Review: Traditions Mountain Rifle Flintlock
Review: Traditions Mountain Rifle Flintlock
by FrontierGander 30/11/2023, 1:25 pm
The Traditions Mountain Rifle is a high-quality modern muzzleloader with an old-school flare. The Mountain Rifle maintains the classic styling and handling of time-honored Sidelock rifles, while offering great performance and affordability.
Weight: 8lbs 3oz
Overall Length: 48 3/4"
Hooked Breech
Flintlock & Percussion
.50 Caliber with 1:48 twist
Traditional Sights
Lifetime Warranty
The double set triggers I judge to be set to around 4lbs and is smooth and crisp. Be sure to take the trigger group out and properly lubricate them!
The triggers also seem to be inletted properly, depth wise. On the original Mountain Rifle, the previous makers had some trouble inletting the triggers to deep and so you had problems when you went to full cock, the lock wouldn't always catch that mark because the trigger was rubbing up against the sear, preventing the sear to engage the tumbler. Shimming under the front of the trigger to lift it up out of the way a bit was needed to fix this issue. So far, I have NOT experience this episode on the Traditions Mountain Rifles.
The Mountain Rifle features a double set trigger in an oversized glove-fitting, trigger-guard.
The trigger guard leaves a good deal of room to shoot with a gloved hand! I personally wear glove mitts where I can pull back the fingers cover and expose my fingertips. I feel more in control of the trigger when I can FEEL it with my bare finger.
The Mountain Rifle sports a .50 caliber ,32" Barrel, 15/16" across the flats, with a 1:48 Twist & Browned Cerakote Finish to ensure a rust free hunt. The Cerakoat Finish gives off a slight olive green color while in direct sunlight. This was a slight set back, but one I can live with.
A great looking addition is the Hexagon ramrod thimbles! These are a really great way to dress up a barrel and make its appearance stand out in a crowd! Rifle also features a wooden ramrod, not the plastic stuff other models come with.
Note: Ramrod is NOT made of Hickory and is flexy. Shooter should be careful while loading as a flexy ramrod can easily break.
All trim & the barrel on the rifle has been rust proofed by using Cerakote.
Cerakote is a ceramic based finish that can be applied to metals, plastics, polymers and wood. The unique formulation used for Cerakote ceramic coating enhances a number of physical performance properties including abrasion/wear resistance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, impact strength, and hardness.
I must admit that when I shot and cleaned these rifles for the first time, It was a very disturbing feeling to not oil the barrel afterwards! Now that is the EXTERNAL barrel! Be sure you oil the BORE after cleaning as it is not protected by Cerakote.
When I first cleaned the percussion model I used hot soapy water and my jaw hit the floor when I put the breech end of the barrel into the water and saw all the cap residue FALL RIGHT OFF without scrubbing it! I still used a plastic tooth brush however and scrubbed the mating area between the barrel and drum to ensure all fouling was removed.
The Toe Plate is also another great add on to keep the bottom of the stock safe from dirt/rocks/ hard hits while in the field.
All inletting on this rifle was done nicely! Not everything is perfect, but that is to be expected on a highly produced muzzle loader at a bargain price. Some folks want a $3,000 custom made muzzleloader fit/finish on a $500, so you know how the saying goes... You can't satisfy everyone!
New owners of this rifle should check the rear lock screw before firing! This screw is commonly to long and protrudes and hangs up the hammer. I have needed to trim both screws actually, so they fit perfectly without over extending through the lock plate.
Fully adjustable Traditional rear sight and German Silver Front sight makes for precision aiming.
The patch box is made of what appears German Silver. With a little custom ingraving, this patch box could have some real neat personalization added to it. I think I'd do something with the scene of a Grizzly on it.
The Mountain Rifle has excellent balance and feel in your hands. The balance point is directly between both wedge keys. I am 6'2 170lbs and its not one of those rifles that tips up and down when you shoulder it. Some have asked if its a cheek slapper because the sights are so low.
No, it is not a cheek slapper and the sights are so low when you get the rifle, because they need adjusting at both the rear sight adjustment screw, as well as filing the front sight down. There is a ton of front sight to work with but always remove a little at a time, shoot, and remove a little more if needed.
You can always remove material, but putting it back is mighty impossible!
My rear sight adjustment is maxed out but I still am hitting low on the target at 100 yards. I just removed a nickels thickness worth of front sight with multiple files and now I should have a great deal of adjustment available with the rear sight adjustment screw.
The lock is heavy duty and does take some thumb muscle to pull it back. The overall "feel" of the lock is smooth and crisp. The frizzen spring was the only modification that was needed, as it was way over heavy and an strong frizzen spring means a couple of things.. <a href='/tags/1' rel='nofollow' title='See all tagged subjects with: #1'>#1</a> Broken Flints & <a href='/tags/2' rel='nofollow' title='See all tagged subjects with: #2'>#2</a> sometimes the frizzen will not fully open, producing poor sprark. This is common on Traditions Flintlocks and is easily fixed by using a small C clamp and gently weakening it a touch.
Overall, the Traditions Mountain Rifle Flintlock is Gorgeous rifle in every possible way! It has become my favorite of the pack and once I start shooting, its impossible to put it down for the day. And I am not a flintlock shooter by a long shot!
Priming: This rifle actually likes about half a pan full of 4fg Goex for near instant ignition. It got to the point, I felt like I was shooting a percussion gun, and my accuracy was outstanding.
Bore Size & Condition: Just like my other MR, this bore measures .499" lands and .503" grooves. The rifle loves everything from .015" patches for easy target shooting, to .018" - .020" patches for heavier duty hunting loads of Goex or Olde Eynsford 2fg black powder. The bore is beautifully machined and smooth and most importantly, CONSISTENT!
Flints: On this Mountain Rifle, I used my standard 1/2"x5/8" French Amber flints as they hold up the best and spark the best on the Traditions Flintlocks.
NOTE: On a youtube video covering the Traditions Mountain Rifle, the fellow crushed up a Blue MZ pellet. Do NOT ever crush pellets and then put them down the bore! Doing that is about as dumb as it gets and is highly dangerous due to the fine powder granules that are ground up. It would be like shooting 4fg, if not finer grade! The Traditions Mountain Rifle is designed for Loose Powder Only! No pellets or Blackhorn209!
The Mountain Rifle Flintlock is a wonderfully accurate Flintlock! This 100 yard group was shot with 80 grains Goex 2fg, .020 patch and a .490 round ball!
This is a beautiful, accurate rifle that will serve you a life time of service! Don't be shy, dress the part and head to Rendezvous and show off your new Mountain Rifle with pride!
If you'd like to see the Traditions Mountain Rifle in Action, check out my video below! This rifle is a real work horse and with time on the range, load development and your own "Stop Flinching!" Development, you'll have a flintlock for life that you can depend on.
Weight: 8lbs 3oz
Overall Length: 48 3/4"
Hooked Breech
Flintlock & Percussion
.50 Caliber with 1:48 twist
Traditional Sights
Lifetime Warranty
The double set triggers I judge to be set to around 4lbs and is smooth and crisp. Be sure to take the trigger group out and properly lubricate them!
The triggers also seem to be inletted properly, depth wise. On the original Mountain Rifle, the previous makers had some trouble inletting the triggers to deep and so you had problems when you went to full cock, the lock wouldn't always catch that mark because the trigger was rubbing up against the sear, preventing the sear to engage the tumbler. Shimming under the front of the trigger to lift it up out of the way a bit was needed to fix this issue. So far, I have NOT experience this episode on the Traditions Mountain Rifles.
The Mountain Rifle features a double set trigger in an oversized glove-fitting, trigger-guard.
The trigger guard leaves a good deal of room to shoot with a gloved hand! I personally wear glove mitts where I can pull back the fingers cover and expose my fingertips. I feel more in control of the trigger when I can FEEL it with my bare finger.
The Mountain Rifle sports a .50 caliber ,32" Barrel, 15/16" across the flats, with a 1:48 Twist & Browned Cerakote Finish to ensure a rust free hunt. The Cerakoat Finish gives off a slight olive green color while in direct sunlight. This was a slight set back, but one I can live with.
A great looking addition is the Hexagon ramrod thimbles! These are a really great way to dress up a barrel and make its appearance stand out in a crowd! Rifle also features a wooden ramrod, not the plastic stuff other models come with.
Note: Ramrod is NOT made of Hickory and is flexy. Shooter should be careful while loading as a flexy ramrod can easily break.
All trim & the barrel on the rifle has been rust proofed by using Cerakote.
Cerakote is a ceramic based finish that can be applied to metals, plastics, polymers and wood. The unique formulation used for Cerakote ceramic coating enhances a number of physical performance properties including abrasion/wear resistance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, impact strength, and hardness.
I must admit that when I shot and cleaned these rifles for the first time, It was a very disturbing feeling to not oil the barrel afterwards! Now that is the EXTERNAL barrel! Be sure you oil the BORE after cleaning as it is not protected by Cerakote.
When I first cleaned the percussion model I used hot soapy water and my jaw hit the floor when I put the breech end of the barrel into the water and saw all the cap residue FALL RIGHT OFF without scrubbing it! I still used a plastic tooth brush however and scrubbed the mating area between the barrel and drum to ensure all fouling was removed.
The Toe Plate is also another great add on to keep the bottom of the stock safe from dirt/rocks/ hard hits while in the field.
All inletting on this rifle was done nicely! Not everything is perfect, but that is to be expected on a highly produced muzzle loader at a bargain price. Some folks want a $3,000 custom made muzzleloader fit/finish on a $500, so you know how the saying goes... You can't satisfy everyone!
New owners of this rifle should check the rear lock screw before firing! This screw is commonly to long and protrudes and hangs up the hammer. I have needed to trim both screws actually, so they fit perfectly without over extending through the lock plate.
Fully adjustable Traditional rear sight and German Silver Front sight makes for precision aiming.
The patch box is made of what appears German Silver. With a little custom ingraving, this patch box could have some real neat personalization added to it. I think I'd do something with the scene of a Grizzly on it.
The Mountain Rifle has excellent balance and feel in your hands. The balance point is directly between both wedge keys. I am 6'2 170lbs and its not one of those rifles that tips up and down when you shoulder it. Some have asked if its a cheek slapper because the sights are so low.
No, it is not a cheek slapper and the sights are so low when you get the rifle, because they need adjusting at both the rear sight adjustment screw, as well as filing the front sight down. There is a ton of front sight to work with but always remove a little at a time, shoot, and remove a little more if needed.
You can always remove material, but putting it back is mighty impossible!
My rear sight adjustment is maxed out but I still am hitting low on the target at 100 yards. I just removed a nickels thickness worth of front sight with multiple files and now I should have a great deal of adjustment available with the rear sight adjustment screw.
The lock is heavy duty and does take some thumb muscle to pull it back. The overall "feel" of the lock is smooth and crisp. The frizzen spring was the only modification that was needed, as it was way over heavy and an strong frizzen spring means a couple of things.. <a href='/tags/1' rel='nofollow' title='See all tagged subjects with: #1'>#1</a> Broken Flints & <a href='/tags/2' rel='nofollow' title='See all tagged subjects with: #2'>#2</a> sometimes the frizzen will not fully open, producing poor sprark. This is common on Traditions Flintlocks and is easily fixed by using a small C clamp and gently weakening it a touch.
Overall, the Traditions Mountain Rifle Flintlock is Gorgeous rifle in every possible way! It has become my favorite of the pack and once I start shooting, its impossible to put it down for the day. And I am not a flintlock shooter by a long shot!
Priming: This rifle actually likes about half a pan full of 4fg Goex for near instant ignition. It got to the point, I felt like I was shooting a percussion gun, and my accuracy was outstanding.
Bore Size & Condition: Just like my other MR, this bore measures .499" lands and .503" grooves. The rifle loves everything from .015" patches for easy target shooting, to .018" - .020" patches for heavier duty hunting loads of Goex or Olde Eynsford 2fg black powder. The bore is beautifully machined and smooth and most importantly, CONSISTENT!
Flints: On this Mountain Rifle, I used my standard 1/2"x5/8" French Amber flints as they hold up the best and spark the best on the Traditions Flintlocks.
NOTE: On a youtube video covering the Traditions Mountain Rifle, the fellow crushed up a Blue MZ pellet. Do NOT ever crush pellets and then put them down the bore! Doing that is about as dumb as it gets and is highly dangerous due to the fine powder granules that are ground up. It would be like shooting 4fg, if not finer grade! The Traditions Mountain Rifle is designed for Loose Powder Only! No pellets or Blackhorn209!
The Mountain Rifle Flintlock is a wonderfully accurate Flintlock! This 100 yard group was shot with 80 grains Goex 2fg, .020 patch and a .490 round ball!
This is a beautiful, accurate rifle that will serve you a life time of service! Don't be shy, dress the part and head to Rendezvous and show off your new Mountain Rifle with pride!
If you'd like to see the Traditions Mountain Rifle in Action, check out my video below! This rifle is a real work horse and with time on the range, load development and your own "Stop Flinching!" Development, you'll have a flintlock for life that you can depend on.
FrontierGander- Admin
- Posts : 519
Join date : 2021-05-25
Age : 40
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