Cheap old flintlock

[fatelk]

I think I'm hooked. I picked up a junky old flintlock at a gun show for $100 a couple weeks ago and just shot it today. It was fun and it shoots good.

I have a lot of rifles, been casting and reloading for decades, but never had a muzzleloader before. I have a couple cap and ball revolvers but this is my first rifle. I did some research on it and it's an old Spanish Jukar kit gun that looks like a 12 year old put it together (not real pretty). Fair price? I don't know, but I like it. I was hitting a 4" bullseye at 50 yards pretty quick so I figure that's not bad for a beginner. My 9yo son shot it and thought it was pretty cool.

[waksupi]

Uh-oh. My first muzzle loader I bought over 40 years ago, has cost me at least a quarter million bucks since then!

[bubba.50]

So, what's yer second one gonna be[smilie=l:?

[John Allen]

Waksupi, you and me both. I just picked up my first front loader shotgun to go with all my muzzleloaders. This could be a bad thing

[waarp8nt]

I have a Jukar that is percussion in 45 caliber, my brother bought it at the pawn shop for $25 way back in the 80's. The rifle came new in the box in kit form. Once assembled it shot pretty well from what I remember, although I cannot remember the last time it has been shot. I would not have passed on it, thinking $100 is plenty fair for a flintlock.

I got bit by the smoke pole bug bad enough as a teenager that I bailed hay to get the cash to buy shooting supplies. Recently Johnny Cash'd together a .56 T/C smooth bore.

[ejcrist]

I think I'm hooked. I picked up a junky old flintlock at a gun show for $100 a couple weeks ago and just shot it today. It was fun and it shoots good.

I have a lot of rifles, been casting and reloading for decades, but never had a muzzleloader before. I have a couple cap and ball revolvers but this is my first rifle. I did some research on it and it's an old Spanish Jukar kit gun that looks like a 12 year old put it together (not real pretty). Fair price? I don't know, but I like it. I was hitting a 4" bullseye at 50 yards pretty quick so I figure that's not bad for a beginner. My 9yo son shot it and thought it was pretty cool.

Gosh I know how you feel. The thing I like best about flintlocks and other traditional muzzleloaders, as well as shooting home cast boolits outa revolvers is that you have a lot of input on the results. That's just something you don't get out of shooting modern off-the-shelf factory ammo from modern firearms. I know for a fact I wouldn't have maintained as much interest in shooting if it weren't for flintlocks, revolvers, hand loading, and boolit casting.

[fatelk]

So, what's yer second one gonna be[smilie=l:?
Good question. I'll shoot this one for a while and have some fun with it. I can see myself getting something nicer in the future for sure, especially if one of my kids takes an interest in shooting with me more.

I was in a black powder shop the other day picking up some minor supplies I needed to shoot this rifle, and they have row upon row, racks full of flintlocks and percussion rifles. There were some absolutely beautiful rifles there but the ones I really liked were way out of my price range.

[fatelk]

That's just something you don't get out of shooting modern off-the-shelf factory ammo from modern firearms. I know for a fact I wouldn't have maintained as much interest in shooting if it weren't for flintlocks, revolvers, hand loading, and boolit casting.
It's funny how one's interests change over the years. 25 years ago I had an SKS and couldn't wait to save up for an AK or an AR, thought the funnest thing in the world was hosing down some tin cans with lots of bullets. Then it was really accurate Remington bolt actions that I thought I needed, then S&W revolvers, a Glock or two, Mosins and cheap Mausers, a couple Garands.

I still have at least one of each of the aforementioned, but the bullet hoses especially don't do anything for me at all anymore. Nothing against them, I just don't shoot them anymore.My son likes to burn through magazines full of .30 carbine ammo, but at this point I'm happy with one .45 cal ball at a time accompanied by big old clouds of white smoke. :)

[missionary5155]

Good morning
That is great ! A cheap flinter that sparks enough to set off the charge ! You can have loads of fun with your flinter. No worry about a scratch. No concern about bumping the stock. Just do remember to hot water clean the barrel and oil it after shooting and it very possibly will still be with you many years later still chugging along.
Mike in Peru

[webradbury]

I had a Hatfield rifle when I was about 12 and wish I still had it! I'm working on getting another rifle as we speak. A flintlock, never had one so that's what I am building.

[Gtek]

Remove the lock plate for a good rinse and lube also, it does get back behind there. T/C Butter or similar works good back there for lube and protection and keeps the very bad day away in the future when you may finally see back there and it is real rusty crusty. The CVA lock assemblies are going for almost what you paid for rifle and parts are getting tougher. The flash flinch some have a time with, sounds like your good. Late sixties through seventies some Saturdays spent with father at club. Jackets, boots, and purses with fringe worn by grown men with beards smoking pipes and throwing hatchets at cut logs. Fast forward to today, I have all his and mine consuming one very large cabinet and then some. If the son thinks it's cool your gold, run with it. Just remember to imprint the pain in the behind cleaning session after all the fun and checking for a couple days after. Some of my best memories have Dad and firearm in them!

[mooman76]

Shoots good and you had fun. You did good. Like stated your parts are worth more than you paid and they are getting harder to come by these day, the cheap ones any way. I rarely see used ones for sale any more.

[fatelk]

Here's a photo of the superior craftsmanship on this old rifle. :) (Had I put this kit together I would be much too embarrassed to post this photo)

Maybe some day I'll take the time to see if I can clean it up a bit and refinish it. Right now it doesn't bother me, since it shoots fine.

You guys are going to laugh at me for how I sharpened the flint. I should have bought a new one while I was at the Gun Works buying other supplies, but I thought since it had one already I didn't need another. Later I find out that it's dull and sparks weekly, and I don't have the right little tool to chip and sharpen it with. A little diamond hone for knife sharpening works OK- lots of sparks now.

[Gtek]

I have seen and own his work, that could be the same guy that put the patch box in one of my 32 Squirrels. Curious, left hand, lock on right patch box on left?

[dikman]

Fatelk, I wouldn't worry about it. A little while ago I bought a used CVA Mountain Rifle. The price was pretty good, and the dealer (a gunsmith and builder of muzzleloaders) said it looked like it was a kit gun that had been put together as it came out of the box, i.e. the fit of the metal-to-wood was pretty basic! I pulled the thing apart and spent some time re-working the wood so that everything fitted better (first time I had ever done this, by the way), stripped the stock and oiled it over several days, then got stuck into it with a small power buffer. While it might not be up to the standards of many on here, I'm pretty pleased with it and a couple of club members have commented on its appearance. As an added bonus, it shoots well too!

So have a go at it sometime, you might be pleasantly surprised with the results.

[Rhou45]

I was in a black powder shop the other day picking up some minor supplies I needed to shoot this rifle, and they have row upon row, racks full of flintlocks and percussion rifles.

Come on now, don't be greedy, share this secret stores name and location. I haven't seen a store with more than two traditional ML's in years, and those are either very over priced or very cheaply built and abused kit guns.

It seems everyone is moving on to modern hunting front stuffers and neglecting the beautiful craftmanship that goes into a true ML.

[fatelk]

www.thegunworks.com

They're just down the road a bit from where I used to live. You'd be in heaven in their retail store; they have racks with dozens of beautiful traditional rifles. They're not cheap but from what I saw he does very nice work. I think he makes his own barrels there, at least that's what I was told.