custom verses store bought

[Lucky R A]

Now that I am old, I almost forgot.  My first front stuffer was homemade.  Custom gun would be one of those misnomers.  I bought a "button rifled" 45 cal. 32" 15/16 barrel from P & S sales($9.95), a lock from an old shotgun. A conversion hammer, German silver guard and butt plate  and a D.S. trigger from Dixie.  Built like a half stock plains rifle.  I shot that gun for years.  I used it to shoot the head off a live turkey, at a turkey shoot at the Blue Mountain Muzzleloader club (Roger) 66/67.   I still have the gun hidden out.  I should shoot it for old times sake some day.   Lucky

[Jerry V Lape]

I resisted even getting interested in muzzleloading because every muzzleloader I handled in the stores was so grossly muzzle heavy and lacking in handling qualities.  Then a cousin had me shoot his original flintlock .50 cal and I was hooked.  The gun was from early 1800 or before based on stock shape and buttplate size and it balanced and handled well.  I found I couldn't afford a similar original and shortly thereafter found Jim Chambers and Don Getz at the Western National shoot in AZ and ordered a kit.  So if building a Chambers/ Getz kit counts as custom that is all I shoot now - customs. 

[don getz]

Jerry....You said you met Jim and I at the Phoenix shoot?  I should remember you because we sure didn't talk to too many people while we  were there.   As a matter of fact, it was so slow, Jim, Ron Ehlert and I decided not to open our "tents"
one day and we drove up to see the Grand Canyon.   I can recall our stopping at the first overlook and we all got out of
the car and walked over to the edge, and we all stood there....silent, just kind of speechless....I guess when you have
never seen it before, it just kind of takes your breath away, beyond description.  That is what I remember most about our
first trip to the Winter National Shoot.....Don

[Snakebite]

I was in the Army and just getting interested in muzzleloaders.  I was looking at a TC.  In the unit I was in, a new guy was just assigned who had been stationed in Alaska.  He had two identicle rifles, except one was percussion and one was flintlock, make by Bill Fuller.  I was getting ready to ETS and he suggested I wait until I get home and look for someone in the area who made rifles.  I did that and had a custom Hawken made by a guy named Davey Boultinghouse.  It has Ron Long triggers and lock, a Douglas XX barrel, a very nice piece of wood and some custom features like silver inlays on the barrel.  It cost about twice as much as a TC, back in those days (1979) my rifle cost $500.00.  I never thought twice about buying it.  I went back into the Army in 1984 and was a member of a club in Germany.  At one of our shoots, a German came up to me and asked me how much I wanted for my rifle, it started to get a little heated when he wouldn't accept the fact that it wasn't for sale.  I thought about telling him I'd sell it for 10,000DM, but was afraid he might take me up on it.  I also have a .40 Sm Mountain flinter made by Jim Parker and have to admit I've been shooting it much more than my .54 lately (although I did go hunting with the .54 yesterday).  IMO, a custom gun is one of a kind, made for me with little custom things that no other gun will have.  And the quality, if made by a good rifle maker, can't be beat.  I did buy a CVA SxS .12 ga. kit a long time ago, but haven't shot it in years.  I was at Fort Knox at the time and took it to the skeet range, that was a little different.   

[Jerry V Lape]

Don, I ordered a Haines kit from you that day and we discussed your plans to go to the Grand Canyon the following day.  The decision to buy the kit was good choice for me.  I was looking for a large caliber for elk and the Marshall rifle had been my initial consideration but you guys confirmed advice I had from another friend that the .54 would get the job done.  The earnest  straight forward advice and willingness to be helpful attitude from both you and Jim Chambers was more important to me though.  By the way, you have also met my close friend and cousin Dr. Glenn Hurley who lives in SW PA - I think at the Bushy Run show.  I believe he offered to let you hunt his place because you had complained of being short of deer over your way. 

If you think the view of the Grand Canyon is breath taking from the rim you should view it from the bottom looking up a few times.  From Phantom ranch with good binoculars it is possible find the US Flag at South Rim Lodge if you know just where to look. 

[MikeBurnsie]

Hello guys, first post. I have a GPR right now but put a call in today to Gobbler Knob Longrifles to look at his stuff. His shop is about a 30/40 minute drive. Still waiting to hear from Rick. I really like the lines of his Poorboy.

[crispy]

6 years ago started with an old Marcheno percussion gun,, next year got a lyman great plains kit, and after listening well to a couple of knowledgable locals ,, I managed to get the set trigger working properly,, have shot it a lot,, 6 months later put together a 12 ga flinter using an old cartridge barrel, an a bunch of handmade parts plus a semi carved stock from track,, 18 months ago I carved a stock from scratch for a Tulle styled smoothbore, put it together with a barrel from Davis an L+R lock and various parts from track and some homemade,,, it shoots OK too and I'm hooked now on the shooting and the various elements of rendezvous,, I still have the marcheno with it's worn out lock ,, $#*! I learnt a lot with it .

[BuffaloGun]

Like so many, I started with CVA mountain rilfes and assembled a few kits.
I moved up to a Lyman plains rifle.
I tried building  but I found my skills and dedication lacking.
I have gone to custom rifles and use the few CVAs I still have only for teaching Boy Scouts muzzle loading.

[karwelis]

i started with a traditions kentucky flintlock that a friend built, he got tired of the gun and gave it to me for my birthday. the love affiar was on! i strpped it down rebuilt it and gave it to my daughter. got my self a GPR flinter, built it and wow, got a lancaster, built it and @!*%! im addicted! as i'm sure you all understand. built a becks, and i'm in love. lookin to build a swivelbreach here soon, but the point here is, i still love shooting my GPR.

[Candle Snuffer]

Got a call last night from a young man who goes to college with my daughter and
he was interested in me possibly making him a custom built rifle until he heard my
my prices for different ones.  He had not really decided on any particular style as
yet, and he certainly wasn't happy with the new "high dollar" Inline plastic gun he
had purchased for the ML deer season.  Seems it won't hold a group even at 25 yards... (Not really shocking)

Anyway, I did suggest that if he wanted to get a good off the shelf traditional style muzzle loading rifle that I feel is well worth the kit money, he should look at the Lyman Great Plains Rifle.

I even gave him a reasonable price for putting it together for him should he decide to get one.  The price???

1.  Purchase a membership in the White River Brigade...

and;

2.  Come to the White River Brigade monthly muzzle loading shooting matches...

This is as cheap as I can go for a college student.

[Acer Saccharum]

Candle, I love your kindly and generous approach, albeit unusual. That's what caught my eye. unusual terms for a contract!

I am teaching two young boys (11 & 13) about wood working. They really want to make guns. But they have NO skills whatsoever. So we start with learning how to sharpen chisels. Then we make a box for the chisels......

I know this is a change of topic, and I don't really know how it relates to your post, maybe it's just I appreciate your dedication to helping someone get started.

Acer

[Candle Snuffer]

Thank you Acer, appreciate the kind words.

Like you, I'm trying to plant a few seeds here and there when I can.

[rich pierce]

First ML rifle was a Sharon Trade rifle kit- let's call it semi custom, around 1976.  I had previously owned percussion six-shooters.  In 1978 I started scratch-building rifles from blanks.  I'm too cheap to pay for someone else to build me a custom rifle.  Can't justify the expense, when Momma could use a new something or other for the house.

[Glenn Hurley Jr.]

I started shooting muzzleloaders when my dad got interested in them years ago.  He had an original that fit me and Jerry Lape, like a glove.  I hooked up with a group that builds muzzleloading rifles through a community college and built my first rifle a few years ago.  I have been working on #2 for longer than I want to think about and have the lock , stock and barrel for #3.  The next one is going to be as close to the original my dad had as I can remember.  It slipped away from me and disappeared.  Sadly we took no pictures of it.  Well, that is water under the bridge.

[satwel]

My first two rifles I built from kits starting in '75. A TC flintlock hawken and a CW Zouave. Tried my first custom built PA flintlock in the mid 80's and I was hooked. Now I only shoot rifles I've built, except for my Sharps 1863.

[Tom Currie]

My first shot was from a rifle I built from a blank and a Green Mountain barrel. I never would have thought it was possible to build one until an old friend showed me his rifles and let me borrow his copy Chuck Dixon's book. That got me hooked. 

[Majorjoel]

If you guys are like me, you find modern sporting goods stores to be quite boreing. Even Cabela's is a chore to wonder through, except for their "gun library" which on occassion will have something that turns my head.

[rsells]

My first experience was shooting an original TN rifle with a friend of mine, and I proceeded to purchase a CVA Kentucky kit.  I threw it together, went to sight it in (by head light from my jeep) and it was spot on with 60 gr of FFF, and went deer hunting the next day for the first time in 6 years.  The first deer I saw was a buck and harvested it with this rifle.  I had the bug from then on.  I purchased a Sharon Hawken kit next, and shot it for a couple of years.  I started building scratch built rifles from then on.   I get satisfaction from my work, and enjoy taking game, and winning a match with a rifle that I built myself.  I have been at it for over 35 years now and still love the smell of black powder!!!
                                                                      Roger Sells
                                                                             

[elk killer]

i have to agree with Captjoel,,cabelas is about as much fun as the dreaded walmart,,the cabelas where i live had one of the Bivins centenial rifles for sale,,the manager of the gun library had no idea what it was or even how it functioned,,had it displayed on fullcock and had been that way for months i guess,,of course you cant know everything about all guns,,nor am i condeming cabelas,,but after helping a promident resident of this board aquire that very fine rifle,,cabelas told me,,that they just couldnt be bothered by such nonsince guns anymore,,

[Kopfjaeger]

My first muzzleloader was a Thompson Center Renegade flintlock in 54 caliber back around 1976. Around 1981 I had four flintlocks, a Dixie Tennessee Mountain Rifle in 50 caliber, two custom Bedford Longrifles in 45 caliber, and a custom Southern Poor Boy Rifle in 36 caliber. It still bothers me I sold that 36 caliber. In 1992 I got out of muzzleloading and sold all four of my rifles. For twelve years I missed shooting and hunting with my flintlocks.

Well I'm back. I got sick of missing shooting flintlocks so last year I started buying muzzleloader stuff and a couple months ago I ordered two custom flintlock rifles from TVM, an Eary Virginia Rifle in 50 caliber, and a Southern Rifle in 32 caliber.

[greybeard]

my very first MLgun was an Italian flint gun $89.00 on layaway. Who had spare monet in those days?? Awfull gud then i got a TC .45 soo called Hawken. It did shoot good. At a local anual shoot there was soon 50-60% of the shooters using TCs. Could easy lose yer own gun there.
So i got an original Golcher pers lock ,a Douglas .45 barrel , a but plate and a chunk of walnut and in my 3 weeks holliday had it finished and 2 monyhs later got my first ML deer with it. I have 12 builds behimd me now and have only shot my own guns since..    Bob

[cahil_2]

I love the uniqueness of custom built rifles.  No two really alike.

[greybeard]

       This is one of my builds    Bob                                                                                                                                     

[hanshi]

My first rifle was a Numrich Arms H&A underhammer acquired in the mid 1960s.  It is still among the most accurate rifles I own.  Wasn't long till I got their flint Minuteman.  It was also a good gun.  Over the years a few more MLs came my way but some years back I ordered a custom Lancaster and the genie was out of the bottle.  It's absolutely true no two - even by the same builder - are alike.  I sold most of my OTC MLs and modern guns and have no desire to ever buy anything other than a custom.  With the inflated prices of OTCs the custom route is a bargain.  Not having the ability to build my own I have to order them; but they come fitted! 

[54Bucks]

 Back in the 70's a number of factors converged. Pa. started a late flintlock season,there were plenty of deer,and my father won in a raffle a TC Hawken .50 cal. flintlock that I took off his hands since at that time he and most others didn't have a clue what to do with any type of muzzleloader. Ahhh what great years they were when our gang could go from dawn till dark and finding deer was not a problem.
 It's also kinda odd that in our region Thompson Center was the choice for those few who shot muzzleloaders.I still cringe when people get kinda snooty and disparage them in an attempt to elevate something else.I know I'm not alone when I say Thompson Centers were an affordable/serviceable rifle. Granted my Hawken was a real misnomer.
 As the years went by and my finances improved I was finally able to acquire what always appealed to my eye. That would be a full stocked longrifle. Starting with a .54 Yorktown kit from Cabin Creek, then a .50 cal. Issac Haines kit from Dunlaps, followed by a "Southern Mt" gun made from Track's stock and part. Throw in a few custom rifles built for me by better builders. I'm now fortunate enough to have more longrifles that I can find opportunities to carry them.

Oddly I still think I'de give up most of my longrifles to step back in time with my first Thompson Center.