lonewolf5348

I seem to see used parts on e bay for t/c sidelocks on the rise.
I stop at bass pro the other day in N myrtle beach to pick up a few traditional hornady RB and wads seem they did not have any in stock,as for inlines stuff the racks were loaded,nothing bad about inlines own one myself but it seem they are fading out traditional stuff and only stocking what sell
I just placed my order with Track of the Wolf on balls and wads,
I did speak with the saleman at bass pro he stated even on web orders traditional items are few and far

Chris W.

Yep, that's the nature of business. They need to turn a profit, so if something doesn't turn over very quickly, it's eventually phased out and replaced with something that does.

cayugad

Traditional rifles of quality are getting harder to find and more expensive every time I look at the auction sites. Although from talking to a lot of people there seems to be a new interest in the traditional rifle market. People who had inlines now seem to want to get a flintlock or cap lock just to try and master it.

mauser06

i agree with cayugad somewhat..although there seems to be a bigger intrest in traditional MLers i still dont think theres a large market for it..heck you can get a semi custom gun for a hair more than a new stock TC hawken now. thats the way business goes though..no demand the higher prices will go until the demand is so low that its not justifiable to even produce them any longer.

Water Swatter

Stricter traditional hunting seasons could be pushing the market. States like Idaho and Colorado that have restricted the types of rifles and or bullets have kind of forced people to take another look at traditional rifles. I know here in Colorado it's open sites, granular powder andconicals, it has made me want to pick up my old TC Hawken put down the Encore 209x50 (which is in TC service anyway) and start shooting it again.

oldwun

There is a sence of accomplishment when you drop a deer at 75 yards using open sights and a traditional ML. Like it or not our newer inlines are better than some CF rifles. Here in the South I do not expect our laws to change. I feel for those folks in Co and ID. We lived in Longmont Co for 7 years. To dad gum liberal for us. My kids had to learn spanish but the spanish kids did not have to learn english. there is something wrong with that pic so we moved.

Pittsburghunter

Since Idaho changed the rules without it being claimed as a reason I have noticed a spike in questions about sidelocks on this board. In the long run I think it is a good thing because I hope this sport of m/l is not just about the newest whiz bang sabot but also how we get the best out of out traditional guns.

I am not the poster child for traditional guns but enjoy them as well as my inlines so I at times feel well out of place depending on what web site I post at.

Water Swatter

It's not getting any better. California is overflowing and sending all their politics here. Now we have a democrat house and Gov. Taxes are really going to start going up now.

short_start

The thing about inlines that helps the manufacturers is the obsolesence cycle. The design can be changed every few years and, together with the evolution in projectiles and substitute powder (which are on theirown obsolesence cycles), new claims for power, accuracy, and ease-of-use can be claimed. People buy into this naturally to get the latest technological improvements, for bragging rights, and to hopefully improve performance in the field.

With traditional, this doesn't work. Thereare the traditional designs and that is it. Other than fine tune the manufacturing process and offering better quality, there's not a lot that can be done. Therefore it's nearly impossible to get Joe shooter to discard old 'perfectly adequate Bess' in favor of a new gun that's the same but with better blueing and stock fit. Nor can the traditionals be redesigned periodicallywith theexpectation thata percentage of previous buyers to jump on the bandwagon and buy the new design. A closed breech, break-open Hawken with a scope and a plastic stockisn't a Hawken; and the level of ridicule from those who know that, will drive off the customers.

As a mostly traditional shooter, I'm thankful for the inlines. They provide the muzzleloading manufacturers with a stream of income which encourages them to keep ML products on the shelves and readily available. They also bring new shooters to muzzleloading from the centerfire ranks; some will naturally migrate to traditional. That's the path I took.
Bob