How Deadly is a Flintlock Rifle…

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The effectiveness of Flintlock guns in the hands of those that won the rights to live in North America is pretty much self explainitory. You don't have to look too far in American history to see how effective the weapons of the day were. Read about the F and I war actions of Brit. Gen. Edw. Braddock , the then young Geo. Washington of Virginia , in the Battle on the Monongehela River near Pgh. , Pa.. The French won that one w/their Indian fighters using French flint muskets. In the American Rev. actions , one caviot to British officers signing up to fight in the colonies , was for the officers to settle their affairs , (make a will) , before battle , as militia rifle fire was so effective , many officers were first to be shot off their horses while leading their troops. Study the accounts of our history. It's all in there.
 
The Brits made a copy-cat rifle, the M1776, that looks like a short Bess rifled carbine. Only about 9 exist from the 1000 originally made. I have one of the Rifle Shoppe copies that was assembled by a gunsmith in PA. A friend who's retired from re-enacting bought it about 1980 along with 3 other guys; 2 were assembled by one gunsmith and 2 more by another. They were in an enactment group depicting Light Company guys. Mine is very nicely assembled, it's a .62 cal. rifled gun; have not shot it YET! Was fortunate to be able to buy it, I've know the original owner for over 50 years.
 
The effectiveness of Flintlock guns in the hands of those that won the rights to live in North America is pretty much self explainitory. You don't have to look too far in American history to see how effective the weapons of the day were. Read about the F and I war actions of Brit. Gen. Edw. Braddock , the then young Geo. Washington of Virginia , in the Battle on the Monongehela River near Pgh. , Pa.. The French won that one w/their Indian fighters using French flint muskets. In the American Rev. actions , one caviot to British officers signing up to fight in the colonies , was for the officers to settle their affairs , (make a will) , before battle , as militia rifle fire was so effective , many officers were first to be shot off their horses while leading their troops. Study the accounts of our history. It's all in there.
Not to mention countless deer and game, hostiles, etc., taken with flintlocks.
 
I made it about 1/2 way through. Wonder how man ramrods they went through making this? IF they had a guy from this forum helping out would have been much more watchable, they were pretty silly loading etc. How many of us have a guy there to prime the pan for us LOL. Ya, they were as deadly as they needed to be. Remember they had no trauma centers or life lights back in the day. Yer hit yer dead, or crippled physically and mentally for life. We still shoot elk, moose and grizzly bear (for the bravest of us, NOT ME) so I think we know how deadly a flintlock rifle can be.
 
I think some of you are missing the point… The video is lighthearted dumb humor coupled with a visual representation of what a .54 caliber ball can do to the human body using the closest real world simulation we can get. It isn’t meant to be a serious take on the loading and operation of a blackpowder firearm.

The host knows his stuff, but blackpowder guns are well outside his normal wheelhouse.
 
Just to respond to the question asked in the title: just as deadly as a percussion or modern no-no. Most of the deer I killed were with a flint lock. I don't recall ever killing one with a percussion. Did kill a couple with a no-no. All were just as ded regardless of gun used. Answer: deadly.
 
YUP !.................Ok ,........I admit , I didn't watch the movie , and just tried to answer the question. My apologies to anyone offended.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think some of you are missing the point… The video is lighthearted dumb humor coupled with a visual representation of what a .54 caliber ball can do to the human body using the closest real world simulation we can get. It isn’t meant to be a serious take on the loading and operation of a blackpowder firearm.

The host knows his stuff, but blackpowder guns are well outside his normal wheelhouse.
Exactly.
 
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