Ferguson rifle

[browningautorifle]

more practical

I'm sure you guys are missing my point and looking at it from a range practise viewpoint...

[rcathey]

I'm sure you guys are missing my point and looking at it from a range practise viewpoint...

You mean it’d be different if someone was shooting back at you, Jim?

[browningautorifle]

shooting back

You have trouble with fine motor skills too...

[Jim]

re differentiating between different loads in a cartridge box, I can't tell you what the British did in the 18th century but, during the Civil War, Yank cartridge packs carried 10 rounds, usually 1 or more would have been a Williams 'cleaner' bullet. Those were wrapped in colored papers, usually blue or red if I recollect correctly. I would be surprised if the Brits didn't do something along the same line. Maybe have different colored tails or such like.

[Jim]

What was the original powder charge for the Ferguson military rifle (I realize that this is controlled by the space between the chambered ball and the front of the breechblock, and so is a fixed quantity which may or may not be the same as in the replica)?

I was looking at something about the repro Fergeson when I caught this. In the write up on their reproduction the "rifle shoppe" gives this bit of info; "The powder chamber holds 72 grains." Here's a link to the whole thing... http://www.therifleshoppe.com/catalo...arms/(513).htm
That, of course, is max. Civil War loadss for .58 caliber long rifle-muskets ran to 65 grains on average if that is any help. Plus that took a certain minimum load to upset the hollow based Minie Ball, a consideration you don't have to concern yourself with. Lower is better, more accurate and less fouling.
I hope this helps.

[Patrick Chadwick]

I'm sure you guys are missing my point and looking at it from a range practise viewpoint...

You have a point, Jim. Considerung that I manage to get confused when on the range, then any arrangement to be used in combat really has to work without thinking.
So reading any script is out, and my 2-pouch suggestion is not so brilliant (thinks: Did I put the smaller balls in the laft or right pouch? Hey, enemy, shut up for a minute so that I can check..) Nope, not realistic.

Color disntinction: easier. But I think the best idea is NO distinction. Try this scenario for plausibility: "Sorry sarge, I can't shoot any more, I've only got the big balls left". The response would be unmistakable and unprintable.

After all, these were soft lead balls. Now I have read a couple of times about Minié-rifle shooters using different sized balls, but again I seriously doubt the practicality in combat.
And I have sufficent experience with shooting muzzle-loaders in competitions where you are not allowed to clean between shots (3 targets at 3 distances in one afternoon = about 50 shots, including fouling shots = complaining shoulder and sore elbows) to permit the opinion that IF the ball is greased well enough, then you can shoot as long as your body can stand it (and 50 shots was about it, in my case).

With the Minié rifle, the problem is a crudded bore making it difficult to ram the ball down the barrel and seat it properly on the powder.
But with a breech-loading rifle, any soft-lead ball that you can chamber is going to come out of the muzzle end. The problem is going to be loss of accuracy if the grooves are so crudded up that you are effectively shooting a smooth-bore rifle (i.e. a musket). The answer is sufficient lubrication, not fiddling around with different sizes of ball. And that is what I guess happened in the field.

[Patrick Chadwick]

OK, it happened again. I just wanted to edit some typos out of the previous post - and after selecting "Edit Post" I saw just a blank text box. This happens every now and again, and so far I have not managed to detect any kind of correspondence with time, date, phases of the moon, or what I had for breakfast.

Please, everybody! Has anyone else had this experience? Is there a fix?

Ha! there you go! I typed fx, but was able to correct it to fix. The previous post remains uneditable ?!?!?!?!

[CINDERS]

Nope Patrick I only once had issues loading pics then for some reason a few hours later no dramas, you know its that wookie on the web thats got you bloke......

[mhb]

Jim:

Thank you - I saw the info you provided the link to, but I can tell you with certainty that my Narragansett copy will not accept a .648" ball and more than about 55 grains of powder, even when an attempt is made to press the powder forward into the chamber before closing the breech - any more (and, usually, some of that amount) is scraped upward and out by the closure of the breech.

mhb - MIke

[Jim]

Ques.)You write the bullet diameter on the paper cartridge. ANS) And you'd be able to stop a read them...select the right one...neat...

It would surely be more practical to have two cartridge pouches?

There is a much simpler and more practicable solution though, I don't know how the Brits actually addressed the problem.
During the Civil War Yankees carried different rounds in their ammo pouches- standard and 1 or 2 cleaner rounds. The cleaning rounds were simply wrapped in different color paper. A quick glance told the soldier which they were.