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View Full Version : R.Lee Emery & Muzzle loaders



1Shirt
08-30-2010, 04:15 PM
Don't know how many saw the Gunny do the show on (Bullets) on the history channel last night. It started with muzzle loaders and went thru 50BMG, with a strong Hornady ad (in my opinion). Now being a Nebraskan, I am a strong supporter of Hornady, Hornady bullets, and Steve Hornady and the NRA. That said, I felt that there was a whole whooooop of missing info. I spent a number of years shooting and competing with front stuffers of all kinds, and shot in and around the Grand Island area considerably. It started with him shooting a flinter with Neal (who I have known for many years, and like very much) shooting a round ball. No problem there, it was done right. BUT-then with the same flinter, went to shooting a mini at watermellons (I think). It also showed a musket shooter (proper for the mini), but not one that the Gunny did not get to shoot. Don't know hardly anybody shooting traditional front stuffers who stuffed plains type rifles with mini balls. That bothered me! Then to another range and with a 54 Renegade did a bit with how fast a man could load and shoot with paper ctgs. and the mini. Once again, wrong shooting iron. Should have been a musket, preferably 58 cal, and preferably a springfield. AND, one of the big factors was the fumbleing with the standard percussion cap on the Renegade, when any reinactor of the Civil war knows that the standard cap for a musket would be a top hat cap that is much larger and easier to handle than the small standard cap. Needless to say, it took the Gunny about a min and a half to get a round off. Had he been shooting a musket, w/top hat primers would have been a different story I believe.
Then in sequence the show went to center fires and the 45-70 trap door, and they did ok on that one (in my opinion). And then to 44 Mag in I think a Ruger Super BH, and here is where I got my hackles up! This was the comparison of the "Lead bullet" to the jacketed bullet. This was where the Lead bullet would MELT in the bore, leaving Leading and that after a few rounds would be a totally leaded bore. To me they gave the Gunny a pile of jacketed bullet whohaw(polite wording for ****). In the beginning, they showed Neal casting round balls for front stuffers. No mention however of cast boolits, and the fact that we'ins have been running cast thru our rifles and hand guns at vols up to in some cases 2600 fps+. There was no mention of rimfires in the historical perspective of the development of bullets/ctgs. There was no mention of pin fires etc, and a whole lot left out. Being an old jarhead, I have a lot of respect for the old Gunny and the way he puts out the show. That said, think he got snookered more than a little bit on the historical accuracy of a number of factors involving projectiles, front loaders, lead projectiles, and no mention of cast boolits. Bet Elmer Kieth would have had as much of a problem with this presentation as I did!
Semper Fi!
1Shirt!:coffeecom

376Steyr
08-30-2010, 05:14 PM
I, too, cringe sometimes at the over-simplifications the History Channel uses when it comes to firearms. On the other hand this is a program aimed at folks who are just waiting for "Pawn Stars" and "Dinosaur Engineering Disasters #12" to come on, so I think their efforts at getting across the basic concepts of firearms history and development are to be commended. It sure beats seeing some of the drivel spouted elsewhere on the tube.

NSP64
08-30-2010, 05:16 PM
Maybe you should write the History channel. I didn't see it yet.

montana_charlie
08-30-2010, 05:41 PM
It doesn't require a firearms encyclopedia embedded in one's brain to realize there are errors...sometimes fairly drastic ones...in every History Channel production which focuses on 'guns'.

CM

izzyjoe
08-30-2010, 08:33 PM
friend of mine says, heck it's just television. [smilie=f:

Echo
08-31-2010, 01:19 AM
friend of mine says, heck it's just television. [smilie=f:

I say, EVERYTHING ON THE SCREEN IS FICTION! Big screen, little screen, mox nix.

Also, remember, R. Lee Ermey medically retired as a E-6 Staff Sgt, and was awarded the Gunnery Sgt rank for - well, whatever. And he has been in other films besides FMJ.

Bret4207
08-31-2010, 07:45 AM
I believe he was given the honorary rank of Gunnery Sergeant for his support of the Corps.

His first role I recall was "The Boys in Company C". That and "The DI" with Jack Webb were the 70's versions of "FMJ". IOW, all the wanabes get everything they know about the Corps and boot camp from the movie.

cajun shooter
08-31-2010, 08:30 AM
Yes it was a honorary given to him. I do know that I made the E-4 the hardest way possible. I did it "TWICE" Ha!! Ha!! Those darn Battalion 15's don't help one advance as one should.

Mal Paso
08-31-2010, 10:37 AM
I didn't catch the show and won't. The History Channel is so full of Misinformation I quit watching.

Wayne Smith
08-31-2010, 11:02 AM
It doesn't require a firearms encyclopedia embedded in one's brain to realize there are errors...sometimes fairly drastic ones...in every History Channel production which focuses on 'guns'.

CM

Not just guns, almost everything they show. For one thing TV shows are so short they have to simplify everything, a book has infinately more information than even a movie can show. Part of it is the limitations of visual information.

82nd airborne
08-31-2010, 11:23 AM
Yes it was a honorary given to him. I do know that I made the E-4 the hardest way possible. I did it "TWICE" Ha!! Ha!! Those darn Battalion 15's don't help one advance as one should.

Hey me too! lets start a club!

Bloodman14
08-31-2010, 12:02 PM
On "Mail Call", didn't he say that he was a Vietnam vet, served in a USMC Aviation unit, and was a genuine 'Gunny'? That's what I heard him say while watching "Mail Call" (that was/is a good show!).

NSP64
08-31-2010, 12:02 PM
Hey, He's a jarhead done good. He has made a career for himself after the Corp. If he gets one person interested in shootin, he has done good. Alot of times we're to quick to judge. My hat is off to those who can pull the errors out of the shows. It forces the writers and directors to be truthful.


Have you seen the Geico commercial where he is a therapist. now thats funny.

Echo
08-31-2010, 04:01 PM
+1 for nsp64...

He HAS done USMC well.

And I knew a guy who made E-5 THREE times! WWII, got out to play baseball, Korea came along and he went back in, but couldn't find the correct paperwork, so came back in as an E-4, made E-5 again, got out again, still no go on the baseball scene, re-upped as an E-4 AGAIN. Retired as an E-9.

(No 15's...)

Freightman
08-31-2010, 04:57 PM
Have you seen the Geico commercial where he is a therapist. now that's funny.[/QUOTE]
Lots of "cry babies" out there!

Rocky Raab
08-31-2010, 06:17 PM
At the SHOT Show this year, I strolled past a lllooooonnnnngg waiting line. I expected to some some highly enhanced booth babe at the end of it, but when I turned the corner, there sat R. Lee! I bet the wait was a hour to get your five seconds and a handshake - and you had to buy something to get him to autograph it.

I passed.

a.squibload
09-03-2010, 09:50 PM
History channel is not a precision product.


I did enjoy the episode on cannon, he shot some 55-gal drums with a round ball, blew the first one apart and penetrated the second.

Then used a different cannon, the projectile was twice the weight of the round ball, more cylindrical like a boolit, and had tabs on either side.
The tabs fit in 2 grooves in the barrel.
That one exploded several barrels and penetrated all of 'em.

Slow-mo cameras are cool!

slim1836
09-03-2010, 10:09 PM
1Shirt, it's "ERMEY" not Emery. Now drop and give me 20.

1Shirt
09-04-2010, 09:12 PM
Slim, Spellin tain't my strong suit! And if I did drop for 20, at my age it would be for 20 winks! R. Lee (however you spell his name) has done a lot of positive promotion for the Corps, and I will never knock anyone or anything that promotes the USMC.
Semper Fi!
1Shirt!:coffee:

slim1836
09-04-2010, 10:07 PM
I agree, I could not give 20 now-a-days either. Semper Fi!

c3d4b2
09-05-2010, 09:25 PM
When I stop and think about the hours I have put in learning about the shooting sports and how much I do not know, I have a hard time getting upset with a 30 to 60 min TV show (unless they are portraying firearms in a bad light). They have limited time and limited resources, and may be mislead by their hired "experts".

To be fare, there seems to be differing and incorrect opinions on several shooting subjects. I have learned several things on this site that have nullified previous incorrect information. It is also hard to find the experience and knowledge that is available on this site.

With this in mind, I would drop the History channel a polite note saying you noticed several errors and offer your service in the future to improve the shows accuracy in the future.

On another note...

Sgt. Ermey is a shooter. He has shown up to shoot the nationals at Camp Perry the past few years. He was a couple of targets down from my nephew this year.

Arisaka99
09-05-2010, 10:14 PM
Im younger than just about everyone on this here board, and yet, even I cant drop and give anyone 20.

Bret4207
09-06-2010, 07:45 AM
I just checked, I can still give you 20 USMC push ups.

Semper Fi, Cpl Bret USMC '79-'83

1Shirt
09-06-2010, 02:28 PM
Bret, I've got socks and skivies older than you! Semper Fi, L/Cpl-57-60!
1Shirt!:coffee:

Bret4207
09-06-2010, 02:54 PM
Ooooh RAH!

9.3X62AL
09-06-2010, 03:04 PM
Thanks to all the MARINES here, for their service to our country.

I enjoy R. Lee Ermey's contributions on film, and just pass over the errors I note. Last time I looked, I had no nail scars on my palms--so I still reserve the right to be wrong, and accept that from others as well.

Echo
09-06-2010, 04:20 PM
Im younger than just about everyone on this here board, and yet, even I cant drop and give anyone 20.

About the best I could do is drop - and that counts for 1/2...

a.squibload
09-08-2010, 12:15 AM
Even _I_ could do 20.

But I'd be sore tomorrow!

xzqzq
10-04-2010, 02:14 AM
I say, EVERYTHING ON THE SCREEN IS FICTION! Big screen, little screen, mox nix.

Also, remember, R. Lee Ermey medically retired as a E-6 Staff Sgt, and was awarded the Gunnery Sgt rank for - well, whatever. And he has been in other films besides FMJ.

Yes, I loved the Vietnam movie ' Siege of Firebase Gloria ' which the Gunny was in, with Wings Hauser....