Tennessee Valley Muzzleloaders

[Comfortably_Numb]

Web between barrel and Ramrod is too thick. Slab sided. Lock panels are too fat. Generally, the inletting is good.

 

[Ranger94]

I have (2) TVMs. A 40 Late Lancaster and a 54 Iron PA rifle. Purchased the 40 about 3-4 years ago. They told me about a year wait - took about 6 months. The 54 I got last year - told me it would take a year and that was about right. I fully realize when ordering a custom or semi custom product good work takes time. I am very patient.

The customer service girl Melanie is a hoot and fun to email and talk with.

I am completely satisfied and would order again in a heartbeat (if I had the cash).

 

[64Springer]

this i one i bought off the ALF, it is 54 SMR and shoots great! this 3 shot group is offhand at 50yds, that is the good, the bad is about 3 years ago i bought a TVM kit, an early Virgina in 45, i gave it to a friend to shape the wood for me. after he started, he noticed the ramrod entry hole was way off center. by then we were into it and i never contacted them so i just lived with it, but the gun is a tack driver! in the accuracy department they seem to be fine, but i would tell them to make sure the entry hole is straight! or to keep it till it is! LOL,,,,,,,,,,,
View attachment 188656

Is that an ash wood stock? That's beautiful. If it is ash, did you have any problem with grain that looked like oak?

I've seen some ash with grain/pours that were huge.

Thanks.

 

[EC121]

What Mike said. They use the same parts as we all do, but the wood shaping leaves room for improvement. Web too thick and the ramrod channel is left too deep. That makes a slab sided fore end.

 

[Beaver3365]

Thanks for all the responses. I knew when I ordered it it would be about 15 months or so.
Upgraded to cherry stock and ordered it ITW so I can do some carving.
There were 220 orders in front of mine.

 

[M. De Land]

this i one i bought off the ALF, it is 54 SMR and shoots great! this 3 shot group is offhand at 50yds, that is the good, the bad is about 3 years ago i bought a TVM kit, an early Virgina in 45, i gave it to a friend to shape the wood for me. after he started, he noticed the ramrod entry hole was way off center. by then we were into it and i never contacted them so i just lived with it, but the gun is a tack driver! in the accuracy department they seem to be fine, but i would tell them to make sure the entry hole is straight! or to keep it till it is! LOL,,,,,,,,,,,
View attachment 188656

Be careful not to put much side pressure on that stock or fall on it. The grain run through the wrist is very weak and prone to breakage. I think if it were mine I'd pull the lock and barrel and run a 5/16- 3/8 inch steel rod from the barrel breech area down through the wrist into the butt past the last grain ring and glass bed/epoxy in place. The rod will need to be offset and or altered to allow the tang and trigger plate screw clearance.

 

[Pete G]

You could build one yourself in less time than that. No way I'd wait that long for anything

You could build it only if you had the parts. If not you would have to wait; just like the rest of us.

 

[smo]

220 builds behind…..
Let that sink in Guys.
They are extremely busy!
I don’t own a TVM gun , but I know several who do & I haven’t heard any complaints from anyone..

 

[pacanis]

I bought one from their online "showroom". I'm pretty happy with it. They were well spoken of and recommended on another forum.
And any questions after the sale, even about locating a sight for another ML I had, was above and beyond today's brand of customer service. IMO.

That's too bad to read the negative comments. But it seems any business is going to have good and bad reviews. Especially if they take on too much work without increasing their workforce.

The last holster I ordered from a popular maker took three weeks longer than the outside date. The one not a year earlier a week sooner. It's the way of the world thee days. Everyone is dependent on their suppliers and the suppliers are dependent on their suppliers for raw materials.

 

[Rató:rats]

I have the TVM Fowling piece built from kit by another forum member. It’s my favourite gun. I’ve only had to call TVM once with an issue and it was quickly resolved and a pleasant interaction.

 

[ohio ramrod]

While I don't have any of their work myself, several friends have some and all are happy with the quality, but not happy with the time it takes to get one!

 

[TerryK]

I have a 54 late Lancaster, and it is very nice in my opinion. Very quick and reliable. I have the upgraded maple, and the optional patchbox.

 

[jackpine54]

I had TVM build me one of their fusils about 10 years ago. I got it in about 9 months, one month ahead of schedule. It's been a great gun and probably put a couple thousand pounds of meat in the freezer. I have another in the works now.

 

[Bruce McClung]

13 months since I placed my order for a TVM Tn. Can't wait to get it. Any thoughts on them?

I had them build me a Early Virginia Rifle back in 2008, It took 13 months but it was worth the wait... no problems with it at all and the fit and finish is spot on...

 

[Nor'Easter]

It probably depends mostly on 'expectations'.

I've spent the last 2-3 weeks studying 'early flint' trigger guards. It's still kicking my butt. Sometimes I just stare and ask myself "what is the difference, I can't see a thing". But there are folks here (artists) who can spot the slightest deviation from what is expected based on school or builder or date.

I did auto body work for a few years. Eventually, after 100,000 times of running your hand across your work, you can feel imperfections the human eye can not see. I've been at car shows and heard people 'oooh' and 'aaah' over a car, then I look down the side of the car in just the right light and go 'ughhhh'.

I'm not justifying workmanship that are "dents a blind man can see". That same car from the show cruising down main street later that night has 95% of the lookers saying to each other 'that's nice". The auto body shop painters look at each other and say 'did you see that car up close at the car show?'

A person that doesn't know (or care) to ask how thick the web is or how wide the lock panels are is unlikely to complain about his gun being slab sided. If the fit and finish meet the buyers expectations (subjective) and the gun is accurate (subjective) and reliable (subjective) for a price they have agreed to - then all is good.

Lastly $$$ is always a pertinent componenet. I regularly check the web (besides this site) for custom MLs for sale. It's a rare thing to find a $2300 - $2500 completed new gun. Most builders talk more like $3500 - $5000+. Not begrudging them their due wages at all - they earn every penny of it, but sort of a different league than an $1800 dollar completed new gun. Heck - some models of new Pedersoli's are pretty close to that mark.

 

[Pilgrim]

It probably depends mostly on 'expectations'.

I've spent the last 2-3 weeks studying 'early flint' trigger guards. It's still kicking my butt. Sometimes I just stare and ask myself "what is the difference, I can't see a thing". But there are folks here (artists) who can spot the slightest deviation from what is expected based on school or builder or date.

I did auto body work for a few years. Eventually, after 100,000 times of running your hand across your work, you can feel imperfections the human eye can not see. I've been at car shows and heard people 'oooh' and 'aaah' over a car, then I look down the side of the car in just the right light and go 'ughhhh'.

I'm not justifying workmanship that are "dents a blind man can see". That same car from the show cruising down main street later that night has 95% of the lookers saying to each other 'that's nice". The auto body shop painters look at each other and say 'did you see that car up close at the car show?'

A person that doesn't know (or care) to ask how thick the web is or how wide the lock panels are is unlikely to complain about his gun being slab sided. If the fit and finish meet the buyers expectations (subjective) and the gun is accurate (subjective) and reliable (subjective) for a price they have agreed to - then all is good.

Lastly $$$ is always a pertinent componenet. I regularly check the web (besides this site) for custom MLs for sale. It's a rare thing to find a $2300 - $2500 completed new gun. Most builders talk more like $3500 - $5000+. Not begrudging them their due wages at all - they earn every penny of it, but sort of a different league than an $1800 dollar completed new gun. Heck - some models of new Pedersoli's are pretty close to that mark.

I admire those guns and builders. I am fortunate to get through a kit build without making a disaster.

 

[Nor'Easter]

I admire those guns and builders. I am fortunate to get through a kit build without making a disaster.

I'm getting ready to start collecting parts & materials for my first build. Never one to take things slow and steady, I'm jumping into the deep end. The only part I'll be buying is a custom barrel. Everything else will be hand built from scratch. We'll see how it goes. Plan on taking a couple of years.

 

[Pilgrim]

I'm getting ready to start collecting parts & materials for my first build. Never one to take things slow and steady, I'm jumping into the deep end. The only part I'll be buying is a custom barrel. Everything else will be hand built from scratch. We'll see how it goes. Plan on taking a couple of years.

Best of luck. Remember to be patient with yourself.

 

[Snydly]

Wife shooting my TVM. 1st class firearm. Beautiful and shoot as good as it looks. Highly recommend.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I'm getting ready to start collecting parts & materials for my first build. Never one to take things slow and steady, I'm jumping into the deep end. The only part I'll be buying is a custom barrel. Everything else will be hand built from scratch. We'll see how it goes. Plan on taking a couple of years.

The lock will probably take two years alone.