Nice addition to site

I saw the requests for this sight and thought "well good...something new, to me". I didn't visit the forum til today (it's raining here so I'm burning daylight on TIM, The Infernal Machine). Anyway, I've really enjoyed reading the topics and posts on here. I'm historically aware of these weapons and the impact they made and it is fascinating to read what folks who shoot them have to say. This is a great addition. I don't have any desire to own one......yet......but I am certainly enjoying reading and learning about them. You guys keep it up and thanks!

Vic

 

[musketman]

As far as I can tell, this is a "First", there is no other forum that caters to the pre-flint era of muzzleloaders, yet...

As with anything, others will follow, but we (Muzzleloading Forum's members) are the path finders...

 

[Teleoceras]

Musketman:

As far as I can tell, this is a "First", there is no other forum that caters to the pre-flint era of muzzleloaders, yet...

As with anything, others will follow, but we (Muzzleloading Forum's members) are the path finders...

I for one am very glad that you and the other moderators did the honors to give the recognition to the early muzzleloaders. :applause:

 

[musketman]

Without the early muzzleloaders, they would be no flint locks, no percussions or even modern centerfire cartridges...

The early firearms were the path finders, all of the muzzleloading history is linked to them...

Claude must be thanked for giving us the green light on this pre-flint forum, Squirrelsaurus Rex for this section and his efforts to promote it, we are all in this to learn and expand our knowledge...

 

[bigmusket]

Me too! :applause: :applause: :applause:

 

[Stumpkiller]

How did they light their slow matches pre-flint? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[musketman]

I know today's slow match burns roughly about 1 inch per hour, if the slow match of yesteryears had a similar burn rate, the musketeer would light the match from a camp fire of equivalent before going on patrol, this is why they carried long lengths of the match on their firearm...

The match would usually stay lit until the length was exhausted or the burning part was cut off...

The slow match glows at the tip when burning, like a smoldering cigarette, there is no visible flame to speak of outside of the main lighting of the wick...

 

[Stumpkiller]

Well then how did they light the initial fire?

Boy, it's hard to be a smarta$$ with you guys. My point is that flint would have been used, and truly pre-flint we were all wondering what was so special about being a vertibrate and busily avoiding trilobites while scurring or bobbing around in the seas surrounding Pangea.

Anyway, yes. It is good to have the input from those who have accepted the challenge of an even earlier technology in the history of muzzleloading. Any time you get some like minded folks together with simple weapons requiring a bit of skill it makes for good times and the desire to improve your own skills. The Journey is more important than the last five holes you put in a piece of paper.

The handgonne shooters are allowed to cast aspersions at the flinchlock, per-cussing and sin-line shooters.

 

[musketman]

Well then how did they light the initial fire?

They would search the country side for fires started by lightning, and then they employed keepers of the flame to watch over the flickering embers until needed...

 

[SquirrelsaurusR]

I believe they also used flint, steel, and char cloth, or something similar. Use the flint and steel to get a spark onto the char cloth, blow on it a bit to make it hotter, then touch it to the match to get it smouldering.

 

The bow drill goes back a long way as a fire starting device, does it not? Also what I'm going to call "the stick in a groove on a board" because I can't recall what it's called!!!! Flint and steel, fires started by lightening, keepers of the flame....yup, fire has been around a long time.....thank God he allowed men to invent what cowboys called "lucifers".....and later on Ronsons and Bics!

Vic

 

[SquirrelsaurusR]

What's a lucifer?

 

[Teleoceras]

Stumpkiller:

The handgonne shooters are allowed to cast aspersions at the flinchlock, per-cussing and sin-line shooters.

As one of the few who have shot a Handgonne, all I can say is that it is a different experience! In addition to having to put the slowmatch to the touchhole manually, it should be noted that the Handgonne era also was before the stock styles we are familiar with took hold.

Shooting a gun that is stuck at the end of a pole accurately takes a bit of practice! Gotta love the challenge though! ::