2nd time at the range with Drachenfeuer

The fun never stops and the accuracy was totally unexpected. Five shots offhand at ten yards. Tiller rested on right shoulder and pressed down tight with my left hand. Handgonne loaded with 50gr Goex 3F and a.715" ball with a coffee filter wad fore and aft. I touched it off with a long punk from the local fireworks store. I bought a pack of 50 punks which have a 14" long burning section, just $4, and one lasted for the 18 shots I fired today in about an hour and a half. The punk was much easier to use than a linstock with a match. I did order some fuse and can't wait to try that. FUN!

Yee haw … we gotta anutha’ convert!

How art thou, brother of the match … err, punk?

Flint62Smoothie said:

Yee haw … we gotta anutha’ convert!

How art thou, brother of the match … err, punk?

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You know, I asked myself today if I felt lucky and honestly those five were the best ones of the day, and the final ones I shot. Harry Callahan must have been smiling down on this punk. Yeah, I'm a convert, I drank the Kool Aid.

I was looking for the Ottoman guns thread we seem to have lost it . Where can find it now ?.
Rudyard

That's some very fine shooting, Miner! I had a fascination with punks when a lad, and would hold the butt end of a smoldering punk in my teeth, anticipating the Hunter S. Thompson look by decades.

That is some MIGHTEE Fine shooshing! I'm going to the fireworks store today to get something to shoot mine.

We'll need a full report, Frontstuffer.
The force is strong. I am feeling the pull.

BillinOregon said:

The force is strong. I am feeling the pull.

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Scratch that itch! For one ready to shoot, I don’t know how this one could be anything but a ‘Best Buy’!

https://veteranarms.com/Medieval-Handgonne-American-Hasta-Brand-p380105911

Rudyard said:

I was looking for the Ottoman guns thread we seem to have lost it . Where can find it now ?

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@Rudyard ... it is here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/ottoman-guns.122036/

Flint62Smoothie said:

Scratch that itch! For one ready to shoot, I don’t know how this one could be anything but a ‘Best Buy’!

https://veteranarms.com/Medieval-Handgonne-American-Hasta-Brand-p380105911

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That sub brand of “American Hasta” is supposed to produce a matchlock at some point soon, so it’s good if people buy their current product and let them know there is interest.

BillinOregon said:

We'll need a full report, Frontstuffer.
The force is strong. I am feeling the pull.

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I bow to Flint62's vast experience and knowledge, but offer this for consideration. Yeah, BillinOregon, whichever way you go, you gotta get in the game!

The Miner '49er said:

I bow to Flint62's vast experience and knowledge, but offer this for consideration ...

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Haha, jysus no need to bow to me, but keep in mind that TRS might be out of them and it could take a LONG while to get them.

The TRS hand gonnes are a great option and their 62-cal and 75-cal models are what I actually own! Add your own tiller and you're ready to Drachenfeuer on your own!

Flint62Smoothie said:

Haha, jysus no need to bow to me, but keep in mind that TRS might be out of them and it could take a LONG while to get them.

The TRS hand gonnes are a great option and their 62-cal and 75-cal models are what I actually own! Add your own tiller and you're ready to Drachenfeuer on your own!

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Yes, from comments made by others in this forum section I'm not doubting that, and it's good that you point it out. In my experience, though, I decided to turn loose some of my income tax refund $ so I emailed them with a couple questions and got a reply within a few days. Knowing of the possibility of slow shipping, I then called and questioned if the barrel was in stock and that it would be shipped in a couple days on their shipping Friday. I got yes answers and the gun arrived on either Tues or Wed. I found them to be excellent people to deal with. Jane was super handling the transaction and Jesse is a fountain of knowledge pertaining to these and other ancient firearms. I decided to buy from them b/c it fit my price range and a DIY tiller was in my wheelhouse. Also, IMHO I have never been very happy with products made in India. They look great from five feet away, but up close, nope. I might be wrong, but I don't believe the one importer whose blurb says the India specials they sell come w/o a touchhole merely to make importing easier and that all the buyer needs to do is either take it to a gunsmith to get it drilled or just to drill 'er out on your own. I wouldn't bet my life on that and I opted for made in the USA. Flint62 I still bow to your knowledge and enjoy reading your posts and learning from you. I'd love to see your collection!

Well I just sent TRS an email asking if the steel .75 gonne is in stock. What a fine bunch of enablers I have fallen in with!

I hope your dealings with them mirror mine, and I bet they will. That old saw about salt or honey is true.

BillinOregon said:

Well I just sent TRS an email asking if the steel .75 gonne is in stock. What a fine bunch of enablers I have fallen in with!

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Oh jeeze … you’ll never get a reply, best to call them, only Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM. Just keep calling, do not … do not leave a message. You will never get a reply, at least from the experience of many here.

With all that said, I agree .. Jane is SUPER … when you can get through! Recently I got through to the Jane and got some parts for my Nock Volley Gun build and she even put me on the phone with Jesse and he and I talked for half an hour about NVG build issues.

I have built a few kits from TRS - ALWAYS VERIFY that the parts are in stock before ordering - but I got stuck once because it was in stock when I ordered it, but somebody else’s order was shipped out on Friday, before mine, so now they were out of stock … and it took an additional 8-months to get a replacement. Which is FAST for them.

… I just wish they would be more upfront with the reality of their time frames in ordering with their customers …

Thanks for the advice Dale. In your experience, are the prices on their Web site still current or 14 years out of date?
I could run up and knock on their door, but it is 350 miles each way.

BillinOregon said:

Thanks for the advice Dale. In your experience, are the prices on their Web site still current or 14 years out of date?
I could run up and knock on their door, but it is 350 miles each way.

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I bought their other handgonne a year ago and the price was the same. They said it was in stock, but still took about a month to ship out.

GOOD GARDEN PEAS! These things are SPENSIVE! I think I gave the fella I bought mine from like 25 bucks. That was quite a few years ago though. At any rate 150 bucks is well worth it.
And what's wrong with Indian made stuff? haha I thrash the manure out of my Indian made Royal Enfield on / off road bike. Its been awesome. Albeit, it did come with all the parts ready to ride, no modifications necessary. Oh, I didn't get to the Fireworks store that's in North South Carolina, which is 90 miles south of Due West yesterday. Because the ole feller said "I'm going fishin and I'm not gonna be open today". I said that I could respect that and I don't blame him. BUT, we have set up a time today to get eh Punk sticks and some Fuse.

On another note, do any of you have that S shaped lever on your Gonne? If so do you prefer it over a fuse, holding a match or punk stick? I figure at only 30 bucks (if that's still the price) it might be worth a shot (pun intended) .

FS, you can make a lever from an 18- 20-inch length or round or square 1/4-inch cold-rolled steel, a ball peen hammer, a hard surface like an anvil and a propane torch to heat to red-orange.