Forty eight years ago I bought my first muzzleloader; a Thompson Center Hawken... cap gun. I was also getting more interested in western fur trade history; and it wasn't long before I knew that my rifle didn't really resemble anything historic. After a few years I sold the TC, and bought a CVA Mountain rifle kit, also a cap gun.
I liked the CVA. It was a good shooter; and it resembled a plains rifle more than the TC. Then I became aware that the guns used in the western fur trade were almost exclusively flintlocks. I had also had the chance to handle a few custom made flintlock longrifles; and something about the flintlock just drew me to it.
I sold the CVA and bought parts for my first attempt at putting a gun together myself. I bought a rough shaped stock with the barrel and ramrod inlets done, an L&R Late English flint lock, and a 36", .54 barrel from Green River Rifle works. The gun had a lot of architectural flaws, so after a couple of years, I bought another stock and re did the rifle. Much better the second time. It was a good shooter; but a few years later times got hard and I sold that gun.
Twenty eight years ago I decided I needed to get back to shooting a muzzleloader. I thought about building another percussion gun; but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So I built my first gun from a blank; a .58 caliber Pennsylvania rifle with an octagon to round barrel in .58 caliber, and 42" long. The lock was a Bud Siler flintlock.
Sadly, that gun was lost in a fire. I only own three flintlocks, but that's all I need, or want. They are... A .50 Southern Mountain rifle I built from a blank; with all the iron furniture made by myself. It has a 44" Colerain swamped barrel and a Chambers Late Ketland lock. Next is an early styled plain gun in .58 caliber; also from a blank. It has a 43" swamped Rice barrel, and a Chambers Early Ketland lock. Last is a 24 gauge Northwest Trade gun that I assembled from a North Star West kit. It has a 41" barrel.
To date, I have built eleven rifles from a blank. I build Southern Mountain rifles; and make my own iron butt plates, trigger guards, double set triggers (triggers, plate, and springs), toe plates, side plates, ramrod thimbles, and sights.
I hunt, shoot, and reenact with my guns, and will never own another percussion gun. It's the long, slender, well balanced flintlock that has the magic for me.
