My Percussion Rifles

[PreserveFreedom]

Well I have been kicking around the forums for a few days now, and I have mostly been talking about flintlocks and matchlocks. I figured it is about time to show you all my percussion rifles.

I visited dad in Alabama this summer. I had brought along a cap and ball revolver to show off. He pulled all three of these rifles out of his closet. He told me I was taking them home with me. Said I was gonna inherit them some day anyway so I might as well have some fun with them now.

This first one was the first kit he built (almost 40 years ago). It has a .45 cal rifled octagon barrel. It originally took #11 caps, but I swapped out nipples so I could use musket caps instead. I am not sure of the model or manufacturer, and neither is dad. The underside of the barrel is stamped "Made in Spain." It is pretty accurate. With 80 grains of FFg BP behind a conical bullet it left bruises on my shoulder. I will back off to 70 grains next time. Did I mention that the powder he gave me was from 1977? Anyway, if any of you can help me identify this one while I am showing it off, please let me know.

This next one was another kit that dad built. It was actually a gift from my mom to my dad before they got divorced years ago. It is the best shooter out of the three. It is a .50 cal T/C Hawken. The double triggers are so nice on this. It takes #11 caps.

This third one is the only one that was not a kit. It is an Italian reproduction of an 1863 Zouave rifle. It is .58 cal and has a bayonet lug. It takes musket caps and shoots a little high.

Comments are welcomed and if you find any of these fascinating I can take close up pics of actions and stuff for you.

 

[luieb45]

My dad had a zouave just like that earlier this year. It, too shot really high but was very accurate.

 

[PreserveFreedom]

My dad had a zouave just like that earlier this year. It, too shot really high but was very accurate.

From what I have read, some of the earlier rifles were made with a shorter front sight because people had a tendency to flinch and shoot low. They made the weapons shoot high to compensate. I am not sure if this is true or not, and I am not sure if this was intentionally carried over to the reproductions.

 

[Stumpkiller]

The top one (with the distinctive guitar shaped patch box) appears to be a Markwell Hawken from the 1970's. They were sold as a kit.


All I know about them is that they were at 2413 West Devon in Chicago, IL (60645) at one time and a division of Ram Merch Corp. (Frome G.C. Nonte's Black Powder Guide, 1976 ed.

 

[PreserveFreedom]

The top one (with the distinctive guitar shaped patch box) appears to be a Markwell Hawken from the 1970's. They were sold as a kit.


All I know about them is that they were at 2413 West Devon in Chicago, IL (60645) at one time and a division of Ram Merch Corp. (Frome G.C. Nonte's Black Powder Guide, 1976 ed.

Thank you much! That would be around the time dad bought and built it. I have been going crazy trying to figure out what model it was.

 

[luieb45]

I read that the ladder sights for those zouaves was for 100 yard shooting.

 

[PreserveFreedom]

I read that the ladder sights for those zouaves was for 100 yard shooting.

I never thought of that before, but yeah the shorter sight is for 100 yards. My next step with it is to make a larger target and bring it out to the 100 yard range.

 

[Tumblernotch]

I read that the ladder sights for those zouaves was for 100 yard shooting.

I never thought of that before, but yeah the shorter sight is for 100 yards. My next step with it is to make a larger target and bring it out to the 100 yard range.

This is actually a folding leaf sight.

With both leaves folded down the shortest sight is for 100, the second one is for 300 and the tallest is for 500 yards. This is the same sight used on the M1855 to M1863 Springfield rifle-muskets. If your sight notches are like the originals, they should have a small notch in the bottom of the larger notch. This is so you can hold a fine sight rather than a full sight and will allow you to aim better at intermediate ranges, such as 50, 200, &c. It will still probably hit a bit high, so you can use a 6 o'clock hold and/or adjust your powder charge to get it hitting where you want.

 

[Burningprince]

The first one has an interesting patch box pretty cool.