Prices of muzzleloader parts

Gil Martin · Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 2:19 am Post subject: Prices of muzzleloader parts

Have you good folks seen the prices of muzzleloader gun parts? I needed a touch hole liner for a Lyman Trade Rifle and went online. The current cost is $7.75 each. Fortunately, I found several in my stash and noted that I bought them for $2.49 each a few years ago. Wow! I suspect that many of these parts are imported and something seems terribly wrong. All the best...
Gil

slimjim · Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 3:04 am Post subject: Re: Prices of muzzleloader parts

Gil, its just not gun parts that are going up in price - have you seen the cost of batteries lately! Of course, old farts like us that keep things around for 10, 20, 30+ years get to see this trend when we clean out our stashes.

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

I fully agree!

Last year the tiny screw that holds the hammer to the action on my Hawkin came off. Luckily my boy who was using it during the hunt noticed the hammer was loose, before it fell of. I switched him guns for the remainder of the hunt... stopped off at Ace Hardware for a new screw. Well guess what, its a custom size / thread.

So, I dig around ... the cheapest tiny screw I could find was on Ebay for $11 (including shipping). Eleven freaking dollars for a screw that should have been less than a quarter. I used blue locktite when I put it on, its going to stay there forever now.

Ditto for "Muzzleloader" scopes. I bought a simmons 1x shotgun scope years back for my gun (Utah doesn't allow magnification on smokepoles). Its a great scope, plenty bright and never strays from zero. It cost me $80.

Thompson Center bought the rights to it, or more likely just has Simmons make it for them, and put their logo on the side... and now sells it for $145. Its the exact same scope!

Grrrr...!

-DallanC

Vince · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 6:32 am Post subject: Re: Prices of muzzleloader parts

I call it "corporate greed", and it seems to be running rampant right throughout the business community. So many of the big companies have gone 'public' and as such have to answer to shareholders and investors.

slimjim · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 8:57 am Post subject: Re: Prices of muzzleloader parts

Its about supply and demand ... but ... US regulations, takes, and now health care aren't making it any cheaper for companies to produce products. China isn't a cheap labor region any more with labor rates doubling in the last 3 years with jump in power costs.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 5:59 pm Post subject: Re: Prices of muzzleloader parts

Dallan, I've run into that custom sized screw thing before too. When possible I just retapped the hole for a slightly larger, more common thread.

Elvis · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 2:49 am Post subject: Re: Prices of muzzleloader parts

the old .410 single made by winchester had lost a trigger guard screw..the wee brass ones inside a common household light fitting fitted it perfectly..they fit in the front bead hole on any shottie Ive tried too!!!!