Smoothbore barrel

[jderrick]

Hello. I'm tossing around the idea of building a trade gun, thinking of the shotgun/roundball, all-purpose, everyman piece....

I'm looking for a kit and I see a couple, but they're more than $500. I just finished a $225 rifle kit and am working on a $140 revolver kit. Yeah, though I don't skimp on saftey and basic function, I compromise some on getting the finest, most historically accurate stuff, but I'm young, cheap and easily amused.

It seems strange to me to pay most for the weapon that would probably have been cheapest back in the day. I know I oversimplify, but it's a hollow, unrifled tube and a cheap lock and stock.

Is there a kit I'm overlooking? I'm considering building a piece from scratch, but even lookng for simple, no-frills, smoothbore barrels I'd be out as much as some complete, new, good quality, modern pump shotguns that are already put together.

Am I overlooking some outlet or is this just the cost of being in a niche hobby?

 

[rich pierce]

You nailed it. Niche hobby, low volume, especially for what you want, a trade gun. There are some cheap short round shotgun barrels available that you could modify to use if you wanted to put together a gun from parts, but they would not be authentic in length, profile, etc.

 

[bpollock_sr]

aaaaaaahhhhh, no! Unadorned,very plain,and maybe not the best fit and finish, but cheap materials, never.Those trade guns were used and relied apon by explorers, pioneers, Indians,and mountainmen coast to coast for almost 200 yrs. They were a tough and reliable firearm.Sell those folks anything less and you would find your self on the wrong side of one in short order.

 

[khwils]

JDerrick, You can get a Oct to round smoothbore kit for about $350 from Tennessee Valley Manufacturing.

 

[jderrick]

Hmmmmm.... I feel more educated. Thanks, and if I go for a kit/scratch-build, I'll be sure to keep folks posted....

 

[Flintandsteel]

You know the old addage.... You get what you pay for??
It definitely goes for muzzleloading parts.

You can build cheap kits, and for the most part, have a cheap, unreliable gun when finished.
Obviously, spend the money on the lock and barrel. The rest is just frills. You'll never be sorry you built an ugly, perfectly functioning rifle, but a pretty poorly functioning gun, you'll hate forever.
:nono: