Charleville muskets?

Mean Steak

Mean Steak

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So I have decided to get a Charleville musket. Now I have been saving my pennies and can afford one of the ones from Loyalist arms in Halifax

http://www.loyalistarms.freeservers.com/1777charleville.htm

It looks fine to me but I have a few questions. Is it bare steel finish or nickel plated? (looks shinny) Do they work and spark well? Do the have a flint installed? If not how do you install a flint properly? Does anyone have experience with them?

Now there is also another one at marstar for twice the cost

http://www.marstar.ca/dynamic/category.jsp?catid=80111

I would like one however I really don't want a lemon and I don't want to overpay either. If someone here with experience with either musket could help. I'd really appreciate it.
 
Personally, I'd get the one from Marstar.
The ones that Loyalist sells are made in India, final finish and setup by Loyalist. There is LOTS of discussion about the Indian made guns. If you are going to get one, Loyalist is the best place to buy one.
Polished steel, not plated.
Flints are disposable. They must be adjusted and replaced on an ongoing basis. If you are going to use a flintlock gun, you are going to become experienced at installing and adjusting them.
 
Both muskets will be good guns if you do your part, there are differences though, and remember the most expensive flintlock is still only as good as its operator.

- The Indian guns are not stocked in walnut and they are hand made making spare parts a bit more time consuming.

- The Pedersoli has readily available, springs and frizzens, a walnut stock and its made in Europe.

I have had excellent experiences with both.
 
Perfect thanks for all the replies everyone... I think that I'll wait and continue saving up for the one from marstar. I also have a steady supply of goex.
I use 1F for my martini henry rifles. would that be a sutable powder for muskets as well? I know that I will need some 4F for the frizzen right?
Thanks again for the help guys
 
Mean Steak said:
Perfect thanks for all the replies everyone... I think that I'll wait and continue saving up for the one from marstar. I also have a steady supply of goex.
I use 1F for my martini henry rifles. would that be a sutable powder for muskets as well? I know that I will need some 4F for the frizzen right?
Thanks again for the help guys
Click to expand...

you could use the same powder in the pan you use down the barrel 2f would most likely be the best
 
I normally shoot 3F in my rifles (smaller caliber than a Charleville) and have noticed a slower ignition with 2F priming than with 3F priming. I didn't notice much difference between 4F priming and 3F priming. When shooting a bess or a charleville, I would be strongly tempted to shoot a lighter load of 3F so that I could prime from my horn

cheers mooncoon
 
I can't vouch for Indian-made versus Italian-made because my only experience was with a FRENCH-made musket. It was one of the pieces that LaFayette smuggled to the Americans during the Revolution.

It was a super-nice piece to shoot, had about a fifth-of-a-second lock-time from the sear letting go to the ball leaving the muzzle: "Chick!... FFFT!!!!...BOOM!!!". Like that.

Talk about FUN!

Fellow who owned it had an AD one night. I was in Intelligence (Militia) at the time and the Ball just missed my head, so I ALMOST became the last "British" casualty of the American Revolution.
 
With the frizen tipped forward and the #### all the way forwad the tip of the flint should point to the centre of the pan....and hopefully the centre of the vent hole when veiwed from the side.

FFFg is probably what you want. 3f CAN be used for pan powder and the main charge.
If you want to use FFg than you will either need a supply of FFFFg (a $36+ investment that will last a life time...and a half as it is only sold in 1lb cans).....or the more contraversial rout of GENTLY grinding FFg into a fine powder with a non metalic mortar and pestle a few grains at a time.
I have CAREFULLY done this by doing it a little at a time until my pan primer flask was full. Keep emounts in the mortar small to avoid a disasterous explosion should something go wrong, yeep the powder can and flask away from the mortar and closed while doing this as well.
 
Never made paper speed loads. No point.

On the topic of flints; buy hand knaped flints, english being the best. The sawn flints from Lyman SUCK! The strike poorly, are nye impossible to knap a sharp edge on again and cost more. Beggars can't be chooses but hand knapped flints a far superior to diamond sawn perfect parallelogram shaped flints. The reason being that the grain of the stone doesn't line up with the striking edge. A dull flint or improperly adjusted flint will strike poorly or sometimes not at all.
 
There are lots of instructions for making paper cartridges. Easy to do, convenient to use. But originally, the drill was to bite the cartridge open, prime the lock, and then ram the load. DON'T LOAD IN THAT SEQUENCE. You do not want to be ramming a primed gun. Charge the barrel, then prime.
 
tiriaq said:
There are lots of instructions for making paper cartridges. Easy to do, convenient to use. But originally, the drill was to bite the cartridge open, prime the lock, and then ram the load. DON'T LOAD IN THAT SEQUENCE. You do not want to be ramming a primed gun. Charge the barrel, then prime.
Click to expand...

EXACTLY! Who wants to be staring down the barrel of a loaded gun? I load like this:

First shot: prime pan, ####, aim, fire. This drys any oil or moisture from the pan.
Flip frizzen forward, place #### in 1/2 #### position, stick a feather quil in the vent, measure powder, pour into muzzle, lubed patch and ball, start ball with short start until top edge of ball is flush with muzzle, trim excess patch, short start 3" ish down bore, ram ball, REMOVE RAM ROD, remove feather quill from vent, prime pan NOT vent, 2-3gr of FFFg should do fine, flip frizzen closed, #### to full #### position, aim, fire.
Then; frizzen forward, #### at 1/2, spit patch to clear bore, dry patch, wire or feather to clean vent hole, start from beginning

The clipped feather allows air behind the ball to escape through the hollow quill while making sure the vent hole doesn't become blocked.
If you fill the vent hole with powder grains you will get a big lag in lock time as the vent burns like a fuse rather than a vent hole.
You want; click,ffBANG not click, fffffftttt....BANG (powder in the vent), or click fffftt (blocked vent or no main charge), click (no priming powder, damp priming powder, bad flint, half ####)
 
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Its simple, make paper cartridges and do what it says here http://northernbrigade.hoplologia.org/documents/1775manual.pdf , In my Biased opinion, operate your musket as it was intended to be operated.

In my opinion its best to load it in the British/Prussian military manner, if you do so at no point will your face be in front of the bore.

If you are forced to use a range they will frown of the practice, so you do it in the way that keeps people around you comfortable. That said....I prefer the intended fashion and will always load in that fashion if in a natural situation.

 
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