Blanket gun

[paulvallandigham]

Oh, I agree with you on that point. Blanket guns were done with mostly ML trade guns, and not even early cartridge guns. They were point and shoot firearms, and worked well off horseback to kill buffalo.

My point is that Indians were very able warriors, and knew when and how to conceal firearms when trying to get in close to kill their enemies, particularly better armed white men. Just as our current Military gives our enemies the edge in Iraq, by refusing to search mosques, giving the bad guys a place to store their ammunitions, and fighters, Indians new how to take advantage of the white soldier's refusal to disrespect a woman by searching her for weapons. So, cut down guns were seeked past sentries under blankets, and hence the name.

 

[Rod Lassey]

Too true--the breakout you mentioned at Ft. Rob was the Northern Cheyenne breakout. N. Cheyennes fleeing north from Indian territory were captured, searched, and imprisoned in an old barracks at Ft. Rob. To make them submissive, the post CO denied them food and water for several days. When they had enough, they pulled out gun parts from who knows where (remember they had been searched), and reassembled the guns, loaded them with ammo that they had also hidden, and broke out through the windows. Some of them even survived and escaped. Their persistence paid off, the gov't reconsidered sending them to Indian Territory, and instead established the Northern Cheyenne rez in Montana. They certainly knew how to keep things hidden, even during a search.

By the way, Crazy Horse, who was also killed at Ft. Rob in a separate incident, was not killed by Indian Police. He was bayoneted by a private when resisting arrest.

If you haven't visited Ft. Robinson, do so if you come anywhere near western Nebraska. It's one of the best preserved western military forts, and was in use up through WWII. Quite a history. And don't forget, the Museum of the Fur Trade is only about 20 miles away.

 

[rich pierce]

I'll go ahead and be a wise guy here. So blanket guns are correct to carry as long as you're a squaw, right? :rotf:

 

or if you were running buffalo
or if you had burst a barrel near the muzzle
or if the muzzle were worn paper thin
or if you wanted a short smoothbore to cary in addition to your rifle

The use of short barreled smoothbores was well established in Europe and England with the use of the blunderbus and coach guns. Why would sjort barreled guns be less needed in the new world?

Check ou the work of Hanson and Russel or go to the Museum of the Fur Trade. These works and collections show documentation and relics that prove an extensive use of these short firearms.

 

[THE BLACK PRINCE]

I think history shows us that, for various reasons, all people in every period have found a need for hide out weapons.
and people have intelligently filled that need by altering their weapons

 

[Rob M.]

They are fun