how about a really fine single barrel

[Rick Losey]

In case I am not the only flintlock fan around here.

Here is a tribute to the real gunsmiths of the past, and those very few of the present. Puts those of us who stock a Getz barrel and a Chambers lock and then think we really made one in our proper place. :)


http://www.historicmartinsstation.com/rifleproject1.html

[Richard Flanders]

Very cool. Thanks. Good on them.

[Jim Beilke]

Rick, I also am a flintlock fan. My current rifle is s custom Getz barreled .58 cal 1in 96 twist english sporting rifle. My turkey gun is also a custom 10ga flintlock. It gives me great pleasure hunting the 'old' way with these guns. Jim

[Rick Losey]

Nice sporting rifle Jim;

John Getz makes a great barrel.

I tend towards the Pennsylvania lines myself

a transitional/early style Lancaster
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/setterw/flintlock-stumpfence2.jpg?t=1322153379

A late 18th century style Schoyer that I need to learn to engrave to finsh

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/setterw/longviewpatchbox.jpg

a little detail on that one
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/setterw/butt-1.jpg

but the guys who can make their own barrels and locks the original way still impress the heck out of me

[charlie cleveland]

way to go fellows.. a deer with a flint lock is indeed a trophy ive yet to get mine with black powder ive used 12 ga double barrel with slugs. boy the acuracy was terible needed deer at least20 steps away to get a hit but know i never got one that close...used a 45 caliber rifle that was pretty decent at 100 yards but never got a good shot with it either...could probably take a deer with it now since ive got more time to hunt but im trying to take one with a 8 ga punkin ball loadthey got to be close with it too... charlie

[Jim Beilke]

Rick, Beautiful rifle, my hunting buddy is a pennsylvania fan. My tastes lead to a shorter version as in this 10ga fowler. It is jug choked and designed for heavy turkey charges, 120grains 2f and 2oz of #6. Kicks like a mule on both ends.Jim

[King Brown]

In the 60s I made a bet with militia cadets that my mint Brown Bess could provide similar results as their semi-auto FNs on the range (knowing they were green.) Well, turned out not quite but close. The Bess was pooh-poohed by cadets because of stories of poor accuracy of muzzle-loaders. They knew the great battle on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec which won the continent from the Arctic to Gulf of Mexico for the British was fought at close quarters. I doubt the Bess had near the accuracy of American-made long guns. (The 1759 battle was over in 15 minutes; the British held fire and let go at close range in devastating salvos.)

[Rick Losey]

stories of poor accuracy of muzzle-loaders.

The military theory of the day was massed volley fire. a wall of lead sent out at once. In many cases the Bess load was an undersized ball and three buck shot. Speed of loading was the primary concern. At 60 yards a few hundred of these going off at once was brutal. As a reenacter, I have been in a line with several dozen doing volley fire, and even with those small numbers and firing blanks the noise, flame and smoke is impressive, and seeing the other side returning it (knowing theres no lead in it) gives you only a the slightest impression of what the 18th century soldier faced.

But as with a modern shot gun with the right slug, working a load up can give surprising results. My fowler with a tightly patched right sized ball is dead on a 50 yards, if it had sights I am certain that could be stretched to 100 with the right load.

the rifle, slower to load is certainly more accurate, there is a story from the Revolution of a company of Pennsylvania riflemen each stepping to the line and putting a ball in a cedar shingle at 200 yards. I can't, but those guys lived with the rifle.

[King Brown]

Thanks, OH. The redcoats also loaded and fired three rounds a minute. I was lucky one round, covering ball with powder in palm of hand, patch, ram home!