I also think a lot of this PC stuff is to sell high dollar guns and gear.
That seems unlikely since the people driving it are the people buying the gear.
I also think a lot of this PC stuff is to sell high dollar guns and gear.
"well, ya know that's not really a Hawken don't ya?"
"Well, ya know that's not really traditional don't ya"?
"Well, ya know them sights ain't traditional don't ya"?
"Well, ya know there's not enough drop on that stock don't ya?
"Well, ya know that brass really ought to be iron don't ya"?
"Well, ya know that patchbox isn't like they really were don't ya?"
Had I not been interested in history, I would probably have remained happy with my first muzzleloader, and most likely have missed out on some very interest'n stuff (at least to me) related to the world of muzzleloaders and ther influence/usage dur'n various periods of early american history.
YMHS
rollingb
It seems nearly certain that Lewis' air rifle was manufactured by Isaiah Lukens in Philadelphia, PA, and that this arm is now part of the Henry M. Stewart Collection at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, VA. It has a .31 caliber, rifled barrel and contains the air reservoir in the butt of the stock. Lewis used this rifle to impress a great many Native Americans.
The air rifle was tracked down by Henry M. Stewart after he found an old Auction Catalog, dated January 4, 1847, that contained items from the estate of Isaiah Lukens. A portion of that catalog is shown above. You can click here for the whole facsimile of this auction notice or see Jackson's Letters, for a mention of this document.
Isaiah Lukens
Dr. Robert Beeman, a noted air gun expert, has thoroughly researched the subject of the Lewis air rifle. He skeptically approached the hypothesis that the VMI / Stewart rifle is THE Lewis air rifle. Dr. Beeman told me that he; "worked in person with Henry Stewart, with his Lukens and Kunz airguns, and he [Stewart] was adamant, after a first burst of optimism, that he 'does not claim that this rifle [the VMI specimen] was the one carried by Capt. Lewis' and he said so in his talk to the L&C Trail Assoc. in the Philadelphia meeting when he addressed them. He [Stewart] also was strong in his repeated statements that a Lt. Peters took the air rifle in one of two boxes that Capt. Lewis, in the last weeks of 1806, sent to be taken from St. Louis to Washington."
However, after a careful and thorough study of the available evidence and candidate guns, Dr. Beeman has assembled a powerful argument supporting the belief that the VMI / Stewart air rifle is the actual rifle that was carried by Meriwether Lewis during the expedition. The most recent version of Dr. Beeman's definitive article on Lewis' air rifle is published in the Blue Books of Airguns, Second Edition. An addendum and list of errata for this latest article can be found at the bottom of a web page on Dr. Beeman's website. Other articles on this topic by Dr. Beeman include (newest to oldest):
The German magazine Visier published an article entitled Wohner der Wind weht in its April 2002 issue. Dr. Beeman provides an English translation of this article ( Whence the Wind Blows) on his website.
An addendum to the April 2000 article (see below) was published in theMay 2001 issue of Airgun Letter.
Airgun Revue, Volume 6 (April 2000), which can be ordered through the Airgun Letter website.
The following journal entries of Lewis & Clark (see Journals, Moulton) mention the air gun:
August 30, 1803 (Lewis notes that Mr. Blaze Cenas accidentally shoots a woman bystander in the head - see below)
August 3, 1804 (two drafts by Clark regarding a demonstration for the natives)
August 19, 1804 (Clark, demonstration for natives)
August 30, 1804 (Clark, a demonstration for the Sioux)
October 10, 1804 (Clark, a demonstration for the Mandan / Hidatsa)
October 29, 1804 (two drafts by Clark, a demonstration for the Arikara)
October 30, 1804 (Clark, a demonstration for the Wau te Soon chief)
January 16, 1805 (Clark, a demonstration for the big bell{i}es")
June 9, 1805 (Lewis, when the air gun's main spring was replaced)
June 10, 1805 (Lewis, again regarding the air gun's main spring being replaced)
August 7, 1805 (Lewis, sights fixed, gun regulated)
August 17, 1805 (Lewis demonstrates the air gun to Cameahwait)
January 24, 1806 (Lewis & Clark, a demonstration for the natives)
April 2, 1806 (Lewis, a demonstration for the natives)
April 3, 1806 (Clark, a demonstration for the natives)
April 18, 1806 (Lewis, a demonstration for the natives)
May 11, 1806 (Lewis & Clark, a demonstration for the natives)
August 11, 1806 (Lewis readies the air gun for his defense from imaginary Indians after being shot by expedition member Pierre Cruzatte).
Here's an excerpt from Lewis' first journal entry - hardly a stellar commencment to such an epic journey. Please note, although Lewis dated this journal entry as August 30, 1804, it was almost certainly August 31, 1804.
August 30, 1803 [Lewis]
"Left Pittsburgh this day at 11 ock with a party of 11 hands 7 of which are soldiers, a pilot and three young men on trial they having proposed to go with me throughout the voyage. Arrived at Bruno's Island 3 miles below halted a few minutes. went on shore and being invited on by some of the gentlemen present to try my airgun which I had purchased brought it on shore charged it and fired myself seven times fifty five yards with pretty good success; after which a Mr. Blaze Cenas being unacquainted with the management of the gun suffered her to discharge herself accedentaly the ball passed through the hat of a woman about 40 yards distanc cuting her temple about the fourth of the diameter of the ball; shee feel instantly and the blood gusing from her temple we were all in the greatest consternation supposed she was dead by [but] in a minute she revived to our enespressable satisfaction, and by examination we found the wound by no means mortal or even dangerous; . . ."
Moulton, "Journals"
In a memorandum, penned in St. Louis in 1806, William Clark notes a number of articles and contents of boxes being forwarded to Louisville [KY] in care of a Mr. Wolpards. Among the contents of Box No. 2 is listed "1 air gun" (see Journals, Moulton,Vol. 8, pg. 419).
An excerpt from Lewis' journal entry of August 7, 1805:
"my air gun was out of order and her sights had been removed by some accedent I put her in order and regulated her. She shot again as well as she ever did."
Moulton, "Journals"
The journals of John Ordway (see Journals, Moulton, Vol. 9) mention the air gun in the following passages:
August 31, 1804 (a demonstration)
September 25, 1804 (a demonstration)
October 10, 1804 (a demonstration)
October 29, 1804 (a demonstration)
March 8, 1805 (a demonstration)
June 10, 1805 (repair mainspring)
August 7, 1805 (a demonstration)
August 17, 1805 (a demonstration)
The journals of Joseph Whitehouse (see Journals, Moulton, Vol. 11) mention the air gun on:
August 30, 1804 (a demonstration)
June 10, 1805 (repair mainspring)
August 7, 1805 (gun fired)
There are no mentions of the air gun by either Gass or Floyd
Had I not been interested in history, I would probably have remained happy with my first muzzleloader, and most likely have missed out on some very interest'n stuff (at least to me) related to the world of muzzleloaders and ther influence/usage dur'n various periods of early american history.
YMHS
rollingb
Nothing wrong with that at all of course...many folks start new directions after their original entrance into a field.
However, years later, after you had "arrived" at what you deemed to be the acceptable period and style of muzzleloading as far as you were concerned...the question is this: Did you then start throwing non-PC statements at a newcomer when he/she began talking about their first new Flintlock purchase if it happened to be different from your view of proper equipment...
I could not have been the case in the 17th-19th century could it?
Let the PC guys keep running off the new guys. CVA just droped all side-lock guns. Some others have cut way back on their side-locks. Soon it will be In-lines or high dollar customs and the sport is DEAD.
OLd Charlie
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