You're going to be a colonist....

[Jim in Wisconsin]

I'd hate to leave my old Volvos behind, but if I went I would take my 36 cal. rifle, because I can hit stuff with it. I miss most of the time with handguns.
As far as job, in my working life I worked on electric control systems, but most of what I know (or used to know) is out of date now. Would they have any use for a professional retireree?
If it snows there, I don't wanna go.

 

[cynthialee]

This is a fun topic for me. I was a big fan of Golden Age Sci-Fi in my youth and such ideas have often been entertained by myself.

If there were a planet to colonize it would take many thousands of people to make it work. The home planet would need to supply the colony for the first couple generations.

I have often thought that BP arms would be the logical choice of the colonist, however I imagine that any arms for such purposes would be souped up with tech in some fashions. High tech steels, composite stocks, laser sights connected to an onboard computer that takes your shooting mechanics, your load out and other pertinent variables. For a space colony such additions would be seen as just smart. I suspect most of us here would be appalled with what central supply gave us. The reason for BP arms are obvious to me, ease of making ones own powder, flints and assorted hoo-has. Unless the colony was set up with an arms factory, cartridge arms would be a poor idea at first. As the tech on the planet increased the original pioneer arms would be phased out.
Those old guns would become sought after in about 4 generations as highly prized heirlooms.

 

[Rawhide67]

Tackling a lion or tiger with a muzzleloader? I'll pass. Leave me here on the destroyed planet. Is it flooded from melting ice or is it desert from high heat? I can't keep up.

 

[stephenprops1]

Being restricted by the standards you have set I guess I would bring my Brown Bess 62 caliber/20-gauge smoothbore. It is the most universal muzzle loader in my collection. As for the job - I am sort of a jack of all trades. I can be a soldier, an amateur gun smith, a farmer, a merchant and a variety of other trades.

 

[stephenprops1]

That first colony wasn't called Jamestown, was it? My first thought was my .56 SB. Then I decided on my .45 SB. Then changed my mind again thinking a rifled .45 or .50 might be best. Birds and other small stuff is easy enough to trap, like those Cloud Forest hunter dudes over in Laos do. And I'm just nerdy enough to be into atlatls and stuff like that. So I'm thinking rifle for sure. Gotta think on this one.

If the colonists are going to survive, they should assign different people to bring different types of guns. Some with smoothbores, some with rifles and even some with pistols would greatly improve survival odds.

 

[Hermit Tim]

If the colonists are going to survive, they should assign different people to bring different types of guns. Some with smoothbores, some with rifles and even some with pistols would greatly improve survival odds.

Good point. And I forgot about the job so. I'm a fair woodworker, novice but improving blacksmith, well experienced leather worker, and a few other odd jobs. Also a hell of a candle maker and cook. So I guess whatever in that skill set would better fit my team would be my job. Or I could just go out and shoot stuff.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Tackling a lion or tiger with a muzzleloader? I'll pass. Leave me here on the destroyed planet. Is it flooded from melting ice or is it desert from high heat? I can't keep up.

Well, you wouldn't be alone on a hunt like that hopefully. There'd be others carrying guns as well, so the lion or tiger would not have a realistic chance against a group of us. In the past they've been killed with spears. The biggest problem is that they'd likely start to hunt us and would have to be taught a few lessons about firearms before they'd cease to be a major problem.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

This is a fun topic for me. I was a big fan of Golden Age Sci-Fi in my youth and such ideas have often been entertained by myself.

If there were a planet to colonize it would take many thousands of people to make it work. The home planet would need to supply the colony for the first couple generations.

I have often thought that BP arms would be the logical choice of the colonist, however I imagine that any arms for such purposes would be souped up with tech in some fashions. High tech steels, composite stocks, laser sights connected to an onboard computer that takes your shooting mechanics, your load out and other pertinent variables. For a space colony such additions would be seen as just smart. I suspect most of us here would be appalled with what central supply gave us. The reason for BP arms are obvious to me, ease of making ones own powder, flints and assorted hoo-has. Unless the colony was set up with an arms factory, cartridge arms would be a poor idea at first. As the tech on the planet increased the original pioneer arms would be phased out.
Those old guns would become sought after in about 4 generations as highly prized heirlooms.

Yes... my model was Heinlein's Farmer in the Sky.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

I'd hate to leave my old Volvos behind, but if I went I would take my 36 cal. rifle, because I can hit stuff with it. I miss most of the time with handguns.
As far as job, in my working life I worked on electric control systems, but most of what I know (or used to know) is out of date now. Would they have any use for a professional retireree?
If it snows there, I don't wanna go.

They'd better... who else would be an expert on muzzle-loading firearms, flint-napping, blacksmithing or just improvising in general?

 

[andy52]

12ga SxS with round ball, shot, and powder.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

The New World is never established by those who got "picked!"

Intrepid souls with a natural lust for exploration and adventure will find a way.

.50 cal flintlock, will assume weight limitations would make a SB bbl impractical. I'll trade the weight (mass, for you space nerds) for more powder.

Wee drabs of powder for small game, a good bit more for the bigger beasts. And prior to my departure, I'll practice loading a large charge while running!

For birds, I could take the larger Dodos and Turkeys with the rifle, and I'll rig snares for the quail. I may have to forego Dove season until Master Raby has his forge up & runnin', and I've had a time to saw planks & make barter goods for one of his fine New World Smooth Bore barrels.

How warm is this colony/area? Gotta figure out if I can strip down to a loin cloth and trade more clothes weight (mass) for more powder...

Well, if somebody else is footing the bill for a practical starship, they'd have to pick and choose from those who stepped up to volunteer. Say you got a hundred seats and a thousand volunteers.... most of whom would be pretty useless people as colonists beyond their abilities to reproduce... and some people should not even do that.

Trapping does make a certain amount of sense for small game. Never really considered that option.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Don't forget your Bud Light....

We'd be drinking home-distilled Romulan ale.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

That first colony wasn't called Jamestown, was it? My first thought was my .56 SB. Then I decided on my .45 SB. Then changed my mind again thinking a rifled .45 or .50 might be best. Birds and other small stuff is easy enough to trap, like those Cloud Forest hunter dudes over in Laos do. And I'm just nerdy enough to be into atlatls and stuff like that. So I'm thinking rifle for sure. Gotta think on this one.

No. In a manuscript I wrote years ago, the colony was called "Limerick", though the egg-heads had another name for it. Those colonists were woefully inadequate right from the planning stages. Building their settlement in a river flood plain was their undoing.

Atlatls and other primitive weaponry would likely find a place as would weaponry brought by another alien race that might settle on another continent just to add spice to the mix.

 

[waarp8nt]

Always loved to read about the expeditions of the world. Firm believer in big lead kills dead. I'm thinking something 20 ga smoothbore so it can be used with roundball for big game or shot for small game.

 

[Rawhide67]

Well, you wouldn't be alone on a hunt like that hopefully. There'd be others carrying guns as well, so the lion or tiger would not have a realistic chance against a group of us. In the past they've been killed with spears. The biggest problem is that they'd likely start to hunt us and would have to be taught a few lessons about firearms before they'd cease to be a major problem.

In that case, I am partial to a 20 gauge fowler built by Mr Stroh, of Maine. That would have to be the one gun. Can I have the 20 gauge flint pistol as backup?

 

[Erwan]

The second colony will only have muzzle loading weapons.

Are you talkin' about Trantor? I'm Hari Seldon and I never carry any weapon except, maybe, one Pennsylvania .45 rifle: just a bit of powder and some flints...

 

[Ponderosaman]

I only own two muzzleloading weapons. The .69 Springfield and the Pedersoli SxS 12ga. I would bring the Pedersoli, since it’s 2 guns for the price of one, can be used with solid lead or shot or both at the same time and is much lighter then the Springfield. I could help the colony as a technician/repair or as planning/scheduling.

 

[earlwb]

A12 gauge or 20 gauge double with shot, ball and slugs would do it just fine.

 

[sb 54 cal.]

.62 Trade gun, farming or any manual labor. But since I'm about 70 we better leave soon. Oh and I just switched to Miller beer so we will have to get a brewery going.

 

[Crow#21957]

Well my 40 cal. Vincent why because it's my wife's favorite.
Job I will start a women's lingerie boutique.

Won't need much powder or bullets don't plan on doing much shooting on the range.
Bill only you.LOL
P.S. Bill your videos are great. I say you should be a Black powder building instructor.