Re: MtMan-List: Cabelas Flintlock -- Historically Accurate?

[Jim Colburn <jc60714@navix.net>]

Washtahay-
At 12:01 AM 11/10/98 +0000, you wrote:
>I have bought several guns from Cabellas.  Their patterson, available
>intermitantly, is fine.
	Please define "fine".  To date, I have seen 9 Colt Pattersons from
Cabelas.  All with broken hands or locking bolts.  Total of less than 1000
shots through the 9.  Is this fine?  Apparently you and I have altogether
different ideas of acceptable quality, and maybe that is where the problem is.

> It is made by Uberrti. 
	It is made by Uberti (sometimes) but IT IS MADE TO A PRICE, BY THE LOW
BIDDER.  Those cost saving have to come from somewhere.  Part of the
savings no doubt come from scale of production, but the rest comes from
lowering of quality.  Cabelas figures that the average shooter will shoot
the gun 'X' times-so that is the expected lifetime of the gun.  If it
breaks before then, oh well.  If it lasts longer be amazed.  

> I also bought a Harper's
>Ferry 1803.  I have it from an expert that it is about as good as a
>factory version gets, as far as Harper's Ferry goes. 
	Who is your expert?  Have you ever set a Harper's Ferry from Cabelas
alongside an original?  Did you know that most of the Cabelas Harpers Ferry
guns require work to make them reliable (Navy Arms were the same way, don't
know about hte new ones)?

>I've sold them
>both, to buy something else that ' I 'just had to have'.  The Patterson
>was bought for $250,  The cheapest from a dealer was $325.  Same gun,
>same maker....  
	DIFFERENT QUALITY!  If you don't compare the quality, you aren't talking
the same thing-remember your third grade math teacher talking about
comparing apples and oranges?

> A friend bought the Lyman Great plains, in flint, and
>enjoys it.  It has a coil spring in the lock, so is not authentic, but
>'who will know'? 
	ANyone who looks at it can see the appearance is not authentic.  For all
of that, it DOES usually work, and it is safe.
LongWalker c. du B.