kentucky rifles......

[highwayman]

i am looking for a new kentucky style rifle with a 1/48 twist. all i got are hawkn style sooo i know nothing about them. any help is needed

[keith44]

other than the look, and the barrel and stock diamentions they are just like any traditionally styled muzzleloader.  The length of the barrel makes 'em swing a little slower than the short barreled Hawkens, the drop of the comb is about right for open sights (for me anyway)  they are " nose heavy" but very steady on target.

You specify a twist rate, but not a caliber, so what caliber ya lookin' at and what ya gonna do with that smoke pole?  What action ya want cap gun or rock lock?

[Ladobe]

You also didn't mention if you want custom, semi custom or just standard entry level or production rifles.
 
 
If the latter...
 
CVA offered a Kentucky in both 45 cal cap and rock lock and a 50 cal in cap, as well as a Pennsylvania 50 in both cap and rock locks... all R/H.   The early Kentucky's were starter level finished, but the latter Kentucky's and the Pennsylvania's were well made.
 
As for Thompson Center, only a few full stock traditional rifles got out of the factory.   But they were basically just Hawkens with long, slow twist RB barrels and full length high grade walnut stocks.   Would be very hard to impossible to find one for sale though.   I know, I tried for years and the only two I finally located couldn't be bought for all the tea in China.
 
Traditions has/had a Kentucky, but I know nothing about them.
 
Cabela's has the Pedersoli Kentucky and Blue Ridge that might be worth a looksee.
 
HTH
 
L.
 
 

[ironball]

Actually, "kentucky style rifle" is kind of a misnomer for a Pennsylvania rifle. They are supposed to be roundball shooters, and not very large on ball size. They usually have a much slower twist than 1/48. Yes, the cheap imported ones are nose heavy, but a good modern American made reproduction with a swamped barrel hangs like nothing you have ever seen for offhand shooting. The downside is that it will set you back for at least a grand, or more. So if you do like most folks and go cheap, you will never know what these guns are all about.

[highwayman]

how does everyone feel about the david/ persoli rifles??

[tacklebury]

Traditions offers both Pennsylvania and Kentucky Styles and several other configurations.  The Traditions is the only one that isn't price gouging at $389 in my findings.  Here's the direct link to theirs.  I shoot Traditions side locks and inlines.  Good guns for the money albeit not perfectly fit etc.  I have gotten years of use out of my 3 though with zero failures mechanically.  Pedersoli's are nice, but very pricey for what you get imo.
 
http://www.traditionsfirearms.com/product_info.php?products_id=132&osCsid=3f4568e5baed70bf535e72f2fb41845e
 
This is my Hawken/Buckskinner pistol pair. 

[flintlock]

There are no "Kentucky" rifles that are in production that look and balance like original American Longrifles...To do so you must have a swamped barrel and the stock must be made like the originals...
 
Take a look at some of the rifles at www.flintlocks.com and you can see that what is sold is nothing like what were made back in the mid to late 1700s...
 
While you can go buy a Lyman Hawken style rifle that is somewhat similiar to original Hawkens, the same can't be said of Kentuckys, Pennsylvania or American Longrifles...
 
This is why many of us either make our own or have one hand made for our purposes...

[keith44]

I disagree


http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/tipologia-prodotti.asp/l_it/idt_39/fucili-pennsylvania.html


you get what ya pay for, and can find close copies

[AtlLaw]

This is why many of us either make our own ...

Amen brother!      Try it.  You can progress at your own speed (and as funds allow), you'll learn a ton of stuff about these rifles and in the end have exactly what you want made by you own self!   

[Rock Home Isle]

i am looking for a new kentucky style rifle with a 1/48 twist. all i got are hawkn style sooo i know nothing about them. any help is needed

You may  want to try a semi-custom rifle. I had TVM make me a Southern Kentucky Poor Boy with a real nice curly maple stock and a 42 inch barrel...its a well balanced rifle.
 
http://www.avsia.com/tvm/
 
 

[coyotejoe]

There are no "Kentucky" rifles that are in production that look and balance like original American Longrifles...To do so you must have a swamped barrel and the stock must be made like the originals...
 
Take a look at some of the rifles at www.flintlocks.com and you can see that what is sold is nothing like what were made back in the mid to late 1700s...
 
While you can go buy a Lyman Hawken style rifle that is somewhat similiar to original Hawkens, the same can't be said of Kentuckys, Pennsylvania or American Longrifles...
 
This is why many of us either make our own or have one hand made for our purposes...

So true. Traditions and Pedersoli build rifles which kinda sorta look like a Kentucky in the photos but if you get one in hand it seems like a toy compared to an original or a well crafted reproduction. I've owned a Pedersoli Blue Ridge .45 flintlock for about 20 years and it has been a good, dependable and reasonably accurate rifle but seems a joke against my .54 Bucks County home built rifle. And the day of "cheap" imports is past. With the loss of value of the dollar that Blue Ridge would today cost around $800. The parts for my Bucks County rifle cost just over $600 with a swamped barrel, deluxe Siler lock, and very good but not "best" grade curly maple stock. I'm glad I got the Blue Ridge and I have no intention of parting with it. It can still win an occasional rendezvous shoot but it certainly does not measure up in any way to a quality reproduction.

[flintlock]

I built this one in the 80s, took me 2 years to complete...She is a 1770 Lancaster style in .54 caliber...I think she looks a bit better than a factory built gun...
 
 

 
I bought this one in 1977 from Bob Watts...It was a .45...After building the .54 I converted her to a .40...
 

 
 
I guess I'm a bit prejudiced, I think they look a little better than factory made guns...I know they handle better than the mass produced pieces...