Got THREE custom made 50 cal muzzle loaders last week.

[oldracer]

I was able to score the three 50 caliber Hawken style muzzle loaders that Doug Knoell made around 25 years ago this past Friday. His health is very bad and he has sold many of his guns so when he called me and asked if I was interested I jumped at the chance. The fancier one named "the tiger rifle" he made with a barrel serial numbered 000099 from the founder of CVA who had given it to him. He built every thing else from scratch. There is a short barreled one that he used for matches that are in the woods and a third one that is similar to the tiger rifle. I shot our monthly muzzle loader match and despite having no load info (forgot to ask) and being the first time, I still got a silver medal in the steel portion and around 4th in the paper portion. I found out later I was about 10gr light on the load he used so I feel pretty darn happy.

[Dryball]

Too bad about your friend...but nice score. Are they the "standard twist" barrels and what boolit or prb ya using?

[johnson1942]

its nice that guns can go to some one who likes them and will take care of them. glad to see your going back at it also. by the way, was thinking of how your comming along on that custom your building. keep us updated. your getting quite a collection of good guns.

[oldracer]

For the slug gun, I am doing the stock work such as checkering, fitting the schuetzen butt plate and still working on weather I'll try a pewter nose cap like the ones I just got have. The barrel has been smoothed and blackened with a metal coloring solution which also was used on the lock plate, tang for the hooked breech and trigger plates. I had to make a scraper for finishing the barrel channel since the two companies that make these do not have any 1 inch ones any longer due to lack of demand. I bought some stainless cabinet scrapers and then cut and sharpened them. That took several days to get done. I had to ease off the sanding as the skin on my fingers and hands was disappeared faster than I remembered!!!