I remember when we used to shoot them.

[drm2m]

Back in the late 60s & early 70s my father and I used to shoot these old guys....the rifle ...45 cal approx. was quite accurate.
A Pennsylvania style rifle with a Joseph Manton "Warranted” lock.

The Wheeler & Son English pistol (approx ..64 cal.) might have been lethal at very close range ….perhaps?

I still have the powder, caps and balls for these guns.....but they have been quiet for a long time.

It was great fun……I guess I miss it.

David

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[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Time you went to the range again

[drm2m]

John,

My dad died in 1979….I did most of my shooting while he was alive.
He was more of a shooter…..I became more of a collector.

Our gun laws became more restrictive in Canada since then.
I have not encouraged my two sons to become gun guys.

My collection has gone in "wildly different" directions since 1979…but U.S. Civil War stuff remains at the top of my weakness.

You are right…I should probably get back to the range…although in Canada the guns shown below will probably never see the range????

Having said that....when and if I go back... it will probably be with a .22 cal. pistol or rifle?

David

[Embalmer]

now im really envious. very nice stg44 and mp40. if i remember right, canada law you can own them, but cant shoot them anywhere??? What if a friend has alot of land, could be brought there to be used??

[drm2m]

Matt,

From what I understand of the Canadian regulations....you cannot get a permit to transport them anywhere except to a licensed gun smith …. or the police.

I you owned a large property (out your back door) in a municipality that permitted firing firearms ...perhaps???

I first saw the gun shown below being fired on the seller's property on a farm in Ontario before I bought it.

David

[Embalmer]

damn shame cant use them very nice collection still to say the least. unfortunately prices for that stuff here is well out of my budget, and must settle for semiauto versions.

[jjroth]

matching dueling pistol.
As I reviewed the photo,the pistol has no sight, which indicates to me that it MAYBE a dueller. Also the large caliber, was commonly used as the powder charge was small.

Very Nice.

[drm2m]

jjroth,

Thanks for your interest.

I never thought of this pistol as a duelling pistol.

Your comment caused me to take another look at the gun as I always thought it had a front bead sight.....sure enough it does.

I have not been able to find out much about "Wheeler & Son" the English gun manufacturer.....but I really don't have a library that deals with this stuff.

As a kid I had a great fascination for duelling pistols and as soon as I was old enough to take the bus, (back in the 60s) I used to visit an antique shop in Montreal where the owner used to have a few French and English cased sets of duelling pistols in beautiful condition if my memory serves me correctly.

I must have driven the old owner crazy with my naive questions.
The shop is still there.

I still have a fascination for these guns....but my collecting focus went into a different direction.

Maybe someday.....????

David

[jjroth]

damascus barrel there, on the pistol. And the blueing is still great.

I recall an late 70's American Rifleman article on dueling pistols, that might be a source also try looking at the NMLRA (national Muzzle-loading Rifle association) on thier website. Better yet, in June travel to Friendship, Indianna, west northwest of Cincinnati, ohio with the best picture available. Someone there should be able to help.

[Capt Quahog]

Back in the 1970s while working out in California, I happened to get hooked up with a Civil War / Indian War group. Back then, many of us had original guns that we used for blank and some live firing.

Remember using an 1860 Colt revolver that I had picked up from a man in Costa Mesa. He used to get many former movie prop guns used in the old westerns. That was one of those . . . "Wish I had kept it" things. The 1860 was finished in a worn "nickel" wash. There were two crossed arrows with the initials U.S.S. underneath. Later on, the 1860 Colt was identified as being marked for the United States Scouts. Actually packed that cap n' ball pistol up into the high desert above Victorville back in 75'.

Always kept some .44 caliber ball, wads and grease packed in the saddle bag just in case. Also had about 20-rounds of fresh live 45-70 blackpowder rounds for the carbine too. They might have been antique guns but still lethal weapons if needed.

We also had original trapdoor carbines, rifles and 1860s muzzleloader Springfield muskets. There were Sharps and Spencer carbines too. Rigged one of the Spencer Carbines to shoot blanks using cut down 50-70 brass cases. The thing actually fed from the magazine tube. That was a rush! After a make believe gun fight on the boarded sidewalks of an old movie set town, there would be choking billows of dense gun smoke hanging in the stagnant desert air. Sometimes a person could hardly see the hand of front of him.

Got to fire some of the weapons from horseback. They'd hire out these movie studio horses that were trained not to get spooked by gun fire. You'd signal to the horse with your knees that weapon fire was about to happen. The animal would brace himself with both front legs and get steady. Pop! Pop! Wow! I was shooting from the saddle just like in a John Wayne movie! Yee haw!!!

It's a wonder that some of those Civil War era handguns didn't just blow apart on us. Can't recall being all that careful with not overloading those open frame hundred year old revolvers with fist fulls of black powder.

Was younger and better looking then and much less wise. Had lots of fun though!