Rick Boylan
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2014
- Messages
- 832
- Reaction score
- 8
Full title of the book: "Black Powder Plainsmen: A beginners guide to Muzzle loading and Reenactments of the Great Plains" by Randy Smith.
I recently read this book and wanted to let others know my thoughts.
It's a pretty good book on guns and some history of the period. One thing I noticed though was that the author kept drifting from period to period in his subject. He tried to cover too many historical periods from the F&I wars through the old west up until 1875.
I bought the book because the title lead me to believe that it would be about the 1700 - 1850s at most and cover the Revolutionary war and Fur trade eras. Well, it touches on that. But it doesn't give much on reenactments for these periods. It does cover women's clothes during that period a bit. Nothing on Men's attire. That was disappointing.
The author also talks about hunting and does speak of sidelock guns in that context, but also discusses inlines way too much for my tastes. He just wanders around and seems to have no real focus on keeping on the subject of his title.
He even talks about cartridge guns a bit. I'm a fan of the old west and love taking part in NCOWS shoots. I must admit that is what really drew me to my current interest in muzzleloaders. I started out with a CVA Hawken .50 cal a long time ago. Recently I picked up a Pedersoli Kentucky flintlock and am in love with this method of shooting. So when I bought the book I was expecting more on flintlocks, period clothing, hunting of that period with flint and cap lock guns. What I got was a decent book on some muzzleloading and the last 3 chapters were all about Cowboy action shooting and an orginazation that he's involved in. Not what I was looking for.
So while I can say it was a decent enough book, I would not go out of my way to suggest it as a book to read for getting much information out of our time periods.
I recently read this book and wanted to let others know my thoughts.
It's a pretty good book on guns and some history of the period. One thing I noticed though was that the author kept drifting from period to period in his subject. He tried to cover too many historical periods from the F&I wars through the old west up until 1875.
I bought the book because the title lead me to believe that it would be about the 1700 - 1850s at most and cover the Revolutionary war and Fur trade eras. Well, it touches on that. But it doesn't give much on reenactments for these periods. It does cover women's clothes during that period a bit. Nothing on Men's attire. That was disappointing.
The author also talks about hunting and does speak of sidelock guns in that context, but also discusses inlines way too much for my tastes. He just wanders around and seems to have no real focus on keeping on the subject of his title.
He even talks about cartridge guns a bit. I'm a fan of the old west and love taking part in NCOWS shoots. I must admit that is what really drew me to my current interest in muzzleloaders. I started out with a CVA Hawken .50 cal a long time ago. Recently I picked up a Pedersoli Kentucky flintlock and am in love with this method of shooting. So when I bought the book I was expecting more on flintlocks, period clothing, hunting of that period with flint and cap lock guns. What I got was a decent book on some muzzleloading and the last 3 chapters were all about Cowboy action shooting and an orginazation that he's involved in. Not what I was looking for.
So while I can say it was a decent enough book, I would not go out of my way to suggest it as a book to read for getting much information out of our time periods.
