Roku TV show; Into the Wild Frontier

[.50cal.Mike]

Has anyone been watching this? I've been watching it for a few nights now, I can't get enough of it. It got to making me wondering about the rifles used from the Louis and Clark expedition on. I imagine most were possibly military left overs from the 1700's or possibly Eastern US made? What kind of cal. would they have been back then? All I have seen up to now have been flintlocks, when were percussion rifles introduced? This is my first post so don't be too hard on the new guy. Maybe some suggested reading on this era. Thanks

 

[Sparkplug]

My favorite of their's was the Windbüchse. It was a Girandoni designed Air Rifle in .46 cal. carried for the WOW factor and kept them from a few skirmishes with the natives.

 

[BillinOregon]

The Rev. Alexander Forsyth of Scotland developed the percussion system a year after the Corps of Discovery completed their expedition.

 

[waarp8nt]

Has anyone been watching this? I've been watching it for a few nights now, I can't get enough of it. It got to making me wondering about the rifles used from the Louis and Clark expedition on. I imagine most were possibly military left overs from the 1700's or possibly Eastern US made? What kind of cal. would they have been back then? All I have seen up to now have been flintlocks, when were percussion rifles introduced? This is my first post so don't be too hard on the new guy. Maybe some suggested reading on this era. Thanks

I watch Into the Wild Frontier on Tubi from time to time. Seen all 3 seasons.

You've picked quite a controversial subject for your 1st post. For the longest time authors like Carl P Russel assumed the "short rifles" were the 1803 Harpers Ferry (one of my favorite rifles). The facts presented by Frank A. Tait have put this long held belief in question. It would appear a modified 1792 contract rilfe, specs accredited to Meriwether Lewis, most likely went on the expedition. Like so many things, the records have been lost to time and mismanagement (possibly the fire at Harpers Ferry). I would suggest reading as much information as you can find on the subject, it's all fascinating to me.

Some reading;

https://lewis-clark.org/tools-and-techniques/weapons/muskets-and-rifles/

 

[ronaldrothb49]

Loved that series watched them all on INSP. My only complaint was the costumes, guys who were supposed to have be out on the frontier for years and the looked more like they were in their Sunday best going to the village church on Sunday mornings.
Unlike some want you to believe I don't think every rushed out to buy a new percussion rifle or had their flintlocks converted as soon as it came out. If you come a crossed a flintlock that has been converted the is no way to tell whether that was done in the 1820's or the 1880's. According to Charles Hanson in the Trade Rifle Sketchbook Derringer was the first major Trade Rifle Supplier to produce a Percussion rifle in 1830, Henry and sons made their first one in 1840 and both continued to make flintlocks long after that. The Hawken Brothers were making them in the 1820's but Hawken's were expensive and from what I have read their best year's were in the 40's and 50's. Some gunsmiths probably never changed to the Percussion guns. In Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in the Golden Age Kindig looks at Leonard Reedys Journals which cover from 1819 to 1837 and points out there is nothing to indicate he every made a percussion rifle and only show 2 entries which would indicate he had made a repair on them. In my opinion I think it took awhile for that to catch.

 

[.50cal.Mike]

I watch Into the Wild Frontier on Tubi from time to time. Seen all 3 seasons.

You've picked quite a controversial subject for your 1st post. For the longest time authors like Carl P Russel assumed the "short rifles" were the 1803 Harpers Ferry (one of my favorite rifles). The facts presented by Frank A. Tait have put this long held belief in question. It would appear a modified 1792 contract rilfe, specs accredited to Meriwether Lewis, most likely went on the expedition. Like so many things, the records have been lost to time and mismanagement (possibly the fire at Harpers Ferry). I would suggest reading as much information as you can find on the subject, it's all fascinating to me.

Some reading;

https://lewis-clark.org/tools-and-techniques/weapons/muskets-and-rifles/

I went to the link and read about the types of rifles they had. I was just looking on GB and seen this.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1024964854

 

[Sound Tribe]

Going to check that show out. Thanks

 

[BillinOregon]

Have any of the manufacturers offered a Model 1792-1794 Short Contract rifle in .54? It sounds quite intriguing and useful.

 

[TechMoron]

I liked this series but, my complaint with it is the uneven starts & stops & overlap from where it originally had commercials when it was on TV.