Morning, Wyatt Burp, and All,
I love flintlocks best of all, but do have a few percussion pistols laying around, from back when we first got into this stuff. For nipple guns, I have a Lyman Great Plains pistol, in .54 caliber. Not to period correct, but lots of fun to shoot, and not bad in the accuracy department. Next up, a Ruger Stainless Old Army, which I got in almost new condition, for around $200, and which has been a real joy to shoot. I built a nice little folding oak stand for it, which made reloading it very easy, and always enjoyed shooting it, and am still very glad to have it. Then, we got my wife a Navy Arms Kentucky pistol, in it's original walnut display case, again for a very nice price, and we still have it. I bought a flint lock for it, and will one day turn it into a rock gun, which would please her no end! Last, we come to my most favorite of them all: An Uberti Colt Paterson revolver, with it's loading tool, which I bought NIB, back before we got out of doing the mountain man thing, and into Colonial times. Oh MAN, is that a sweet-shooting, and lovely little gun, or what!!?!! If you take care of it, and clean the barrel after every five shots, it will put all shots into a quarter-sized hole at 25 yards, all day long! Every person who has shot it, has fallen in love with it, and Uberti got the Paterson styling down just right, unlike the Pietta, and a few others, which are nothing like the original Paterson Colts. By far, this little popper is my most favorite cap gun and I doubt that any other will come along to replace it in my heart!! The only thing is that, unless you wipe it down after shooting it, that lovely charcoal bluing will capture any fingerprints that have been left on it, and you ain't getting them off, either, after that! (Don't ask me how I know about this.......SHEESH!!)
Hearty congrats on your new shooters, and many thanks for sharing them with us here. There used to be a great leather worker in Banning, CAn maned J.D. Varnell, that did some fantastic "Slim Jim" holsters for such guns, and I was lucky enough to get him to make me one for my Paterson. Don't know if he's still around, but if you would like, I can make a few calls and find out. I can also take a few photos of my Paterson and it's rig from Varnell. Let me know, and I'll give it out of the safe. Take care, and God Bless!
Every Good Wish,
Doc