My New Gun: .50 Richland Arms Wesson Rifle

[HuckleberryFun]

Just bought a nice muzzleloader from forum member @cnickles1 who was asking $500 but he graciously accepted $450. It's a .50 caliber blackpowder muzzleloader imported from Italy by Richland Arms sometime between 1977 and 1986 and was called a Wesson Rifle after the designer of the original. Its based on an actual rifle made by E Wesson (one of the 3 famed Wesson brother gunsmiths) from 1841. It was meant to be a hunting rifle for Blackpowder season, but with a traditional look, so it has adjustable sights and other non-historically accurate "upgrades". It has two triggers: you can just squeeze the 3 pound trigger or you can set use the rear one to take the trigger pull down to one pound... yeah, one pound. I'll be interested to see how it does against all those nice Hawkens at the next DRRC blackpowder shoot in a couple weeks. Look out Mountain Men the Pilgrims are moving in!

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[Andy54Hawken]

Pretty rifle Huck ... if you are wanting a more historically correct sight ...let me know!
Glad you have a BP rifle. ... Those Wesson's are great shooters.
Andy

 

[Certaindeaf]

Nice looking shooter!
Are you going to shoot balls or what?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

The Wesson's came with a 1-72 twist ... so round balls work best.
Andy

 

[HuckleberryFun]

I'll be hunting down all the things I need to go shoot it in time for next weekend. I had a Blackpowder revolver once upon a time, but not in years. Seems like a lot of fun. Need powder, shot, powder measure, percussion caps...

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Welcome back to the Dark Side Huck!
Now we really do need to to get together ... for some shooting fun!
If you can make to Monroe next Month they have a big black powder gun show going on...
Andy

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Nice looking shooter!
Are you going to shoot balls or what?

That doesn't seem very sporting but it would certainly take your opponent out of the fight.

 

[orygun]

That doesn't seem very sporting but it would certainly take your opponent out of the fight.

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks like that!

 

[partsed]

Nice looking shooter!
Are you going to shoot balls or what?

 

[HuckleberryFun]

Nice looking shooter!
Are you going to shoot balls or what?

I'll be shooting lead ball ammo, but not "balls".
As a former "Secret Squirrel" it was my job to protect your nuts.

 

[partsed]

So that means you know where all the nuts are hidden????

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Biggest nut you need to worry about is that loose one behind the butt plate...
Andy

 

[11Charlie]

Wow this thread turned quick LOL

Nice Pick up Huck. Happy for you let us know how the shoot goes.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I'll be shooting lead ball ammo, but not "balls".
As a former "Secret Squirrel" it was my job to protect your nuts.

lol, I figured and knew it'd turn to there.
That's the way to go.. for some reason it's funner than minnies or whatever.
I was thinking that for your soon-to-be shoot, your most important acquisition would be the balls.. they may well in fact sell the other necessities there.. or have enough to spare for you to get by that day.. but balls/patches are pretty much barrel specific.. unless you luck out.
I really like that rifle and as Andy said the only thing that really breaks the traditional look a that rifle is that sweet arse rear sight. tough call

 

[Larrytpdx]

Very cool Huck!

 

[Velzey]

Arghhhh that is as nice as I suspected! Good deal for sure.

 

[chef50]

Just bought a nice muzzleloader from forum member @cnickles1 who was asking $500 but he graciously accepted $450. It's a .50 caliber blackpowder muzzleloader imported from Italy by Richland Arms sometime between 1977 and 1986 and was called a Wesson Rifle after the designer of the original. Its based on an actual rifle made by E Wesson (one of the 3 famed Wesson brother gunsmiths) from 1841. It was meant to be a hunting rifle for Blackpowder season, but with a traditional look, so it has adjustable sights and other non-historically accurate "upgrades". It has two triggers: you can just squeeze the 3 pound trigger or you can set use the rear one to take the trigger pull down to one pound... yeah, one pound. I'll be interested to see how it does against all those nice Hawkens at the next DRRC blackpowder shoot in a couple weeks. Look out Mountain Men the Pilgrims are moving in!

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By any chance did it come with a instruction manual? I just got a Wesson myself but didn't come with a book or instructions. Not too sure how to dissemble it for cleaning. If you have one, I'll gladly pay you to make a copy for me. Thanks, Steve in Tenn

 

[Andy54Hawken]

@chef50 the OP ain't been on the forum since 1 July 2021...

I know a bit about muzzle loaders...what specific questions do you have...?

In general for cleaning....
I'd remove the nipple....then use a wet patch ( I use warm soapy water ) and run it up and down the bore to clean the rifle.
Some tips here :
Turn the rifle upside down here...so the water drips out and not down the stock....
Buy a patch puller for your cleaning rod....so you can remove a patch if it comes off your cleaning rod.

After the bore is clean...dry the bore ...then run a oily patch down the bore...and done.
Well...check in a few days for rust...but again if that happens...an oily patch should do the trick.
Andy