Daniel Boone's (Fess Parker) Rifle??

[vintovka]

I doubt anyone uses original TDs as props anymore. MGM dumped almost their entire prop gun dept during the sale. All the parts went too. Doubt an insurance company would cover 150 year old stuff on the set. Repops and injected plastic have taken over. I cleaned up on accoutrements too and came away with loads of original stuff from revolution, Civil, Indian, Spanish American and WWI. Bannermans supplied much of what early studios used and i found rare sawback Boer war and original Brown bess bayonets for pennies. About broke axle on Uhaul.

 

[Einsiedler]

They were still issuing Cecil B. Demille trapdoors ( that’s what we affectionately called em) on the set of "Two for Texas" back in ‘96. But that was over 20 years ago now. I remember a kid standing behind me before the big San Jacinto assault holding his TD and one blank ctg., asking, "can someone show me how to use this thing????" Most reassuring.

 

[ppg1949]

They were still issuing Cecil B. Demille trapdoors ( that’s what we affectionately called em) on the set of "Two for Texas" back in ‘96. But that was over 20 years ago now. I remember a kid standing behind me before the big San Jacinto assault holding his TD and one blank ctg., asking, "can someone show me how to use this thing????" Most reassuring.

Very funny!

 

[vintovka]

Very funny!

I have in my collection an interesting, well used 1878 TD rifle. It was reportedly used in the original movie "Birth of Nation" made in 1915. The former owner said he "acquired" it as extra during the filming. He was 96 when I got it and scribbled out an "affitdavey" I need to find. Will post when available.

 

[Zonie]

Because this is a muzzleloading forum and talk of cartridge guns is against the rules, everyone should please limit their comments to things that have to do with muzzleloading, or in this special case, to movie prop arms that were used to depict muzzleloading guns.

 

[vintovka]

I agree and got carried away. Ok to discuss variations seen to fake blunderbusses. Super long barreled Kentuckies, handguns ect?

 

[Zonie]

I agree and got carried away. Ok to discuss variations seen to fake blunderbusses. Super long barreled Kentuckies, handguns ect?

Sure.

After all, this is the Muzzleloading and History in the Media section so anything the media or film industry has used to depict a muzzleloader is fair game.

 

[vintovka]

Ok thanks. If anyone i interested there were several types of these sold at the auction and no doubt used from turn of century to 1980s. Sadly it all happened just before the advent of digital cameras. IIRC The standard was just a TD with the fake flint parts, Next were both carbines and rifles with a funnel added to make blunderbusses. Saw one recently on an early "3 stooges" clip. A very few had a piece of pipe added to make fake Kentucky rifles. A long wood rod was added as a ramrod. The there were TD fake flint pistols by pile already shrink wrapped having been sold prior to the auction. Same parts as the rifles. Very heavy clumsy 3-4 pound things with the rifle wrists whittled down with fake finials and oddly tapered fore ends and made up barrel bands. Tucking one of those in your pirate pants would surely cause them to fall down. All types seen were missing regular steel rods. I Remember asking why and told was to keep extras from accidents like poking eyes out or blasting rods out with blanks. If you see a steel rod it probably was either fake or for special scenes. Many had good bores but most were rotted away from BP blanks. BP Smoke/flash was needed for filming. None were seen with a hole reportedly drilled in barrel to emit Flintlock flash or smoke. Heard this old story and hard to believe. The real prizes were the wood dovetails crates full of every type of TD/Musket parts. Some arsenal new right from Bannermanns (as seen stenciled). Several large crates of brand new, bright and casehardened 1861- 1863 US Musket hammers went fast Before HD they could get away with all of this. Now i am tired,

 

[rickystl]

Vintovka: Thanks so much for the brief history of these TD's in the movies. They are certainly a conversation piece that many have always wondered about. And the variations. My carbine above has the cleaning rod hole widened about 6" from the muzzle. I guessing for a faux wood ramrod look. LOL
Years ago, there was a Forum member that owned one of the TD's that was both modified with a longer barrel and fore end and was customized to look like an Arab style gun. And, it also had the tiny diameter tube that ran from just in front of the breech back to between the hammer and frizzen to give the look of pan smoke. I recall Turner Kirkland also owned one with the little tube and commented on it in one of the catalogs/supplements. Every once in a while, one of these comes up for auction. Need to keep my eyes peeled. LOL Don't really know why I find these interesting, but I do.

Rick

 

[vintovka]

I have whats left of the very same pistol in above pic. I totally forgot about the camel guns. They went really cheap cause nobody wanted them IIRC. The parts boxes were the real prize especially lock parts like plates, mainsprings, tumblers exc. Lots of Civil War stuff. Many sharps parts too. Some stuff was tagged with a property tag with movies. Snagged a SRC TD with "yellow ribbon, 1949" on tag plus a bunch of other movies i never heard of. Did get box of original US and civilian percussion locks. Still have one dated 1842. Guess wood rods penetrated fewer extras than metal?

Off to test a recently completed custom "hawken" i built. with leftover Browning Mtn rifle .45 and .54 barrels. If this is my last post you'll know why.

 

[Patrick Thomas]

I have whats left of the very same pistol in above pic. I totally forgot about the camel guns. They went really cheap cause nobody wanted them IIRC. The parts boxes were the real prize especially lock parts like plates, mainsprings, tumblers exc. Lots of Civil War stuff. Many sharps parts too. Some stuff was tagged with a property tag with movies. Snagged a SRC TD with "yellow ribbon, 1949" on tag plus a bunch of other movies i never heard of. Did get box of original US and civilian percussion locks. Still have one dated 1842. Guess wood rods penetrated fewer extras than metal?

View attachment 12944 Off to test a recently completed custom "hawken" i built. with leftover Browning Mtn rifle .45 and .54 barrels. If this is my last post you'll know why.

Well?

 

[vintovka]

Well?

Both barrels shoot fine. The .45 is very accurate but so heavy for me and pretty much a range benchrester. The .54 is handy and packs a punch. Lapping both really helps. Last real custom i probably will ever build due to advancing age. Working on felt lined mytle wood case with Les accoutrements du jour. Good 22#.

 

[Patrick Thomas]

Both barrels shoot fine. The .45 is very accurate but so heavy for me and pretty much a range benchrester. The .54 is handy and packs a punch. Lapping both really helps. Last real custom i probably will ever build due to advancing age. Working on felt lined mytle wood case with Les accoutrements du jour. Good 22#.

Outstanding

 

[dpw21562]

Found this pic of some old friends from way long ago. Check the little guy's shirt.

 

[vintovka]

Sorry about the longwinded previous post but have a couple more bursts of memory from the MGM sale. One was of the crates of the fake flint parts which no one bid on. They were forklift heavy and IIRC brass. They these got scrapped. The other was crates of blanks no one wanted. Was a hectic time and I understand a fire destroyed a lot of the remaining props. Surely someone else was there and could add recollections.

 

[DEROS]

Here is a full length view of the rifle Fess Parker used in the Davy Crockett movie.

 

[springfield art]

It had weird carving up and down it and I think it was built off a trap door as well.

I have a bunch of "memorabilia" from the show such as every episode storyline, 8x10 ad glossies, color slides for still TV ads, etc.

It got me hooked as a kid and I have never let up!

I was about 9 years old at the time of the 'Crockett craze'; boy, was it fun. I can still picture some of the neat related items for sale in the corner stores; one was "the keys to the Alamo"; a card with a bunch of old-timey-looking skeleton keys on a ring.

 

[Nyckname]

I was about 9 years old at the time of the 'Crockett craze'; boy, was it fun.

There's a bunch of scanned Davy Crockett comics and other stuff here, https://archive.org/search.php?query=Davy Crockett

 

[DEROS]

There's a bunch of scanned Davy Crockett comics and other stuff here, https://archive.org/search.php?query=Davy Crockett

I forgot to post this photo of Fess Parker signing the rifle for th

e fellow that won it in the auction.

 

[Bill hughes]

Here is a full length view of the rifle Fess Parker used in the Davy Crockett movie.
View attachment 16572 View attachment 16573 View attachment 16574

Great image... you know we are all talking about different rifles and different characters here... assume we all know Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett were two different men, both played by the same actor (Fess Parker) through the 50s and 60s.