Been looking around for a flintlock to get familar with before I get really expensive (reproduction Baker). I have pretty much decided on either the Traditions Shenandoah or Pennsylvania. The former has a 33.5" barrel, the latter 40.25". Besides the handier length of the shorter barrel and the increased sight radius of the longer barrel. Are there advantages of one over the other? Better powder burn? More velocity? More historically accurate?
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Rifle barrel length
- Thread starter AndABeer
- Start date
There is not going to be any true advantage in performance over those two different barrel lenghts. And, if your not tried to use this gun to create a re-enactor living history persona for which one may be more correct than the other, it comes down to a matter of feel. Traditions (if memory serves me) does NOT use swamped barrels. So, the longer gun will be significantly heavier. I suspect the Shenandoah will be significatly lighter and I would head that way unless you had a reason to want a PA style gun.
You could show up at any non-juried rondy with either gun and not face any critism. I here Traditions long guns are pretty good for the money and a nice way to get into Flint. Many folks keep them for a long time and just replace the locks with one from L&R after the factory frizzen starts to wear . . . might be a long time down the road.
JPM
You could show up at any non-juried rondy with either gun and not face any critism. I here Traditions long guns are pretty good for the money and a nice way to get into Flint. Many folks keep them for a long time and just replace the locks with one from L&R after the factory frizzen starts to wear . . . might be a long time down the road.
JPM
Poodleshooter
New member
Give a report on whichever you choose to buy. I'm toying with the idea of getting into flinters-on a budget.
I do not intend to use it for reenacting, just hunting and target shooting. Still, I am a stickler for history so I think I may still go with the Pennsylvania. God knows I need the exercise.
Pennsylvania 8 lbs. 8 oz.
Shenandoah 7 lbs. 3 oz.
www.basspro-shops.com seems to have the best prices so far
Pennsylvania 8 lbs. 8 oz.
Shenandoah 7 lbs. 3 oz.
www.basspro-shops.com seems to have the best prices so far
Almost bought one of those years ago. The stock did not have enough drop for me. I could not get my head down on the stock good enough to see the sights.
I am a fairly big guy so if your are closer to normal size you may not have that problem.
If you are new to flintlocks dont give up so quickly if you have problems. It just takes a while to learn to shoot one.
We will give you all the info you need to make it work.
I am a fairly big guy so if your are closer to normal size you may not have that problem.
If you are new to flintlocks dont give up so quickly if you have problems. It just takes a while to learn to shoot one.
We will give you all the info you need to make it work.
The longer barrels will give you a better burn of larger charges. Muzzle velocity will be higher in a longer barrel. My favorite rifle is a Lancaster style flinter with a 42" swamped .45 cal barrel. If you plan on hunting in a lot of brush, then shorter barrels work better. The Germans came to the US with shorter larger caliber Jaeger style Rifles. Americans refined them to longer barreled smaller calibers, then kicked the Brits butts with them. As America moved west, the calibers got bigger to kill the grizzlies and got shorter to be carried easier on horseback.