The meaning of "Traditional"

[rawhide]

amen bother!!! I know I already posted on this but I got more to say... I like is reply alot me I do this for the love of mls. the smell of the smoke,the load boom. I love the side lock guns. flint and cap. now I know were talking abought side lock and inlines... ok. what abought the new tc and tradtions pellet flintlocks? ehat would a guy call these things? plactic stocks ss steel barels. I don't know looks and feels like a true side hammer but has a plastic stock. oh and the one I think tc has a 1&28 twist! so? well I myself shoot both a hawken rifle and a blueridge at rondys my wife a kentucky. oh and we shoot a crocket. for pistol comp I shoot a kentucky. I do better with a single shot. when out hunting I take the hawken. and I use conicals in it. because I want one shot one kill. yes I know a round ball will get the job done. but I realy like these big guys for elk. so any way thats me. others will go flint and a rb. cool but I'm still in the mind of if you need a scope a closed breech 209 primer mite as well hunt with my 308 win.

 

[Geraldo]

I used to write contract language, and gentlemen, if it takes four pages to try to explain what you mean by one word, you've chosen the wrong word. :wink:

BTW I shoot muzzleloaders that are inaccurate representations of what was used in the middle 1800s.

 

[tg]

I still think that it boils down to th individual deire/ability to put aside/recognize the modern and not try and wrangle it into the umbrella of the term, and embrace the history and use that which more closely follows this path, a common ground will not be found as there are always those who put preference an retionalization about realistic historical interpretation, the will to use the term outweighs the will to live/embrace the style.This has become well intrenced since TC and others told us that their modern bullets were what we needed to kill game, and that they could not imagine a 42" barrel for hunting and basicaly adding some moderen items to make the guns more familiar and marketable yet leaving them just close enough to allow most unstudied folks to be comfortable with the term we are talking about.

 

[hoochiepapa]

When someone asks me what I shoot or hunt with, my reply is always the same: Kentucky longrifle.

 

[longcruise]

When someone asks me what I shoot or hunt with, my reply is always the same: Kentucky longrifle.

I do something similar. I'll answer with "plains rifle". If you are talking to an in-liner, they pretty much know what you mean and if talking to a non-shooter it starts up an interesting conversation.

The "t" word is a fighting word born of the adversarial relationship between the longrifle shooters and the in-liners. I've resloved to stop using it!

 

When someone asks me what I shoot or hunt with, my reply is always the same: Kentucky longrifle.

Ah, the elusive "Kentucky" rifle. You say that as opposed to "Pennsylvania Longrifle"? :grin:

 

[hoochiepapa]

People of the unlearned don't have a foggy notion what a Penna. longrifle is, but if you say, "Kentucky longrifle", they understand. :idunno: I learned that pretty quickly after I built my first one.

 

[LaBonte]

Plus Kentucky Rifle is HC/PC (at least for the early 1800's) where as Penna Rifle is a 20th Century appelation......

'We lost the battle (of New Orleans), and to my mind, that Kentucky Rifleman contributed more to our defeat than anything else; for which he remained to our sight, our attention was drawn from our duties. And when at last, we became enshrouded in the smoke, the work was completed, we were in utter confusion and unable, in the extremity, to restore order sufficient to make any successful attack. The battle was lost."

http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/LoneMarksmanRevisited.asp

also see http://www.contemplator.com/america/hunter.html
for the lyrics to the Hunters of Kentucky written in 1821......

But Jackson, he was wide awake,
And was not scared of trifles;
For well he knew what aim we take
With our Kentucky rifles;

 

http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/RifleSong.html

 

[Geraldo]

tg,

Someone, possibly a supreme court justice, once said that he couldn't define obscenity, but he knew it when he saw it. That's the problem with one word descriptions.

"Traditional archery" is generally accepted to mean "not a compound bow", but my Bob Lee takedown recurve isn't a historically correct bow. So if we followed suit, "traditional muzzleloaders" would include TC Hawkens, but not TC inlines, even though Hawkens don't represent much more than a nod to 19th century muzzleloaders.

This would be enough for some, and not enough or too much for others.

 

[tg]

You are right on as I see it Geraldo, the big thig I see is how devoted one is to the hiistorical aspect of the gun and gear this usually determines the level of modern stuff one trys to call "trdaitional" there is some mystique of some sort to many who "need" to use the word, but by my understanding of the whole ML world have no need to follow the historical aspect, which to me is inseperable from the term and concept. I cannot see any change in this as there are two well established camps so to speak and few if any will be moved by their position, often polls on this forum have shown this and the divied is somewhat even with the liberal factor being a bit larger.I am just concerned about newcommers being presented with a less than comprehensive/historical/logical definition. As Zonie stated many items not really traditional but long a part of the rebirth of trhe sport are discussed with the allowance of a caveat showing the consevative viewpoint, which is a good thing as it allows one to make a choice based on two schools of thought.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Bill,
Do you consider Bud Light to be "Traditional" or do we need to keep it hidden?? :wink:

 

[hanshi]

Light beer is for city slickers who vote for Big "O", folks who really don't particularly like beer and watering flowers. I can't abide the stuff but my wife says my taste buds are burned out from too much hot Cajun food. And no, light beer ain't traditional :shake: ; but then, what do I know? :idunno:

 

[sniper68]

Curious what the consenus is about whether or not something is traditional.

"Traditional" qualifications by definition are as follows; Visible hammer. Projectile(s) loaded muzzle end(front). Ignition accomplished by means of a percussion cap or small external open charge of powder ignited by sparks from the frizzen. End of story!!!!

PS; Now traditional light, extra light, or regular is another story(post).