Matchlock Shooters?

M

Model12Win

Moderator
Any matchlock musketeers out there?

I have been thinking of picking up a matchlock musket from Veteran Arms:

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http://www.veteranarms.com/ReproductionMuzzleloadersandFlintlocks/Matchlock.html

They seem pretty cool. Does anyone know the quality of Veteran Arms? Will this musket blow up and kill me, or is it safe to shoot with live rounds? Does anyone on here shoot matchlocks? Can you hunt deer or hogs with them? Thanks!
 
Made in India. With a smooth bore and no rear sight you'd have to be pretty close and a burning slow match is going to be a detriment to deer hunting.
 
It has a front sight.

Will it explode if it is Indian? That really is a shame... I don't think the Indian guns are safe to actually shoot are they?
 
I've never had one. I look at various forums where they talk about them. Some say they're safe to shoot, some say they're not but on almost all of them they don't talk very highly of them. Do some research and make up your own mind. Google is your friend.
 
You'll want to talk to the gang at The Rifle Shoppe Inc...

Here's their link to Matchlocks <Click Here>

My twin has one, and it's fun to use at the range, and always draws a crowd. Deer hunting? Possible, but the deer better be walking slow or standing and not being pushed...

The ignition is FAST!!! He says it ignites faster than his flintlocks! Yet keeping the match burning can be a chore, and the trigger action to get the wick to the pan isn't fast or crisp, but it does go off -- usually... :rolleyes:

Good luck.

Old No7
 
There was a guy on a forum I used to mod years ago before the owner disappeared that built a matchlock and killed a doe with it.

The old forum is still there but I forgot my login. I did find this pic and maybe he won't mind me posting it if he ever sees it. There were better pics of the gun itself but the search feature for guests is dismal.

matchlock_zpspmp0hjl4.png
 
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If this helps:
The Jaguar car company is owned by an organization from India.
The venerable Royal Enfield motorcycle is made in India.
 
If this helps:
The Jaguar car company is owned by an organization from India.
The venerable Royal Enfield motorcycle is made in India.
Click to expand...

And .303 Enfields were made there. Miroku in Japan makes some of the finest rifles you could want but they also made junk so what's your point?
 
Were you asking me or Model12Win?
If me, then it was to assure him that he needn't fear something just because it was made in India.
Will it explode if it is Indian? That really is a shame... I don't think the Indian guns are safe to actually shoot are they?
Click to expand...
 
The last I heard, Veteran Arms imports these guns from India with no touchhole drilled so that they can be sold as "not functioning firearms". This gets around export restrictions for firearms.

The VA (or maybe the end user?) drills out the touch hole, turning it into a functioning firearm.

I have not heard of any kaboom incident involving these guns that was directly attributed to a manufacturing flaw of the gun itself. It may be that these are perfectly safe to use as black powder firearms.

For myself, I will not use any item as a firearm if it was not manufactured and sold explicitly to be a firearm.

If the company isn't going to stand behind it as a firearm, then I'm not going to shoot it.

Steve
 
I think the VA, Heritage and Middlesex guns are all made in the same place. I'm not sure but I think it's Middlesex that says their barrels are seamless and to me that says pipe.
 
Deer maybe, but like I said on the other site, there is just no WAY I'd hunt hogs with one.... At least not any of the big hogs we have in this part of the country these days.

Ours have been interbreeding with Russian boar for years.. Makes for big, mean, and lots of em.... Not something I'd wanna take on with a matchlock and as much as can go wrong with one. And not without a quick fallow up shot.
 
I think the VA, Heritage and Middlesex guns are all made in the same place. I'm not sure but I think it's Middlesex that says their barrels are seamless and to me that says pipe.
Click to expand...

Oh dang. :(

I wish someone in the US or even Europe made matchlocks (that weren't incredibly pricey custom guns). It seems India makes a whole lot of neat muzzleloaders, but I've heard over and over the stuff they use for the barrels just isn't very good.
 
Deer maybe, but like I said on the other site, there is just no WAY I'd hunt hogs with one.... At least not any of the big hogs we have in this part of the country these days.

Ours have been interbreeding with Russian boar for years.. Makes for big, mean, and lots of em.... Not something I'd wanna take on with a matchlock and as much as can go wrong with one. And not without a quick fallow up shot.
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I'm the same way. We had a lot of Russians back home and they are mean and aggressive. We have some wild boar on the property here but the undergrowth is so thick I've never seen one. I've seen where they've been and heard them a few times.
 
I meant mostly in a stand for hunting boars, but on second thought manipulating a big musket up in a stand with a lit match might be a little too challenging!!
 
I meant mostly in a stand for hunting boars, but on second thought manipulating a big musket up in a stand with a lit match might be a little too challenging!!
Click to expand...

You might have a valid point there Model 12. :D
 
If you want one of those matchlocks for fun, check the specs for seamless pipe.
There's plenty of info on the web.
You might be surprised at how strong some of it really is.
Why would you actually want to hunt with one of those crude things anyway?
 
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