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Author Topic: Looking for a flinter in 54 or 58 caliber  (Read 986 times)

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Offline kb

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Looking for a flinter in 54 or 58 caliber
« on: July 18, 2007, 02:14:00 PM »
What would the proper twist be for each caliber for patched balls?  Any good suggestions for a fullstock rifle that wont break the bank?  This would be for hunting and woodswalks/informal target.

Thanks,

kb
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Offline Will Bison

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Re: Looking for a flinter in 54 or 58 caliber
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2007, 03:02:49 PM »
KB;

One thing to consider would be a semi-custom gun. You pick the barrel, wood, furniture and lock. The advantage is the stock is cut to your length of pull, has the proper drop for you, allows you to pick and position the rear sight for your eyes. You also get to pick the outside barrel dimensions, 3/4", 7/8" etc. The lock and trigger mechanism is most important and again you get what you want.

If you stay "Plain Jane", that is no engraving, inlays or carving it's possible to get into a real nice gun. Price wise expect <$2,000.

Bill
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Offline Winter Hawk

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Re: Looking for a flinter in 54 or 58 caliber
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2007, 10:45:56 AM »
Round ball twist is pretty standard at around 1:66.  I have also seen 1"60 and 1:70.  The 1:48 shoots both RB and conicals well, and 1:28 is pretty well conicals only.

Check out Tennessee Valley at http://www.avsia.com/tvm/.  Good quality at a reasonable price.

-WH-
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Offline flintlock

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Re: Looking for a flinter in 54 or 58 caliber
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2007, 03:05:42 PM »
If you can afford it, go to Jim Chamber's website... www.flintlocks.com  They are the finest...If you have the skills you can finish
yourself, or Jim could recommend someone...The swamped barrels are really nice in a .54...I built what is similar to the Issac Haines about 20
years ago from parts that were recommended to me, I'm still shooting it, this is a rifle that will last a lifetime....

There are others, but at least you know what to compare others to...


Good Luck

PS...The twist in mine is 1-72, a 1-66 would do just as well, most of the custom barrel makers have standardized twist for each caliber...
With a patched round ball and a .54 with 80 grains of FFF you have plenty for deer and black bear...
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Offline KevinG

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Re: Looking for a flinter in 54 or 58 caliber
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2007, 05:32:25 AM »
  Hi kb if your still looking contact me at kevingrohs@hotmail.com might have something interesting for you. keving
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Offline Two Bears

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Re: Looking for a flinter in 54 or 58 caliber
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2007, 05:47:46 PM »
Pedersoli Blue Ridge Flinters are a very good buy at Cabelas. They are very accurate and reliable.
only about 450 to 550 bucks
I own 2 of them and the 50 cal will shoot shoot my Encore 209x50 at 50 yards the other is a 32 cal and it too shoots pretty tight groups.
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Offline longcaribiner

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Re: Looking for a flinter in 54 or 58 caliber
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2007, 04:35:41 AM »
A lyman great plains rifle is sold in flint and .54 for $350 to $425.00  other than that there isn't much currently made as a production gun.  About 25 yrs ago, the CVA Mountaiin Rifle was available in 58 cal. (called the BIG BORE)  Although they made them in flint only one or two years.

Jim Chambers make some really nice stuff.  There are other semi-custom and custom "stockers" out there.  You pick the components and they will inlet and finish to the degree you want.  I have seen some of Brad Emich's stuff and had him fix a custom rifle of mine.  His shop can be found on line, Cabin Creek Muzzleloaders.     Don Yerks makes some nice stuff, Bill Slusser, etc.
There's dozens more, that just what I can think of right now. 

As stated above, if you want a quality hunting rifle, you don't want all the "flash and scratches" that come with fancy shiney inlays and engraving.  My custom rifle is extremely plain, not even a butt plate, but it has what counts, good double sets, a fine tuned flint lock and a straight tapered barrel, with browned iron thimbles.  It is very well balanced and lighter than many production guns. 

Such rifles were common in frontier PA, and were referred to as Schimmels, "barn guns", very plain and functional and few examples survive because of the rough service they saw.

Chuck Dixon of Dixon's Muzzleloader shop in PA, is a bit of an expert on Schimmels.

For just the quality components of a semi custom gun, keep in mind that a lock will be $100, a tapered or swamped barrel will be $200 to $300, quality double sets will be $60.00 and a stock will be at least $100 for plain wood.
You are already up to $460 to $560.00 before any labor is involved.  Better components will run up the price even more.  Having the builder "tune" the lock adds immeasurably to the function of the lock and reduces ignition speed to the point that the gun will go off as fast as a cartridge gun.   Tuning a lock is well worth the time and cuts down on the frustration of shooting a flinter.  A good flinter never goes click, hisssss, bang.  It just goes bang.   If you ever experience such a gun, you'll wonder how other folks can put up with a production gun.       

 
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