Guns from "The Rifle Shoppe"

[Squirrel pizza]

Hello All, The other day under "Items For Sale" somebody was looking for a Furgeson Rifle. It was suggested he try The Rifle Shoppe and someone else said "You won't be sorry". I didn't know such a rifle could be purchased so I looked at their site. 2 guns really grabbed me. One, the Furgeson, which I've heard of all my life. The other is the Nock Volley Gun. (Didn't Richard Widmark carry one in "The Alamo"?). Anyway, I gather these are not true kits, but rather guns that need to be browned, blued, stock stained... Has anyone owned one of their Nocks? It's a .50 smoothbore, has anyone used it like a shotgun, or just patched round balls? What kind of quality are their guns? How does the Furgeson shoot? If I were ever to buy a kit, for sure it would be one of Mr Kiblers Southern Rifles. As impractical as a Nock Volley Gun is I can't help but want one. Thanks for any info you have on their products, Mike
  P.S. Also saw you could upgrade the quality of wood for the stock. Any info as to the quality/character of their wood?

[Mike Brooks]

They are actually made from unobtainium for the most part as are the rest of their products....
 Actually, you order one of their guns finished they hire out the building of it to someone else. You'd be better off to order the parts and find someone  yourself to put  it together, at least you;ll know what quality of work to expect according to who you hire for the job.
 Considering how long it takes just to get parts from them I can't imagine how long it would take to get a finished gun, although I have heard of people doing so.

[Squirrel pizza]

Thanks Mike. Maybe I misspoke by saying finished gun. I meant finished action/lock. And on the Furguson they said they would do the 5 dovetails on the barrel for an extra $95. And that seems to be a reasonable price. The time it would take me to hand cut 5 dovetails in a barrel is worth $95.

[Joe S]

Rather than ordering the finished lock from the Rifle Shoppe, you can buy the parts, look them over and then have someone assemble it for you.  The Rifle Shoppe has a list of people who will do the assembly, or you could inquire here.  I’d strongly recommend that you examine the parts before committing to assembling them, or you may be disappointed in the results.

Rifle Shoppe quality varies.  The first lock I bought from them was cosmetically OK, but I had to replace all of the springs.  With the second lock, the only salvageable parts were the frizzen, frizzen spring and cock.  All of the rest of the parts had to be built from scratch.  I was unable to harden the frizzen, so it got a new 1095 face brazed on.  Caveat emptor.

[Nate McKenzie]

I ordered a musket kit from them. They wanted the money up front and I waited over a year for it. It was good stuff when I finally got it but I figure I'm too old to order anything else.

[wattlebuster]

I tried to order from them one time. Once was quite enough. My oldest grandson is twelve an HE is too old to order anything from them

[Squirrel pizza]

I would laugh Wattlebuster, but I feel your pain! Doesn't sound very encouraging. I have no problem with building a lock, heat treating etc., but I would hate to buy a parts kit and have to S can half the parts. Thats why I'm asking for input from folks who have done buisness with them. Like I said, the Nock is probably the most impractical gun (next to a derringer) that you could own, but it sure looks like fun! And yes, I am a glutton for punishment.

[Joe S]

If you’re a glutton for punishment, you’re gonna love the Rifle Shoppe... 

In fairness to them, I should add that I got one lock immediately, and the other shipped in three or four weeks.  Supplying parts in a reasonable time frame seems to be against their policies, but from time to time somebody slips up.

If you go into this with the expectation that what you will get is a historically accurate model to build from, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you can actually use some or maybe even all of the parts.  Sounds like you have all the skills you need to deal with whatever they send your way.

[Squirrel pizza]

Chuck I wouldn't go so far as to say "anything they throw at me", but I can usually make them go bang. Grand pa told me two things, (he wasn't much of a talker),
 "You just gotta be smarter than the thing you're working on", and the other was about a libery pass in the Phillipines, but decorum won't allow me to share that pearl.

[Mike Brooks]

My experience with delivery time for parts has been anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 years, I don't really know why that is and don't really care. I haven't ordered any from them in a decade or more. I built 1/2 dozen or so 1776 british rifles for people  as long as they came up with the parts and the assembled lock. In all those cases it seems the parts were in my hands inside 1 1/2 years when I was actually ready to build them. The parts, in most cases, are good quality castings although there can be some warpage/distortion occasionally.

[SR James]

The Rifle Shoppe is in Jones, Ok about an hour drive from me.  I built a Ferguson from their parts a couple of years ago. I got lucky as they had all the parts in stock except the barrel which came in a couple of weeks later. I drove up there and picked everything up. The quality of the parts was excellent. My only complaint is the mainspring should be stronger.  This rifle is one of my favorites. But as I said,I was lucky everything was in stock.
My understanding is that Jesse and family are having to relocate the business because a new interstate spur will be going through their property where they have lived for decades.  I don't know what effect this is having on the business at this moment.
I've seen the completed Nocks volley gun they have on hand built from their parts.  It is a beast. As I recall, Jesse told me he fired it once...just once. Said it was not exactly fun.

[Daryl]

Seems to me, Taylor made this rifle from their parts.

[Joe S]

Do you think Taylor ever gets tired of building perfect guns?  

Maybe just for variety he could add a small mistake somewhere just to see if we could find it.

[Squirrel pizza]

Right!

[oldtravler61]

Not a chance. But if he does. Scientists have not developed a process to find hem. Imho

[Squirrel pizza]

Oldtraveler I think you are wrong. Since everything else is so spot-on perfect the slightest flaw would stand out like a neon sign. Perfection is a curse. And one I don't have to worry about.
  Did you see the patchbox he made under the tutorial "one way to make a patchbox"? That is just sick! I couldn't inlet that box in a month, much less make and engrave it. I've always heard practice practice practice, but I'll never have skills like that. Cudos TS!

[Daryl]

Seems to me, there were 320 silver pins in the checkering.

[davec2]

This is a Ferguson I built from TRS parts:





















Took about a year and a half to get the parts, but it took me another three years before I had the time to put the rifle together.  TRS gets a bad rap for the long delays, but they make parts for so many odd ball, one of a kind firearms, that I understand completely why it takes so long to get waxes made, then the castings, then ......To my mind, they are a tremendous resource for people who want to build some crazy stuff like.....oh....I don't know.....a Nock volley gun !

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Dave's rifle is an outstanding example of precision workmanship.  Mistakes:  absolutely!  On the Ferguson I built, they had bored the ramrod hole too close to the bottom just forward of the breech screw.  There wasn't enough wood left so I inlet a brass plate which I engraved ensuite, but it is a definite flaw in the otherwise nice rifle.  The parts set was fine, including the lock parts.  It made up into a very serviceable lock, but the surface of the plate required drawfiling and polishing to the point that most of the cast in British engraving was lost and had to be re-cut.  No biggy.  The rifle functions very well and was satisfyingly accurate out to 100 meters.
The second rifle I built from TRS parts is a Baker, and it turned out perfectly.  It too is wonderfully accurate and in .62 cal, is a great moose rifle.  That is the extent of my TRS experience, and although their delivery time is longer than we are accustomed to, I cannot fault them on their quality or diversity.

[Squirrel pizza]

Dave that is a fine looking rifle! Outstanding! I appreciate you and Taylors' input. My biggest ussue is time. I've heard about certain guns from my father all my life, I suppose you could call them his "wish list", but he being old school would never spend the money on himself for something as frivolous as a Furgeson Rifle. Thats where I come in. Some guns, like a Fox Sterlingworth are easy to find. An iron framed Henry cost more than my first house, not so easy. Hopefully I can whittle that list down in time for him to enjoy them. I think I'll take my chances with TRS. Theres always my daughter! Thanks again, Mike

[Daryl]

They also at one time made parts for a Hall Rifle, admittedly, it was a breech loader - sorry Dennis - however, prior to 1830, it was made in flintlock only.

[bob in the woods]

Where else can you get parts for a hand mortar ?

[Joe S]

That’s the thing, isn’t it?  The Rifle Shoppe has parts we can’t get anywhere else.  Their quality is generally good enough, and for me at least, the parts are worth what they charge even if they serve as nothing more than a historically correct model.  I don’t have access to a lot of originals, so if I want to build something other than a mainstream Golden Age gun, the Rifle Shoppe or Blackley are the only choices.

[Roger B]

I bought parts for a J Henry "new English" from the Rifle Shoppe several years ago when I lived in OK.  I used a modified Chambers late Ketland lock, so I can't comment on their locks, but the rest of the parts were fine except for the stock.  The stock had a really poorly done barrel channel which looked terrible when I finished the rifle.  I finally took it apart and had it restocked when I was tool- less in Phoenix.  They had all of the parts available when I ordered.  I would order from them again, but only if I could  confirm they had the parts, and then I would carefully inspect everything before I started assembly.
Roger B.

[Squirrel pizza]

Hmmmm... Hand mortar. Can you get squirrel loads for that?