Am I missing something?

[ontarget]

To the flint shooters, why is there such a large price difference between the flintlocks sold by DGW and Track of the Wolf? I am referring to the lock only, not the whole gun. Also I am planning a build of a classic American Long Rifle and was wondering if someone can tell me the appropriate caliber?

 

[Chawbaccer]

You might want to point us to a specific lock. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for. TOW locks are by known makers and are properly hardened and polished. DGW may sell the same lock, but they do have imported locks in their inventory that won't spark worth a darn.

 

[Crawdad1]

A classic American long rifle can encompass a whole lot of territory, from Christian’s Spring, Pennsylvania to Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. What classic American longrifle are you planning to build?

 

[MattShlock]

Ontarget...

Might be you want a little more experience first.

 

[NORA]

Me thinks you need to do a lot more research before worrying about locks and caliber.

 

[Noz]

My sole abortive venture into flintlocks taught me that the cost of the lock should be about 50% of the cost of the gun. If you buy a cheap gun then you're getting a cheap lock and you WILL have trouble.
Buy the best lock you can afford. If the barrel is poor or the wood work is poor, at least with a good lock it will fire most of the time.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Noz is correct that you can't skimp on the quality of the lock and be happy, but I think it's more like 25% of the cost of the 3 main parts (not the cost of a finished gun), the three parts being the lock, stock, and barrel..., for example on my rifle the parts for the barrel, plain stock, and the lock would be $600, and $775 for all of the parts, today, with a price of $150 for the Large Siler Lock by Jim Chambers. The finished rifle ten years ago cost $1000, and at 50% the price of the gun, that would mean the lock should've cost $500.

Now as to costs, from what I can see it appears Dixie and Track are rather competitive when it comes to lock prices, except for some of the imported Italian locks, which are MORE expensive, and (imho-hbc) of lesser quality.

LD

 

[zimmerstutzen]

A good shooting target flintlock gun consists of a quality lock, better quality barrel and if the person knows how to plan the trigger any cheap trigger can do. If you want double set triggers, even those are not particularly expensive. You can make a winning target gun with a good lock, good barrel and a knotty 2x6 from the lumber yard. I have seen too many rifles made of $700 dollars worth of quality parts and once put together couldn't get $400 for the whole works. I have seen a few positively museum quality works of art from beginners, but the odds are "agin ya."

Long rifles are a learning obsession. Learning the schools, the quirks of each school and style, and being able to duplicate a classic gunsmith of 230 years ago is something to accomplish. There is so much that is not apparent at first to beginners. The lock size, the face of the lock, the placement, the number and style of lock bolts, the inlays, shape of the butt and what buttplate is consistent with a certain builder, how thick or slender is the wrist and forestock. How to proportion and achieve that graceful line is something else again. There are people who study the differences in patch boxes and their construction. Some can tell the style and type of engraving by how the graver was tilted at certain points in the curves.

Build a gun, learn the basic skills, study as you go, then give the gun to a grandkid and start another for yourself.

There are folks out there, who are so into it, that they BUILD a gun. Hand forge the lock, the buttplate and trigger guard, even those who make their own barrels.

Building a muzzleloader is like the layers of an onion. Your can use a few outer layers or really get in deep.

 

[Sunray]

I suspect a lot depends on where the lock was made. Imports will cost more due to exchange rates and duty.

 

[Cosmoline]

Tracks kits have good parts in general. I've never had a problem with their locks. They have a somewhat generic longrifle kit that goes on sale from time to time. You can choose to upgrade parts as well, and select caliber. DGW usually just offers kits from Italian makers that aren't always as good. Though they tend to be much closer to being completed.

Caliber generally got smaller over the course of the 18th and century in the US, as big game got more scarce. Then folks went into the Rockies in the 1820'and 30's and started needing bigger guns again. So generally you're looking at a shift from .60 cal Jaegers to .54 Cal Penn rifles to small bore Ohio rifles and to .54 Hawkens. Very generally.

 

[4v50 Gary]

I don't think 50% is a good number. I can see a good kit costing $800 and if the 50% number is applied to that lock, it better be a sure fire, polished and color case hardened lockplate on that lock.

 

[Noz]

In defense of my statement. I spent just over $300 on the gun and the next owner spent around $250 on a new lock and professional installation.
Don't really care, my urge was satisfied.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Noz,
The cost of the installation drove up the price. The thread was about the cost of the lock from the supplier. Depending on the type of gun and the builder, you might be looking at more than half the cost of the parts to assemble the gun.

LD