[Wolfebyte]

I'd like to dabble back with a more authentic BP rifle.. the Spousal unit has given approval... <evil grin>

I purchased an inline earlier this year and love it..

I would love a CW replica, but that will be out of my price range..

so I'm looking a either a Hawken style, or a Kentucky / Tennessee style rifle. Since I have the dies for a .50, I'd like to stay with that caliber..

what are the opinions of the masses?


I tried doing a search for either or and found lots of single posts with the keywords, but didn't locate one that had a comparison. So if this has been posted, please forgive me...

[Dave Markowitz]

Lyman Great Plains Rifle.

[Wolfebyte]

May be a bit out of my basic price range...

just looking for the main differences between the two weapons..

I know that the Hawken has the single stock, the Kentucky has the 2 piece stock..
the Kentucky "may" be better for longer shots, but the Hawken is shorter..

just basically looking for choices that members have made between the 2 of them.. and why...

[4v50 Gary]

Lyman Great Plains.

Now, if you want a good price, buy a gun used. Go to a Rendezvous or a shooting match and you'll find folks selling used guns at a reasonable price.

[Wolfebyte]

sweet..

Now, just finding a Rendezvous in Central Texas... and our stores are somewhat lacking in BP supplies.. Only found inlines at the pawn shop and the last gun show the only one with BP had a LeMat for $1,200.00 and a a couple of 61's...


oh well.. off to surf the internetz.. anyone have a source for a used BP forum online?

[pohill]

Check out this store in Maine - the Kittery Trading Post. You can get some great deals on BP revolvers, rifles, muskets, originals, etc. They ship at reasonable prices.
http://www.ktpguns.com/interior.php/pid/28

Here's a better way to search their site:
go to http://www.ktp.com/
Click on Used Guns
Select ACTION
then what you're looking for (muzzleloading longgun, handgun,etc)

[JamesKelly]

Thompson Center, New Hampshire, makes a .50 caliber "Hawken" that is a good looking half-stock rifle, decent 1137 Gun Barrel Quality steel barrel, spare parts available. Saw one on another site, owner had refinished stock & added brass tacks a la Western Indian. Looked good.

I would say Thompson Center is the best buy for the money. Manuals with detailed loading instructions available on tcarms.com

Pedersoli, Italy, has some good looking rifles, a few are even authenticly styled. Barrels are made of heat treated steel. Prices usually higher than T/C.

You may be happier/healthier in the long run if you avoid Spanish made guns.

Beauty and Safety do not always coexist in modern muzzle loading arms, regardless of country of origin. Heresy I know. Me, I've done metallurgical investigations on a couple & been aware of the unpleasant damage done to the shooter.

Good places to buy either Thompson Center or Pedersoli new are dixiegunworks.com (been around since the '50's) and Cabelas.

Used percussion rifles make me nervous, personally, as I never know whether some fine fellow has put a few loads of smokeless through it. Less likely with used flintlock guns. Smokeless usually blows the gun first shot, but I personally examined one that survived the Unique to remove important body parts later when fired with FFg black.

So with that in mind, used and occasionally New In Box T/C's (Thompson Centers) may be found on auctionarms.com, considered a reliable auction house, or gunbroker.com, among others.

[4v50 Gary]

There's some discussion about smoke poles at our sister site, TheFiringLine with the Link Here (http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3566501)

[mykeal]

I own both Thompson Center Hawkens and Lyman Great Plains Rifles. Both are excellent guns and either would give you superb service. Either can often be found used in the classifieds on this forum, the Firing Line and The Muzzleloading Forum, as well as others.

The best prices on Lyman Great Plains are often found at MidSouth Shooter's Supply (Lyman Great Plains) (http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/department.asp?dept=MUZZLELOADING&dept2=MUZZLELOADING%20RIFLES&dept3=50%20CAL&dept4=LYMAN%20GREAT%20PLAINS)

They also sell Thompson Center, although the prices are high:MidSouth Shooter's Supply (Thompson Center Hawken) (http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/department.asp?dept=MUZZLELOADING&dept2=MUZZLELOADING%20RIFLES&dept3=50%20CAL&dept4=TC%20HAWKEN) .

[Wolfebyte]

Many thanks fellows... I'll poke around and see what I can come up with... I can always tell my wife that I was talked into it..:neener:

[4v50 Gary]

Another link to TFL with a gun for tradeHere (http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3567725)

[DuncanSA]

I have a Lyman GPR flintlock .50 cal and I love it. In about 60 years of shooting this is the most "fun gun" I have owned. Give a thought to this one.