Flintlock long rifle purchase for novice.

[Eliphas]

May not be the proper forum for this, but...
Older guy here wanting to get into flintlock/black powder.
So, I'm considering buying a Pedersoli Pennsylvania Rifle, flintlock of course in .32 Cal. from Dixie Gun Works.
Anyone have any first hand knowledge/opinion of this rifle?

They have a very slightly less expensive Kentucky which has more shiny Brass but without a set trigger.
32 caliber because of assumed lower recoil, have a torn muscle in my shoulder.
So, any suggestions or experience with this weapon?
Thank you all.

[oldtravler61]

   They can be a good gun. BUT they can be a pia too ! It all matters on the quality of the lock you get. IMHO when it comes to flintlock guns. The quality of the lock really matters.
Don't know how much you want to spend. But if it was me I'd look into a Kibler Southern Mountain rifle. They come in 32 cal to 45.  Very accurate and an exceptional lock.

[Stoner creek]

Any caliber from 50 down can be managed with the right load combinations. A good target load in a 50 caliber will offer less recoil than a 410 shotgun when managed correctly. The overall weight of the weapon is more of a deciding factor when you’re dealing with torn, damaged or weak body parts. You’re asking the right people.
Quite often money is a restricting factor when purchasing one of these things.
Send me a personal message and I can make some more detailed recommendations.

[WadePatton]

Recoil shouldn't be a concern under 50 caliber, even with injury. 40 gives you more options, but is also "too small" for big game in many, if not most, jurisdictions. Here in TN we can go as low as 36 for deer by statute and I've seen a 40 do a fine job--but you didn't say anything about hunting. Just don't get hung up on 32 as being much lighter in recoil than a 40, and many old timers report that handling 32 caliber balls in cool weather can be challenging.

I'd try to find something I liked second-hand but also checked out thoroughly by someone who KNOWS black powder and what to look for in a used gun. Most modern gun shops will not have a clue, and should be avoided without good references otherwise.

I don't know what there is on the production gun market, haven't looked in ages.  But I do know for a few dollars more, there can be some great options.

Could be some knowledgeable members in your area. I'd try to make contact with them, see how they think. Post your whereabouts maybe.

[MuskratMike]

I concur with "Old Traveler". The lock on a flintlock, who made it how well it has been tuned and polished and the geometry of it makes all the difference in how successful and happy you are going to be. I have yet to see a mass produced one I would be happy with.
 Unless you are well versed in them the very first to do is order the book: Flintlocks, A Practical Guide for their Use and Appreciation by Eric A. Bye. You will find ads for the book in your monthly issue of Muzzle Blasts, or they can be ordered on line at the N.M.L.R.A. web page. Ask around here on the for sale page for one of the many excellent builders to see if the have a lightly used one for sale. A Chambers or Kibler lock will give you a lifetime of happy shooting.
Feel free to message me if you have further questions.

[Daniel Coats]

Couple of things come to mind. Learn to shoot first so you know what you like and then buy later. Buy the best you can afford when you do finally decide to buy. It can get expensive buying several cheap guns that are hard to get rid of later!

Contacting someone like Stoner Creek offline would be an excellent place to start. Great guy and honest to a fault.

[Bigmon]

The lock is the most important thing>  A gun is no better than the lock.
But I would also stay away from those guns that have that special "pattent" breech.  I think that what they call them?
Where they have a touch hole liner that goes into an actual bolt that goes thru the breech.  Those can be a fouling problem, no matter how good the lock.
I am not familiar with which guns have those?  But I know they can be a real problem.

[Bob Gerard]

Welcome to the club 🙂
First word of advise from me would be to hold off on buying a flintlock rifle right away. You just don’t know what to look for in a good one yet.
If you are near any Muzzleloading club you would really benefit from visiting them and watch a flintlock shooter at work. Ask questions if you feel comfortable doing that. You might very well be given an opportunity to test fire one.
Shooting a flintlock can be a bit complicated and aggravating experience for a novice without a mentor. That’s was me many years ago.
I am pretty sure you will enjoy shooting a rifle that is consistently reliable. Having one that fails to preform more often than not will probably exhaust your interest in them, especially if you’ve tapped out your budget for it.

[Bigmon]

Bob said it better than I did.  Find a mentor.
I can only relate that many years ago I got into this desease by hunting.  That year I had 28 clicks, flashed, misfires, hangfires, etc before I finally bagged a deer.
That summer I found a great local group that helped me out.  That next season I bagged two deer with three trigger pulls. The extra shot was a coup de grace, or however them frenchies say it.
Same gun both seasons.  A Dixie 50 cal poorboy.  But then I got an even better gun (lock).  And it only got better.
Save yer money while checking things out and you will find a good gun at a good price.  You only get what ya pay for, and that is if yer lucky.

[taterbug]

definitely try to find a local club, or other ML shooters near you to try to handle some different versions and styles of rifles. 

Like said above, the lock is very important, but style of the gun can also really affect the handling characteristics of a rifle.  Those differences may affect how you hold the gun, if you are able to hold the gun comfortably and how much you enjoy shooting it. 

[WadePatton]

As I hadn't had any reason to look at prices of production bp guns in the last couple of decades, I had no idea how much they were going for.  This thread caused me to look last night and I say, "OMG" I had no idea! 

They are getting a lot for their stuff, I'd UPGRADE to a Kibler kit before I'd buy any of those guns at or near retail price. I dare say the Kibler will maintain value and performance for a very long time. Mr. Kibler is a member here and puts out CNC cut kits with CNC locks on them (perhaps not all, I'm not sure). His kits need very little prep, unlike the vast majority of kit guns where often some compromises and patchwork/fitment are required to get the work done and have a decent looking gun. Just look up "kits" and read the stories of fixing them (those other than Kibler's). They are less expensive and can give great results, but there may be a bit more work involved than a beginner or novice would care to take on.

Also I realize you're not kit shopping. Just needed to say that about current production ML prices.

You don't have to build it either, for a few dollars more you can get one put together and finished for you. It'll look right, and it'll have good parts, and be a reliable shooter if tended to properly.  Production guns are more of a "luck of the draw" situation with far less residual value.

[A Scanlan]

A good many offerings on the CLA website.  Some seem "high" but many seem like reasonable buys and some are well known makers.  Limited risk there....generally responsible CLA members, good descriptions, no taxes but shipping and insurance.

https://www.longrifle.com/product-category/artisans-works/longrifles/

[Hawg]

Pedersoli guns are good quality but for not all that much more you can get a Kibler kit which is better quality, better wood and a swamped barrel. The barrels are better quality. I don't know about now but he was using Rice barrels for the SMR and Green Mountain for the rest. Kibler locks are very fast. If I can build a Kibler kit anybody can. All you have to do is light sanding on the wood and some light file work on the metal to remove casting lines. I browned my Woodsrunner so all I did was use sandpaper on the barrel because I didn't need a perfect surface for browning. I browned the lock plate without doing anything to it. The kit is so well made it will actually go together right out of the box and work. It just wouldn't look as good as it could. Watch Jims videos on building his kits. This is my woodsrunner. It's a 54 and the charge was 90 grains of 3F but it doesn't sound like it in the video.

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/OXAm0Mh.mp4" title="source: imgur.com" />

[Eliphas]

Thanks all for the good info.