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This is simply not true. Flintlock improvements stopped when the British started switching to percussion. Some of the repro locks are being made by people who do not understand what they are doing and make modifications to parts cast from originals and make them far worse and don't even know it...

It is impossible to load a ML without covering some part of your body with the muzzle, can't be done. Blowing? its been done untold millions of times and I have heard of one accident caused by the guy loading for his wife and not paying attention to what was going on when she had a misfire and...

I suggest you look at the THICKNESS of the material. Cans and flasks are very thin. Flasks were thin and soft soldered for good reason. Those made of tubing often are too strong. The more BP is contained the worse the "boom" when the container finally breaks, so instead of a fast fire you get a...

Blowing was always popular and even turned up in Hollywood westerns but they did not know why of course. Blowing in a ML at a match is problematical from the accuracy standpoint. Its hard to get a uniform bore condition as the barrel heats. This is easier to deal with in BPCR since these allow...

I blow when using a oil or tallow lube in the field. But for the matches I usually shoot I wipe. Doing otherwise reduces accuracy and in a string measure rest match one needs all the help he can get. Dan

Use LESS water on the wet patch. It should only be "heavily damp" not dripping. Use an somewhat under sized jag and and oversized patch. This may take some experimentation to get it right. I used on damp patch one stroke with each side then a dry patch both sides and reload. This allows the...

Get a bigger priming HORN. It should hold enough powder to prime all the powder in the main horn plus some extra for reprimed. Many of the metal flasks are made too strong and can result in serious explosions if there is an accident. Dan

You REALLY think that a 1858 will make 1250 fps with a round ball with BP? Really? This is what it takes to make the 500 ft lbs with a 457 rb as mentioned in your first post. Dan

Sorry there is some modern guns stuff here. But this is where the testing and data is so there is no alternative. T7 is not blackpowder so the comparison to FFFF is not valid. So far as the 44 C&B revolver being no more powerful than a 38 special. This is based on believing that ME is an...

Conicals will likely shoot at least the wedge loose, maybe the Cyl pin as well. Dan

No luck with the phone call. These are virtually useless for anything but stake busting anyway. I think they made a 58 for Rifle Muskets to. Same purpose. Dan

SFAIK Shiloh stopped making these decades ago, before they left NY. There are some blocks in a garage, at least there were, a block from my house but getting to them may be impossible since the owners are both dead. Will make a phone call. Do not hold your breath though not much hope. IIRC this...

I have seen a photo of one that dates to before 1842 when its owner died of old age. How long he used it (born in 1761) is impossible to know. See page 257 of "Kentucky Rifles and Pistols 1750-1850". The Frontier Folk site had a discussion on this and someone found documentation that the German...

54 or 58 would rate atypical from my research. They were used but not common. If you WANT one then go for it. But be careful with the stock design. I would go with 45-50. Adequate for eastern game and saves a lot of lead over a 58 which runs about 24 to the pound vs 48-40 for a 50. For people...

The Davenport formula is just a formula and will not give the most accurate or probably even the most useful load. It may determine the point of diminishing returns but it would be a fluke if it was the most accurate load. It loads my 30" barreled 67 caliber too light for hunting where I live. I...

.44 to .50. Read J.J. Henry's account of going to Quebec with Arnold. "An Accurate and Interesting Account of the Hardships and Sufferings of that BAND OF HEROES who Traversed the Wilderness in the Campaign Against Quebec in 1775", published in 1812. “He ran back seizing his own gun, and...

Have you slugged the bore to see if its uniform? Even a tight patch on a short bearing surface jag can be very informative too. Dan

For which period? The later Hawkens were often much bulkier than the earlier rifles and Sams work was different than Jakes. The Bridger, Carson and Johnson rifles are late. There are a number of J&S guns that are what I like the call "Jake" rifles they have a slight curve to the upper and lower...

Don't go over 50 caliber. Rifle #48 in "Rifles of Colonial America" Vol 1 by Shumway would be perfect. The "Haymaker" rifle would as well its pre-Revolution and its a Virginia rifle. Its owner was killed in Kentucky in 1775. There was a good photo spread on this rifle on a web site but its gone...

However, the smoothbores of the time were not all that accurate and the smaller bore rifle could be used for head shots where as the smoothbore is not really capable of this. Then again it's the price of ammo. Even a 50 caliber rifle uses about 1/2 the lead a 20 bore SB will. A 44 is perfectly...