Ethan Allen by Hoppe's reproductions

[TruthTellers]

I've come across a variety of reproductions of muzzleloading pistols over the times I look on gunbroker and I've seen pepperboxes, derringers, duckfoots... you name it, so long as it's not a revolver, Ethan Allen by Hoppe's apparently made it.

Prices seem to be pretty decent, quality looks to be okay, so what's the story of Ethan Allen by Hoppe's? Did Hoppe's make them or did somebody else do the manufacturing while Hoppe's distributed them?

How are they as guns? The ones I keep coming across don't appear to be fired and if they have been, not fired much.

 

[Oliver Sudden]

Can't tell you anything on the manufacture but as a gun mine is OK. The sights are not suited to my eyes and the grip size is small. I set the barrel back so the threads don't show and color case hardened the receiver to make it prettier. Note the hammer is at quarter cock in the photo (very low). Shoots fair and is easy to clean. I like it.
IMG_0321 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[4V50 Gary]

Oliver - what composition for color case hardening or did you buy the material commercially? I know John Seim taught it at TSJC NRA Summer School. He has a book out on the subject now.

 

[Minorcan]

I thought those were for decoration only, I’m not sure I would chance firing them???

 

[Oliver Sudden]

I use wood and bone charcoal mix to do most of my color case hardening. I’ve tried some other things but they didn’t produce anything worth the effort.
The quality of the pistol is good and this model is well up to firing full loads.

 

[ThomasT]

Your color case hardening looks really good. Better than the really bright CCH you see from Turnbull to my eye. Can you give a description on how you do this?

 

[Oliver Sudden]

I anneal the part first if needed then polish to a finish that I think needed, any modifying is done before polish. The parts are packed in a bone and wood charcoal mix and heated to it’s critical temperature then quenched in water. Right away it’s placed in a draw furnace and held at a much lower heat to stress relieve it then cooled and oiled. That’s a brief over view, it takes most of day and some special equipment to do.