Mirage

I've shot ML rifle for many years, and probably because they are fairly slow to load, I've never had any real problem with mirage over the barrel. I've recently acquired a Brown Bess, and I see mirage over the barrel after a few shots. Perhaps that's because it loads so much faster, perhaps beacause the barrel is un-finished, maybe because it's a round barrel instead of octagonal. Maybe all my hunches are all wet.

Does anyone have solid knowledge about this phenomenon, especially why I'd be experiencing it now, and how to counter it?

Your barrel is thinner, it's brighter, it reflects sunight and hear waves like a mirror... so I tarnished mine with vinger. (It called acid gray as a gun finish).

Makes the musket look well used.

Cheers,

DT

I have a wad of it with my 44" Lehigh, also. The sights are very close to the barrel. I even notice it when I take the gun outside before the first shot! The relative warmth of the barrel from indoors is enough to cause it (it was about 10º that morning. Ugh.)

Just another facet in the "challenge" jewel.

Trent a couple of guys that I shoot with will carry wet rags with them in the summer to wipe down their trade gun barrel to cut down on mirage. I know that that doesnt answer your question but I hope it helps.

Berk

You and DT are both right. I closely examined some original Brown Bess rifles at Fort Ticonderga and found the barrels to be quite thin. Therefore they're going to heat up much faster than sa a .54 cal with a 1&1/8 width barrel across the flats.

I saw a Hatfield flintlock built with front and rear sights that were about an inch high to correct for the mirage effect.
When I'm shooting for prizes, I personally try shoot before lunch. Here in Colorado the winds tend to flare up when the afternoon turns hot. Not much to worry about now though.

Regards
Wounded Knee