What Single Gun Would You Choose?

[ozark57]

OK, Here is where you are at:

Survival situation. You are in the US somewhere between Southern Michigan and North Texas. You have the bare minimums of shelter, 2LBS. of salt, good knife, clothes to fit the weather.
No food. Game available includes squirrel, rabbit, whitetail, hogs.
No bears.
Some human threat.

For your gun you have 10LBS. lead, mold, 5 LBS. powder. 1000 percussion caps, or 100 good flints as the case may be. Horn and bag with accessories as needed.

What gun ( must be pre 1865 ML ) would you pick?
Remember,your life depends on it. :hmm:

 

[rabjr]

I think a nice .40 cal would fit the bill nicely.

 

[J.D.]

With some human threat, I would stash the ML and make a bow and some arrows, so's the threat would not hear the report of the piece.

Small game and large can be taken with traps more efficiently than by hunting, so I would make a few traps and lay low during the day.

That said, I would want rifle that is capable of neutralizing that threat a a reasonably long range, if that became necessary.

God bless

 

[BadHorse]

wow i know this one! i would pic savannah, my 50 cal bethlehem style flinter!!! shes light and accurate!

 

[rawhide]

after reading alot about the mountian men in that area in 1830-1840s I would say a kentucky .45. or a .40 both or good for small game and deer. hogs I don't know I never hunted one myself. from what I read most of the guns were 40-45 in that time. a cap gun would be the best choice do to rain flinters don't sparke well in rain. plus in those 2 calibers you can cast a lot of bullets with the lead.

 

[necchi]

A 50 caliber hawkin :grin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7nqxIdROsI

Honest :wink:

Nowadays or back then,,nowadays mabey a .45 just to save lead,,smoothy ain't practical if all ya got's is bar lead

 

[OB OBrien]

Nice looking long rifle. How long is that barrel?
Thanks OB

 

[ebiggs1]

This home built TC Hawken with Green Mountain barrel in 50cal. It also has a Davis trigger not shown in this picture.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Didn't somebody do this a couple weeks ago?

 

[rafterob]

TC Hawkens weren't built before 1850 :haha: I'd go with a .40 cal,with about 36" barrel. Half or full stock, percussion or flint depending on time period. That bow and arrow would be a nice addition also :thumbsup:

 

[luieb45]

I'd go with a .45 caliber longrifle in flintlock because the cap situation would be bad because once they're gone you can't get any more. Then the flintlock you can find your own flints in the wild and the 100 flints is a better deal because if you can get about 80-100 shots per flint and you have 100 flints you have way more shots than with 1000 percussion caps.

 

[necchi]

Didn't somebody do this a couple weeks ago?

it's been done a dozen times :wink:

 

Didn't somebody do this a couple weeks ago?

Similar...
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/243136

 

[rabjr]

Oh well, humor him. :wink:

 

[J.D.]

Didn't somebody do this a couple weeks ago?

Yeah, but this one's different. :grin::idunno:

 

[roundball]

Ordinarily, I like to think of a smoothbore Flntlock as an all purpose arm, .54/.62cal.
But in your scenario, you listed no shot, just lead with a mold.
And listed game that could all easily be taken with a rifle, and no bears to bite back.
So I'd take this .45cal Flintlock.

 

[longcruise]

Fifty cal capper with 32 to 38 inch barrel.

 

[Robby]

I'm with Roundball, a .45 is enough for the parameters given. I think I need an extra barrel though, what with that human threat and all.

Robby

 

[ozark57]

Didn't somebody do this a couple weeks ago?

Yeah, but this one's different. :grin::idunno:

It's been done before. It's hot out ,not hunting season, the perimeters with limited lead and powder would be more like a real situation back in the day. Makes you think hard about ball weight. More shots? More power?

 

[Little Wattsy]

.50 Cal hawken! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: