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Jurgen Kreckel custom rural flee market find

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Well I know he still owes me for a steel stamp h'es still alive I gather . He did make his idea of a matchlock .Too 'modern' to be right but he thought he was wonderful the gun you show looks serviceable but not what ide consider especial his aprons are gash for example & amateur . But if it came flea market cheap your in front Sorry I cant say kinder than that .he still owes me for a stamp order . Rudyard
 
You must have felt like you hit the muzzleloader lottery, that gun is a pure TOB… (thing of beauty) congrats!!
No accounting for taste TOB ? looks serviceable but that as far as I'de go POS suits the maker better . You might get the impression I don t like him he owes me $ that hardly endears me to anyone,
Can't speak about another person's gun but I put everything through my shotguns (bp and smokeless) shot, slug, buckshot, and ball. the historic problem was using smokeless powder in Damascus barrels. I believe the point of the trade gun was a flintlock shotgun so one needed only flint ignition and powder and one could fire whatever they needed in the moment - shot, buck shot, ball, slug, or handful of nails as appropriate.

-Mike
Can't speak about another person's gun but I put everything through my shotguns (bp and smokeless) shot, slug, buckshot, and ball. the historic problem was using smokeless powder in Damascus barrels. I believe the point of the trade gun was a flintlock shotgun so one needed only flint ignition and powder and one could fire whatever they needed in the moment - shot, buck shot, ball, slug, or handful of nails as appropriate.

-Mike
Curius response Not my views of his guns & why say any thing about Damascus barrels ? & no gun should be charged with nails! the bore dosn.t look that clever . A ball can only be its given weight & it only bears on its periphery Shot charges usually exceed that in weight plus the rear is forced into the upper & crushing a swaging effect that must stress the barrel more look at recovered shot its all dimpled with smooth flat's where it was forced together . Try put a wad then shot them a wad into the muzzle and & try push it down ,it grabs but not as fiercely as if hit by the powder gasses As for Damascus' barrels their by far MY choice .I use no nitro my self the only BL shotgun I used some times was in my old pinfires , hammer guns of course a ( gun without hammers is like dog without ears .) Rudyard's views
Amazing flea market find. Kreckel was a respected builder of early style guns. Clay Smith recently had a matchlock by him for sale.

Rudyard
 
Took it on the range today. Shoots low. I have to figure out some sort of homemade rear peep sight from it.
25 yards 50gr FF, .690 ball

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How about flechettes? Used extensively in 12 ga shotguns and artillery in Vietnam. I have shot some from a couple of my smooth bores, that I removed from brass 12 ga shotgun shells, devastating at close ranges.
There is an entire world of difference between a purpose-loaded flechette round in a modern steel barrel and stuffing nails into ANY gun.
Jay
 
How about flechettes? Used extensively in 12 ga shotguns and artillery in Vietnam. I have shot some from a couple of my smooth bores, that I removed from brass 12 ga shotgun shells, devastating at close ranges.
Its your gun and your head . R
 
Load development can take a bit of time. Using a .690 ball in a 12 gauge seems small, unless you use a heavy patch. ( .75 Brown Bess muskets used that approximate caliber ball ). Perhaps move up to a .710 and perhaps a .735 and see how you do. At 25 yards I am pretty sure your groups will improve though!
I like the stock wood on that gun- it’s a shame what he did with the lock panel, though. It does look far more ‘amateurishly done’ than the rest of the gun.
Enjoy!
 
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