[mike101]

I've always wanted a PA rifle. I had always thought that I would probably get a percussion version, because they're a little easier to deal with than flint. However, lately I've been thinking more about flint. Now, I'm wondering about historical accuracy. Does anyone know if there was ever such a thing as a percussion PA rifle? Were they made that late into the 19th century?
:confused:

[4v50 Gary]

During the Decadent Era, long rifles were either made or converted to percussion ignition. This would be around the 1840s. Davy Crockett had a percussion gun or two, but took a flintlock with him to the Alamo. Supply of caps were hard to come by out West but flints, well, find yourself a broken arrow head and you're good to go!

[mike101]

Thanks, Gary. It's good to know that if I do get a percussion, I won't be comitting any sort of historical blasphemy.

[4v50 Gary]

Are you in Pennsylvania? You might want to attend the Contemporary Long Rifle Owners' Association or the Kentucky Rifle Association before buying. At least you'll get an idea of what constitutes authentic. You might also consider going North to Friendship and buying a used gun. They're cheaper than factory new. You might even get a hand built one for a very reasonable price.

[mike101]

I'm in NJ, unfortunately, but that's close enough. Thanks.

PS- I checked the websites of both associations you mentioned. Those custom rifles are really beautiful, but out of my price range. I was looking at some Pedersolis at Dixie GW. They are quite reasonable, around $500-$600.

I get the impression that, generally speaking, Pedersolis are a cut above many other muzzleloaders. Is that correct? I've never seen a Pedersoli gun in person.

[arcticap]

If you're in NJ, then you should go to the Dixon's Gunmakers Fair west of Allentown, PA. Many gunmakers from all over the country go there to display their guns and enter the gunmaking competitions. I've never gone to it but it is definitely a major event because so many folks talk about how they attend every year without fail.
Dixon's shop is like a monument to muzzle loading and is supposedly very well stocked. :)

Dixon's Gunmakers Fair
Friday July 27th, Saturday July 28th, & Sunday July 29th 2007
9:00am - 5:00pm Daily


http://www.dixonmuzzleloading.com/index.php?section=gunmakersfair

[mike101]

Thanks Arcticap. I used to drive up to Dixon's, back in the early '80s. I didn't even know they were still there. That was a great store.

[Dave Markowitz]

I was at Dixon's last week.

I managed to keep my credit card in my wallet, but it wasn't easy. :uhoh:

[jacobhh]

Chuck Dixon turned me on to an old boy from Tennesee several years
ago who built me a Lancaster style poor boy percussion around a
Green Mountain .45 barrel I sent him for about $300.

I took the 100 Yd. bench medal with a 48 3x with that rifle the
following year at the NMLRA regionals Blue Mountain, PA. Using
Dutch Schoultz's system.

What ever happened to old Dr. 5X anyway? So I guess my answer
is, sure! get a PA percussion and have fun. Maybe I'll see you at the
fair. I'll be the one with my arms full of goodies and a POed wife!

[RON in PA]

One of the regrets of my life, realized after I started shooting flintlocks, is that flintlocks are so much more fun than percussion guns and I wasted too many years shooting them.

[RON in PA]

One of the regrets of my life, realized after I started shooting flintlocks, is that flintlocks are so much more fun than percussion guns and I wasted too many years shooting caps.

[mike101]

Ron- I still might get a flint. I've never fired one, though. Any advice? Do you ever get powder burns on your face?

[lonewolf5347]

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/lonewolf5347/?action=view&current=007.jpg
The above is a 45 flinter
I just parted with this one to a memeber at the range
The above barrel is a t/c from the late 70's ,the stock is also t/c but the model is the PA HUNTER .
I parted the pa hunter and drop a lock and new barrel in the stock(flint)
The tang is glass beded,stock refinished also has about 25 coats of tung oil.
The gun itself is a tack driver using 95 grains of goex 3F wad under the patched Rb.
I have to say don't try to shoot a flinter because when you do you will be hooked.
I parted all my centerfire rifle a few years back and have 3 flinters 45,50,and 54.
I did take a huge 8 pointer a few years back in pa. scored a woppper 140 class deer with the 54 flinter on opening day of the regular gun season.

[1911 guy]

If you do, you're using too much priming. You only need a few (2 or 3) grains to prime. I can prime my .36 to get an impressive flash and smoke from the lock, but it wastes powder and delays ignition. Pan priming is a classic case of "less is more".

[Dave Markowitz]

I shoot a right handed flint musket left handed, and don't get burns on my face or smoke in my eye. It just isn't a problem.

[mazo kid]

Plus 1 on shooting a right handed flinter left handed. I will say that in the heat of the moment on a hunt, I came real close to scorching my arm from the vent blast. I now have 6 left hand flint rifles/smoothbores and 2 left hand flint pistols. The pistols are really no problem at all, right or left hand shooting. Emery

[chemist308]

It's good to know someone else actually knows the Kentucky rifle was invented in Pennsylvania.

[Jim K]

One of the more interesting myths is that the German hunting rifles the settlers brought with them were monstrosities, with huge bores, clumsy stocks, had to have the bullet hammered in with an iron ramrod, and weighed a ton. The PA gunmakers supposedly took those awful guns and slimmed them down to make the fabled Pennsylvania rifle.

I wonder how many people who believe that ever saw or fired a German hunting rifle of the era? First, the German rifles used a patch, just like the later rifles, with a wood ramrod that couldn't "hammer" anything. The bore was big, as velocity was fairly low. But the guns are not heavy, but rather compact, sitting back in the hands, and the stocks are not at all clumsy. The butts (often without plate) are large and spread out the recoil nicely, with good cheek support. Accuracy is good. They remind me very much of a rifle like the Remington 600 in .350, a neat, compact package with a lot of power.

The Pennsylvania rifles, to me, are too long and it is they that are clumsy. The reason for reducing the caliber was to allow more balls to be carried. The German hunter was seldom far from home or a gun shop; the American hunter/explorer might be gone long distances for long periods of time and needed to carry as much ammunition as possible. The long barrel was needed to get useful velocity from the small bullet.

Jim