When you look at the entire outdoor sporting goods industry, from archery to firearms to inland boating to ocean boating to fishing in all of its forms to bicycling to backpacking to climbing, and so on and so on and so on; the entirety of muzzleloading, from the most traditional handgonne/wheelock to the most radical smokeless muzzleloader (and ALL of the supporting elements that make M-L work) only comprises approximately 1/1000th of 1% of the revenue for the industry.
That's why the BIG BOYS don't wanna be bothered. They just don't see the profits in it. Virtually none of them are willing to look at ANY industry with the type of forward looking attitude that the Asian companies approach business with. And, certainly NOT MUZZLELOADING!!!!
It's guys like Jim Kibler that got sick and tired of the parts that he was getting from foundries being not good enough for his kits.
To the point that he has invested in 2 CNC machines so that he can fabricate everything on his flintlock rifle kits except for the frizzen, the cock, and the top jaw of the locks.
In the last year he has brought to market 2 separate flintlocks that don't just look good. The internals, as well as the externals are not just historically correct, the geometries are right. And they use construction and assembly techniques like the best of the European locks from the past did.
The first lock was a round-faced English styled flintlock that went on his Early Colonial Rifle Kit. Replacing a Jim Chambers lock of similar shape and style. The latest lock, ready to go in his Mountain Rifle kits in the next week, or so, is a Late Ketland style export flintlock with a semi-waterproof pan. Locks like these were exported from England by the tens of thousands in wooden kegs during the first 2 decades of the 19th Century.
In several months, 3-4, he will be bringing to market a separate version of the Ketland lock that will have a high tech (19th Century) waterproof pan and frizzen on it.
Current cost of all 3 locks? An amazing $235.00. Expect the waterproof pan version to cost a little more.
Another man, Chris Laubach, is bringing to market a CNC machined version of a 1740-1760 German flintlock with a curved lockplate, and FORGED SPRINGS. Approximate cost $345.00
These two men, and Jim's wife Katherine, are the best thing to happen to traditional muzzleloading in decades.
Mr. Kibler's made no bones about the troubles he's had with getting foundries to turn out acceptable work. Now that he controls virtually the entire production process, with the exception of the barrel, breech plug, and three cast parts, he can guarantee his quality, and reduce his problems.
His barrels come from Rice Muzzleloading Barrels. The breech plugs are CNC machined by Quality Tool & Machine Co., and installed by Rice.
Jim Kibler has let it be known that he will eventually turn his talents to percussion locks, as well as left-hand locks.
This is one man trying to make a difference where he has his true loves. The flintlock longrifle. If he can do as much as he has with the limited funds at his disposal, then what should a company like Pedersoli be able to accomplish?
So many of Pedersoli' s guns that are not direct copies of historical firearms, look down right amateurish and hokie to me. It's like they never bothered to actually put their hands on a specimen of the type of gun that they are trying to emulate. Like they made it from a picture.
A company with their resources ought to be able to produce guns with locks at least as good as the ones Jim Kibler and Chris Laubach are making. Why they don't is a total mystery to me.
European barrels are first rate. So why are their breech plugs, powder drums, locks, touch hole liners, etc done so poorly, so often? Not all of the time, but a lot of the time?
Then you take what you think is a final leap, only to discover you dove into the shallow end and feel you have to leap again from the other end. If one does the math between equal amounts of BH and SML, how much do you really gain in overall cost savings? Don't forget "new and improved" bullet prices, range fees or club costs, etc. 
