Flintlock Rifle? Replicas? Loading?

[ar15jules]

I like the Thompson Center PA Hunter if you can find one.
Jules

[Nate7667]

a pound is 7000 gr. so if you use a powder charge of 50 gr. that is 140 shots a pound.

Black powder is measured in grains by volume not by weight. There is big difference in 85 grains of black powder by volume vs 85 grains of black powder by weight.
I'm sure you know this, but to me your post made it sound like simple math when there truly is a difference.

[Remington788]

Black powder is measured in grains by volume not by weight. There is big difference in 85 grains of black powder by volume vs 85 grains of black powder by weight.
I'm sure you know this, but to me your post made it sound like simple math when there truly is a difference.

I guess it depends on the powder, so you are correct, but for back of envelope cost calculations it is close enough.

Black powder particles are not as uniformly sized and shaped as smokeless powders. I'm not sure what kind you are referring to or how much weight difference you see at 85 grains by volume.

I just measured out 10 loads to take to the range later this week (I use those little plastic tubes for convenience at the range).

Anyway, I measured 80 grain charges of Goex FF using a Traditions field measure. I also weighed each one. Weights ranged from 79.2gr up to 82.7gr. The total for 10 loads was 803.1 grains or an average of 80.3 grains by weight for 80 grains by volume. I actually then evened them all out to 80 grains by weight. This way I hope to reduce variations in load as a factor when sighting it in.

Goex FFFF (priming powder) is finer and settles with less air space between grains. It weighs in at a bit heavier. 100 grains by volume is about 110 grains by weight.

I've not used FFF or F so I don't know how they weigh out.

[ItchyTick]

You can order a kit an put your own flintlock or percussion cap rifle together for a little over $300.

I just cleaned up a 40 yr old and barely used percussion muzzle loader and got the necessary accessories including balls, caps, powder, cleaning stuff, for just under $200.

Figure $500 to get started if you need to buy the rifle.

My experience in the last 7 days.

[glocke12]

Price really depends on how nice of a rifle you want, but my experience has been that even the cheaper "intro" rifles will set you back a few hundred at least, than add on powder, balls, patches, powder measures, and you are getting close to $500.00..

There are some pretty damn nice flintlocks out there also, but they come with a hefty price tag. Best thing to do is figure out how much you want to spend and go from there.

[Remington788]

I got mine for a very reasonable price at a monthly firearms auction in Ephrata

[heatheroo]

if you think you might eventually get into the reenacting scene, Thompson Center, Lyman, etc won't cut it....(well... maybe if you get into the western fur trade scene)

Pedersolie makes a reasonably "historically accurate" long rifle. But for the $, you can get something better from Tennessee Valley.

I made my own from mostly Dixie parts back in the 80's and I'm still shooting it. If you want to build your own from scratch, you're looking at a minimum of $500 in parts for a quality rifle.

If you happen to be a lefty, Dixon's had a few Dixie Southern Mountain rifles in stock for ~$450 last time I was there. That's a pretty good deal.

[Capt Quahog]

Lots of years ago . . . in the terms now of decades . . . I was a member of an esteemed Rev War reenactment group. We were British Grenadiers circa 1775 Boston. "Soldiers of the King was our name . . . And kicking Colonial rebel ass at places such as Lexington n' Concord was our game!"

Our main tool was the 69 caliber Brown Bess flintlock musket. Had two of those firelock skull busters myself with one being a 2nd Model (42") built from an Italian made kit and the other, a Long Land Pattern (46" barrel) 1st Model edition custom made.

A person gets used to handling a flintlock and I personally greatly prefer those over percussion. Never could I get proficient with fumbling with percussion caps. During one session a group of we Grenadiers in two ranks fired the Brown Bess flint muskets for about five minutes in rapid succession . . . As unbelievable as it may sound, we were able to get off FOUR shots each minute. Thats one round of prime - load and fire every 15-seconds. Of course, at the end of that session my hands were bleeding from brushing past the sharp flint at various stages of the exercise.

Back in 1836 with Davy Crockett and that crowd at the Alamo, most, if not all the muskets and other firearms would have been flint ignition. Even during the United States vs Mexican War a decade later, rank and file soldiers were mostly armed with regulation flintlock muskets such at the Springfield / Harpers Ferry Model 1816 Musket. Conversion of those muskets over to percussion would not start until the 1850s.

About a year ago, I really got lucky and found an excellent condition 2nd series, 1823 lock dated model 1816 musket on Craigslist for low bucks. The weapon appears to be a late conversion having a finely armored bolster style percussion refit with newly manufacture barrel breech. The musket, which presently hangs on the wall above the home bar had all the original Springfield Armory inspector's and proof marks in place. Inside the lock, there is still color case hardening showing. The weird guy who sold it to me said that the musket had been hanging on the wall at the family house in Chambersburg, PA for as long as anybody knew. The house was sold and he inherited the old family musket. Now I own it! With the excellent overall condition of the piece along with spot traces of what look to be concentrated blood corrosion, the weapon is thought to be a battlefield pickup. Then too, Gettysburg is the town next door.