Rifles and humidity

[Rató:rats]

Just read an interesting article on rifles in the early years of the revolution here

https://scavengeology.com/the-pre-revolutionary-north-carolina-rifle/
In the second paragraph the author states that in North Carolina the settlers preferred the smoothbore to the rifle due to the humidity. Could this be so? And why? Or is this a case of a non-shooters conjecture?

 

[hanshi]

I don't have an answer to that except to say I've heard that stated before. I would think it depended on what the intended use would be as well as the area they settled in.

 

[smo]

Could it be that the locks on smoothbores are larger, thus creating more spark?

Thinking in terms of the more sparks the better in damp conditions..maybe.

Im not so sure that I totally agree with the statement on Regional preferences..
But I do feel there were several good gunmakers in the Carolinas pre war .

Making some beautiful long rifles as documented in Mr. Ivys book.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I would speculate that hunting conditions in North Carolina favored the use of a fowling piece over a rifle if the hunter was limited to one firearm.

 

[Cowboy]

Only guessing on my part, but maybe BP residue seemed to cling more in the grooves of a rifled barrel thus speeding corrosion? Smooth Bore guns would be easier to remove all the residue.

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[olskool]

it is so humid here in SC in the summer before I take any gun outside to shoot because of air conditioning I heat the iron up with a hair dryer. if I don't, time I take it outside it sweats instantly! water is all over the steel and it will rust. then I leave my front loaders sit an hour or so outside before I try to shoot them. the humidity in the summer is horrible! I have been here all my 63 years of life and I still hate the 100% humidity,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Greg Blackburn]

it is so humid here in SC in the summer before I take any gun outside to shoot because of air conditioning I heat the iron up with a hair dryer. if I don't, time I take it outside it sweats instantly! water is all over the steel and it will rust. then I leave my front loaders sit an hour or so outside before I try to shoot them. the humidity in the summer is horrible! I have been here all my 63 years of life and I still hate the 100% humidity,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Doesn't sound inviting to black powder, that's for sure. Sorry you have to go through this.

 

[oldwood]

Thoughts on hunting in the rain , or wet snow , or perhaps 100% humidity..... Never load a wet bore. Protect the lock w/whatever you can , deers knee , plastic wrap , whatever , in addition to keeping the lock under your arm pit. Change priming powder and clean /dry pan every hour. ( Priming powder absorbs moisture). Use touch hole pick to make sure the main charge isn't goo. Carry gun w/muzzle down so the water doesn't run down the outside edge of the barrel where the stock wood meets it , and into the pan. Some of the best hunting is in the worst conditions. Just do it...............oldwood

 

[RB POWELL]

We get our share of humidity in the Piny Woods of East Texas. I don't care for it at all. Is North Carolina worse? Oh, my wife loves it. Go figure.

 

[olskool]

the heat combined with the humidity here in SC is like no other. it will take your breath when you walk outside. if you aren't use to it and try to do any physical activity at all it can and will kill you! our deer season starts Aug. 15th, the heat around that time is stifling! but we hunt anyway. our season ends Jan1 i am headed out the door now. a cool 73,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Ames]

Glad I don't get that type of humidity up here. No good can come of it.

 

[Cattman]

we are high and dry here. same weather as denver. nothing like that happens here. acoustic guitars bought at sea level need to sit for a while here then adjusted. as thy loose moisture and change the neck of the guitar.

 

[hanshi]

the heat combined with the humidity here in SC is like no other. it will take your breath when you walk outside. if you aren't use to it and try to do any physical activity at all it can and will kill you! our deer season starts Aug. 15th, the heat around that time is stifling! but we hunt anyway. our season ends Jan1 i am headed out the door now. a cool 73,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I'm originally from Georgia and know exactly what you're referring to. I grew up on it and was used to it. Coming to Maine was a mind-bender! The heat and humidity in the Deep South have to be experienced in order to fully appreciate the jungle weather down there.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I originally came from the Texas Panhandle - a place where seasons are black lines on the calendar.
HEAT and DRY in the summer - chilly and crisp FALL, WINTERS that see many days below 0, and SPRINGS that could flood and carry away your car.
I have also lived in the swamp and humidity of far South Texas - yea - it can be a real bummer......

 

[olskool]

I'm originally from Georgia and know exactly what you're referring to. I grew up on it and was used to it. Coming to Maine was a mind-bender! The heat and humidity in the Deep South have to be experienced in order to fully appreciate the jungle weather down there.

i couldn't have put it better, jungle weather,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[tenngun]

Just read an interesting article on rifles in the early years of the revolution here

https://scavengeology.com/the-pre-revolutionary-north-carolina-rifle/
In the second paragraph the author states that in North Carolina the settlers preferred the smoothbore to the rifle due to the humidity. Could this be so? And why? Or is this a case of a non-shooters conjecture?

Point of wonder as high humidity makes more fouling. I wonder if some of it was timing.
American rifles were almost all confined to Pennsylvania up till the 1740-50, spreading in to New York, Maryland and Virginia after the F&I war.
Then in to North Carolina, New Hampshire Vermont. I wonder if there just hadn’t been too many rifle makers making their way that far south by the Revolution.
Then maybe by the time rifles were becoming real popular the hunting conditions didn’t call that much for rifles?

 

[Leadball loader]

When much younger I spent a year in Southeast Asia fortunately near the coast as the heat and humidity was bearable.
Now when July and August heat and humidity from S. C. come I have a hard time dealing with it. I have lived in Maine most of my life and dread summers misery. love the rest of the year though!
It would be nice if It could kept well south as it makes shooting my flintlock a lot less fun!
LBL

 

[oldwood]

The Moravian Brotherhood from East Central Europe came to Colonial America in the early 1750's starting a gun shop at Christian springs , Pa.. With in two years , they opened a gun shop in Bethabara , near Ashville , North Carolina. Part of their mission statement , was to help all people in need . The need of early colonial settlers , was firearms. In those days ,it was estimated there was only 1 firearm per every 100 persons. The Moravians had their gunsmithing work cut out for them. The guns on the frontier were smoothbore muskets and some continental European jaeger rifles. Both types of firearms were large caliber unsuited for shooting at the distances hunters needed to be effective for hunting big game and protection in time of war. The Moravian gunsmiths listened to the hunters coming back from the woods. Bore diameters were made smaller , between .50 and .60 cal.. Barrels got longer , accurate long sight radius , and rifling was slowed down , saving precious lead and powder. A lot more balls could be cast from the lead carried by a pack horse to the hunt , then used to carry more meat and hides back from the hunt. If this be considered , as the European Land armies here in America experienced , These same long rifles put a deadly sting into American frontier militia , when the first thing enemies found, was many of their officers were killed off quickly in skirmishes. Their fine uniforms mounted on a tall horse made an irresistible target for a long rifle at 200 to 400 yards. Another result coming from the Moravian gunshops was the aspect of them teaching other gunsmiths that spread out over the land to continue creating much needed firearms for the American frontier population..................oldwood

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

What's the source material for 1% firearms ownership during the mid 18th century? Does the source state firearms or rifles? At a time when colonies required all men 16 to 60 to perform militia service, 1% firearms ownership seems improbable.

 

[LawrenceA]

Pardon my ignorance but Humidity has only a single effect to my knowledge.
It means that the black powder fouling would absorb moisture quicker.
This in turn means that the fouling would be softer making cleaning easier but also more important as the fouling would corrode quicker, but it would also mean that loading subsequent shots would also be easier. I also cannot speculate on the regular need for subsequent shots being used.
On the other hand the fouling in the priming pan would also absorb moisture quicker making a delayed shot potentially less reliable without regular changing of the priming powder.

I doubt anyone would complain about easier cleaning or loading of subsequent shots being easier therefore the only real issues would be more rapid corrosion or reliability of subsequent shots. I don't know if it would have been obvious to wipe the pan to the colonials and to only prime when a shot is likely, but I think it would be and a feather in the touch hole would prevent moisture entering. We know they did this.

With 2 out of 3 reasons out of the way that leaves accelerated corrosion as the only reason. As a rifle would likley corrode at the same rate as a smoothbore (depending on build up of fouling between the classes) this argument does not really hold water on the assumption that people were thoroughly cleaning their firearms. If they were not then who knows.
So it would seem that high humidity would not be a reason to choose a smoothbore.

I think that maybe Grenadier1758 is probably more on track with:

I would speculate that hunting conditions in North Carolina favored the use of a fowling piece over a rifle if the hunter was limited to one firearm.

Any constructive criticism welcomed and encouraged please.