Hi Folks,
I purchased a Remington 1816 Commemorative flintlock several weeks ago. Because it never had been shot, I decided to keep it as a display and find another to shoot. Since that time, an old fellow who attended mountain man rendezvouses decided that age and health demanded that he stop those activities. I ended up buying his flintlock (the stock, at least, seems to have been made by Roy Stroh of Illinois) in 45 cal. With it came a "possibles" leather bag, a large power horn, a small horn for priming the pan, brass powder measuring tubes, period correct tools, a knife for cutting patches and other duties, a tomahawk, brass funnel, 45 cal balls, ram rod attachments, and more.
On Sunday, the Ft. Lupton, CO Muzzleloaders Club had a competitive shoot. I went just to learn to handle, load and shoot a flintlock. The people there were very helpful. It is one thing reading articles on the net, it is another to learn face-to-face.
It really was fun shooting this flintlock!!!
What I hadn't realized is that a major component of the fun is the group of "rituals" involved: pouring powder from the powder horn into a measuring device, pouring that powder down the muzzle, putting the patch on the muzzle, aligning the ball on the patch, using the short ram rod to get the ball down the barrel initially, then using the ram rod to ram it home. THEN you go up to the firing line, point the muzzle toward the target, use a second, smaller horn to put the primer in the pan, close the frizzen, lock back the cock, the fire.
Whew! I am out of breath just saying it all. :grin:
Another part of the ritual is, of course, the necessity of cleaning the barrel right away. So, I brought a gallon of soapy water to wash out the rifle at the end of shooting. I cleaned it more thoroughly at home.
I felt like a giddy kid on Christmas morning, it was so much fun.
Some of the gear that came with the rifle:
The rifle:
Ron
I purchased a Remington 1816 Commemorative flintlock several weeks ago. Because it never had been shot, I decided to keep it as a display and find another to shoot. Since that time, an old fellow who attended mountain man rendezvouses decided that age and health demanded that he stop those activities. I ended up buying his flintlock (the stock, at least, seems to have been made by Roy Stroh of Illinois) in 45 cal. With it came a "possibles" leather bag, a large power horn, a small horn for priming the pan, brass powder measuring tubes, period correct tools, a knife for cutting patches and other duties, a tomahawk, brass funnel, 45 cal balls, ram rod attachments, and more.
On Sunday, the Ft. Lupton, CO Muzzleloaders Club had a competitive shoot. I went just to learn to handle, load and shoot a flintlock. The people there were very helpful. It is one thing reading articles on the net, it is another to learn face-to-face.
It really was fun shooting this flintlock!!!
What I hadn't realized is that a major component of the fun is the group of "rituals" involved: pouring powder from the powder horn into a measuring device, pouring that powder down the muzzle, putting the patch on the muzzle, aligning the ball on the patch, using the short ram rod to get the ball down the barrel initially, then using the ram rod to ram it home. THEN you go up to the firing line, point the muzzle toward the target, use a second, smaller horn to put the primer in the pan, close the frizzen, lock back the cock, the fire.
Whew! I am out of breath just saying it all. :grin:
Another part of the ritual is, of course, the necessity of cleaning the barrel right away. So, I brought a gallon of soapy water to wash out the rifle at the end of shooting. I cleaned it more thoroughly at home.
I felt like a giddy kid on Christmas morning, it was so much fun.
Some of the gear that came with the rifle:
The rifle:
Ron
