How many here stick with traditional styles?

[waksupi]

I was at a shoot this weekend, all traditional. We had right on 200 shooters, from as far away as Edmundton, Alberta, to Texas and Daytona beach, Florida.
Very hot, and all shooting was shut down by 2PM each day, because of fire danger. And, we still had two fires to deal with. We will most likely be restricting some types of patch lubes in the future, to eliminate this problem. The Bore Butter, and Wonderlube have proven thierselves to be very bad about this over the years.
It is extremely dry in the woods, so if you are travelling the west, be very careful.
This was the first year this shoot has offered a separate smoothbore flintlock class. We were surprised at all that showed up, with some very fine English, French, and Eastern fowlers on the line, along with several types of trade guns. Most of us with smoothbores, also shot them in the rifle part of the competition. We may have not come out on top, but they knew someone was there trying hard!
I had scheduled in a smoothbore match to run in a couple weeks, but with fire restrictions now in stage one, and stage two right around the corner in a couple days, I imagine this will have to be cancelled this time around.
Retrogression, can be fun!

[brayhaven]

The modern ML Vs traditional, debate always churns up strong feelings, as it has here. I love the traditional wood stocked rifles & smoothbores as well as shotguns, and that's my preference. I hunt most of the modern season with a flinter. But, I don't hold it against those who choose to go afield with a modern, inline, 209 primed, plastic stocked, "thingamajig". I think they are mssing out on major part of the allure & satisfaction of BP hunting, though. I may tease them a bit about their "mattel" or tupperware equipment, but I don't hold it against them ). I feel sorry for them, but I sure don't resent them ). Good hunting.
Greg

[Old Ironsights]

The modern ML Vs traditional, debate always churns up strong feelings, as it has here. I love the traditional wood stocked rifles & smoothbores as well as shotguns, and that's my preference. I hunt most of the modern season with a flinter. But, I don't hold it against those who choose to go afield with a modern, inline, 209 primed, plastic stocked, "thingamajig". I think they are mssing out on major part of the allure & satisfaction of BP hunting, though. I may tease them a bit about their "mattel" or tupperware equipment, but I don't hold it against them ). I feel sorry for them, but I sure don't resent them ). Good hunting.
Greg

That's why my plastic stocked "thingamajig" is a Stainless Steel Flintlock. That way I get to annoy everybody.

[brayhaven]

That's why my plastic stocked "thingamajig" is a Stainless Steel Flintlock. That way I get to annoy everybody.

I don't dislike plastic stocks because they aren't traditional. I dislike them mostly because they are butt ugly But, since yours is a flinter, I may give it a pass (IMO). As a gunsmith, I've seen some pretty ugly wood stocks too .
Greg

[Old Ironsights]

I don't dislike plastic stocks because they aren't traditional. I dislike them mostly because they are butt ugly But, since yours is a flinter, I may give it a pass (IMO). As a gunsmith, I've seen some pretty ugly wood stocks too .
Greg

Can't disagree with you at all. But a man't got to make sacrifices. Besides, that's the only way it came. If I wanted Stainless (which was a must for me) it came on Plastic.

I may have a custom stock (no stock stock will fit) made for it some day, but it will likely cost more than the gun.

(Then again, I'm putting a black plastic Ramline on my (matte stainless) Rossi .357/1892 so I can have a "PC" "Black Gun"... I'll use the Wood for CAS, but the black plastic is just so light and useful - plus, it annoys people.

[brayhaven]

Can't disagree with you at all. But a man't got to make sacrifices. Besides, that's the only way it came. If I wanted Stainless (which was a must for me) it came on Plastic.

:

As a Floridian, I can sure sympathize with that. I built a short fowler with a queen anne lock last year and decided to make the barrel from scratch (never again). http://onfinite.com/libraries/731048/fe4.jpg I made it out of 416 stainless with a part octagon/part round in 24 ga. Those folks don't charge nearly enough for a barrel
I also have a carbon graphite & fiberglass stock on my stainless barrelled Alaska rifle so I'm not totally without guilt <G>

You could probably make a nice stock for that rifle yourself. Polished stainless looks good. A lot of the old guns were left bright with no bluing or browning. I'm curious about that stainless lock. Is the frizzen stainless too? How does it spark? What kind of flints do you use with it?

Greg

[Old Ironsights]

I'm sort of partial to the "in the white" look of matte/bead-blasted stainless.




My Flinter is a stock Thompson Center "Firestorm". The only thing I've done to it is lower the frizzen heel & a bit of smoothing. The Frizzen is cast - of what I don't know - and painted(?) black. It sparks fine.

I use primarily cut agates, though I have also used cut arkansas chert. Until I tuned my lock, I didn't have much luck with Knapped Black English flints, however, I am looking to try knapping my own one of these days.

I probably won't try to make a stock though. I don't have any woodworking tools or skills.

[brayhaven]

I'm sort of partial to the "in the white" look of matte/bead-blasted stainless.




My Flinter is a stock Thompson Center "Firestorm". The only thing I've done to it is lower the frizzen heel & a bit of smoothing. The Frizzen is cast - of what I don't know - and painted(?) black. It sparks fine.

I use primarily cut agates, though I have also used cut arkansas chert. Until I tuned my lock, I didn't have much luck with Knapped Black English flints, however, I am looking to try knapping my own one of these days.

I probably won't try to make a stock though. I don't have any woodworking tools or skills.

I would say the frizzen is a carbon steel of some sort. stainless alloys haven't sparked very well for me; playing around with making a 440C firestarter and talking with the lock people.
You could probably have someone with a stock duplicator use your plastic one as a form and make you one that wouldn't take much woodworking skill to finish.
Knapping flint is fun & challenging, but for a sparking flint you can't use heat treated flint, which knaps better.
Greg

[mazo kid]

Muzzleloader=traditional in my mind. If you want to shoot an in-line, so be it. You might just as well shoot a Rem 700 if you want to shoot a m/l for hunting. In my mind, it just means you want an extra deer and you take it with a modern appearing m/l rifle. Many States limit hunts to an external hammer rifle moving in an arc. This is only my opinion and if you are hunting M/L with an inline then keep on doing it. We need to be unified in this respect. Emery

[gregg]

Muzzleloader=traditional in my mind. If you want to shoot an in-line, so be it. You might just as well shoot a Rem 700 if you want to shoot a m/l for hunting. In my mind, it just means you want an extra deer and you take it with a modern appearing m/l rifle. Many States limit hunts to an external hammer rifle moving in an arc. This is only my opinion and if you are hunting M/L with an inline then keep on doing it. We need to be unified in this respect. Emery

YUP. Thats the way I feel. I like the look of old rifles. Levers, bolts,pumps or single shots... Old guns just have nice lines. Inlines don't.

[50 Caliber]

I very much prefer "old Style" smoke poles, I have a Dixie Pennsylvannia 32 cal & a 50cal short rifle, My Daughter's each have a TC, The youngest shoots a Pennsylvannia Hunter the oldest shoots a New Englander. We cast our own ball and Maxi hunters. The Penn Hunter will shot clover leaf groups @ 100yds with 75gr FFFpowder under a 180gr .495 lead ball, the New Englander will shoot 2.5" @ 100yds with 90gr FF and a home cast Maxi Hunter.
OH crap! I almost forgot my Pedersoli 12 Gauge double! Must not do that. I have more fun with that than should be legal....

[Ricochet]

That's why my plastic stocked "thingamajig" is a Stainless Steel Flintlock. That way I get to annoy everybody.

You know, it'd be a hoot if someone built a very traditionally styled Pennsylvania long flintlock--in stainless and black plastic.

[waksupi]

You know, it'd be a hoot if someone built a very traditionally styled Pennsylvania long flintlock--in stainless and black plastic.

I remember thirty plus years ago, at Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin, at Villa Louis, the old John Jacob Astor fur trade mansion. A pilgrim showed up with a Thompson Center Hawken, with a chromed barrel. Curly Gostomski was camped next to me, and showed great interest in the rifle. We looked it over closely, and Curly offered the guy more money than it was worth. I was rather wide eyed at that, as Curly owned NorthStar enterprises then, the only manufacturer of trade guns at the time, to the best of my rememberance.
Anyway, the guy took the deal, very pleased with himself, that someone such as Curly would pay a premium for his rifle.
Curly immediately proceeded to the bank of the Mississippi River, that flows right past the grounds. He took hold of the barrel, and with his best effort, pinwheeled the rifle as far as he could, into the Mississippi silt. And I'll bet it is still there! If anyone wants to go diving for it, go straight off the end of the northern most blacktop drive on the grounds, and start searching!

[50 Caliber]

[Old Ironsights]

You know, it'd be a hoot if someone built a very traditionally styled Pennsylvania long flintlock--in stainless and black plastic.

If'n you haven't read the whole thread... there's pics of mine.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...8&postcount=68

[50 Caliber]

Is that "gun oil" in the upper right corner of the first picture???

[Old Ironsights]

Is that "gun oil" in the upper right corner of the first picture???

Actually, it was a bottle of "real" Black Bush... There was over 1lb of 4F in there until I got a plastic container to put it in. Made an interesting conversation piece tho.

(I know, I know. Powder in glass = bad. That's why it's not there any more.)

[Slamfire]

Well I am, but not very. My youngest son bought me a CVA Bobcat for Christmas one year. I stuffed it half full of pyrodox and a Buffalo Ballet. It wouldn't go off. So I found a musket nipple and caps. It went boom when I wanted it too, but sprayed my arm with hot copper. I then bought some Graf & Son labeled black powder and discovered it'd go boom, without the musket caps. Remington's "new, hotter" work just fine. Tried PRBs and they are a little bit more accurate than the ballets.
Thinkin' I'd like a small game rifle, I bought an old Numrich H&A "Buggy Rifle" in .36. Bein' a southpaw I like the underhammer arrangement. It cruds up too fast to use black, preferrin' 777 or Pyrodox "P", so that's what I use.
Then I wanted a smoothbore and latched onto a T/C Renegade .56. It ain't all that useful as a shotgun with the double triggers, and I haven't cast any balls with the included mould. Seems like the more traditional I get the less use I have for the gun.
I think I'll get another Bobcat to rebarrel the underhammer, then sell the Renegade.
I think the inlines look dumb without a real bolt on the back.

[StarMetal]

Remember that one neat 36 caliber rifle TC use to make, the Cougar I believe. My friend up in Ohio still has his. Wish they'd bring that back out.

Joe

[Willbird]

Well heck my Omega has a swinging hammer, so I guess it is traditional