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My flint lock of choise
- Thread starter musketman
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A Brown Bess is a good gun but its a little big and not quite as accurate as I would like. I have recently gone to a 28ga. fowler for my everything gun. I still like the Bess for shot patterns though.(I have yet to lose a skeet shoot with it)
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The Brown Bess can be used to shoot shot or round ball but is not and cannot be used as a rifle. All smooth bores can be used as such.
The term "rifle" when used by students of the 18th cent guns and when mentioned in 18th cent writtings did not always refer to the spiral grooves in a gun, there were many "smoothrifles" made during that period which had rear sights, cheekpieces and griprails on the triggerguards which all made for more accurate aiming like the rifle barreld guns yet these had no rifling, and were used with ball and shot and are nearly as accurate as a rifled gun out to 50-70yds. this classification does not include the military or trade /alliance guns of the time but many of the latter had rear sights and were quite accurate with ball.
tg is correct.
Guns in the 18th century were referred to in terms that are quite different than today. Wallace Gusler has an excellent article in the January issue of Muzzle Blasts that talks about this.
He talks about, how prior to the 1730s, firearms were simply called "guns". After the rifled barrel came to be they would use the term, "smooth bore gun". Gusler mentions that in both 1739 and 1750, the term "smooth bore rifle gun" was used. The term "rifle gun" was more typical than just "rifle".
If you don't receive Muzzle Blasts, the official publication of the National Muzzleloading Rifle Association, I highly recommend a membership.
Website: NMLRA
Guns in the 18th century were referred to in terms that are quite different than today. Wallace Gusler has an excellent article in the January issue of Muzzle Blasts that talks about this.
He talks about, how prior to the 1730s, firearms were simply called "guns". After the rifled barrel came to be they would use the term, "smooth bore gun". Gusler mentions that in both 1739 and 1750, the term "smooth bore rifle gun" was used. The term "rifle gun" was more typical than just "rifle".
If you don't receive Muzzle Blasts, the official publication of the National Muzzleloading Rifle Association, I highly recommend a membership.
Website: NMLRA
Guest
Thank you for the information.
I am not a mamber of the NMLRA and have resigned from that group twice. I do not agree with the way the money is spent.
I do Living History and Rendezvous and love doing both. I attend the Southeastern yearly(mostly) and attend after paying the non-member fee.
Correct me if I am wrong but a smooth rifle is a rifle in every way except a smooth bore.
I am not a mamber of the NMLRA and have resigned from that group twice. I do not agree with the way the money is spent.
I do Living History and Rendezvous and love doing both. I attend the Southeastern yearly(mostly) and attend after paying the non-member fee.
Correct me if I am wrong but a smooth rifle is a rifle in every way except a smooth bore.
quote:Originally posted by leh2:
Correct me if I am wrong but a smooth rifle is a rifle in every way except a smooth bore. That's my understanding as well. A long gun is called a "rifle". If it has a smooth bore, you qualify the term accordingly.
Correct me if I am wrong but a smooth rifle is a rifle in every way except a smooth bore. That's my understanding as well. A long gun is called a "rifle". If it has a smooth bore, you qualify the term accordingly.
I was under the impression that the term "GUN" referred to cannons, and rifles were called "MUSKETS" up to the point of rifling started to be used on the longarms.
Then they were sub-divided into "SMOOTHBORES" and "RIFLES"...
I have a "RIFLED MUSKET" .69 caliber, 3 band, Charleville style made at Harper's Ferry, Virginia in 1838.
It carries the Harper's Ferry stamp on the lock, which was converted to musket caps prior to the civil war.
It sports a two grove, clockwise springfield style rifling...
Then they were sub-divided into "SMOOTHBORES" and "RIFLES"...
I have a "RIFLED MUSKET" .69 caliber, 3 band, Charleville style made at Harper's Ferry, Virginia in 1838.
It carries the Harper's Ferry stamp on the lock, which was converted to musket caps prior to the civil war.
It sports a two grove, clockwise springfield style rifling...
quote:Originally posted by musketman:
I was under the impression that the term "GUN" referred to cannons, and rifles were called "MUSKETS" up to the point of rifling started to be used on the longarms.
Many old estate and probate records use the term "gun" and "rifle gun" to describe rifles. Gusler sites a couple "for sale" printed items that use these terms. I believe cannons were also referred to as guns in a general sense.
What we refer to as the "hammer" on a flintlock, was actually called the "cock" during the flintlock era. That's why, today, we say we "cock" the gun. The term, to go off "half cocked" is from the flintlock area when todays "hammer" was called a "cock". What we call the frizzen on the flintlock today was actually called the hammer back then.
What we call "lands and groves" inside the barrel, were called "lands and furrows" in the 1700s. Notice the direct relation to farming? The rear section of the stock, what we call the butt, was sometimes referred to as the breech.
What's also interesting is to see replica firearms today with brown barrels, to make them look authentic. Actually, bluing came first and was replaced by "browning" in late 18th century. Obviously, bluing is back today.
Let's face it. Many of us got our terminology from growing up watching western and war movies. We need to keep in mind that what we call things today and what we have been taught by the movie industry may have little to do with the terminology of the 18th century.
It takes a lot of research to learn about these things and most of us spend our time shooting and camping rather than pouring over books. And that's OK, I like shooting and camping.
I was under the impression that the term "GUN" referred to cannons, and rifles were called "MUSKETS" up to the point of rifling started to be used on the longarms.
Many old estate and probate records use the term "gun" and "rifle gun" to describe rifles. Gusler sites a couple "for sale" printed items that use these terms. I believe cannons were also referred to as guns in a general sense.
What we refer to as the "hammer" on a flintlock, was actually called the "cock" during the flintlock era. That's why, today, we say we "cock" the gun. The term, to go off "half cocked" is from the flintlock area when todays "hammer" was called a "cock". What we call the frizzen on the flintlock today was actually called the hammer back then.
What we call "lands and groves" inside the barrel, were called "lands and furrows" in the 1700s. Notice the direct relation to farming? The rear section of the stock, what we call the butt, was sometimes referred to as the breech.
What's also interesting is to see replica firearms today with brown barrels, to make them look authentic. Actually, bluing came first and was replaced by "browning" in late 18th century. Obviously, bluing is back today.
Let's face it. Many of us got our terminology from growing up watching western and war movies. We need to keep in mind that what we call things today and what we have been taught by the movie industry may have little to do with the terminology of the 18th century.
It takes a lot of research to learn about these things and most of us spend our time shooting and camping rather than pouring over books. And that's OK, I like shooting and camping.
