Newbie Rifle Advice Needed

[arcticap]

Many thanks for all of your guidance and advice and please feel free to add or supplement what you shared.

There's a treasure of a flintlock dealer in Oil City, PA named Abe's General Store that has some low prices on the models that they carry.
For instance they carry some Lyman models including the Trade Rifle for $500 which is $80 less than Dixie Gun Works.
And they also carry the Pedersoli Frontier Rifle in .50 & .54 for $778, among others.
Looking at their home page it looks like they do have guns on display as part of their retail businesses, as opposed to being an online business only.
But you would need to contact them to be sure before driving 100 miles to visit them.
Ask them if they have the guns in stock and available for your son to compare.

Here's their muzzle loader product pages. --->>> https://abes-general-store-co.myshopify.com/collections/muzzleloaders?page=1
Home page: --->>> https://abes-general-store-co.myshopify.com

ABE'S GENERAL STORE
3874 US 62
Oil City, PA 16301
(814) 271-0474
Email us: [email protected]

There's another small muzzle loader shop that's been in business for 20 years.
But he has part time hours and you would need to call him to see what he carries.
His shop has a Facebook page: --->>> https://www.facebook.com/Shablesky-Muzzleloading-Supplies-213325818756859/?ref=page_internal
Shablesky Muzzleloading Supplies
315 2nd Ave E Beaver Falls, PA 15010
(724) 843-5925

Welcome to the THR black powder forum GrumpyOldFatGuy.
Please let us know how everything works out.

 

[Mike OTDP]

For Western PA, I'd suggest contacting the National Muzzle-Loading Rifle Association. They should have some reasonable activity in that area. It helps a lot to have hands-on mentoring with a flintlock. They're on Facebook, you'll find someone who can help.

Now, WRT a first gun...I agree with the other commenters that percussion is the normal starting route, but if your son is set on a flintlock, a flintlock it is. How are his woodworking skills? He might do well to get a kit and build a rifle. I'd also be looking at the used market. The big problem is that "good, cheap flintlock" is a contradiction in terms. There's good...and there's cheap. And there's not much worse than wrestling with a cheap lock with shoddy parts.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

MikeOTDP makes an excellent point, Track of the Wolf has a good selection of kits and Pecatonica Longrifle is another good place to look, his pricing is a bit lower than TOW for the same stuff. Both places sell the same locks, Chambers, RE Davis and L&R any of which are good quality. There is a lot of satisfaction in shooting something that you've built yourself.

 

[Mike OTDP]

My father was quite fond of the Dunlap Woodcrafts component sets. The major inleting is done for you...and Wayne Dunlap's wood is outstanding.

 

[david58]

A good flint is almost indistinguishable from a percussion as speed goes - my wife's fowler seems as fast as my percussion rifle. My flinter, using the same L&R lock, is not quite so fast, needs a bit of tuning I think. But, the Kibler kits are made of CNC machined parts (including the stock). If your son is wanting a firelock, the Kibler is the way to go if you are handy as a wood worker at all. All top quality components, and not so expensive as to need a second mortgage. I don't mean to speak unfavorably of other manufacturers or models, but the Kibler is top drawer, very nearly finished upon delivery, and would be an heirloom.

 

[AK Hunter]

Teach him with iron sights first until he gets used to the recoil. Don't let him use a scope until he can keep it on his shoulder or he will get scope burn. My daughter got scope bit bad, she still has the scar from it.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Scope on a rocklock??? say it ain't so...... Pleeeeease.

 

[ThomasT]

Teach him with iron sights first until he gets used to the recoil. Don't let him use a scope until he can keep it on his shoulder or he will get scope burn. My daughter got scope bit bad, she still has the scar from it.

Where did that come from??? Lol.