How not to shoot a flintlock

[Dalekg6]

I'm watching a show on the History channel right now called "Sharp Shooters". At one point they had a "world renowned firearms expert", Greg Martin, shooting a musket. He crammed the pan so full of powder the frizzen couldn't close all the way. The flint looked very dull. He flinched big time when the hammer fell, then it took forever before it actually fired. He hit very low at 40 yds. "Gee, look how inaccurate these old muskets are". Some expert!

Dale

 

[tg]

Is that the one where he could not hit the side of a "barn" with a Bess? it is unfortunate that folks are getting their histotical gun info from him.

 

[Dalekg6]

Is that the one where he could not hit the side of a "barn" with a Bess? it is unfortunate that folks are getting their historical gun info from him.

That's the one.

 

[mckutzy]

let me guess he was also one of those that were loading from the horn, and not knowing that too... :nono:
ya ive seen that too....

 

[rice1817]

Haven't seen the episode for a while, but it seems that I remember that he was no great shakes with a rifle, either.

 

[Bountyhunter]

Yes, he is the one who has been discussed several times on the board here.

I wrote the History channel about his rupture of safety proceedure and did not get an answer.

 

[bingo1952]

Yeah, I saw that too. It looked like he dumped about 30 grains to prime the pan. :haha: He also patched his ball and if trying to duplicate a military load should have loaded it bare with perhaps the cartridge paper rammed on top which is what would have been done for the first round and the following round run down sans paper and seated with a sharp slap of the butt on the ground. I guess if you have enough $$$$ to buy up every old or famous gun you can lay hands on that automatically makes you a "World Renowned Expert". He does however have some very nice pieces in his collection.

 

[kevthebassman]

Yeah, I've seen that guy. What a clown.

 

[Frank/Pa]

He is no more an expert on flintlocks than my 1 year old grandson, but my grandson will know more about them in about 6 years than this guy does.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Guys! It obvious the producers found a COLLECTOR of flintlock rifles, because they needed a source for a Brown Bess for the film. They found it, but didn't realize that collectors may not be "Shooters ".

He was embarrassing in the film, and it was his own fault for allowing himself to be filmed doing something he was not skilled or trained to do. I suspect he didn't know HOW MUCH he didn't know. A lot of men I know, and have met over my life time, possessing MLers, appear to know no more about loading a MLer than Fess Parker did! I have met these men at the range, and after introducing myself, and showing them my gun, they will often admit that they really don't know what they are doing, and would welcome any instruction I can give them. After I explain the loading techniques that work, and the " whys" of the techniques, they then try them and are pleasantly surprised at how much better their guns fire. Then I let them take a shot with my gun. I make them use a rest, and they are very happy when they actually hit the target!

After watching his reaction to that first shot, which misses the small " barn " he was shooting at, I suspect you could count on one hand the number of times he every fired any MLer before that shot. I doubt seriously if he ever fired a shot from that gun before the film was made.

 

[shootemup]

Yeah, I saw it... :shake:

 

[slowpokebr549]

That episode really chapped my ---. The funny thing is ,I saw an episode of Mail Call with R.Lee Ermy not long after that. They were demonstrating muskets and the guest owner/reinactor handed the Gunny a charleville. He drilled the target at about fifty yards. He was impressed with the smoothbores accuracy and expressed some suprise.He had never fired a flintlock before and he didnt flinch at all. Goes to show the difference between an "expert" and a shooter.

 

[paulvallandigham]

There are experts who are also shooters. Don't ever think differently.

However, we also have experts who are only collectors, and just don't get into shooting. Collecting is done for a love of history, or for investment purposes, or both. Most guns in collections are never shot, as its believed that shooting the guns will reduce their value. Since the market for " collectibles" is highly dependent on demand from other " collectors", what the collectors believe is important in pricing a firearm is all that matters.

If you want an expert to tell you the history of a particular firearm, its manufacturing dates, calibers, etc. find a " Collector ". If you want an Expert to show you how such a gun was loaded and fired, then find someone like R. Lee Armey! :thumbsup:

 

[bajabuc]

I love my .54 fffflinter and hardly ever fffflinch.