I bought a Pedersoli Missouri River 50 cal caplock a few years back which some of you will have seen in my previous threads. It's been a great gun. But truth be told I haven't taken it out of the safe in nearly 2 years since findign flintlocks. And since getting into flintlocks I've appreciated more and more the value of quality.
My main hunting gun at the moment is an Australian GRRW leman trade flint gun in .54. It's a beautiful gun, shoots lights out and is overall a delight to shoot. I've put several animals in the freezer with her and cannot fault it. The only downside is that for travelling on planes and such I need a locked hard case which is hard to find for a 54" gun without spending crazy money. That and I really wanted a larger calibre rifle for hunting reds when marginal shots can present themselves. So I decided to get a new gun.
Initially I looked at getting a Chambers kit, but by the time I convert to aussie dollars and pay the currently crazy freight costs it was going to be an expensive gun with a lot of work still to do. I had considered getting a gunsmith in the states to do it and then have the completed gun shipped here, but I could not find a single one willing. Truth be told, more than half stopped replying when I mentioned I was from Australia. Eventually I found a builder in Australia who makes fully custom rifles. As he's the last remaining flintlock builder in Australia and muzzleloading isn't big his prices were more than reasonable to the point that he's cheaper than some Pedersoli guns!
the builder doesn't care for the american long rifle style and prefers english sporting guns. I initially fought him on that, but after visiting his shop and handling them I have come around. For me he'll be doing a John Manton style .58 cal half stock with a swamped Rice 31" barrel and folding rear leaf sights. Manton V-pan which is meant to be one of the best lock and pan designs ever created, it came about right at the zenith of the flintlock period. Stock is from blank, I've opted for more expensive high grade english walnut, it's customary in Manton guns to have 18 carat gold inlays so they'll be included and some hand engravings. Undecided whether to have my initials engraved in somewhere or not yet, and whether I go a single trigger or have a single set trigger. Leaning toward the latter.
Only down side is that it's a minimum 12 month wait.
I will update the thread as the build comes along.
My main hunting gun at the moment is an Australian GRRW leman trade flint gun in .54. It's a beautiful gun, shoots lights out and is overall a delight to shoot. I've put several animals in the freezer with her and cannot fault it. The only downside is that for travelling on planes and such I need a locked hard case which is hard to find for a 54" gun without spending crazy money. That and I really wanted a larger calibre rifle for hunting reds when marginal shots can present themselves. So I decided to get a new gun.
Initially I looked at getting a Chambers kit, but by the time I convert to aussie dollars and pay the currently crazy freight costs it was going to be an expensive gun with a lot of work still to do. I had considered getting a gunsmith in the states to do it and then have the completed gun shipped here, but I could not find a single one willing. Truth be told, more than half stopped replying when I mentioned I was from Australia. Eventually I found a builder in Australia who makes fully custom rifles. As he's the last remaining flintlock builder in Australia and muzzleloading isn't big his prices were more than reasonable to the point that he's cheaper than some Pedersoli guns!
the builder doesn't care for the american long rifle style and prefers english sporting guns. I initially fought him on that, but after visiting his shop and handling them I have come around. For me he'll be doing a John Manton style .58 cal half stock with a swamped Rice 31" barrel and folding rear leaf sights. Manton V-pan which is meant to be one of the best lock and pan designs ever created, it came about right at the zenith of the flintlock period. Stock is from blank, I've opted for more expensive high grade english walnut, it's customary in Manton guns to have 18 carat gold inlays so they'll be included and some hand engravings. Undecided whether to have my initials engraved in somewhere or not yet, and whether I go a single trigger or have a single set trigger. Leaning toward the latter.
Only down side is that it's a minimum 12 month wait.
I will update the thread as the build comes along.
