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Author Topic: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks  (Read 6462 times)

Offline Rasch Chronicles

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Re: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks
« Reply #15 on: August 17, 2011, 11:35:39 PM »
"...a proper tomahawk..." requires a whole new topic!

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Albert A Rasch
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Offline Loyalist Dave

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Re: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks
« Reply #16 on: August 18, 2011, 03:35:40 PM »
Not trying to rain-on-the-parade, it's just a problematic idea, and I'm Scottish so trying to save you some $$..., the original King's Musket, the first version of the "1st Model" Bess, would snap off ram rods, as they were wood.  The wood of the stock supports a wooden ramrod, but when you remove the wood, to allow for the bayonet socket..., you get broken wood ramrods.  So it's not a question of "how" you got the bayonet..., it will be a question of snapping off your ramrod on a regular basis as you trek anytime you get near thick, wooded country.  That wood ramrod hanging below your barrel with a gap between it and the barrel will snag branches and such, and snap off the rammer.  I got rid of my 1st Model Bess with the wooden rammer after snapping two rammers, and historically they improved the 1st Model Bess by changing it over to a metal rammer, as well as other improvements.

The 18th century bayonet is not very useful either, and was really only suited for line tactics.  It's not at all as useful as a modern bayonet.  As such, it was rather poorly suited to North American woods combat.  Native Americans and French Canadians did not have bayonets in the F&I, but were victorious at: The Trough,  Bloody Creek, The William Henry Massacre, German flats, The Monongahela, Petitcodiac, Sabbath Day Point,  and Sideling Hill.  Jump ahead a bit and look at Pontiac's rebellion, where all but one of the targeted forts fell to the Indians, and go a bit further in history, and at King's Mountain, the British had the high ground and bayonets, yet the folks in the woods with the rifles, whipped 'em good.  It's only when folks went toe to toe in a field (or ran out of ammo) that the bayonet came into play back then.

   LD
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Offline Rasch Chronicles

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Re: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks
« Reply #17 on: August 19, 2011, 10:43:03 AM »
LD,

You have saved this poor soul from a serious faux pax! Imagine the social stigma I would have suffered enured as I was to that idea.
LOL!

Thanks for setting the historic tableu straight. Again imagination and preconceptions tend to make for poor historical accuracy, and in firearms and accoutrements there really is no excuse for getting them wrong.

Best regards!
Albert
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Offline Loyalist Dave

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Re: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks
« Reply #18 on: August 24, 2011, 09:36:26 AM »
No  problem, and as I said, I'm Scottish, and saving money is good, so the $75 to $165 you'd spend on a bayonet, would get you a much more useful 'hawk.  Get a nice, serviceable one, and customize it, and you'll end up with a treasured tool in the bargain.

LD
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Offline Fort Greene Ville

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Re: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks
« Reply #19 on: September 10, 2011, 06:59:08 AM »
RC
I ditto Cap & Buzzard.
Last fall during deer gun season here in Ohio it rained 12hrs and turned to snow for 6hrs. I had tried the cows knee once before in similar conditions only to find that the water ran down the barrel and stock to the lock. Went to shoot but prime was goo! This time last fall went Mother started her crap I grabbed for my tin of tallow to grease the pan edges. Now it was fairly cold so the tallow was too hard to spread, which I will fix  :Doh! , so I grabbed the next best thing, My beeswax base chap stick. Now stop laugh'n! I don't go anywhere with out it! but any how it worked like charm and the meat went to the freezer.

On a side note hunters of the day had the luxury of time. If Mother Nature threw a curve of bad weather they would just wait it out. We do not have that ability under most of our limited time constraints.

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Offline Longhunter

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Re: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks
« Reply #20 on: September 11, 2011, 04:24:09 PM »
Quote
Fellows,

I was wondering how you protect your rifles on longer treks, if at all?

When I carry my rifle in inclement weather I use an Elk skin case. It's thick enough to keep out rain snow and dirt and it's soft and pliable so that it rolls up in a haversack or pack.

Ron LaClair
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Offline huntinguy

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Re: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks
« Reply #21 on: September 12, 2011, 04:14:42 PM »
I realize this is a flintlock discussion... And I will get mine finished if things will STOP piling up in front of it.... GRRRRRR and then I can go hunting with it.... But.

When I hunt with my caplock, I just keep it under my poncho. Seems to stay dry. And the sights don't get waterlogged.

Hmmm, I am thinking I am not being PC here.... :Doh! ...... I will go hide now.
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Offline shootrj2003

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Re: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks
« Reply #22 on: February 26, 2021, 08:24:01 PM »
Keep well in mind that a rifle in those days might have been the most powerful weapon but once fired it was a club there’s why the two pistols,three knives a club and tomahawk then teeth fist an finally feet
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Offline Winter Hawk

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Re: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks
« Reply #23 on: August 23, 2021, 12:51:19 PM »
While on the Thorne Bay Ranger District (Prince of Wales Island) of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska I shared office space with Jim Baichtal, a dyed-in-the-wool muzzle loader fan.  With the amount of rain there (around 150" per year, IIRC) I asked him how he kept things dry.  He said he carried his gun in a wool or leather sleeve, then pulled it out just prior to taking his shot.  Probably not as fast to get into action as other methods but it worked for him.

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Offline toot

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Re: Protecting your flintlock on longer Treks
« Reply #24 on: December 09, 2022, 06:49:37 AM »
I put a dab / gob of grease, CRISCO, around the closed frizzen and a greased cows knee. works for me in snow & heavy rain.