Traditions PA Pellet - Useable or Junk?

[NoJacketRequired]

Hi Folks,

Yup, it's me back again. I'm slowly gettin' some friends interested in the ML sport. One of them is more interested in flintlocks than percussion and is thinking of buying a flinter. He's been eyeing up the Traditions PA Pellet rifle as his first rocklock. Since what I know about flintlocks could be written on the head of a pin with a felt-tipped marker, I thought it best to sound out the sages on this board for advice.

This gun will likely be used as a PRB hunting rifle in cold weather (December in Ontario, so all temp's will be below freezing). He has no interest in his hunting rifle being anything like "period correct", but rather wants a flinter that will work without spending hours and hours of fiddling to make it work.

Has anybody seen/used/evaluated this rifle? If so, how does it stack up from a functionality standpoint? In this neck of the woods there's not a lot of choice when it comes to flintlocks (or even percussion sidelocks for that matter) so his range of choices is severely limited. Let's here what you think.

As always, thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge.

 

[Rebel]

Well, if it were me i would tell him to buy the Cabela's, Pedersoli, Blue Ridge instead. I had a Traditions Pa. flinter, just long enough to look at it and send it back. The lock is real small and they don't appear to be very well built. The Blue Ridge on the other hand has a very well built, good sparking lock. Only thing he may want to do is drill the vent hole out to 5/64" JMO

 

[tg]

I would go a step farther and suggest that if one wants a quick fix so to speak and does not care to learn how to shoot a flinter and live with the learning curve and its ups and downs, one might be better off in the world of centerfires.

 

[NoJacketRequired]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Since some of the details of my original post may have been lost, I'll once again state that selection of flintlocks in this area is very limited. Cabela's will NOT ship here, so that one's out of the question. And since it's a muzzleloading season for deer we're looking at, a centrefire rifle is likewise out of the question. I don't believe there ever was a statement made that the individual looking to purchase this flintlock wanted to get around the learning curve associated with flint, but merely that he had to live within the limitations of this marketplace. We simply don't have a wide selection of flinters available here.

Now, back to the original question. Is this rifle likely to be reasonably reliable in terms of ignition and durability, or is it likely to be a complete disappointment?

Thank you once again for your kind consideration.

 

[chickenlittle]

I'd say the biggest concern about Traditions is the quality of the flintlock. Their guns are a great value in percussion but flintlock is tricky. My Traditions Deerhunter sparks ok but jaw screw was too soft and it bent and stripped the threads (They're sending me a replacement). I may end up buying a replacement L&R lock which will cost 75% of what I paid for the gun. Except for the lock and wimpy rod, I'm satisfied.

He'd be better off stepping up to a Lyman if available or going with a Traditions caplock. I would have been better off spending another $75 for a Lyman Deerstalker or Trade Rifle. Nicer quality and better looking. Your friend might consider the Lyman Great Plains Rifle. Comes in 1/60" twist which is bit better for round ball.

 

Hi nojacketrequired - the Lyman flinters in .50 and .54 are available from Wholesale sports in Calgary - you can check them out online or by phone. 1-800-696-0253 I looked in SIR's catolog and they don't have anyting worthwile looking at in ML's.
; For a cheap rifle, the Lyman is probably about the best buy and even looks like a Muzzleloader should.
; i dont know what you mean by a pellet rifle, but if that refers to the pyrodex pellets, forget than in a flinter unless you've got some BP to put down for a primer in the breech.
; Lovettes in London has real BP - you need that for a flinter and should use it in a caplock as well. there is a gun shop on the highway near Clinton, Ontario that also has BP. I just bought 4 lbs. from each place 3 weeks ago.

 

[AgesofDays]

welll let me start by saying if he wants to buy one i`ve got one for sale in a left handed one ,the flint is small but effective it takes a 1/2 inch pistol flint they say 5/8 but it isn`t .second ...my front blade sight fell off the night before season opened in another state I WASN`T IMPRESSED....3rd when you go to clean it the touchhole threads into the barrel but also into the breech plug so when you go to take the breech plug out you have to soak the touchhole liner first in something to loosen it up to back it out to get the breeckplug out but if you can get past that ...buy a lyman!!!! like i said I have one for sale

 

[Griz]

Had 2 Traditions, both junk. No accuracy, Not good fire producing. Won't own another.

 

[papellet]

I have the PA Pellet in a left handed model. It works fine for me, is accurate enough for me with these old eyes. The pellets dont work as advertised, but real BP makes it a relable gun.

 

[NoJacketRequired]

Ah - now that's more like the kind of info I was looking for! Ont thing's for sure, the folks on this board have a depth and breadth of experience that is both admirable and extremely helpful.

From the replies above I'd say that I'm more likely to steer him toward the Lyman. Personally I'd like him to get a GPR, so that when he gets tired of it I can buy it cheap! LoL As for powder, the only things that should be found in pellet form is deer and rabbit poop! I've got loose Goex black and T7, and will gently guide my friend to use similar powder.

BTW - Daryl - how much did you pay for your powder, if you don't mind me asking? I'm curious because here in the Ottawa area it's running $28+/pound. Makes T7 at $32/pound look pretty good. When I first started in this game I figured having a pound of powder in the cupboard would be a good thing. Little did I realize how quickly that stuff disappears! Now I look at my 4 pound stockpile and think to myself, "not enough powder in there!".

One last question, so please indulge me with your patience... Is the Lyman flintlock one that will likely provide good results over time, or, like most factory guns, should my friend plan on replacing the lock in a year or two? I need to set a reasonable expectation for him. I also am assuming that Lyman uses the same flintlock on all their various models - am I out to lunch in this assumption?

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[2172]

I have both the Lyman Deerstalker and the GPR....I haven't had either long enough to attest to long-term reliability, but the locks require a little tuning, smoothing out...the Deerstalker is probably the better bet for your buddy.
Hank

 

I paid $22.00 per lb, both places. I've also found it available here in Prince George, B.C., but it's $32.95lb.

 

[Griz]

I had a GPR, Deerstalker and a Trade Rifle. ALL, very excellant rifles. In my opion they are probably the most reliable and accurate factory flintlock rifle on the market, with T/C second. I would not hesitate to get another, if I had the $

 

[Rebel]

The Lyman is a well made gun, but again, he may want to drill the vent liner out to at least 1/16" and probably 5/64" would be better. They come with a real small vent hole and ignition is irratic until you make it larger. May also find that taking the lock apart and polishing all the engagement surfaces and then oiling it good will show a vast improvement. For the money though, they are hard to beat.

 

[Batchief909]

I totally agree on the GPR. They're awfully hard to beat, and the service is outstanding. The first thing I'd do, is harden the frizzen. The one I had was fairly soft, but once hardened, worked great! A buddy of mine couldn't live without it, so he owns it now. He's been shooting it for 7 years now, and no problems.

 

[NoJacketRequired]

I actually got to look at a Lyman Great Plains Hunter today. Nice rifle. But just from "dry fires" in the store I could see the frizzen had been worn down quite a bit. Same goes for the T/C they had there. It was a Fire Storm or some such name? It had a plastic stock on it so I didn't pay much attention to anything other than just the lock itself. Blech - plastic - yuck! It's lock seemed to be just about the same as the one on the Lyman, except the vent liner on the Lyman has a cross-slot machined into it. I'm surmising this is so it can be unscrewed from the outside without having to take the barrel off the stock. The double wedge pins on the Lyman make it feel like a really solid rifle. But the trigger was awful in comparison to my percussion guns and the T/C flinter. Hmmm, lots of thinking to do now!

BTW - a note to Daryl - thanks for the info on the powder. I'm heading down to London this weekend so I'll pick up some of that cheap stuff. Nothing like saving 5 or 6 bucks a pound!

 

[Batchief909]

Frizzen worn from dry firing?! Request a new one! The trigger is adjustable. Just needs a tad longer screw for the adjustment. The one on the rifle is a tad too short in my opinion. Probably a mfg. liability thing. The slot is used to take the touch-hole out and replace with a new one when the time comes, as the hole will enlarge with time. Guys on the firing line will tell ya when that time comes. ::

 

[weasel]

njr I also own a lyman gpr I wasn't satisfied with the lock on i t and replaced it with a L&r lock ignition improved instantly and with a little trigger work it is above average shooter advise your friend to stay away from pellet shooters he'll have more hang and misfires and get depressed
weasel

 

Had a close look over a Lyman the fellow had assembled from the kit He did a very a good job on the kit, costing him around $265.00 when he bought it. Judjing form the retail price on the finished gun, unless your time is worth nothing, the finished rifle would be the way to go.
: Although the flint was striking a bit low, his ignition was very good, as I got him to buy some English flints form my Brother. He had been using the sawn flints, agate or whatever they were - horrible things to look at. he'd had approximately 40 shots from the lfint in the jaws, had knapped it several times and it was still like new, if a bit shorter. He insisted on leaving it aobut 3/8" away from the frizzen at 1/2 cock, so it only struck the frizzen, aobut 3/8" up form the bottom, but even then, the iginition was very good. I was amazed as his setup should have given him fits. I couldn't get him to set the flint out a bit, or to turn it over so it would strike higher. I'm serious when I say it hit only 3/8" of the bottom of the frizzen, yet sparked very well indeed, dumping the sparks into the centre of the pan. A very good rifle/lock for the money for usre. From what I've seen, there is nothing else even remotely close to the Lyman in uality and style, within several hundred dollars, in Canada.
: No jacket, if you can talk the fellow into that rifle, I know he'll be happy. Afterall it looks like a ML of the 19th century. Most others in the price range don't.
; As well, there is a 'spare' barrel than can be purchased with a PROPER fast twist for shooting slugs, if that's what is wanted.
: I expect this rifle will be used for Deer, Antelope, Elk + possibly Moose, so the .54 would be the best choice with RB twist.

 

[Griz]

Quote" I actually got to look at a Lymans Great Plains Hunter today"
Be careful, the great plains HUNTER is a 1 - 32 twist and is made specifically for shooting conicals. The great plains RIFLE has the slow twist for patched round balls. The local gun shop ordered a Hunter for me by accident and I did not know of the difference till I shot it, they won't shoot PRB very well, large group.