TVM rifles

[Elnathan]

Actually, you're the one who is wrong, maybe you were one who got your toes stepped on...LOL?
My issues aren't ever with hardware / gear, its always about a few people and their elitist attitudes.
Use the search function to get your facts straight...I challenge you to do it.

You'll find post after post where I say that I'm glad I tried the long guns for the experience of it, and also say that not a deer, squirrel, turkey, or dove has fallen to them any better or faster than the excellent T/C Hawkens I used for years...they're just more expensive. But you'll never find a post of mine putting down what anybody uses because I now happen to use some long guns or something...so by all means go ahead...use the search function and post up some links.

And sorry if you got your toes stepped on years ago...I never initiate anything so it would have only been a rebuttal to your comments...just like I've had to do with this, your latest post...but I understand human nature, and I forgive you for it this time.

:thumbsup:

Thanks for your forbearance. :yakyak:

As for searching your previous 21,000-odd comments, since I didn't actually make the claims you ascribe to me, you will have to forgive me if I decline your invitation to prove them. What I did say that you were pretty unhappy if anyone suggested that a more expensive gun could be actually a better gun in some objective way back when you only owned T/Cs, and now you seem compelled to do the same for TVMs. Since you just said so in almost as many words, I'll consider it proven.

I don't really have a stake in the Great TVM Debate except to point out that folks who seem strangely reluctant to admit that the proverb "you get what you pay for" applies to their favorite rifles may not really be in a position to dismiss differing opinions as due to poor attitudes.

As for elitism: I don't have anywhere near the amount of money you do, and can't afford a TVM, much less four of them. I certainly don't look down on someone who can't afford a custom. I do, however, have some experience handling both high-end customs and originals, and find it irritating to be told that there is no objective difference between a J. P. Beck and a factory gun just because both go "bang" on command.

 

[Crow Beads]

Benched the TVM Late Lancaster today for the first time. It was a little fussy about patchs at first. Final loads after about an hour and a half:

25 yards:
.440 Speer RB
.016 dry-lubed white denim patch
50 grains of Goex fffg
No problem making holes touch in the ten ring.

50 yards:
.440 Speer RB
.016 dry-lubed white denim patch
60 grains of Goex fffg
Holes less than two inches apart max centered on the ten ring (a better pair of eyes than mine would surely shrink that.)

Felt recoil was a minor push - not at all unpleasant. Front was filed down about 1/64" while the rear sight got moved slightly more than that to the right. The lock sparked every time. I only had one misfire due to a blocked vent (shame on me).

Conclusion: I am delighted with the accuracy, looks and function!! :grin:

 

[Crow Beads]

Oops. I just measured the 50 yard target and the holes were actually less than one inch apart. Surely 1/2" of that was pure dumb luck on my part.

Flintlocks Rule! :bow:

 

[Crow Beads]

With regard to the dangers of quoting living people, my freshman college world history prof once told the class:

"Don't ever quote me, I am continually adjusting my world view, as any intelligent person would and may just change my mind now and then."

 

[hanshi]

My TVM .45 Late Lancaster has accounted for quite a few deer and even squirrels. I'm with you on those tiny 50 yard groups (at least when my old eyes are having a "good" day). They ARE great guns.

 

[Billnpatti]

I spent Thanksgiving with my daughter and her family. It was C-O-L-D !!!

How cold was it?

It was so cold that the muzzle flash kept freezing on the end of the barrel and I had to use a stick to break it off the muzzle after each shot. I had to be careful where I knocked it because of the fire danger when it thawed out. :haha: :bull:

 

[Wes/Tex]

I'll have some of what Bill's been smoking! :blah:

 

[Alden]

OMG, he DOES have 21,000+ posts. That's a coupla thousand per year! Unless there's been an Executive Order there are still only 365 days in one, right?

As for elitist, well, to finally answer that charge Mr. Roundball has been looking for a jury of his peers but has never been able to find any!

:wink:

 

[Michael Gilbreath]

I have an Early Virginia flinter in .50 cal. that I ordered in kit form from T.V.M. in 2002, and I am very well pleased with it. Looks great, and shoots even better.

 

[Michael Gilbreath]

I have an early Virginia .50 cal. flinter that I ordered from TVM as a kit in 2002, and I am very pleased with it. It looks great, and shoots even better! Ordered it with the standard large siler lock, but I kinda wish I had ordered it with the round face "Queen Anne" lock instead. Not that there's anything wrong with the siler, it works flawlessly. Just the looks of the "Queen Anne" seem to fit the earlier period better.

 

[kopfjaeger]

Got my new TVM Early Virginia rifle today. Looked it over, all is good and everything is just as I ordered. I really like it. I love swamped barrels, and the trigger ( single trigger ) pull broke at 3 pounds according to my scale. I wish I could post a picture but I don't have a photobucket or other account like it.

I didn't see any flaws so I'm really happy with it. :thumbsup:

Everybody have a Merry Christmas.

 

[John Shields]

Got my new TVM Early Virginia rifle today. Looked it over, all is good and everything is just as I ordered. I really like it. I love swamped barrels, and the trigger ( single trigger ) pull broke at 3 pounds according to my scale. I wish I could post a picture but I don't have a photobucket or other account like it.

I didn't see any flaws so I'm really happy with it. :thumbsup:


Everybody have a Merry Christmas.

I am liking that I hear many more posts like yours, than in the negative. Because we know, the people that had a negative experience are more apt to post about their experience, than those with a positive experience by a wide margin.

The down side is, I still have 5 months until I have mine.

 

[mr.flintlock]

I have a good friend who ordered a Finished Early Virginia from TVM. The fit and finish was excellent. There were a couple of small problems with it. After about 100 shots he noticed that the breechplug tang was standing proud of the wood. I checked the tang screw that go's into the threaded trigger plate was stripped and it had to be done at the factory. I replaced the screw for him and fixed the problem. We also noticed that we could not get the rifle to group. I rechecked and found that the rear sight could be moved back and forth by hand. I tightened it up and it solved the problem. During cleaning, I found that the touchhole liner slightly protruded inside the bore, not allowing a breech plug scraper to be used to clean the breechplug face. I advised him to send it back to TVM to have this problem corrected. At last count he had not done this. He has since moved . If the breechplug face continues to accumilate ash, it may buildup to the point of clogging the touch hole. With that being said, I would still recommend that the company builds a quality product for a fair price and from what I have heard, they provide excellent customer service and will fix any problem that you have with their product.

 

[hanshi]

I also experienced a loose rear sight on one of my TVMs; it was a super easy fix. Two vent liners over the years extended into the bore and snagged patches. I simply removed and shortened them and at the same time I deepened the inside cone. Easy and worked like a charm. Stuff happens.

I know of at least two other builders, one being a "one-at-a-time" builder who builds "generic" guns. They simply do not copy a specific rifle or builder but instead copy the style represented by a number of surviving rifles by various builders. Prices seem to be competitive with TVM. I understand quality is as well.

 

[dpkdavis]

Love them or hate them, just got a email from them, back log time on getting a rifle built is 6-7 months to start and 4 week to complete, 8 months they got to be doing something right

 

[mark/wi]

I have had mine a couple of years or so, works fine for me. Mark

 

[majg1234]

I have 2 TVM rifles,one a 40cal Smtn bought off Gunbroker unfired and the other a 58cal early Va made to my specs,LOP etc.Both shoot very well with the loads I've worked up.Fit and finish is very good on both.I've fired several hundred rounds through each one and can only remember a total of 5 misfires.....One was a broken flint the others were just random operator error :redface: Both have taken game very easily...squirrels tremble in fear when the 40cal enters the mountains :grin: Are they absolutely HC?...nope but I'm a hunter.Do they work? absolutely,Am I happy? well yep and if "uh" when I get another flinter I'll talk with them again.

 

[kopfjaeger]

Got my new TVM Early Virginia rifle today. Looked it over, all is good and everything is just as I ordered. I really like it. I love swamped barrels, and the trigger ( single trigger ) pull broke at 3 pounds according to my scale. I wish I could post a picture but I don't have a photobucket or other account like it.

I didn't see any flaws so I'm really happy with it. :thumbsup:

Everybody have a Merry Christmas.

Now that the flintlock deer season is over in Pennsylvania I finally got to the range and shot my new TVM Early Virginia rifle. I'm just figuring out what load shoots best for now, I'm not moving the sights yet. The best load so far is a .490 ball,.015 patch lubed with mink oil. With this load I'm getting 2 1/2" to 3" groups at 100
yards. I still want to try some other combinations like a .495 ball, and some thicker patching with the .490 ball, and a few other lubes. I just want to see if I can tighten the group up a little more. But on the other hand I don't want a load that would take a sledge hammer to drive the ball down the barrel. I enjoy figuring all this stuff out.

I'm not only happy with the workmanship of the rifle and how it looks, but so far I feel pretty good about how it's shooting and the way it balances with the swamped barrel. So far I haven't had any misfires, but I did switch the flint the rifle came with to a black english flint, the Chambers English Round Face lock really throws the sparks. Once I find the best load for the rifle I'll adjust the sights and be ready for next year. :thumbsup:

 

[Wes/Tex]

You're certainly going the right direction. 2" to 3" groups ain't shabby at all! :thumbsup: The secret, if secret it is, amounts to trying by fire and adjusting only one thing at a time. The gun will finally let you know what it's happiest with!

 

[kopfjaeger]

You're certainly going the right direction. 2" to 3" groups ain't shabby at all! :thumbsup: The secret, if secret it is, amounts to trying by fire and adjusting only one thing at a time. The gun will finally let you know what it's happiest with!

Yes it's grouping pretty good. I forgot to mention that I was using 80 grains of FFFG Goex. I do want to try some other load combinations just to see how it groups. I've also been working on my brother-in-law to carve the stock for me. By the time 2014 buck season gets here I should be ready.

Always some projects to do. Right now I'm making a new powder horn and powder horn strap, and making a couple cows knee's. This is the time of year to do these projects before spring comes and all them outdoor jobs start like mowing grass, etc.