I may be venturing into a sensitive topic, but I'll chance it.

I have been thinking about purchasing a flintlock, like Lyman Great Plains Rifle or a custom made flintlock. The price difference between the two options is drastic. Lyman GPR is around $500 whereas a custom made flintlock starts over a $1000 and then rapdily goes up, up and up from there.

So, I am trying to figure out what does a buyer get with a custom flintlock for such a price difference? Is the buyer getting better components, like a better lock, better barrel, better construction, better balance? Or is the price difference going mainly toward the artistry and being historically correct?

As a first flintlock, the choice leans heavy toward the Lyman GPR. But setting that aside, what is the buyer truly getting for such a drastic price difference -- art or better functionality?

Given a busy work schedule during the week and kids with sporting events over the weekend, a kit is not an option.

My research also has got me thinking that there is a gap in the present traditional rifle market for people who are willing to pay for very, very good quality but don't want to spend $1000++ for a custom rifle and wait the year(s) for it.

First off, the Lyman GPR is a excellent rifle. Most of your better "mass produced" rifles are good quality rifles. Traditions makes a couple, Pedersolli, even Thompson Center. For the occasional shooter they usually are more then enough of a rifle.

So you asked what does a custom rifle give you. Normally an excellent quality barrel, also the higher end lock systems, excellent hardware to stock fit, and it is an original. Something only you own and no one else owns one like it. So you get that knowledge. The better barrels mean usually better accuracy. The higher end lock also mean a faster igniton, more sure ignition, and less wear on the flints. That is as long as the custom gun maker tunes the lock, which they normally do. As we all know, even the best barrel is nothing without a quality lock. Also the rifles are normally made to fit you. So a better fit, better hardware, and better balance usually mean better accuracy. At least less excuses when you miss.

The fact that your custom rifle is a one of a kind might mean a lot more when you hand it down, although I take a lot of pride in the rifles my father have passed down to me, even if they are factory weapons. They still mean a great deal to me.

Well I've had a .54 Great Plains flintlock for a little over two years now. It's my first and (so far) only flintlock. The only modification I've made to it was to install a RMC touch hole liner before its first shot, and a Lyman peep sight last year.

I've got to say;
(1) it fits me as well as any gun I've ever owned - feels just fine at the shoulder,
(2) it's more accurate than I'll ever be with iron sights,
(3) it has functioned perfectly from day one,
(4) I average somewhere between 40 and 60 shots per flint,
(5) It seems to me to be as fast as my caplocks, at least most of the time,
(6) Fit and finish are acceptable for a production gun - decent but nothing fantastic.

So why do I now have an itch for a custom flintlock? I guess it's as Cayugad said - a desire to own something unique and very personal. Art appreciation? Possibly. Vanity? Also possible. Still, I'm finding it difficult to justify dropping $1400 on a custom rifle. That's a lot of bucks for me. It's hard to imagine I'll enjoy shooting it any more than the GP, or any of the Hawkens, or the Renegades, or even the Omega. But the itch is bad.

Cayugad and Semisane:

Thank you for your comments and insights. I appreciate them.

Let me start by saying that I have never owned a production sidelock in either percussion or flintlock...

I bought my first custom made flinter in .45 caliber back in 1977...I was living in Atlanta then, but grew up in eastern NC and used to visit the gunshop in Williamsburg just to see the custom guns that were made there...I was a history buff while in grade school and going to Williamsburg was like Disney World and the State fair all rolled into one...

In college I wanted to get into black powder but the factory guns just didn't appeal to me...

I walked into a gunshop at Stone Mountain, GA and met a guy named Bob Watts...He is one of the gunsmiths written up in Foxfire 5...He handed me one of his rifles that was for sale, asked me to shoulder it with my eyes closed...When I opened my eyes they were looking down the sights...I bought that gun for $470, and have used it ever since...I have also been offered $3,000 for that rifle...

From 1977-1990 I used that gun on squirrels, turkeys and deer...I also shot in several shooting matches and was able to win a few...I rebarreled it to .40 caliber when I finished making my .54 after 2 years in 1990...

Custom barrels usually come with deeper cut rifling than the button rifling in factory guns...The locks are usually of higher quality and spark very reliably and are easy on flints...If made properly they shoulder and balance better than the factory straight barrel guns...Nothing balances better than a swamped barrel on and early Lancaster stock...

The extra cost comes into play because of the higher quality and figured curly maple, the locks such as Siler and Chambers and the swamped barrels...There is much hand work and fitting that goes into a custom gun...I had over 200 hours in my .54 flinter and from what I hear that is about normal for your first build...This doesn't include engraving of the patch box, inlays and relief carving...

Finally, the touch hole is aligned dead center of the pan and the touch hole is behind the heel of the frizzen so priming powder can't plug the hole...When stocked in curly maple they are a work of art...

If price is a problem, get the Lyman, nothing wrong with them as far as I have heard...

In my opinion the customs are worth every penny, the Lyman my even peak your interest even more in this great hobby we are all addicted to...

Cantremember: hello and welcome to the BP forum.

I went through this as well when I got in to flintlocks. I went with the less expensive gun, the thinking was this:

1. This will be my first muzzle loader and first flintlock. Get something less expensive to make mistakes with. For example I splintered the stock the first time I drove a retaining pin back in place. It is not too bad, but had I done that with a curly maple stock I would have been crying. Since it is a "hardwood" stock, I just tell people about the time me and Daniel Boone got attacked by a bear...

2. Is this a firearm you may lose interest in? Learning to shoot a flintlock takes time. That means mistakes and frustration. Do you really want to drop $1,500+ on something you may not be as interested in as you first thought?

My first flinter was a Traditions "Shenandoah." After learning how to shoot a flintlock with that and wanting even more, I felt a lot more comfortable buying more expensive flintlocks.

Best of luck with your decision.

Have you visited a custom gun shop?? Have you handled and been around custom firearms?? These two questions are important. Before you decide you need to do this.

A custom firearm is an extension of YOU. It is that simple. A custom firearm is made for you. If it is a true custom then it should be made to fit you. If you are buying a true MZ custom firearm then the smith should make that firearm to fit you, and only you. That is the definition of a true custom firearm.

There are a lot of smiths out there that make some very nice firearms. But they make them to their standards-not yours. So I do not consider those guns as real custom guns. They are just a refined production gun. The gun was not made for you specifically, but it was made to a higher standard than a normal production gun.

So you really need to decide what type of firearm you are talking about. I have two custom guns that were made to my exact specifications. And that IMO is how it has to be made in order to qualify as a custom.

If you have not shot alot with an MZ then it would be extremely difficult for you to decide what features you would want on a custom MZ. So If I were you I would buy a rifle like a Lyman and shoot it, and determine exactly what you want. Then take your time, and visit a few smiths. Find a guy that you like, and then take your time and design and build a rifle to be exactly what you want. IMO this is the process to buying a custom rifle. Because once you buy it, it is yours. And if it is not exactly what you want, then you are stuck with it. And you can loose a lot of money in a custom firearm if you decide to sell it because it was not exactly what you wanted. Tom.

Thanks to everyone for their comments and views on this subject.

While the custom guns are intriguing and I do want quality, it is good to hear strong endorsements for the Lyman GPR.