need help with daughters homework

[greytop13]

Couldn't resist throwin' in my two cents:

1) Great replies from Stumpy and Flash

2) Teachers often get a bad rap eventhough we're a pretty diverse group. I teach history in high school. Every year, between our units on the American Revolution and Westward Movement, I get permission from my principal and the school district to do a demo of flintlock and trapping technology on campus. About half my kids are scared to death when I pull out my KY rifle and pistol.

Once they understand how they work and see them fired, they get more comfortable. It gives them some small sense of what their forbears were up against. :m2c:

 

[musketman]

need help with daughters homework

So, what grade did she get?

 

[Slash]

Michigan is a great state to find out about muzzleloaders and their history. The have a number of events there.
My husband builds muzzleloaders that fall in the time frame of the French & Indian War thru the Mountain Man.There are many different schools (styles) of muzzleloaders. The early German builders had a tremendous influence on many styles such as the Jaeger(means "hunter").
The flintlock came before the percussion (cap)and many flintlocks were converted to percussion at a later date. Most were built of maple, walnut, or cherry, acording to the availability in the location of building. This is not to say that they never used other woods.
The metal parts on the rifles then was often left "in the bright" or uncolored. When left uncolored it rusted on it's own over time. There was also bluing and browning done then, but the chemicals used were often harzardous. Most builders now either use a browning (controlled rust) or similar solution to color the metal.
Most parts used then were hand forged for each rifle. Now many builders have mold for parts to be made at foundrys. Some use stock duplicating machines to shape the wooden gun stocks and even inlet some of the parts. Technology has come a long way even on these.
Hope this helps,
Slash