Black powder enthusiasts -advice needed

that stuff sure makes shooting lead from a cartridge look smokey

 

Dad and I assembled a.50 cal Hawken kit when I was in high school.
It was fun to shoot. A royal pain to thoroughly clean.
We never did hunt with it.
My favorite ex-brother-in-law has it.

I personally don’t believe I would be interested in a flintlock pistola.

 

Dixie is a good one to examine. There are others.


http://www.deercreekproducts.net/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

https://www.beararmsco.com/catalog/black-powder/black-powder-rifles

https://www.muzzle-loaders.com

https://possibleshop.com/pistol-kit.html

https://www.chkadels.com/Black-Powder-Guns-5069

Cabela's carries some.

The Italians make a lot of the smoke poles.

https://www.uberti-usa.com

https://www.pietta.it/home-pietta-eng

https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/guns-for-sale-pedersoli.asp?l=en

 

I'd first inspect the nipple and pan to make sure there is no powder or cap, and for a flintlock make sure a flint cannot strike the frizzen to ignite powder in a pan.

I'd inspect the ramrods to see if they are notched to indicate where it should be at the muzzle when loaded. Then check to see if the barrels are loaded.

I'd then consider using a boresnake connected to my phone (Depstech) to see how the barrel looks on the inside and whether it is loaded.

If the guns has not rusted up, there are no visible splits or cracks, there is not a round or charge in the barrel to cause a double charge/load, and everything moves, it is virtually certain to be in firing condition.

 

A Remington 1858 Repro would actually be a step up in that competition. It is much easier to load and you don't have as much to drop.

A different cylinder can mean more fun, too.

https://www.howellarms.com/1858-remington/pietta-1858-remington-44-colt

 

I was big into researching flintlock products, alas I never could pull the trigger. Dixie, Track of the Wolf and Jim Chambers all have offerings but if you're just curious those prices are along the lines of a serious Telecaster.

I just googled "flint lock pistol" and these guys came up. Looks to be far more affordable. I know nothing about them. It's Traditions brand, a name I've seen for a long time. Like the Squier "Bullet" ( get it?) of flintlocks? And Pedersoli brand, the Italians have always offered such antiquated things.
https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/pistols/flintlock-pistols.html

Get a kit for even more partscasterlike fun.
Here's a TOW kit
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(hu4jr2rmo22tri45s0kwbeiz ))/List/Item.aspx/608/1

I do have a percussion black powder Uberti 1860 Army Colt that I shot once. Great fun, like a foot long blue flame out the muzzle and a strong yet gentle push for recoil

 

Yeah Dixie they have kits too

 

I like Pedersoli products. Lyman also.

I've only run one flinter (a rifle). PITA compared to percussion cap.

 

Obviously, but the Navy Colt is not, and you can one-up a Colt with a Remmy 1858.

The cap and ball hobby is enough "primitiveness" and cleaning work, the flintlock will get old in a hurry.

 

I love flintlock because it uses a rock for the ignition sequence, and that was state of the art for a couple hundred years.

 

A friend had his g-g-g-g...grandfather's 1803 Tower horse pistol...in excellent shape, clean bore, still snappy and with a good flint it would produce a heck of a shower of sparks. .69 cal smoothbore. I supplied him with 10 balls and a handful of patches. No idea if he ever shot it.

Blackpowder is my crack. I leave the range looking like a chimney-sweep and always with a big smile.

 

It's the 21st century. Get percussion

 

I've had maybe a dozen black powder handguns over the years, several Walker 'Colt' .44's, several 1860 Army .44's, two 1858 Remington .44's, one Navy .36, and one .44 flintlock pistol, as well as a handful of others.

I've only had one black powder long gun, but it was a 'deuzy', a .75 caliber, smoothbore, Brown Bess flintlock musket that a previous owner had cut down to perhaps a 28-30 inch barrel length, and studded the stock with roundhead brass tacks, apparently to make it resemble an 'Indian trade musket' from the colonial period.

I wish I had a photo of it, but I fortunately don't. It was a great smoky monster to shoot, throwing a 3/4 inch lead ball downrange in a freaking cumulous cloud of grey smoke. Recoil wasn't bad at all, but the Brown Bess muskets are heavy and it takes a lot to make them very buck hard.

Flintlocks are a hoot to fire, what with the flash pan igniting a half-second before the main charge, making that cool "Shiffff..BOOM' ignition sound.

Dammit, now I want another Brown Bess...but they run around $1000+ these days.

 

Why not a matchlock if you want to really go all in?