 3 original guns that I shoot.

I just think it is a sacriledge to call some of that imported stuff Hawken. The Uberti rifles would be the exception. If ya have an Issac Haines, then it should look like an Issac Haines, if you call it a Hawken then it should look like a Hawken. The TC's and the imports might be good little shooters, but they dont look like a Hawken even if they have the name engraved on the barrel.

B

 

[Rick Davis]

Smoothbore flintlock, the bigger the caliber, the better...

I'm drawn in this direction, too. Because of what I'm involved with right now, martial arms are of particular interest. A few years ago an online vendor (TOW?) had a real showstopper blunderbuss -- 4 gauge, steel barrel. I liked it so much, I saved the ad pictures.

Another flinter I'd LOVE to get is one of the few repro Ferguson rifles that surface once in a while, especially under 2 kilobucks.

On my budget, I'd settle for the lightbox they used to take these blunderbuss pictures.

 

[MikeC]

Thank You Mike
You have a Merry Christmas too.
And let me know what your shootingn buddies think of it, when you get it. OK?

Sure will Steve.

Mike

 

[szihn]

Idykeman
I would encourage you to do it. You'll love it.
Because you say you would not make it fancy, even if you made a bad mistake and had to start over, you would not be out very much money for new wood. It's all part of learning, but it fun.

Guys, building muzzleloaders is very enjoyable, and the parts are available. It's something you can "buy one piece at a time" and you will have the satisfaction of owning something you made yourself

So Idykeman....
DO IT!


Steve Zihn

 

[szihn]

Hi LeGrand
Thanks so much for your kind words.
However, I don't know where you are. Can you tell me?

That's the reason for my question,,,,,,,is to see what people want, and in what areas of the country they want what?

Steve

 

[szihn]

Bounty hunter,---


where are You?

 

[Bountyhunter]

Check your PM

 

[tg]

I put together a well researched "cows foot" French common fusil from the Tulle armory last year and it fits and shoots as well...better, than any gun I have ever owned, it was a project of nearly two years research and labor and will likely be the last gun I put together as I do not think I could do anything that would do more, fit or shoot better than this one.

 

[Le Grand]

"I don't know where you are. Can you tell me?"

Steve, You wouldn't remember me, I'm just another 'skinner out in the crowd. However, when I cross your path again, I will introduce myself. Le Grand

 

[szihn]

Oh COOL TG

Show us pics.

 

[szihn]

Please do LaGrand.