Hello from a Texas Bench Gunner from the 80'S

[Scott Somers]

Early 80's found me and my bench gun, Fat Alice, and her 73 pounds of H&H barrel having a fun time in the Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas area. From 80-84 it consumed my time and I loved it. Great people and a fantastic sport. Miss Berryville Ark. Kinda older now but still have fond memories of shooting Fat Alice, a few Bresiens, a Lancaster style flint 2" Bill Large bench gun and others that I have forgotten about. Best of shooting to everyone. Special hello to Tom Compton. Glad you are still making smoke and punching holes Scott Somers Dallas

 

[lwscrim]

Welcome to the Forum!
Always great to have simi-local folks to visit with on this forum.
Pull up a seat around the fire and enjoy the company, lots to read...
Welcome aboard, make smoke, and have fun!

 

[Scott Somers]

Thank you. Turning 72 this year following a pretty bad 71 but still here. Sure miss the shoots, especially in Berryville Arkansas. Sorry I never made it to Friendship. Lot of folks were pushing me to go in the early 80's. I was strictly a target shooter but very much admired and respected all aspects of it. Borrowed a lot of shooting ideas from Harry Pope such as drop tubes for powder, ramrods with a pressure gage for seating the ball the same every time. Bunch of over the top stuff. The best part of a match was after I had finished I put a very serious target scope on Fat Alice, a 100 yard target at 50 yards and let the kids shoot her. The smile on their face after a 10 with a 73 pound gun was priceless. Such fun. Hello to all.. Cannonman & Fat Alice

 

[sawyer04]

Welcome Scott, I am kind of in the same age bracket, 71, this year, had sort of a rough 69, everything seems to be fixed now. This is a great site for me as it is too cold to get out much and my gun hut is a little drafty, I spend a lot of time on this site during the fussy weather.

 

[Scott Somers]

Thank you. Hope all is much better for you. I haven't shot the bench thing or actually anything since the mid 80's. Got caught up in my business, too many marriages, and the hot rod/custom car hobby - after giving up marrying at the request of the corporate lawyers. Still play with cars. I just have Fat Alice, the bench gun - but not the bench ( another story ) and a Judge Resley barreled side hammer Ohio style halfstock that I did back then so I might play with it sometime. Fat Alice needs to stay as retired as I am. She has been quiet since 84. Best to all.

 

[Scott Somers]

Here is a picture of Fat Alice ( Fat Alice Abbot was a brothel owner in El Paso in the late 1800's). Miss shooting her. 2 1/4" H& H with false muzzle, sealed ignition, variety of sights used including a 20 power Unertl for kids to shoot Alice after I had finished with match targets. Modified Pope style short starter, powder drop tube, ramrod with pressure gage and seating depth stop. .577" shooting .595" with .020" Web Terry teflon pillow ticking.

 

[zerosprk]

Hi and welcome from northern New Mexico!

 

[UndeadPoet]

Now THAT’S a rifle! Lol!

‘Poet

 

[RobWheeler]

Not a rifle -- but a small CANNON.

rob

 

[Old Timer 48]

Welcome!

 

[Black Powder Guy]

Welcome from western Washington. Nice cannon you got there.

 

[thomas]

Welcome to the forum.
Thomas

 

[Scott Somers]

Not a rifle -- but a small CANNON.

rob

Odd you said that. I was given the moniker of Cannon Man in Oklahoma

 

[Scott Somers]

Hi and welcome from northern New Mexico!

Thank you. I live in Dallas and, sad to say, never had a chance to shoot in New Mexico. Mainly Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas ( my favorite ), Louisana and Mississippi

 

[Scott Somers]

Now THAT’S a rifle! Lol!

‘Poet

You should have seen the bench I made for her. 2" thick, 2" pipe legs, fully adjustable, machines front plate, dampened with 1" diameter adjusting screws and a rig that allowed me to screw a spiral rod into the ground and run chains on turn buckles from the ground screw to the bench. Talk about solid. Well over 100 pounds for the bench, 73 for Alice and probably another 75 for her overnight bag of goodies. The front roller assembly on the gun had two 1 1/2" needle bearing cam followers. There was a razor blade clamped to the bench which - seriously - I lightly rubbed my trigger finger on while watching the wind. Never got too bloody but really sensitive. People joked that the trigger was set so light, a nasty thought could set it off. I was more than a "little involved" and letting Alice do her thing was a hoot.

 

[UndeadPoet]

Travel light, did you? She’s a hoss!

 

[RobWheeler]

Odd you said that. I was given the moniker of Cannon Man in Oklahoma

I'd say.

rob

 

[Davey Boy]

Welcome from Florida!

 

[oldracer]

It was great to hear Web Terry’s name as he is THE master! I have a chunk gun he made back in 1950 or so.
John

 

[tenngun]

I may have met you in Berryville. I used to walk up and watch those big guns bark, amazing!