Baker Rifle

[Puffer]

Puffer,

Do you know what American made rifle would have been concurrent with the Baker?  I'm thinking something from Harper's Ferry but I might be a bit early on the time line.

 

Old Salt

Old Salt, Here are 3 rifles that would fit in.

 1803 Harper's Ferry
 1814 Common Rifle (.54 cal ) made by Derringer & R.Johnson
 1817 Common Rifle (.54 cal.) Made by Harper's Ferry, Derringer, R. Johnson,& North & Star This Rifle was issued & used in all Amer. conflicts up to the Civil War. It still was used in the Civil War, But was not the primary issue.

Puffer

[Puffer]

I have been interested in Baker's since I watched the Richard Sharpe series.  It's on my list of neat rifles I would like to have.  I have seen finished rifles on TOW occasionally with or without the bayonet.

There are 2 other rte.s you can go, other than TOW.
!. The Rifle Shoppe ( Michael's gun ) $2000.+ ( finished ) $900.00 (unfinished )


2. The Discriminating Gen. ($468.) or Loyalist Arms ( $552.)
These Bakers come un-rifled & W/O the touch hole bored.
This is the rte. I went. I got mine from DG ( NOTE _  this Co. is SLOW & Cust. service is POOR (IMO ) rec LA.) I got the gun knowing it would be a "project" :mozilla_tongue: The 2 major areas are:
1. rework lock.
2. re barrel. ( gun is now in WV getting it's new Bbl.
hopefully I will be ready by the start of the season, this spring. [-o<  [-o<  & that it will be worth the effort.
NOTE - replacement parts are not avail.

Puffer

[Sir Michael]

Dang, now I've done it.          

In replay:

Wyoming Mike, Puffers right.  If you want a project like he has undertaken you can also get one from Loyalists Arms and Repair from time to time.

BTW its a real bear to shoot with the sword mounted.

Old Salt, I have been shooting 65 grs FFFg with a .610 dia ball and .015-.018 ticking patch.  I have also been recently shooting it with Wonder Lube/Bore Butter Patch Lube.  I started with a home brew that I used for years because of excessive fouling when I started but switched back not long ago just for curiosity and it seems to work ok.  I pretty much shoot a 25 round match without having to wipe the barrel between any shots.  And Thanks for posting a good link.  It will take you to a wide variety of 95th and Baker rifle sites.  [Can you provide me with an explanation of just how to insert a link on a post?  I seem to be a bit dense in this regard.  The instructions don't seem to work for me.]

Ohio Joe, in regards to barrel twist.  My research has turned up a bit of trivia.  In the early 19th Cent. the twist of the rifling was not measured in rev/inches e.g. 1:66.  It is described as the portion of a single revolution in the length of the barrel e.g. 1/4 twist.  The experimental barrels submitted for the competition that Baker won had anywhere from 1/2 to 1 turn and his had a 3/4 turn.  This was eventually reduced to 1/4 turn which equates to roughly 1:100 in today's measure since the barrel was bout 30 inches long. (lengths varied a bit)  

Hank in WV, dead on.

[Sir Michael]

Ok.  Photos were asked for so here goes nut'n.  X your Fingers or what ever.












It worked!!!! =D>  =D>  =D>   I think.

[Sir Michael]

It worked!!

By way of explanation for the tools.

On top is a Bullet Mould
From the Left

Late Model Slotted Cleaning Jag
Patch Needle
Ball Puller
Take Down Tool ( double bladed screw driver )
Tommy Bar ( used to rotate the Rammer if necessary )

[Ohio Joe]

That's a very nice looking rifle, Sir Michael!  The sling, sword, bullet mould, and accessories really set the rifle off as complete!  Very Nice!!!

Thanks for the follow up to Hank In WV's post...  I knew my brain wasn't working quite right this morning.  You guys cleared it up for me and I appreciate it! :mozilla_smile:

You now need to bring that Baker Rifle to battle in the TMA Monthly Postal Shoots...   What a hole that'll make in our targets! /

[Old Salt]

Sir Michael,

Good work on posting the photos.  They look good, the rifles I mean.

Puffer,

1803 Harper's Ferry
1814 Common Rifle (.54 cal ) made by Derringer & R.Johnson
1817 Common Rifle (.54 cal.) Made by Harper's Ferry, Derringer, R. Johnson,& North & Star

I should have known but I double checked before posting, the Springfield Armoury would have been in production also.  I don't know the model or caliber yet but I'll keep looking.

Thanks for the help

Old Salt

[Sir Michael]

Old Salt,

A quick check produced this.  

http://www.nps.gov/spar/history.html

I didn't find it of much help.  Good Luck.

http://www.lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=2356

Did you know you can only add URLs and photos at the end of what ever your writing?  Oh, forgot check out the second link.

[Voyageur]

I think a twist that slow might just fall into what I have learned re: "Forsythe Rifling." I know that John North formerly of October Country manufactured a couple of rifles with that type of rifling. They are monstrously capable of BIG loads, and deadly accuracy. I fired one of those rifles that belonged to a "friend" , and in .65 calibre with about 250 gr. of ffg it knocked my 6'2" 195 lb frame so much that I did the Texas two-step followed by a Shuffle Off to Buffalo for an encore. That gun put a hole in a bear that went clean through---the monster tore up the scenery for about 45 seconds and then fell over---dead.  If i were a BIG game hunter I would want that gun in my hands with another in back-up. :-k

[Sir Michael]

Voyageur,

My understanding of Forsythe Rifling is that it is rifling made with wide shallow grooves and narrow lands.  The rate of twist was not limited.  But then what do I know?   /

How thick was the barrel of that monster?  I get hammered with 110 gr of powder.  I've seen some other posts elsewhere that talked about heavy loads like that.

[Puffer]

Voyager, Thank the Good LORD, I am a "Gentleman.   With my 63 yr. old, 6'/160 lb. Body, I would not only do your  /  /  but I'd end up in Mont. as a Mtn. man      

Puffer

[Ohio Joe]

I just watched "Battlefield Detectives" (on the History Channel) on the subject of the battle of, Waterloo...  They said there were 4000 Baker rifles at the battle, and they also did some demonstrations.

A man shot at a 300 yard military target of a soldier and hit him in the right side in the lower lung area...  It was also a single soldier target, not several shoulder to shoulder targets to represent an advancing French line...  Quite impressive!

[Sir Michael]

Ohio Joe,

I just finished watching the same show.  If I haven't posted this before here is some information on marksmanship in the 95th with the Baker taken from Bailey's book.

There were two patterns of target:  a round wooden target with concentric rings, and a human-figure target painted on canvas.  The wooden target was four feet in diameter ...  Target practice was to consist of six rounds per man per day ...  Recruit firing was used to establish three classes:  1st Class, or bad shots; 2nd Class of tolerably good shots; and 3rd Class ...  1st Class were always exercised at 90 and 140 yards.  The 2nd Class "occasionally" at these distances but normally at 200 yards.  The 3rd Class were to fire occasionally at 200 yards bu generally at 300 yards.

To achieve a rating other than 1st Class, a 2nd Class marksman was required to put 2 of the 6 rounds in the round target at least two days out of three at 140 yards.  A 3rd Class marksman was required to put 4 of 6 shots in the round target two out of three days for two months.

I've left out a lot of the details from the book.  It really is a necessity if your interested in the Baker Rifle.

[Ohio Joe]

Sir Michael,

With Christmas coming up I may just have to put this book on my list!  This part about the rifle marksmanship training is really interesting, and I'm sure the complete book is also a good read!

[Sir Michael]

Sir Michael,

With Christmas coming up I may just have to put this book on my list!  This part about the rifle marksmanship training is really interesting, and I'm sure the complete book is also a good read!

It is. :mozilla_smile:  :mozilla_smile:  :mozilla_smile:  :mozilla_smile: