RebinPA

I can cross Charleyville off the list. It was beautiful and fun.

My only competitive shooting requires me to be freestanding and load/fire using only 19th century equipment and gear that can be kept on your person. That always attracts attention when I do a full-practice. That said, we get a lot of "zombie hunters" up the range and some well-meaning self/home defense shooters. I've pointed out to a few that no intruder, robber, or enemy is going to give them the time to set up their equipment, sight in, and stay at the proper range. Open sight, point shooting should also be practiced. Perhaps even more.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/media/set/?set=a.177021949022442.44422.100001439153868 Here's an album from my latest event. This time I was assigned as bodyguard (aide de camp) to Longstreet's 1st corps ANV. There are a few shots of incorrect stuff in camp, but it didn't take away from the purpose. This wasn't a reenactment of an actual battle, but more of a tactical simulation of the era. Enjoy.

I've never shot my handguns from bench or rest. I do fire a couple with the rifles from the bench, but only for determining my point of aim for the weather conditions, or if I'm working up a new charge. The rest are standing fire, just like my rifles were fired 150 years ago. The only times I see others shooting freehand is if they're firing handguns. I did 20 .50 cal pistol rounds and 22 .58 cal rounds in my Enfield. Only first 2 were bench shots.

A little bit of Syntec motor oil.

My replacement came today, a 3rd model 1851 .36 cal steel frame. Fit of right grip isn't great and one chamber plugged with brown crusty goo. Otherwise a good piece with a great trigger action, about 2lb pull.

You should look into the English air-canes. Quite ingenious!

1839 Enfield Tower, percussion .76 cal 1776 Charleyville flint .69 cal My own cannon

Training is always a good idea. Even if you know a lot, or think you do. You just might learn something or have the piece of mind that you're good enough if you don't. Sometimes it can help someone decide if shooting is something they really would like to get into before investing in a gun and accessories. I provide training for free as my time allows with my historical firearms. My charge is the learner pays for supplies/ammo used for the day. 2 out of 3 come back for more lessons. I've had one student able to put 3 out of first 6 revolver rounds in the shirt pocket of a chest representative target at 50ft. That was their first rounds of the day.

If I'd bought it somewhere else I might've, but Cabelas handles it all "in house" It's a shame too, since that was one of the best "out-of-the-box" shooters I'd found lately. I was willing to install a replacement lever because sometimes the repair parts are a higher grade, but they insisted on full return. The manufacturer was Pietta. I've had great luck with their pieces till that one. I've still got my Rem brasser and police models in .44 though. I like to have a .36 around for target shooting since they're so cheap to shoot. You get 2 to 1 vs my .44's.

I'm guessing that the most recent run of .36 cal 1858 Remington beltline revolvers has bad steel for the loading levers. I've just sent back my 2nd one for the lever breaking off in less than 60 shots. I favor this model over the Colts as it has more punch than the 1851s. I could just use the loading stand, but it's no good to me if you can't load the way it was designed. This time, I told Cabelas to send me an 1851 since the others keep breaking. I feel that if the pin and boss on the lever can't hold up to the strain of loading, then it's unsafe. If the pin snaps or arm falls off, there's nothing holding the cylinder pin from walking forward.

The REALs perform well with light loads(50gr vs 60gr for my minies) and they like slower rifling. For minies a 1-in-48 twist is great, but REALs prefer 1-in-66 or 1-in-72. Lee makes a .45 pistol combo mold that I'm looking into to perhaps try some REALs in my revolvers.

There is a light taper in that the bottom lands fit into bore, but the top one doesn't. The top one does the "work" and follows the rifling. A short-starter is required, at the least for tapping it down into the barrel. Best results are achieved by ramming it down in one stroke afterwards. The more taps and hits it takes, the less accuracy for that shot. They're my current favorite target loads for my Lyman pistol and P1858 Enfield. 5" circle at 100yds w/60gr in Enfield. They're also easier to cast than minies. I can shoot a lot more before swabbing barrel since REALs clean the bore while firing. The .675 RB is just that, a .675" Round Ball. I make those from hard lead in period style iron clamshell type mold. I harden them further by dropping in cold water right from the mold. I like them harder to prevent deformation in my buck-and-ball loads. My .69cal smoothbore loves 'em. http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/177...ost__p__2245473 Here's a link to a post I've made somewhere else showing some of my rounds and "pieces". I'm not setup for posting pics on sites without hosting.

No casings involved in my castings. Sizing required on the .575 minies, but everything else is one step. I cast all my own: .575 minies OE style, .575 minie improved, .58 cal REAL bullets, .675 RB, .50 cal REAL bullets, .490 RB, .451 RB, .375 RB. I can get away with the cheaper hard lead (wheel weights, car batteries) for loose fitting loads, but gotta stick with soft lead for the others. My gear paid for itself the first casting.

I don't have any personally, but someone might've got me. The last major battle one I did was '03 Gettysburg and got shot with a ramrod someone forgot in the gun I do mostly smaller living history type and demonstrations for kids, etc. I specialize in the use and function of the weapons from that period, but dabble in even earlier stuff.

Howdy. I'm new here, just joined the other day. I'd like to stick around, though it seems a little dead here. Maybe that's just my timing. I shoot all BP historical weapons, original and repro. With the exception of a couple pistols, I stick to millitary issued only and cast all my ammo. I try to keep a little history alive. When I'm not fixing cars or old games/computers, you might see me at some CW reenactments. I do a couple on a part-time basis.

Black powder and reasonable facsimilies are all I shoot with. I alternate between P1858 Enfield and M1840 Springfield on the long arms and 1858 Remington "new army", Lyman .50cal, & .50 cal Queen Anne on the shorts.