Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Traditional Firearms => Caplock Long Guns => Topic started by: Feltwad on March 10, 2024, 06:54:37 PM
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Enclosed is a image of an original English big game rifle that may interest members .Built in the 1840-50 period only two ever built by William Powell and son it is a 62 calibre with a two grove rifle to take a belted ball .
Feltwad
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Nice!
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Is that original condition or a restoration? looks fantastic.
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Restored by the previous owner in 1985 or there about by William Powel Gun Makers
Feltwad
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Woah! I hadn't noticed the multiple (!) fold-up rear sights on that puppy before! What distances is that calibrated for? That is cooler than cool!
~Kees~
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Feltwad,
Some beautiful rifles sure do come across your hands. It is a privilege to see some of them.
I also noticed the column of flip up sights on the rifle. On my 8 bore, I had a set of three sights, and that was good for 200 yards and the number 3 sight wasn't nearly as tall.
I have no experience with banded ball shooting. Any info you can give us on shooting that beautiful piece? Powder charge, loading, etc?
Thank you,
John (Bigsmoke)
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Woah! I hadn't noticed the multiple (!) fold-up rear sights on that puppy before! What distances is that calibrated for? That is cooler than cool!
~Kees~
Bigsmoke
Personally I have very little info i bought it has a collectors piece and to shoot it here in the UK the law will be very strict ,if only a few shots it would have to go on a firearms certificate and can only be used on a approved militia type range. The shooting of game eg deer with any type of muzzle loader is not allowed .
The previous owner who I understood shot abroad and had the gun restored in 1985 by the original maker firm William Powel I approached them for a full report ,load, range etc but they would supply but the cost was excessive so I left ii
Feltwad
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Thank you sir. I appreciate your response and I understand the problems involved with firearms in the UK.
Much like Canada, I would imagine.
Too bad William Powell and Co had to be that way with the information.
Regardless, you do have a very nice piece of firearms history there.
Enjoy!
John
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[ Invalid Attachment ] A better view of the top rib sighting notice that the leaves have no V and the rib is marked off in intervals
Feltwad
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Not much response to this thread i entered because I thought it would have been of interest but it seems not
Feltwad
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Is there a mathmatical equation worked out for each (Front Sight Hieght) - (Rear Sights Hieghts) - (Sight Spacings) and anything else that may come into play?
One would really have to get there notes out if their memory is as bad as mine. :laffing :shake
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In addition to that, what is the proper way to use those rear sights without any v's cut in them? Surely they don't expect you to center the front sight, or put it wherever it needs to be on that flat back sight do they. A little rough for splitting a playing card, don't you think?
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I do see a vertical scribe line on each of the faces at the center so imagine you would line that up with the front sight. If it is a bead up front you could have the bottom of the bead just kiss the top edge of the rear sight blade, centered on the scribe line.
But what are those other numbers on the top of the barrel, increasing towards the muzzle? They are all the same distance apart so can't be more sight leaves which haven't been raised yet. Very peculiar!
~Kees~
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More questions, not to make Feltwad feel better , but I know nothing about this type of gun and I thought my questions were dumb. Does a belted ball look like the planet Saturn? And does it take this type of ball because of the 2 groove rifling. If that's the case, I would assume it can be as accurate , if not more accurate than a rifle that uses round balls. They say you learn something new every day. Times a wasting today, and I haven't learnt anything new yet today. :stooges:
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what are the numbers down the barrel? at first I thought they were marks for the tip up sights... I don't think so...
belted bullet.... seems to me that in the back of my dusty mind... there was a British martial rifle that shot a belted ball... maybe something about a leather patched belted ball....
That looks to be a very heavy rifle...
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Looks to me like all those sights slide down the barrel as one unit.
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I'm trying to remember who made a rifle which shot belted balls, and yes No Powder, they look like Saturn, sort of. Darn it, I just can't recollect which military rifle used them. I looked up the Ferguson and the Hall, both were breach loaders but nothing on belted bullets.... Ah, got it, the Brunswick Rifle: https://researchpress.uk/firearms/british-military-longarms/brunswick-rifle/
I knew I had read about it many moons ago!
~Kees~