What's the word on the AGC Diablo?

Fadala liked the baker for gunning Chukars… I could see something like that.
 
I’m with the Howdah crowd. If I wanted a short barreled shotgun the Howdahs make more sense. Longer barrels, more velocity and efficiency. And they’re a lot nicer to look at.
The company that makes the Diablo also makes an 11 inch barrel model called the Desperado, so clearly those responding are clinging to wood furniture and traditional looks for the sake of wood and traditional looks.

Nothing wrong with that, I appreciate the input, but I didn't make this topic to hear how people prefer traditional black powder muzzleloaders over modern ones. The focus was on the AGC Diablo on its own, is it a product worth the money?
 
I'd like to try shooting one but have no interest in buying one, especially at $500.
I see they finally have a grip set made out of wood, for only $239.

I'd rather have a Baker Cavalry Shotgun but also don't want to pay $1200 for one.
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They were a lot cheaper at Cabela's before the Bass Pro buyout.

I think I'd have rather gone with a Howdah because a detachable shoulder stock was an option and to be able to go from pistol to shotgun would have been nice.

But those days are gone.
 
Care to go into detail beyond cuz plastic grips?

You don't seem to be happy with the details but there are plenty.
It's not a traditional historic firearm so it's market (and value) is limited.
It's not an improvement on a much lower cost modern shotgun.
It's not an improvement on traditional BP pistols or revolvers.
It's way over priced for something with cheap plastic grips.
It's impractical for anything other than a novelty at the range.
A Pedersoli howdah isn't especially practical either, but much more so than the Diablo and the Howdah is more bang for the buck.
There are plenty of BP firearms that can be a fun novelty at the range and also suitable for hunting deer, hogs, rabbits, etc. The Diablo isn't one of them.
If you wan't one go for it.
 
I pre-ordered one prior to production with a coupon, they were a lot cheaper 3 years ago, $366 delivered to my door. It’s a fun gun that can be loaded from mild to wild with everything from #9 shot to 550gr .715” lead pumpkin balls or 12ga slugs in a sabot & charges up to as much as your willing to go. Hell, you could fill it with rock salt or finish nails if you wanted to. There’s a guy on YouTube that’s chronographed loads up to 120gr fff- a bit much for me. Recoil with 60gr of Pyrodex P or 777 is very comfortable, more of a push. They are very well made & nicely blued, yes they have plastic furniture but it’s given me no problems. I’ve hit clays out of the air with it but not with any consistency-very challenging & I’m sure a shot cup would help patterns & saw a wild turkey taken with one.The pumpkin balls pack a hell of a wallop. Can’t say if they’re worth the going price but I was curious & wasn’t disappointed.
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The company that makes the Diablo also makes an 11 inch barrel model called the Desperado, so clearly those responding are clinging to wood furniture and traditional looks for the sake of wood and traditional looks.

Nothing wrong with that, I appreciate the input, but I didn't make this topic to hear how people prefer traditional black powder muzzleloaders over modern ones. The focus was on the AGC Diablo on its own, is it a product worth the money?
Well, in that case and since you asked. No. Not for me it isn’t.

But then I don’t think a .50 Desert Eagle is worth it either. There are many firearms I could like that are plastic and steel. It’s just that the Diablo does nothing better than anything else that I’d much rather look at. So… where does that leave me? I’m just over here clinging desperately to fine Walnut and highly polished blued steel. Which is, in my opinion, worth more than twice as much. I’m kinda surprised that you seem surprised that the majority opinion among blackpowder shooters is that they’d rather have something other than the Diablo.

Everything else aside Diablo is a very cool name, “Diablo! I think it means, a fighting chicken or something.” —Ricky Bobby—
 
I pre-ordered one prior to production with a coupon, they were a lot cheaper 3 years ago, $366 delivered to my door. It’s a fun gun that can be loaded from mild to wild with everything from #9 shot to 550gr .715” lead pumpkin balls or 12ga slugs in a sabot & charges up to as much as your willing to go. Hell, you could fill it with rock salt or finish nails if you wanted to. There’s a guy on YouTube that’s chronographed loads up to 120gr fff- a bit much for me. Recoil with 60gr of Pyrodex P or 777 is very comfortable, more of a push. They are very well made & nicely blued, yes they have plastic furniture but it’s given me no problems. I’ve hit clays out of the air with it but not with any consistency-very challenging & I’m sure a shot cup would help patterns & saw a wild turkey taken with one.The pumpkin balls pack a hell of a wallop. Can’t say if they’re worth the going price but I was curious & wasn’t disappointed.
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Thanks for the pictures. I was going to look this thing up just to see what it was. Put me in the absolutely no interest camp. I have seen what it is and that's enough for me.
 
Don't worry about what we say. Buy one and shoot it alongside your inline rifles and post your results here but don't be surprised if you don't get many comments on it. Most of us here are only interested in traditional guns. I doubt many of us own Glocks either.
 
It's better than the Diablo thing. People that can't own weapons here in MS are screwed all the way around because MS doesn't recognize muzzleloaders as non weapons. If it fires a projectile under combustion it's a real weapon.
If goofy Gabby Giffords and her hubby Mark Kelly's anti-gun bunch get their way muzzloaders and BP will soon be regulated as explosive bomb making material and assault weapons.
 
You don't seem to be happy with the details but there are plenty.
It's not a traditional historic firearm so it's market (and value) is limited.
It's not an improvement on a much lower cost modern shotgun.
If I were interested in a shotgun, I would buy a shotgun.

It's not an improvement on traditional BP pistols or revolvers.
I would disagree as the design allows for easier and better cleaning of the bore and currently with percussion caps being unavailable, but 209 primers being available means that I can shoot the Diablo more than the Howdah, which would end up becoming a nice looking paperweight.

It's way over priced for something with cheap plastic grips.
Again with the focus on plastic.

I agree, the price is steep, but not compared to current Howdah prices and the various barrel length options.

It's impractical for anything other than a novelty at the range.
Same could be said about other single shot or double barrel black powder pistols and those too end up just being range toys.

A Pedersoli howdah isn't especially practical either, but much more so than the Diablo and the Howdah is more bang for the buck.
How so?

There are plenty of BP firearms that can be a fun novelty at the range and also suitable for hunting deer, hogs, rabbits, etc. The Diablo isn't one of them.
Hunting isn't the focus or intended use for the Diablo and not what I would be buying it for. You do realize some people do buy black powder firearms simply for fun, right?
 
I intended to buy a diablo as soon as I saw one; but after researching them I found out they tend to shoot in the six hundreds Foot per second which would
be fun with ball but less so with shot (IMO).
 
Don't worry about what we say. Buy one and shoot it alongside your inline rifles and post your results here but don't be surprised if you don't get many comments on it. Most of us here are only interested in traditional guns. I doubt many of us own Glocks either.
‘Zactly… it looks like a quality item and I haven’t heard otherwise. It’s kinda like one poster noted about a pair of Uberti manufactured Derringers. He said the Pedersoli Derringers are very good quality but if you get the Uberti in your hands you’ll throw rocks at the Pedersoli.

Not sure we’ll ever run out of percussion caps entirely but I do have a supply of musket caps and a couple of the 209 adapters for Pedersoli and TC. I’ll keep them shooting as long as I have the strength to do it. If I can do it anyone can do it.
 
If I were interested in a shotgun, I would buy a shotgun.

I would disagree as the design allows for easier and better cleaning of the bore and currently with percussion caps being unavailable, but 209 primers being available means that I can shoot the Diablo more than the Howdah, which would end up becoming a nice looking paperweight.

Again with the focus on plastic.

I agree, the price is steep, but not compared to current Howdah prices and the various barrel length options.

Same could be said about other single shot or double barrel black powder pistols and those too end up just being range toys.

How so?

Hunting isn't the focus or intended use for the Diablo and not what I would be buying it for. You do realize some people do buy black powder firearms simply for fun, right?

Well it ought to be pretty obvious by now you're not finding much interest or support for them here. Why not just buy the dang thing if you're so impressed by it?
 
Just order the thing already, it sounds likely you will think it's better than Wonder Bread when you get your hands on it.
I don't automatically think that, I see some positive aspects to the design, but I wanted to ask what others have experienced or heard about them before giving them more serious consideration. Instead most just want to respond and complain about plastic furniture and non traditional designs.

This wasn't a question of how people feel about non historically based black powder firearms, it's what their knowledge and gut instinct tell them.
 
Well said sir! My gut tells me not to buy one. I have plenty of shotguns, revolvers and one smooth bore rocklock as well as numerous black powder and smokeless long guns. Besides, that thing looks a bit nasty to shoot. While it might have some appeal as a home defense thing I just don't want one.
 
Sorry, there are no positive aspects to the design. It looks like a piece of s!!!!. Period, and not from someone who likes historical looking weapons. I own more new weapons. Second, it would hurt to shoot it, so what good is it ? Third, what useful purpose does it serve ? So my knowledge and gut instinct of shooting BP firearms for over 50 years says not to buy one.
 
I could see it as a home defense weapon IF you couldn't own a modern firearm. IMO it's not a good defense weapon. Two shots and you're done. One advantage might be is with the room full of smoke it might enable you to get away. A disadvantage would be the excessive amount of burning powder coming out the muzzle. If fired over a bed or next to curtains it will start a fire. As a range toy I don't see it as a fun thing to play with. Once the novelty wore off it would probably never be fired again.
 
I learned a valuable lesson with this topic and that is don't ask about black powder handguns that aren't replicas of historical firearms or antiques.

Mods, you can lock this topic. I'm done.
 
Well, you did ask if it was a novelty or possibly forgotten, I think all the traditional BPML chimed in as they should, with the expected answers. I too would rather spend my money on something older that might hold "some" value, but if I came across one at the pawn shop, I would buy it for a reasonably lower price and keep it around for a conversation piece, just like my Savage 1895, and my Colt Silver Star. Probably shoot it every once in a while.
Paul
 
I learned a valuable lesson with this topic and that is don't ask about black powder handguns that aren't replicas of historical firearms or antiques.

Mods, you can lock this topic. I'm done.

.........or that you just didn't get the answer you wanted. It's your money, spend it like you want.
 
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