Connecticut Valley Arms was formed in 1971 to manufacture traditional sidelock muzzleloaders that were offered fully assembled or in DIY kits, both of which became popular with American shooters.

If memory serves me right, I shot my first squirrel, which was incidentally my first game animal, in 1972. I was eight at the time. My father, Mick, was there—observer, educator, guardian, coach, and ...