My first flintlock was a Traditions Kentucky Rifle, I think I paid 550cad new for it back in the 2010s..(fully assembled! not even as the cheaper kit). Fit and finish was excellent on it, accuracy was excellent. The lock arguably wasnt even that bad considering its tiny size. Great to pull off the wall, dust off, load up and go hunting with. But when firing consecutive shots, thats when serious design flaws really started to show.
TONS of flashes in the pan, TONS of slow ignitions. Very stiff to load. Most beginners like myself pass it off as being *part of the Flinchlock experience*. Its only until one witnesses a normal flintlock firing that they then realize somethings terribly wrong with the Traditions models.
And that something is the breech geometry. Extremely prone to fowling, very hard to clean in the field. Honestly, flat out F'ing dangerous when you fully consider it and the far reaching implications of totally frustrated and desperate Black Powder beginners having to fiddle around out in the field with pumping 3f or 4f into fowled touchole liners, shouldering multiple hangfires or pulling balls. Maybe they even give up, pull the flint and drive home with a stoked barrel that they'll later address in the confinements of a suburban garage or basement lol.
Every Flintlock newcomer should do themselves a favor and skip the Traditions offering, buy a used Lyman, Pedersoli or basically any new or used American made kit gun from a reputable name. Its like going from PowerFist to Huskavarna.
TONS of flashes in the pan, TONS of slow ignitions. Very stiff to load. Most beginners like myself pass it off as being *part of the Flinchlock experience*. Its only until one witnesses a normal flintlock firing that they then realize somethings terribly wrong with the Traditions models.
And that something is the breech geometry. Extremely prone to fowling, very hard to clean in the field. Honestly, flat out F'ing dangerous when you fully consider it and the far reaching implications of totally frustrated and desperate Black Powder beginners having to fiddle around out in the field with pumping 3f or 4f into fowled touchole liners, shouldering multiple hangfires or pulling balls. Maybe they even give up, pull the flint and drive home with a stoked barrel that they'll later address in the confinements of a suburban garage or basement lol.
Every Flintlock newcomer should do themselves a favor and skip the Traditions offering, buy a used Lyman, Pedersoli or basically any new or used American made kit gun from a reputable name. Its like going from PowerFist to Huskavarna.
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