Picking Only One Period Weapon.

[Dispatch]

How about the Confederate Whitworth Rifle? :thumbsup:

 

[Poor Private]

Witworth was made in England and had a hex bullet. Too hard to duplicate in the field so you must depend on factory made bullets.
I also would go with the Mississippi Rifle. especially a rebored one for .58. you can cast your own rounds, either conical or round, short enough to carry in brush, and woods but long enough to have some range, and big enough bore to hunt or stop anything. Other wise it would be a flint rifle, because you could manufacture your own balls, powder and flint.

 

[Norinco]

I too would pick a LeMat. It holds a lot of shots and looks cool.

 

[Dispatch]

Witworth was made in England and had a hex bullet. Too hard to duplicate in the field so you must depend on factory made bullets.
I also would go with the Mississippi Rifle. especially a rebored one for .58. you can cast your own rounds, either conical or round, short enough to carry in brush, and woods but long enough to have some range, and big enough bore to hunt or stop anything. Other wise it would be a flint rifle, because you could manufacture your own balls, powder and flint.

Where did the Confederate sharpshooters get their rounds in the field during the war?

 

[rdillion]

For this area I would have to choose a 40 cal caplock Southern Mt. rifle. An Enfield musketoon would be a good choice for larger game.
:thumbsup:

 

[Poor Private]

Just like today they received the witworth ammo(bullets) from supply. Only thier supply was steam trains and covered wagons. Most ammo during the civil war came in 1000 round wood crates, packages came with 10 rounds of ammo awith 1 cartridge pack filled with 12 caps. And the Witworth was used primarily in the western theater under Clerbourn. They had shooting contests to determine who got use them.

 

[bingo1952]

I too would pick a LeMat. It holds a lot of shots and looks cool.

Looking Cool ain't gonna save your BRASS in a survival situation.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

I'd pick my Colt Walker by Uberti. I can hit a man-sized torso out to 135 yards. Then steel his rifle and then I have both :grin: Or he can just give me his rifle so I don't have to shoot him!

This is a survival situation, isn't it? :shocked2:

 

[Dispatch]

Just like today they received the witworth ammo(bullets) from supply. Only thier supply was steam trains and covered wagons. Most ammo during the civil war came in 1000 round wood crates, packages came with 10 rounds of ammo awith 1 cartridge pack filled with 12 caps. And the Witworth was used primarily in the western theater under Clerbourn. They had shooting contests to determine who got use them.

Very interesting.... I did not know that. :hmm:

 

[Homesteader]

Sure hope I don't approach your camp by accident, Smokin-50! :shocked2: :grin:

(And to think I'd probably be coming just to share my coffee...) :wink:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

If you were bringing the coffee, I'd have my guard down!

Seriously though, if you wanted to stay alive, you didn't make it a habit of wandering-into a camp un-announced :wink: .

If ya let me know yer comin, I'd make another pot just fer you! :haha:

 

[Dphar]

If you had to pick only one, what would you say would be the best all around choice for a 'Period' flintlock/percussion black powder weapon? :hmm:

54 caliber rifle.
If HC correct for before 1800 maybe 50 caliber.
There are too many variables depending on where one lives etc.
Dan

 

[Dispatch]

This was intended as a rifle question, pistols are good for a back up weapon but I was always told, a pistol is made for getting you a rifle as a main weapon. :idunno:

 

[jp grabski]

I have a Lyman .54 GPR cap a T/C .45 cap and a 20 gauge French Type C, Love the Type C 20 gauge like a girlfriend. But sometime, most of the time the 'C' doesn't love me. I belive if you can shoot well with a smooth bore flint you can shoot well with any black powder rifle

 

[Norinco]

Witworth was made in England and had a hex bullet. Too hard to duplicate in the field so you must depend on factory made bullets.
I also would go with the Mississippi Rifle. especially a rebored one for .58. you can cast your own rounds, either conical or round, short enough to carry in brush, and woods but long enough to have some range, and big enough bore to hunt or stop anything. Other wise it would be a flint rifle, because you could manufacture your own balls, powder and flint.

Where did the Confederate sharpshooters get their rounds in the field during the war?

I would imagine there were moulds available. The bullets would've had to have been cast somewhere. It would be no different a process than if the factory were casting bullets.

 

[Norinco]

I too would pick a LeMat. It holds a lot of shots and looks cool.

Looking Cool ain't gonna save your BRASS in a survival situation.

We were talking about survival situations? I was under the assumption that the original post asked what you would choose if you could only own one traditional blackpowder gun.

 

[Dispatch]

Keeping in mind, a flintlock wasn't any good in a rainy/humid enviornment. I would think the choice of a percussion weapon would have been more practical.

 

[Ketchakah]

Osayo,
42" 20 bore smooth bore Flintlock

 

[Stumpkiller]

Keeping in mind, a flintlock wasn't any good in a rainy/humid enviornment. I would think the choice of a percussion weapon would have been more practical.

Perhaps. But they didn't appear until 40 years after the period I am interested in. I use my flintlock to hunt in the rain and snow all the time (even during regular season). But yes, this season I lost an opportunity to a m-m-misfire (grammel frammer dunkin bustard fronkerjarkels). The challenge is what makes the sport. I could lay down suppressive firepower with other choices but it wouldn't give me the same satisfaction when it does pay out. With care they are better (obviously) than you would think. Search on "cow's knee" for wet weather tips.

.54 Flintlock rifle, swamped barrel Pennsylvania (Lehigh favored). Mine has a 44" barrel. Never could hit a bird with a flintlock fowler anyway so I just stick to squirrels and rabbits and the easier to hit bigger critters. (Though I do have a short New Englander 12 bore cap gun for grouse & bunnies). Man needs some variety

 

[Dispatch]

Keeping in mind, a flintlock wasn't any good in a rainy/humid enviornment. I would think the choice of a percussion weapon would have been more practical.

Perhaps. But they didn't appear until 40 years after the period I am interested in. I use my flintlock to hunt in the rain and snow all the time (even during regular season). But yes, this season I lost an opportunity to a m-m-misfire (grammel frammer dunkin bustard fronkerjarkels). The challenge is what makes the sport. I could lay down suppressive firepower with other choices but it wouldn't give me the same satisfaction when it does pay out. With care they are better (obviously) than you would think. Search on "cow's knee" for wet weather tips.

.54 Flintlock rifle, swamped barrel Pennsylvania (Lehigh favored). Mine has a 44" barrel. Never could hit a bird with a flintlock fowler anyway so I just stick to squirrels and rabbits and the easier to hit bigger critters. (Though I do have a short New Englander 12 bore cap gun for grouse & bunnies). Man needs some variety

I agree. I don't hunt but I believe if you are to hunt, using a period blackpowder weapon does make it more 'earned', so to speak. One shot and thats that. I can't see going into the woods with a semi-auto 12 gauge shot gun, with a Leupold scope, as so many do. That I feel, takes the whole purpose and skill out of hunting. Hell, you might as well just go to Publix and buy one. Its alot easier that way and it saves gas and ammo. :thumbsup: