Caplock Rifle & Gear

[JayFramer]

Hey gun buddies!

Here is my 1850s style muzzle-loading percussion cap rifle along with a shooting pouch and powder horn:

This is a lovely lightweight .40 caliber squirrel rifle. Very fun to shoot and amazingly accurate. These types of guns require quite a few loose components and accessories to load and clean the gun which are often carried in a shooting pouch, and a container holding gunpowder called a "powder horn" (made from a hollow animal horn) is also used when shooting these types of old fashioned rifles. Here are the things I carry inside the pouch:

There is a small leather bottle carrying lead round balls, a device for carrying percussion caps, a tin of said caps, some tools that go on the end of the ramrod (the stick you use to load and clean the gun with) and a knife along with a strip of cloth that is used to make a tight seal around the ball as it is rammed down the barrel so it can grip the rifling and impart a spin on the ball. The wooden tool is called a "starter" and is used to help start the patched lead ball down the barrel. The wad of material on the left is called "tow" and is made from rough flax fibers and is used for cleaning purposes.

Guys traditional muzzleloading is its own little universe and is steeped in history. Give it a try sometime!

-Jay

 

[Inusuit]

Nice setup. Did you build it or buy it? Many percussion long rifles from that era had stocks that went all the way to the muzzle. I'm familiar with one once owned by a farmer from Illinois who was killed in the Battle of Stones River on December 31, 1867. It was handed down to a grandson who practiced law in Casper and Cheyenne Wyoming after his service with an artillery regiment in WWl.

Those graceful long rifles were replaced by the heavier and more robust plains or mountain rifles as westbounders encountered much larger animals and longer distances.

Does you kit include a powder measure of some sort?

 

[RobertJ.]

Nice outfit! Next, we'll need a range report...

 

[leonardocarrillo]

You have a nice set of accessory weapons, to give it a touch of color you need a hat like Daniel Boone's.

 

[eveled]

Very nice set up. My first gun was a .45 caliber muzzle loading pistol, my second gun was a .50 caliber rifle. It always irked me that they were different calibers. The I inherited my Dads .50 cal Hawkins. Last summer I bought 2 .50 caliber pistols to go with the Rifles and a .45 cal Derringer to go with the original pistol. Now your post makes me realize that I need a lighter weight .45 cal rifle too. I know it's not really a squirrel rifle but I really don't want to add another caliber.

Thanks for posting your set up. You've put a lot of thought into it.

 

[vonn]

Black powder has been calling me to load for my (Old Reliable) Sharps in 45-70 guess that now I am hearing the call of a replica front loader! Have a Colt modern made (Italian parts?) cap and ball so I might as well go wholeheartedly over to the dark side.

 

[Peak53]

Nice historical set up and a lot of fun to boot, I'm sure. No surprise that such arms were no match for the repeating bow and arrow, what with all the required accessories!

Full disclosure: I own, shoot, and love 2 muzzle loaders, no bows.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I enjoy Black Powder and C&B revolvers (I have 8), I had a 1863 Remington Zouave rifle (1980's repo) for 25 years and never shot it and sold it back to the guy I bought it from. Most of my revolvers are 44, so I only have to have one size round ball (.457) and I try to keep FFg and FFFg on hand for an emergency bout of fun! I prefer hot soapy water to any other method of cleaning!

There is nothing like a nice cloud of your own making!

Ivan