Shooting history

[garandman]

Got to shoot my M1862 Springfield for the first time.

50gr Goex pushing a 0.577 530gr Minie. Man, I swear, I have not gotten such a rush shooting a gun in a LONG time (including ALOT of full auto / other serious hardware.)

At 25 yards, the holes were touching - which still means I'm a lousy shot, but that this gun IS a shooter. Can't wait to stetch it out a bit. Shot dead on windage, about 2" high at 25 yards.

But man - there is nothing quite like shooting an old gun. To think when / where its been, and now I'm blessed / priviledged to be its caretaker. What a great responsibility to have. Amazing.

 

[54mountain]

I know what ya mean, I feel the same way every time I shoot my original 1850's Belgian double, If these old guns could talk. :hmm:

 

[cynthialee]

I have never held a gun over 100 years old. Seen a few locked behind display cases. But never actually held one.
Oldest firearm I have held was a bolt action rifle from WW1.
Oldest BP rifle I have held is my own 30+ year old Hawken. Not exactly old....

I don't get out much.

 

[54ball]

You can see why 50thousand+ were killed at one day at Sharpsburg.
Those rifled muskets were as fast to load as a musket but had an effective range of 500 yards and deadly accurate.
The use of these rifles in 18th century linear tactics was slaughter comparable to the machine gun slaughter of WWI.

 

[garandman]

That's why I say I'm blessed....with a responsibility...

I sold off a buncha stuff to get rifle, and its was totally worth it.

 

I am involved with the ASSOCIATION OF OHIO LONGRIFLE COLLECTORS and we have a shoot coming up that is specifically for "original" Ohio made rifles. Since we have a number of builders in the group, what they make are Ohio rifles, so there will be some contemporaries shot also. The main reason for the shoot is to let the old timers, that are sound, speak on more time. This will be our 5th original's shoot and it is great fun.
Mark

 

[steved]

garandman,

Great to hear that you brought that old musket back to life and that you enjoyed the shooting experience. I share that same feeling about shooting original firearms - gives you a real sense of history.

 

[meanmike8665]

I have a target rifle made in my home town of Sacramento, Ca. I shoot it about every two years or so but when I think about the history I get goosebumps and when I show it off people are amazed when I tell them it was made in the 1850's.
Michael

 

[junkman_01]

54ball,

You are WAY off with that 50thousand+ killed figure at Sharpsburg.

Here are the OFFICIAL figures of casualties (killed, wounded, missing and captured) for both sides combined....

Battle of Antietam (also known as Sharpsburg)
Date: September 17, 1862

Location: Maryland
Confederate Commander: Robert E. Lee
Union Commander: George B. McClellan
Confederate Forces Engaged: 51,844
Union Forces Engaged: 75,316
Winner: Inconclusive (Strategic Union Victory)
Casualties: 26,134 (12,410 Union and 13,724 Confederate)

 

[garandman]

In truth, I bought it in shooter - ready condition, and didn't really do anything to bring it back to life.

I will say it has an incredible trigger. Breaks like a glass rod. You gotta drop serious coin to get a trigger this good today.

 

[Trot]

54ball,

You are WAY off with that 50thousand+ killed figure at Sharpsburg.

Here are the OFFICIAL figures of casualties (killed, wounded, missing and captured) for both sides combined....

Battle of Antietam (also known as Sharpsburg)
Date: September 17, 1862

Location: Maryland
Confederate Commander: Robert E. Lee
Union Commander: George B. McClellan
Confederate Forces Engaged: 51,844
Union Forces Engaged: 75,316
Winner: Inconclusive (Strategic Union Victory)
Casualties: 26,134 (12,410 Union and 13,724 Confederate)

Thanks Junkman for the accurate casualty figures, and just to add, actual killed was about 3,650. The most in a single day during the war.

 

[garandman]

I also bought on Ebay what the seller claims was a 58 Minie that was unearthed at Gettysburg.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/58-CALIBER...677?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5193b0a28d

Its prolly just a Minie ball, some dude left out in the rain, and it oxidized, but for the price, that it MIGHT be from Geyysburg, I figgered "What the heck..."