1863 springfield

[hyena429]

Out shooting our old 1863 springfield very old stainless repro we owned for 30 years now... Good old shooter " always has been" using 90 grains of swiss powder in her

[Junk Yard Dog]

30 years is very old??? I bought mine about 30 years ago, that make me old? We shoot stuff 100+ years old around here, what is that Japanese made, or Italian? Mine is Pedersoli of Italy. 60-70 grains FFG is the normal charge for these, 90 is pushing it. Round ball or mini ball?

[Junk Yard Dog]

second rifle down from the top

[hyena429]

We had it for 30 years...Gun was much older than that ;) for a repro that is....We had a original parker snow, but due to age and shape, could only safely shoot half loads threw it.

Yup..90 is pushing it and kickin like a mule...We mix a bit of tin in the mini ball so they dont deform in flight.

Some of the longer range shooters i seen..Use even more ..we do not shoot 90 threw it every day that is for sure, just for show and a kick and to get it waaaay down range...We got some nice long fields here.

Most guys tring to get a ball out 800-900 yards with a springfield repro use about 95ish... Nothing i would ever do with a original or a cheap repro.. our springfield come from Japan atleast..lol and they are known for quality steel. I would say this Japan Repro is about 40-50 years old...Which for a japan one is old, and been a hell of a good rifle " much better than we thought when we picked it up many moons ago"



Pedersoli makes some good stuff...Also like Navy Arms too

[hyena429]

here is us shooting a bit farther out on this vid...but not using 90...using about 75 grains of 2F ;)

[Junk Yard Dog]

Miroku of Japan made that one, I believe they started in the late 1960's sometime and they are a quality build. Dixie Gun Works sold them for many years, and they predate the Italian imports. I tried running a little hard lead in my miniball production, the cape failed to flair and catch the rifling, every round keyholed the target. I switched back to the pure stuff and the problem evaporated. I still have a couple hundred hard mini's, I probably shouldn't have used radiological lead, it's 30/70, but at the time it was available.

[musketjon]

I shoot an original Wm Mason 1863 contract rifle-musket in CWSA competition. One does NOT need to use 90+ grains of BP to throw a minie ball 900 yards. The standard service load was, and still is 60 grains of rifle powder (read that as 2F). I use 50 grains of 2F with a Lyman 575213OS bullet in competition. DO NOT mix tin with the lead for minie's. First of all, the bullet will not deform in flight (where in the Sam-Hell did you hear that one??), and secondly, the skirt of the bullet will not obturate and seal the bore or grip the rifling as it is supposed to do. Methinks you need a little more education on shooting these fine, old firearms.
And I seriously doubt that you have a stainless steel barrel. The originals are iron (although there were a very few made of steel, and are so marked on the top of the barrel) and the modern repros are mild steel left in the white. I've been at this game for 40+ years and have never seen a SS musket barrel. Ruger revolvers--yes. Muskets-no.
Jon
Top rifle is the Wm Mason. 2nd is an original Smith Carbine, also used in CWSA competition. 3rd down is a 5th model Burnside Carbine, again, used in CWSA competition.