Opinions wanted on T/C Firestorm

[GregP42]

Hey guys,

I have been thinking about getting the stainless steel Firestorm flintlock. I found a couple of posts about it, but they are all several years old. So what do you guys think about this rifle? I was wanting it for both hunting and thinking about it as a bugout option if needed. So tell me the good the bad and the rumors you have on it please.

Thanks,
Greg

[forest2]

There is nothing about "stainless" that is better than 400 years of tried and true. When it comes to "bug out",,IMHO,, practical experience with the care of, and application of knowledge with,,will be of much more value than the simple purchase of''''.
 Stainless Steel Flintlock Muzzle Loader is an oxymoron of terms, and an aberration of modern marketing. They do nothing but fill a nich made to avoid specific laws. The notations that "stainless steel" is easier to care for is fact enough that the owner of said gun won't know how to use it nor care for it proper.
 that's my words. and I'm stickin too it. Ain't worth argument.
(see there is a funny looking thing ontop of a stainless steel flint lock,,it's called a "frizzen")
 Do you guy's even know that it's not the "flint" that makes the spark?

[Semisane]

Well, forest, since you obviously don't have a strong opinion on the subject, how about putting a scope on that stainless barrel? 

[captchee]

Forest is pretty much right  in that stainless doesn’t give you really anything  that a properly cared for rifle will not .
 Its really just  Bling bling and nothing more . Myself a nice browned , rust blued or  even bright barrel left to patina to an off gray color is much more pleasing to the eye

As to the quality ?
 Well its made by TC so  you have a top notch warrantee. In the last few years they have done some work on the geometry of their flintlocks  has gotten a lot better .
 The rifling being a 1in48  is their standard  rifling  but for their faster twist  barrels designed for conicals.
 I read somewhere that TC  had the 1 on 28 twist as an option  for the flintlock .
 That would be ok as long as you use lose powder and not pellets  which simply don’t work to well in a flint lock

 Im not much into the plastic stocks . Not because they don’t fit the bill of  traditional but because often they are simply to light  . This results in  more felt recoil and  frankly  poor balance .
TC  says these rifle are capable of up to 150 grains .. that’s IMO a lot of powder and I wouldn’t want the recoil from a heavy conical with that much powder . Simply no need to beat yourself  up  with a light rifle   for the marginal gain  over lower charges
 A properly built rifle  even if on the heavy side  is very comfortable to carry  if it balanced correctly .
 The other thing is that many times these stock are molded in such a way that    its not an easy  process to correctly fit the rifle ..
 If I recall correctly  the draw is 14 or 14 1/4  some where in that ball park. So if you have a shorter draw length the rifle will not fit properly .
 The other thing is wood is much easier to repair  if needed and if you have to Dee dee  and something ends up happening to the stock  well you get the idea

 Now here is something about flintlocks  in general  to keep in mind . You want a good lock . IMO most production guns  do not carry what I consider good locks . Sure they may function and  be satisfactory  or can be modified to be adequate  for some but  down the road   they most times  become lacking
 Production wise I simply would not go lower then the TC or Lyman rifles . You chances of  having a long lasting working system is better . As I said in the beginning , TC has a great warrantee so if you end up having problems  with the lock , they are known for making it right .

 Anyway that some thoughts you might think on . In the end its really a mater of what  you feel is best for you

[GregP42]

Thanks guys,

Yes I know stainless is an oxymoron, I like the idea of the removable breach for cleaning. And I know it isn't a Siller lock, and that the frizzen isn't stainless. It is nice to know they have worked on the geometry of the lock to get better sparks. One other reason I was looking at it is with a 1:48 twist I can shoot round balls, out of it. I like hunting in bad weather, and I don't want to take out the Hawken that my dad gave me. It is one of the old round ball specials with 1:66 twist that he got from the custom shop years ago.

In case you guys are wondering how much experience I have with smoke poles, my first large scale match not local, was shooting in the junior class at Friendship in 1977. Ever since then it has been an on again off again love affair with them. I have had everything from .32s to .69s over the years, and ended up trading most away.

On the bling matter, I don't care about that at all. But as to the balance, I hadn't thought about that, I will have to go and see what it is like. As for 150 grain loads, I don't see a need for it unless I run into a grizzly, and if I do that I need a much bigger gun!

If the draw is 14 + that would be great, everything is always short on me, I have a 14 3/4 draw, long forearms, try finding a longbow sometime with a 31" draw!

Yes the plastic stock could be a problem, but a wood stock can be too if it is not sealed correctly and water gets in and makes it swell.

Thanks again guys, you have given me more thoughts to ponder,

Greg

[captchee]

 well c couple other things i should have said  this morning .
 the locks are i believe made by L&R. they are not made by Siller .
L&R , IMO is better then the TC lock  but its not better then say a davis or a chambers which also make siller locks .
 the other thing to remember is that many folks think stainless will not rust , it will , it just takes longer for it to happen . so if you dont clean your rifle proper or leave it in a high humidity area  rust .
 Also there are many different types of Stainless steals out there , some more subject to corrosion then others . Not sure what  grade of stainless  TC uses  for their barrels

[Smokepole cowboy]

I have a blued firestorm, one of the first ones that they made.  I have never had any problems with it.  I use 80 grains and a patched round ball and get great accuracy with it.  I got it because the hawken just looks to good to be banging around the brush with it.