Where have all the production guns gone?

[Old Hawkeye]

I think the NRA membership requirement some shooting clubs have is to get the cheaper insurance the NRA offers more than a loyalty thing. It's kind of a form of extortion by the NRA to help fill their coffers, so the leadership can party away!

 

[FishDFly]

What does the NRA have to do with the subject?

 

[Mousegunguy]

I looked for a SS pietta NMA sheriffs model for weeks.
No place had ‘em.
I contacted Pietta to ask about production and was told they can’t make more as they can’t find raw materials.

 

[FishDFly]

Unfortunately that is happening with a lot of manufacturing.

 

[Col_Houston]

With you on that. I dropped my NRA membership in 1994 after being a member for 20 years. Even then I was just fed up with the approach of its management and what I viewed as its increasing failure to provide the services to, and representation of, its members in ways that it claimed. Will rejoin when they straighten out their leadership mess. It is good to see alternative organizations developing. But for my own part, I won't even join a local club so long as it requires NRA membership, and their stranglehold on this and the approach they take is another example of their managerial approach. Just a personal choice I feel I have to live with. Sad, but that's the way I feel I have to go. Not even trying to convince anyone else.


The relatively small club I shoot my BP rifles at (as a non-member, since it requires NRA membership to join) offers monthly matches as well in High Power Rifle. I suspect this may be more prevalent than you think. Well, I hope, anyway. I can't shoot in those any longer since I can't "assume the position" as a result of prior skeletal damage.

Doubleset, I dropped my OWN NRA membership this past year after they canceled their Convention in Houston TX because of COVID fears.

 

[RUDY MR]

Kids now days have lost what we grew up with .We hunted for food now it gone way south .Iphone, computers games and having way to much junk .We as parents give them way to much

 

[08Desert Trapper]

"Primitive Weapons" seasons are now "Alternative Weapons" seasons. Archery seasons now allow crossbows (and spears). Some is an effort to attract more hunters as numbers of hunters dwindled and deer populations skyrocketed. "Historic weapons" are a niche market and manufacturers stay in business only when they make a profit. A new M/L hunter isn't likely to spend $500 on a sidelock when they can buy a plastic stocked inline for $150.

The muzzleloading "shoots" we enjoyed in the 60's are about as dead as the folks who enjoyed them - just like many other shooting interests. "We" have not done our part to bring new shooters on board. I blame the NRA in part for spending too much time/$ on politics and not enough on shooting sports. The fun is gone.

Advertisers can try to label AR's as a "sporting gun", but in truth, where's the fun competition with them? Other than high-end competitions where the average person is competing with shooters outfitted like Camp Perry contestants, I haven't seen any.

While I personally enjoy my traditional M/L's, I also know that if we're to get more people into the sport, some body better come up with some shoots that include the modern style front stuffers as well. We can convert some to the Historic arms, but not if they're left out of the fun and if it's not fun, we'll never get 'em hooked. Anyway..

There’s a Facebook page that will assist you to find a rendezvous
you can find a rendezvous wherever you live

it might be a bit of a drive

but I know at Rendezvous‘s there’s always guns to buy guns to sell and a lot of them are good production guns in good shape plus they are you’ll find cats powder flints and everything else to feed that gun try that out my friend

 

[08Desert Trapper]

There’s a Facebook page that will assist you to find a rendezvous
you can find a rendezvous wherever you live

it might be a bit of a drive

but I know at Rendezvous‘s there’s always guns to buy guns to sell and a lot of them are good production guns in good shape plus they are you’ll find cats powder flints and everything else to feed that gun try that out my friend

I meant to say percussion caps if you find a cat at a rendezvous well then that’s a pretty cool cat

 

[08Desert Trapper]

I looked for a SS pietta NMA sheriffs model for weeks.
No place had ‘em.
I contacted Pietta to ask about production and was told they can’t make more as they can’t find raw materials.

Go online and look up SASS single action shooting sports and find a group near you or a Facebook page and just tell them what you’re looking for and they will assist you those guys are some of them are former buckskin or’s or do bucks getting in the Cowboys shooting sports as well but great bunch of fellas

 

[Mousegunguy]

Go online and look up SASS single action shooting sports and find a group near you or a Facebook page and just tell them what you’re looking for and they will assist you those guys are some of them are former buckskin or’s or do bucks getting in the Cowboys shooting sports as well but great bunch of fellas

I ended up getting a blued sheriffs model instead of SS
Even that was hard to find

 

[Okie Hog]

The muzzleloader craze began with the Civil War centennial and was boosted by the US bicentennial. By the mid 1990s enthusiasm for muzzleloaders was dying out. Then along came the inlines.

My last pawnshop tour found only one muzzleloader, a painted CVA inline. Most pawnshop owners here won't take muzzleloaders.

 

[sturmkatze]

It doesn't help when crusty old Billy Bob's go on about "Ya got ta have a CUSTOM gun or ya can't shoot straight" and so on and how production guns are "junk". It's disgusting.

New guys ain't gonna buy $700 guns.and yes, I've seen this kinda thing on THIS forum.

 

[Mad L]

It doesn't help when crusty old Billy Bob's go on about "Ya got ta have a CUSTOM gun or ya can't shoot straight" and so on and how production guns are "junk". It's disgusting.

New guys ain't gonna buy $700 guns.and yes, I've seen this kinda thing on THIS forum.

My first production guns cost more then $700, but I bought new not used.
Last used gun I bought for $300 took almost that to make it right. And a used unmentionable before that, while all looked and worked smooth; it was my second time to the range that it just fell apart - well, the trigger cylinder spring broke, didn't seem like much til I took it in to get a new one; found out ALL the innards were a Hodgepodge of mismatched parts...smithy could not get it to function with what was there nor with what he had available; estimate to track down parts and repair $400-$500 IF all the parts could be found.

 

[B P Arn]

The crybabies in the crowd need to be reminded from time to time that if it were not for the NRA, private ownership of firearms in the USA would be like in Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and everywhere else.

 

[Billy Boy]

I think the NRA membership requirement some shooting clubs have is to get the cheaper insurance the NRA offers more than a loyalty thing. It's kind of a form of extortion by the NRA to help fill their coffers, so the leadership can party away!

You would rather have the range closed?

 

[sturmkatze]

My first production guns cost more then $700, but I bought new not used.
Last used gun I bought for $300 took almost that to make it right. And a used unmentionable before that, while all looked and worked smooth; it was my second time to the range that it just fell apart - well, the trigger cylinder spring broke, didn't seem like much til I took it in to get a new one; found out ALL the innards were a Hodgepodge of mismatched parts...smithy could not get it to function with what was there nor with what he had available; estimate to track down parts and repair $400-$500 IF all the parts could be found.

Don't know what to tell you. I've had a number of them and not those problems. Name names. Did you contact the companies?

 

[Wawyasto]

Where are all the pot- bellied stoves? Every hardware had them some time back but now they are hard to find. The reason for diminishing supply is simply diminishing demand. We are upset because young folks are not joining our wonderful pastime; that means less people buying our MLs. We are exchanging and increasing our own collections of guns but that is not enough to keep production going. I am satisfied that, twenty years from now, only custom makers will continue to make MLs. For a long period of time no production MLs were made, then the TV and movies brought them back and we clamored for them and our hobby ballooned. I think the heyday of traditional MLs is past and only a few will continue. That's how it was in the 1920s and 1930s. Enjoy what you have. Get young people involved and prove me wrong. Polecat

Ironically I'm able to find a potbelly stove with little difficulty around here...

https://www.millcreekantiques.com/

 

[Wawyasto]

FWIW regarding AR's I used to shoot NRA/CMP high power. I saw more folks shooting at the last monthly BP club match than I did the last state NRA championship/leg match I shot. Even with all the new equipment changes to add interest to the sport participation is dwindling there, too.

Anyway, while this thread carried on I was able to find a halfstock flint for sale on here and it arrived today, albeit a few days late.

 

[mushka]

I joined the NRA back in the 70's as a life member. I still belong but I don't send them money. I do send money to GOA who I think is more representative and more properly uses their funds I think. Competed in the US nationals for ten years in the 80.s and you had to be a member of the NRA. I went Distinguished in the DCM leg match in 88 using the M1A I still have. I like shooting with my BP club more than I ever did in the nationals. Easier, slower, less hassel, more fun for an old guy. Funny thing, I've paid more for a couple of my MZ guns than I did for a match conditioned M1A. Go figure.

 

[Dale Lilly]

Ironically I'm able to find a potbelly stove with little difficulty around here...

https://www.millcreekantiques.com/

Whoa... I want to go there. They appear to be great. Thanks Dale