Loading plug

[Rudall]

Just browsing an auction site and I came across this:
https://auctions.holtsauctioneers.c...sp?salelot=IA1220+++423+&refno=158636&image=4
It's a new one on me, but I'm hardly a jaeger rifle expert.
Is this common? How was it used? It looks lethal!

 

[oldwood]

Looks like an attempt at making a breech loader. To load : 1. Clear the touch hole. 2. Dump powder charge in the "manhole cover" in the top of the breech. 3. Drop a bore size ball in on top of the powder. 4. Make sure to screw the cover back into the top of the barrel , and also , make sure the removable "manhole cover is perfectly aligned w/the inside curvature of the bore @the breech. 5. Prime the lock and hand the gun to someone you don't like to fire it after you duck and cover................oldwood

 

[TreeMan]

Looks like a solution on how to clean those Italian patent beech's everyone is always grumbling about lol.

 

[M. De Land]

Just browsing an auction site and I came across this:
https://auctions.holtsauctioneers.c...sp?salelot=IA1220+++423+&refno=158636&image=4
It's a new one on me, but I'm hardly a jaeger rifle expert.
Is this common? How was it used? It looks lethal!

It's a Fuerguson without the lever screw.

 

[Carbon 6]

Reminds me of this,
EXTREMELY RARE "MANTON" SIGNED BREECH LOADING FLINTLOCK RIFLE, ca. 1810:

 

[Carbon 6]

Looks identical to this Hirst pistol

 

[Eterry]

If the threads were properly fitted it would be no more dangerous than a hand fitted breach plug.
IIRC, the strength of a fitting is in the relationship of the threads, not how tight it is assembled.
You wouldn't break many ramrods, that's for certain.

 

[Carbon 6]

Sure makes one wonder why some things didn't catch on.

 

[JBrandon]

How the heck can you see the back sight with that thing in place?

 

[Rudall]

Ferguson’s design, with the bore running through the plug instead of a simple cover as in this rifle, seems to be rather superior.
In either case, wouldn’t the loading procedure leave the powder and ball rather loosely packed or even with an air gap?

 

[M. De Land]

Ferguson’s design, with the bore running through the plug instead of a simple cover as in this rifle, seems to be rather superior.
In either case, wouldn’t the loading procedure leave the powder and ball rather loosely packed or even with an air gap?

The lever screw was the back of the breech. The ball was dropped in the port, pushed forward with the pinky into the rifling, powder filled the chamber in back of the ball (probably compressed with the pinky again) and then the lever was screwed up one revolution to battery. Virtually no void as the screw became the back of the breech except for the tiny bit of area in the screw radius curve either side of center.