Show N Tell your first MLer rifle

[Larry (Omaha)]

I always wanted a flinter and at that time loved the Roman nose style. Ha, until I shot it . Anyway in 1971 I got rained out on the heavy highway construction job I was working on. I asked my wife of one year if she would go to Dixie Gun works with me. She said yes, and we drove from Omaha to Union City Tenn to purchased my first muzzleloading rifle. This is a Italian made 45 cal and sparks very well. Still have it today.
Larry
PS. If I remember correctly it was right at $265.00 pick it up price. It did not come with set triggers nor a fly in the lock. I added the set triggers and fly after I found out why I needed a fly.

 

[Phil Coffins]

My first was a TC Hawken. All though I had a good paying job it was my policy to not spent wages on toys. So a part time side job was taken till I could mail order it. It won many matches and served for my deer hunting rifle as well. Sold it off and had a few different muzzle loaders before starting to build them.

 

[11th corps]

I inherited a couple of ml rifles. One is a t/c hawken cap lock in .45, the other a .45 cap lock CVA.

I guess my first ml rifle I purchased with my money is a T/C Hawken flintlock in .50 caliber.
Still have all three plus a few more.

My first ml of any kind was a Ruger Old Army. I was a manager trainee at a Haag drug store in Indianapolis. This was in 1975. Down the street was a small gun shop on Pendleton Pike. I bought the ROA for about $125 iirc. Every other weekend when my wife and I would go back to our home town my Dad and I would go out to the gun range and shoot our old Army's (he liked mine so much he bought one himself).
I have fond memories of Dad and I making smoke. He's been gone many years now, and I have his ROA plus my own. I always think of Dad when I shoot either one of them.

 

[Gtrubicon]

My first was an Investarm Bridger Hawken percussion in 45. I’ve shot it a lot. I began to not like the looks of it so I ordered some parts and reworked it a few months ago. Now I really like the looks of it.

 

[Forester]

My first was my High School graduation present, a 58 cal Zouave by Navy Arms. This was in 1971. I still have it,

 

[nchawkeye]

Bob Watts, .45 caliber that I bought in 1977 at his shop in Stone Mountain, Georgia...Gave $470.00 for it...

 

[sdilts]

H&A underhammer back in the early 70s. Given to me by a girl I was dating. She taught me how to shoot it.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Well this is a tough one to answer. My first ML I shot was my dad's 54 cal TC Hawken when I was 5. Around 8-9 for Xmas I got a 32/45 CVA squirrel kit, so technically it was my first ML. However, I also own the original 54 TC as well and it's what I shot my first deer with too. So, who knows what first one is classified as. I can tell ya my last 2 as well 62/20 Kibler Fowler and a 40 cal Early VA.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

My first was a beautifully stocked Lyman Trade Rifle, perc .50.

Thing was a tack driver!!

 

[Whitworth]

A kit T/C Hawken, belonged to friend who partied himself to death Serves as a reminder to not do the same.

 

[CTShooter]

My first muzzleloader. It was a T/C .50 kit given to me by a club member, covered with dust, stuck up in a closet for years, he was told to “give it to someone that would finish it”.

No directions and a few missing parts, took about a year to figure it out and get it together.
Still the one I take to the woods, I have a couple of others, but they just seem to be the ones that get borrowed at the range.

 

[olgrumpy]

Jonathan Browning Mountain Rifle .50 cal bought new late 70's . Still my favorite.

 

[wiscoaster]

My first flint rifle that I shot was a Pedersoli Frontier .45 cal:

My first that I bought was actually a Kibler SMR, but I bought the above while the SMR was still in progress and I was having difficulties with assembling it (first rifle kit):

Once I got the SMR finished and shot it I don't think I've ever shot the Pedersoli again. It's a pretty rifle and it hung on the wall as a display piece for a while. Lately it's been a closet queen. When I want to shoot a .45 cal flint rifle, I shoot the SMR.

 

[LonestarShootR]

New to the game of traditional muzzleloading. Started off way back in 2023 when bought a few from a friend. Think I paid $125-$150 for this .40 cal built by Jack Garner. Not sure what style it is. Fairly small diameter barrel that’s 42” long.

 

[Rebel bull]

the first was a CVA Walker kit it was a Christmas gift from my wife the next year she gave me a CVA Kentucky 45 kit that I basically just finished and through together that being said it is the most accurate rifle I own . then after several I thought hey I want to try flintlock so I in my wisdom decided it had to be the same as my other rifle. so I purchased another CVA Kentucky and just assembled it no fit finish or other (long story) and will never be finished but like the percussion is still the most accurate flint I own.

 

[rp77469]

CVA US MR kit bought in 1978 at Hecks (think K-Mart) in Lancaster Ohio. They had two pallets of them on the floor to pick through. $66 plus 4 percent sales tax. Still have it and have shot over 70 pounds of Goex out of it. Someday I'll calculate how much lead that required.

 

[gunpa]

I was slow getting into the game. I got my TC New Englander 54 in 89 and after a Hoyt reline it shoots as good as ever ( wish I did).

 

[springfield art]

CVA US MR kit bought in 1978 at Hecks (think K-Mart) in Lancaster Ohio. They had two pallets of them on the floor to pick through. $66 plus 4 percent sales tax. Still have it and have shot over 70 pounds of Goex out of it. Someday I'll calculate how much lead that required.

I just assembled a CVA Mt. Rifle .50 from about 1980 that sat in it's orig. shipping box for 40 years! Finished it in all grays, call it "the Gray Ghost"! Paid $100 to the guy who found it behind a big cabinet while working for an auctioneer; being in NJ, they didn't want to go to the "registration" hassle, so I got it and brought it back to life! You can convert 1978 dollars into today's to see what it actually cost back then; on line has conversion tables, it's fun to see how much money I actually squandered back then! I liked K-Marts!!

 

[Big Tom 52]

T/C Cherokee 45 caliber

This rifle was first owned by my brother-in-law and when he passed away, he wanted me to have it. When my time is up it will go to my son and hopefully to his son or daughter.

 

[Thingamajiggy]

First ML shot was a .50 TC in 1979, 1st 1 owned was a Lyman Great Plains .50 in '82 and 1st custom ML is a .54 late lancaster built by Jackie Brown. Of those, I currently only have the Jackie Brown, others moved on long ago.