For your double rifle

[Leonredbeard]

Or you swivel rifle.
I was at the muzzleloader show at Lewisburg, PA, yesterday. Two gentlemen were sitting there looking at old stuff bought at an estate sale somwhere. They pulled this ofject out of the box and it caught my atention while I was looking at the rifles on the table next to it. It is a charger for a double rifle. Note that there are two horn stoppers and two rings to hold patched ball and a short piece of starter that can be swiveled from one hole to the other. Don't tell me they didn't do things to make life easier and faster. Hee Hee! :grin: :surrender:

volatpluvia

 

[Elnathan]

Now that is quite interesting, and rather unique.

 

[mckutzy]

well thats realy cool idea, but it must have been a ready loader for a follow up shot(s). loading from the horn :nono:,

 

Cool, any more pics from the show? I couldn;t make it on Friday due to the ice storm and was busy the rest of the weekend.

Thanks for posting that photo!

B

 

[mazo kid]

Do you think they charged the barrels directly from the powder horn? Anyway, that is a pretty ingenious piece of work; thanks for sharing.

 

[Stony]

Looking carefully at the "device", judging by the size of those holes for the patched round balls, it must be for a quick pair of follow up shots. The "horns" really are not that large compared to the holes for the balls. If those are .45 to .54 cal. holes, I'd say it's probably a 60 to 90 grain charge. Very unique and interesting. Were they for sale or just display?

 

[Elnathan]

Volatpluvia described it as a "charger," so I would assume that the horns held a pre-measured charge, not the powder supply. They don't look big enough for that.

Just out of curiosity, what is the gun in the background/ to the side there? It has a nice molding job, for sure.

 

[Leonredbeard]

Right you are, one charge of powder for each ball. Probably the owner charged his weapon and went hunting. If it were a double barrel, having fired both barrels he would pull the stoppers and pour powder into both barrels at the same time. Then short start the balls and ram each.
I suppose there would be no law against using it with a single barrel gun. You would have a quick reload twice.

Having not measured the rings I would guess they were fifty caliber. Not sure.

Three of us wanted to photo it right then. One of us set it on that table with complete disregard for what else was there. While I know I looked at those rifles on that table, I looked at all the gonnes on all the tables. Then my eyes glazed over. So I can't say which ones they were. Sorry.

volatpluvia