HELP! What would YOU buy? (and why)

Claven2

Claven2

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I'm lookinf at picking up a flintlock as a secondary blackpowder rifle (my primary is an 1862 Remington clone in percussion).

This musket will be used for (primarily) range work, and also as a backup or fun second option for close-in fall deer hunting.

I've narrowed it down to two choices:

1) India Pattern Brown Bess .75 Smoothbore from Discriminating General ($649 cdn):
indiabess1.jpg


2) Armi Sport Kentucky rifle (1:920mm) in .45 from Marstar ($499):
CH-911.000-Kentucky-F.jpg


Obviously, both are for patched roundball.

It's gonna be one of these two, and the price difference is inconsequential. I just can't decide... advice?
 
Frankly, I would not buy the Discrimating General or Loyalist Arms Indian made muskets for live ball shooting. I have owned many Pedersoli firearms over the years and I have not had any problems with them.
 
Personally I'd be leary too of buying an Indian made Bess. I have the Pedersoli Bess and am still working a load for it. Personally I'd go for the Kentucky Rifle.
The Bess is rather unweildy in thick bush. That all said the Bess has the advantage of being used as a shotgun if that is anything to consider.
 
JP: do you have any specific info on why not to shoot the Indian made Bessys? As for pedersoli, I don't see anyone carrying them for sale in Canada and also the cost is about double - sadly.

what about the Armi Sport Kentucky rifle I posted above? Good? Bad? don't know?

I do know that LA and TDG advertise their Bess as being perfectly capable of firing...
 
Pederosoli Bess

If you want a good Bess get a Pederosoli. I have a friend Dave that bought an Indian first pattern Bess from Loyalist Arms, and he showed it to me without telling me where he got it or how much he paid for it. He asked how much I would pay for it, and I said about $250 because I thought it was a cheap display model. When he told me it was between $1000 and $1100 I couldn't believe it. He returned it, and got his money back.
Loyalist arms sells Peterson guns get one of those if you have to buy a Bess. I am not saying Loyalist Arms are deceiving or anything like that, but they must have known the first model wasn't worth that kind of money. I would hang it over my fireplace but not carry it to a reenactment or shoot it in public. All the pins in the stock looked like they had been removed and put back in because there was pieces of wood splintered around the holes. I was told by a gunsmith that the splinters were probably caused by punching them out for the purpose of drilling the touch hole. It was probably done after they entered the country. If you want a Bess buy a recognized product, or get one built by a reputable gunsmith.
My apologies to Loyalist Arms, but I can provide a name and phone number of the person who bought the Bess.
Albayo
 
so basically everyone is dead set against the Discriminating General and Loyalist Arms Bessys.

Anyone here actually have one, or are the reviews all from people you know? Just curious as it's possible I suppose that they have maybe gotten better with time?

I just can't wrap my mind around paying Shooters Choice's price for a Pedersolli Bess. I know for a fact they have it marked unrealistically high compared to what Marstar will be able to charge when they finally get some.

I also wish someone would comment on the Armi Sport kentucky rifle above as I'd also consider that acceptable if it's decent.
 
Ahhh - screw it. I just got off the phone from Marstar. Had a question about the Armi Sport Kentucky rifle and they politely told me that the rifle they were looking at to answer my question was their last flintlock of any sort still in stock. they wanted to know if I wanted it or not so they could mark it as a sold out item.

(yes, I know the person I was talking too - it wasn't a sales pitch, really was their last one!)

So I threw caution to the wind and bought it. Since no-one seems to have any info on this rifle, a review will follow next week (getting it dropped off on Friday).
 
Claven2:

I guess I'm too late to get into the discussion, since you've already made the deal ... but if it is any consolation, in view of your stated primary uses - i.e primarily target shooting and hunting - I was going to recommend the rifle.

At .45 caliber, it might be a little on the light side for deer-sized game, but stoked up good it will unquestionably do the job with decent bullet placement - which is true of just about anything. (My personal preference for hunting would have been at least .50 cal.)

As long as it sparks well and has a decent lock time, you'll enjoy yourself immensely ... unless you actually do shoot left handed, as tiriaq implies. (There will be quite a lot going on right in front of your face ... :eek: )
 
Oh, I'm left handed allright! But I plan to wear good shooting glasses and a leather arm patch to prevent burns ;)

Not much choice out there for lefties (sadly) outside of hwkens which I find too vanilla.

Besides, this isn't my primary rig anyhow. That's a .58 cal Remington clone. ;)
 
The next time you visit Gunco, there will be some photographs of that original left hand flintlock waiting for you - the one we discussed a while back.
 
I'm a lefty shooter, don't mind the right hand flinters.One advantage is you don't get the puff of smoke in front of your shootin' eye.
How's your supply of flints in your area? Can you get Tom Fullers English flints.
 
Dunno, I orderes the 5-pack from Marstar - we'll soo how good (or bad) they are ;)

Nessy - do you always wear eye protection when hunting in the woods with a right-handed flinter?
 
Traditions

Not looking to high jack the thread,however,I rarely see any discussions around flintlocks.Are the rifles made by Traditions known as good performers?I am looking for a first muzzleloader and am sold on getting a flinter.
 
I wear glasses fulltime, my flinter is a lefty.If I was buying another one I wouldn't hesitate to buy a right hander.One of our club members is left eye dominant and shoots a RH tradegun,at our Valentines shoot last Sun he shot 17/20 on the RIFLE trail, beat most of the rifle shooters.:p
To answer your question i would definately wear glasses shooting a RH flint.
 
I have a Bess carbine from Loyalist. I have shot over 300 ball, 50 shots of bird shot and 1 ramrod out of it. The only problem I have had is that the frizzen spring is too stiff. As Mooncoon would say, "get the best barrel and lock you can buy, the rest don't matter". I will admit that my bess I mostly use for static display, when I wear my 1750's light infantry uniform. My main flinter is an English fowler with a Jim Chamber's lock. Last weekend I shocked myself by hitting a 5 foot target at 250 meters twice in a row, stopped while the stopping was good so to speak. Jigger, I have heard and seen bad things with Traditions(Njord had one). At least Marstar will back the products they sell.

SW
 
Agreed - if you want a plain entry flinter, look at maybe a Lyman great plains (simple gun, higher percentage of getting a useable lock) or something from Marstar as at least Marstar's Guarantee is behind you.

If inexpensive reliability is required, step up to a caplock - lock quality is less important on a capper.
 
Lyman in 54 cal. Flint job, the price is right and quality is excellent. And what a nice looking rifle for the price.
I have an inline that is unfired in .54 , a costly rifle ($1000) from Knight. I would trade it for a Lyman anytime.
Frank
 
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