Deerherder
Ten Pointer
Our family was in Colonial Williamsburg earlier this week and I spent a long time at the Gunsmith shop talking with the folks there. I had no idea the work that went into the early flintlocks made here during the colonial period. It was interesting to see the forging process as well as the reamer, and rifling tools. According to the man in the shop, there was no standard “caliber”. They were still made on the “gauge” system with the gauge being the same thing it is with shotguns, the number of lead balls needed to equal a pound. He said each gunsmith made the guns as a custom piece with the gauge being negotiated with the customer. The customer was given a ball making device and that was that. No interchangeability, tota The smith said that a gun would take about 400 man hours to make. You can still order them made by hand with the tools and techniques of the 18th century but the wait list is years long, and the price is in the neighborhood of $20,000.
Beautiful pieces, but not worth that to me.
It got me to wondering though, what are some decent modern reproductions to look at? I have not muzzleloader hunted in the past, but I am interested in it. I know a modern in-line would be the simplest way to get into it, but those flintlocks really are a fascinating tool. I see Pedersoli offers a number of options as well as Thompson. What is worth looking at?
Beautiful pieces, but not worth that to me.
It got me to wondering though, what are some decent modern reproductions to look at? I have not muzzleloader hunted in the past, but I am interested in it. I know a modern in-line would be the simplest way to get into it, but those flintlocks really are a fascinating tool. I see Pedersoli offers a number of options as well as Thompson. What is worth looking at?