I just picked up a Traditions Pennsylvania Flintlock. Anyone have one??? Opinions, thoughts, suggestions would be most appreciated. On their site, Traditions claims this rifle is "historically accurate" and holds "the enviable status of "authentic for reenactment use" from the American Revolutionary Brigade". Anyway, the deal on this was way to good to pass so thought I would get some opinions :v
Traditions Pennsylvania Flintlock
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J.D. said:
My first thought was it sounded a lot like a '70s communist group but a google search came up with "The Brigade of the American Revolution" I'm guessing it was a typo which is why I am asking here how true that statement is...
As for the enviable status, it must be the only rifle that holds that status since I've never heard of the organization and no one else uses it as a pedigree for their rifle. I wouldn't say it's historically accurate...especially after you pick up a few books on the original rifles. After some time you'll see why it isn't.
Doesn't mean it's not a rifle you shouldn't own. It's just a funny way to pitch it. Take it to the range, develop a load, save the target and post a range report on here! :grin:
Doesn't mean it's not a rifle you shouldn't own. It's just a funny way to pitch it. Take it to the range, develop a load, save the target and post a range report on here! :grin:
These guns fall short in the historicaly accurate department but many say they are good shooters, with the straight barel one might get by with it being a late flint period gun of a generic type but their claims in the adds are bogus, another one which is off the mark is the Blue Ridge or the one the sane but named different they are said to be good from the F&I to the Alamo, in reality they woulf be a post 1800 generic type gun.Unfortunately there is nothing in place to make any advertisement be truthfull.This does not mean that the guns are servicable guns,typicay considered entry level ML's though some find them to their likeling for a lifetime.
Thought I would post a few pics of the rifle in case someone had never seen one (I hadn't) and was curious.
As for that "Brigade of the American Revolution" thing they do seem to be a legit historical reenactment organization and is listed as a reference source on the ipl site (which as everyone knows is a site sponsored by and used as a reference source by colleges and universities :grin: ) Personally, I have never been a big fan of Traditions and am not really interested in the historical accuracy of it but was hoping for some info in loads, patch and ball size. Traditions is asking for just under 800.00 for this gun which seems stupid expensive for an import production muzzleloader of any type but it has a decent maple stock and is my first flintlock so....it'll do.
As for that "Brigade of the American Revolution" thing they do seem to be a legit historical reenactment organization and is listed as a reference source on the ipl site (which as everyone knows is a site sponsored by and used as a reference source by colleges and universities :grin: ) Personally, I have never been a big fan of Traditions and am not really interested in the historical accuracy of it but was hoping for some info in loads, patch and ball size. Traditions is asking for just under 800.00 for this gun which seems stupid expensive for an import production muzzleloader of any type but it has a decent maple stock and is my first flintlock so....it'll do.
hanshi
Cannon
An attractive rifle, all right; I just cringe at the cost. I have two Traditions that I got back when they were very cheap and they've given me great service over the years though they don't get shot that much now. You can actually get a hand built rifle for as little as $200 more than the msrp. For loads, start off with .490 ball (it IS a .50, right?) and .015 patch, 60 grains 3f. works great in mine.
noworries said:
It's not typo, it's marketing hype for a historically uneducated demographic. The BAR does not "authenticate" any product for any reason.
IMHO, For just a few more bucks, an "undiscovered" custom maker, such as James Parker, would have made you a much nicer rifle, and one that is much more authentic...and much higher quality.
God bless
excess650
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Do they advertise that as "maple" or is that your assumption? The pores and grain pattern sure looks like walnut to me, albeit curly aka "fiddleback".
The comb profile is reminiscent of the Lehigh Valley (Pa) area, but the patchbox much like western Pa or Ohio. The lock shape and inlays scream late flint period, like 1820 or later.
Certainly, for an imported, production rifle it is attractive. Shoot it and enjoy it!
The comb profile is reminiscent of the Lehigh Valley (Pa) area, but the patchbox much like western Pa or Ohio. The lock shape and inlays scream late flint period, like 1820 or later.
Certainly, for an imported, production rifle it is attractive. Shoot it and enjoy it!
Kentuckywindage
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Shame to see such a rifle in that kind of condition :shake: Some dont see muzzleloaders as an investment and dont clean them :idunno:
noworries said:Thought I would post a few pics of the rifle in case someone had never seen one (I hadn't) and was curious.
As for that "Brigade of the American Revolution" thing they do seem to be a legit historical reenactment organization and is listed as a reference source on the ipl site (which as everyone knows is a site sponsored by and used as a reference source by colleges and universities :grin: ) Personally, I have never been a big fan of Traditions and am not really interested in the historical accuracy of it but was hoping for some info in loads, patch and ball size. Traditions is asking for just under 800.00 for this gun which seems stupid expensive for an import production muzzleloader of any type but it has a decent maple stock and is my first flintlock so....it'll do.
tv_racin_fan
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Give her a good cleaning and enjoy her sir.
IF you find there are things you don't like about her before you throw her away or sell her think sreriously. A guy I know of from another forum got himself a CVA rifle and turned it into something beautiful to behold with very little expense save his time and effort. I can't wait to see and hold it for myself.
IF you find there are things you don't like about her before you throw her away or sell her think sreriously. A guy I know of from another forum got himself a CVA rifle and turned it into something beautiful to behold with very little expense save his time and effort. I can't wait to see and hold it for myself.
Muskeg Stomper
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Enjoy your new rifle. If it's what you wanted, shoot, have fun and be glad.
As far as the marketing tool of the "American Revolutionary Brigade", I've searched for anything on them many times and have never found such an organization...They are appealing to the person brand new to muzzleloaders and reenacting who they are counting will get it confused with the BAR. Unethical IMHO.
As far as the marketing tool of the "American Revolutionary Brigade", I've searched for anything on them many times and have never found such an organization...They are appealing to the person brand new to muzzleloaders and reenacting who they are counting will get it confused with the BAR. Unethical IMHO.
lonehunter
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Shoot the hell out of it!! Have fun!!!
I did not see where you mentioned the cal. of the rifle, that would help!
You mean we gotta clean these things? :shocked2:
I did not see where you mentioned the cal. of the rifle, that would help!
You mean we gotta clean these things? :shocked2:
noworries said:
Man, pat yourself on the back. You should have mentioned you obtained this for less than $100 earlier....or did I miss that? Good buy on your part. I'd say it's worth every penny. I think it looks nice and indeed, a deal.
Hey noworries. I've owned that gun for many years. I was getting into reenacting in Vermont back in about 2002, and found that rifle in a beautifully tiger striped walnut stock at a store in Oregon while visiting the in-laws. The "American Revolutionary Brigade" was the final push that made me put down my money. I'm sorry I did. It's a good shooter but wasn't suitable for what I was doing.
That gun is a mixture of styles from the Golden Age of Flintlocks and that is POST-Rev War. That's right...AFTER the Rev War. The most obvious thing about it being out of place is all the decor - stars on the forearm, weeping hearts around the wrist, pierced patchbox... None of that came until after the war. The hunter's star on the cheekpiece is OK, but that's about it. Even at 50 yards away it's easy to see it's not a Rev War rifle.
The BAR is a legitimate Rev War organization and is an umbrella group that helps with large reenactments. They have a lot of documentation on what is and isn't historically correct and they are a great group. They definitely do not endorse that rifle as being historically accurate.
The American Revolutionary Brigade evidently exists only in the mind of Traditions as no one in the Reenactment world has ever heard of them. They are a bogus group and just a downright lie that Traditions tells.
In spite of all that tirade about the lack of its professed historical correctness, you'll find the gun a good shooter. It's very nose heavy because of the straight barrel, but as long as you keep the lock and the flint clean it will have a fast ignition and is a consistent shooter. You'll want to work up a load with that. Mine liked to shoot 95 gr. of fffG. That's a heavy load for a 50 cal, but that's what it liked. Yours may be different.
Beware of that huge Roman Nose shape on the stock. It will bruise your cheek if you roll your head over the top a bit to get the sights lined up. If you move your head back a little farther on the stock, you can line up the sights without tilting your head over the top of the stock. The very non-traditional and absolutely not historically-correct ramp sight works well and is easily adjusted. So if you are going to just use it as a shooter, I think you'll have a fun time with it.
One other caution for you. DON'T PULL THE FRONT LOCK SCREW OUT OF THE STOCK!!! Just unscrew it enough to pull the lock off and then put a piece of tape over it to keep it from coming out. For some stupid reason they designed that front lock screw to hold the spring clip that keeps the ramrod in place. If you pull that screw all the way out, that spring clip drops into the ramrod channel and gets jammed up. You will scratch up the ramrod pulling the ramrod out. You will then have to tap out the pins that hold the barrel in the stock and remove the barrel to re-set the spring clip on the screw. I eventually had a gunbuilder friend tap another hole in the stock just in front of the lock and we pinned that spring clip in place so you didn't have to worry about the thing dropping into the ramrod channel every time you pulled the lock out.
Now I have beautiful Early Lancaster .50 cal rifle that I use for reenactments. It was made by our own tg from here on the forum. It is a very historically accurate rifle. It likes an 80-gr. load instead of 95, and draws admiring comments wherever I take it. My Early Lancaster also has a swamped barrel so it is better balanced, handles, sights, and holds much better than my Traditions.
But Hey! You got a good deal on yours; it is capable of better accuracy than most of the people are who will shoot it; and it will get you started in Flintlocks. So, go make some smoke!
Good Shooting,
Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
That gun is a mixture of styles from the Golden Age of Flintlocks and that is POST-Rev War. That's right...AFTER the Rev War. The most obvious thing about it being out of place is all the decor - stars on the forearm, weeping hearts around the wrist, pierced patchbox... None of that came until after the war. The hunter's star on the cheekpiece is OK, but that's about it. Even at 50 yards away it's easy to see it's not a Rev War rifle.
The BAR is a legitimate Rev War organization and is an umbrella group that helps with large reenactments. They have a lot of documentation on what is and isn't historically correct and they are a great group. They definitely do not endorse that rifle as being historically accurate.
The American Revolutionary Brigade evidently exists only in the mind of Traditions as no one in the Reenactment world has ever heard of them. They are a bogus group and just a downright lie that Traditions tells.
In spite of all that tirade about the lack of its professed historical correctness, you'll find the gun a good shooter. It's very nose heavy because of the straight barrel, but as long as you keep the lock and the flint clean it will have a fast ignition and is a consistent shooter. You'll want to work up a load with that. Mine liked to shoot 95 gr. of fffG. That's a heavy load for a 50 cal, but that's what it liked. Yours may be different.
Beware of that huge Roman Nose shape on the stock. It will bruise your cheek if you roll your head over the top a bit to get the sights lined up. If you move your head back a little farther on the stock, you can line up the sights without tilting your head over the top of the stock. The very non-traditional and absolutely not historically-correct ramp sight works well and is easily adjusted. So if you are going to just use it as a shooter, I think you'll have a fun time with it.
One other caution for you. DON'T PULL THE FRONT LOCK SCREW OUT OF THE STOCK!!! Just unscrew it enough to pull the lock off and then put a piece of tape over it to keep it from coming out. For some stupid reason they designed that front lock screw to hold the spring clip that keeps the ramrod in place. If you pull that screw all the way out, that spring clip drops into the ramrod channel and gets jammed up. You will scratch up the ramrod pulling the ramrod out. You will then have to tap out the pins that hold the barrel in the stock and remove the barrel to re-set the spring clip on the screw. I eventually had a gunbuilder friend tap another hole in the stock just in front of the lock and we pinned that spring clip in place so you didn't have to worry about the thing dropping into the ramrod channel every time you pulled the lock out.
Now I have beautiful Early Lancaster .50 cal rifle that I use for reenactments. It was made by our own tg from here on the forum. It is a very historically accurate rifle. It likes an 80-gr. load instead of 95, and draws admiring comments wherever I take it. My Early Lancaster also has a swamped barrel so it is better balanced, handles, sights, and holds much better than my Traditions.
But Hey! You got a good deal on yours; it is capable of better accuracy than most of the people are who will shoot it; and it will get you started in Flintlocks. So, go make some smoke!
Good Shooting,
Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Thanks Twisted...much appreciated :hatsoff: I do plan on taking it out once or twice before our next club shoot. And that warning about having to lean your head way over, WOW! no kidding, I noticed that the first time I picked it up. I was glad to hear you had no issues with the lock...it looks a bit puny to me but as long as it ignites the charge...it all good.
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