Your best deal acquiring a muzzleloader, either trade or purchase

[Are. M.]

Got a sweet deal on a Stevens Model 200 .243. 200 bucks scoped. Traded it for a like new Lyman GPR .50 cal.

Thats about it. Maybe luck will strike again.

 

[Winchester97]

Got a 12ga pedersoli w/shot,wads,powder for $250, Hatfield .45 flintlock with powderhorn for $80 at a garage sale, and a couple tc's for $100. Always have my eyes peeled and a few bills tucked away just in case.

 

[rkrcpa]

I was browsing through a LGS a year ago and came across a TC Hawken for $130. It went home with me.

 

[MikeJW]

In 2016 I wanted to muzzleloader hunt here in Colorado. so I called a friend (Now deceased) in Montana who had several BP rifles and told him what I was looking for (T/C Hawken 50). He called me back and had found the same in a pawn shop for $125 and bought it for me. (Great Friend) I joined a local BP club and shot it several times after a thorough cleaning. It shot ok but couldn't get it to group to my satisfaction. A local took a look at it and told me the barrel was too pitted to ever group decently and recommended I contact Mr. Hoyt to bore it out to 54 which I did. Shoots great!!

 

[saaman]

I found too many bargains over the years to keep track of. The latest was this rifle kit that someone started but didn't finish. It looked bad at first but turned out nice for a $100 Thompson Center. Gave it to my grandson for his help trimming trees.

 

[ord sgt]

A friend of my brother gave me a CVA Pennsylvania rifle kit. He bought the kit in the 1970's and never assembled it. The kit sat for many years until he found that I shot M/Lers. "take it, it's missing a few small parts". Rear sight, front sight and a few screws were all that was needed to complete the build. That little rifle turned into a good shooter. Thanks, Bill.

 

[Bassdog1]

I bought a CVA 45 Cal Kentucky rifle at a garage sale for 50 bucks with a pitted barrel that my wife uses for decoration and it doesn't shoot too bad under 50 yards. My best deal in my opinion was my 32 Caliber TC Seneca which was unfired. I paid $800.00 for it which may seem high but it was a gun that I wanted more than any other and I rarely ever see them for sale so I thought it was a great deal.

 

[hanshi]

EGAD man that one deal got you doomed to an addiction that has lasted more than 50 years, has you locked into an ancient technology, and WORSE, you are consorting with nut-jobs the likes of me on a weekly if not daily basis online.

p.s. glad you're "one of us"....one of us, one of us, one of us......

LD

You know it! It cascaded and I couldn't stop and still can't! But, it does keep me off the streets.

 

[BP Addict]

I've bought and sold so many over the years, it's hard to say. My first Rifle was a T/C Cap-lock Hawken from a Pawn Shop for $150. Had to spend another $50 to $75 for the goodies to shoot and clean it.

Recently, I paid $200 for a T/C Flintlock Hawken someone made from a kit. They did a decent job. Turned around and sold it for $500.

 

[mooman76]

I did pretty good on all my MLs, not great but fair. Two kinda stand out. I bought a CVA flintlock pistol for $10. Still in the white but rusty because they either didn't clean it well or at all. Bore was still good and it cleaned up real good. The other was a CVA Kentucky kit for $50 about 15 years ago. Still in the box but all the pieces were there. Fun project. It was one of the older ones too. price tag(Wards) was from 74.

 

[Cherrybow]

I have done pretty well at local gun shows, estate sales and even a call in radio show over the years. More recently I found an invest arms Cabelas Hawken 50 cal in great shape with an excellent bore for 165.00 but the best part of the deal was that it has Lyman peep rear sight and the interchangeable front hooded sight. Sights alone sell new for 150.00! ..At an estate 1/2 price sale I picked up a CVA 45 cal Kentucky flintlock Kit rifle that was poorly built and never shot for 50.00. It was missing two thimbles and needed a new tennon which Deer Creek had in stock. I got it all together and shot it, my first experience with a flintlock. I am actually planning on putting it in a curly maple blank stock that I got from Allen Martin and giving it an LR Manton flintlock in the near future... And I just found a “USA made” 45 CVA Mountain rifle for 120.00 at a gun show! It’s a lot of fun playing around with these inexpensive rifles

 

[hawkeye2]

Loyalist Dave I expect Kit Ravenshear tigged up the last digit on the date and reengraved it. He did mine. I think the rounded side plate and butt plate extension were his parts too. Good Deal.

 

[D. Buck Stopshere]

I like going into pawn shops in the Fort Bragg area. About a year ago, I spotted what looked like a replica 1861 Springfield rifle-musket hanging on the wall. I asked the pawnbroker if I could look at it. He had it tagged as a "repro" Civil War musket for $800. I looked at the stamps on the barrel and the lock and it appeared to be fairly clean. To me, it looked like it stayed hung on the wall and never shot, as the rifling was sharp. He said it came in with a lot of dust on it.

Then I flipped it over to the left side and when I saw the initials "G. T." on the barrel and the faded description in the wood, I knew then it wasn't a "repro". It was an un-issued 1861 Springfield Rifle-Musket, made in 1862. The faded "stamp" in the wood was the military inspector's approval stamp. I offered $750.00, took it home, and disassembled it. I could not believe its condition, so I photographed all the parts that had inspector stamps. .

I had a friend over who was looking for a CW bayonet for a slightly rusted wall-hanger. He spotted this piece leaning up against the wall, and picked it up. He was more than slightly excited, especially when I dropped a bore light down the muzzle. When he asked for the price, he couldn't stand it. So, he wrote a check for a three Big bills.

 

[Flint.]

A few years ago I found a new T/C Hawken at a local gun shop that was on cosignment. I took it home for $150.

 

[Poguetx]

Found this Spanish 45cal at a pawn shop a few years ago, and someone did a really schlocky job assembling it from a kit. It was literally painted, both stock and barrel, and missing the sights. Gave them $35 for it and took it home for some TLC, stripping the paint, browning the barrel and staining the stock. Found some spare sites I had lying around, and it came out pretty decent. One nice thing is that it came with an adjustable trigger!

 

[Tuck]

My best is what originally got me into this. A guy posted an ad about some BP guns. Turns out it was an estate sale of sorts. The guy had a lot of stuff from muzzleloaders to modern guns. I walked out with 11 guns for 950. He had a group of rifles but none were in great shape, some with rust. I've been educating myself since then & wish I had taken a much closer look at the rifles. I'd like to have a Hawken & I'm sure one was there. I made up for the deal by buying a flintlock that cost more than I ever thought I'd pay.

In total, I got a 51 navy, 60 army, walker (needed work), 2 Remingtons, 2 plains pistols, an original 1886 73 Winchester in .22 short (not sure if I can say that here even tho it's bp. Sorry if that's a violation), plus 3 modern guns. I intended to sell the 2 modern revolvers to make the deal free but I haven't been home & I'm not good at getting rid of puppies after they follow me home.

 

[rickystl]

Last year I won at auction a Pedersoli 1859 Sharps Berdan Infantry Rifle in mint, unfired condition for $425.00. Even with the buyer's premium and packing/shipping, one heck of a deal. Every once in a while you get a home run. LOL

Rick

 

[Topsail]

Couple years ago my local gun and coin shop had acquired a Traditions Hawken Woodsman percussion in 50 cal at a gun show as part of a package. He has no interest in muzzleloaders so offered it to me for $100. Looked nearly new on the outside but had some rust in the barrel. Cleaned up well and shoots good.

 

[Cpt Flint]

A fellow that I shoot with bought a fabulous flintlock longrifle from an airline pilots estate in Atlanta for less than half its worth.He brought it down to my place to shoot it for the first time. The sights were dead in the middle of the barrel front and rear. The rifle shot well but grouped a bit to the left. He was adamant that the barrel was bent and refused to move the sights because “that won’t look right”. I simply agreed with him and offered him what money he had in it. When he hesitated I handed him him the cash and he accepted it. After adjusting the rear sight a little bit the rifle shoots right down the middle. Tip Curtis thought it worth three times what I paid.

 

[RhinoDave]

Not too long after I retired, the wife and I usually hit up a few garage sales mainly for entertainment rather than actually needing anything. I stumbled across an Armi San Paolo 1861 Enfield Musketoon for the princely sum of $75.00 Still have it and won't part with it.

A couple for years ago I stopped at a new gun store (all Modern) to drop off a few club flyers for a shoot. The store has since gone out of business. Hanging on the back wall were two Hawken style sidelocks (TC and Investarms .50 cal.) Both guns were in rough shape but after pointing out all the issues with them, I walked out with both rifles for $40.00 The TC is up and shooting fine after a refinish and reinstalled a breechplug that was chewed up and installed cockeyed. The Investarms is still on the repair bench until I can get the barrel rebored.