Which for a "Mountain Man" muzzleloader?
Im after a muzzleloader that would be the most authentic to the ones of the "Mountain Man" era (mid to late 1800's).
1) Flintlock or Cap?
2) What caliber?
(I used to own a Lyman G.P. Rifle, cap, 50 cal. but it was stolen. After I got it I remember I had regrets that I should have got a flintlock in a 54, for some reason long forgotten.....)
1) Flintlock or Cap?
2) What caliber?
(I used to own a Lyman G.P. Rifle, cap, 50 cal. but it was stolen. After I got it I remember I had regrets that I should have got a flintlock in a 54, for some reason long forgotten.....)
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You can have eith a flintlock or a caplock and still be correct. The caplock was hitting its stride when the mountain man era was coming to an end. The calibers ranged from very early .40 to later .58 and sometimes larger. The Mountain Man era was basically done for by the collapse of the beaver hat industry in the late 1830's. Some try to include the buffalo hunters into the Mountain Man era but they were both later and a completely different breed of men. I have an exact copy of Modena's .50 Hawken and I love it. I got the plans for the rifle from the University of Colorado way back in the late 60's. I still have them. Ther are several semi-production Hawken rifles being produced, one by a compay in Texas, I just can't remember their name right now. I'll try to find some sources and repost. Lots of luck. By the way, flintlocks were still being used in my neck of the woods into the 1930's. 0 -
The Lyman Great Plains Rifle is about as good as you will get for an authentic mountain man rifle.
I love my TC Hawken, but, not authentic.
Plus, you can get a GPR with the twist designed specifically for round ball, more accurate than the TC Hawken, which has a compromise rb/slug twist.0 -
allen griggs has given you the best mass produced item that is as close to being authentic as any, Lyman Great Plains Rifle. You can get that rifle in both caplock and flintlock. Flintlocks were still being used well into the 1850s and 60s due to the fact you could always find some flint to knap down to fit the rifle. If money is not a concideration, there are custom BP gun makers that will make you a rifle to museum quality but at a cost of $1000+. The iron furniture or even pewter furniture is the most authentic of these guns. Brass was used but not as much as iron. Some guns were made in caliber clear up to 75 cal rifled. A friend of mine built his own in 75 cal from specs of a gun that is in a museum. His is very heavy though. Today I would stick with 50 to 58 cal. Just my 2 cents worth.
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Rita Mae Brown0 -
dano, I looked up some old sources and here are a few: The Hawken Shop--www.thehawkenshop.com, Cimarron FA Co.--www.texasjacks.com, Dixie Gun Works--www.dixiegunworks.com, Lyman --1-800-22-Lyman. About the best magazine on black powder-my opinion-is MUZZLELOAD-WWW.MUZZLELOADERMAG.COM OR 1-800-228-6389. I agree that of the factory rifles the Lyman is probably the closest to the real thing. I am a History nut and the black powder era is both a facinating period, combining both my interest in firearms and history. 0 -
THANKS FOR THE INFO GUYS!!! 0 -
Pinhead - sent you an email with a few more questions 0
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