waarp8nt
12-28-2016, 08:30 PM
183707
Many years ago, when he was 15 years old, my friend bought a New Reproduction Springfield Musket with the idea of doing some Civil War Reenactments. He joined a group of reenactors base out of Charleston, IL. His group consisted of mostly Eastern Illinois college students, a High School history teacher and a few random folks. To be "Historically Correct" they had him buy a 69 caliber flintlock Springfield Musket and it was to be converted to percussion cap by a local gunsmith. The gunsmith had supposedly performed the conversion a number of times and his fellow reenactors were allegedly happy with his work. To make a rather long story somewhat shorter he got the musket back, unfinished only after law enforcement got involved.
The work that was finished includes the frizzen removed, a shoulder silver soldered on to hold the nipple and what appeared to be JB weld on the flash hole and gummed up into a #11 nipple.
It the time we decided it to be unsafe and to be honest we felt there to little if nothing to lose, so we finished the repairs ourselves. I removed all JB weld. Tapped the flash hole and installed a screw with a tack weld from a mig welder to hold it (basically melted the screw to the barrel). We ordered a musket nipple and tapped it to fit. I am satisfied with the work we done, however I'm apprehensive about the silver solder since the rest of the work was so poor.
Again, all of this happened many years ago and to be honest it's has been a wall hanger since. He worked hard doing roofs during the summer to pay for the rifle and some gear. He would like to be able to share shooting it with his family. Any advice? Proof test? Start with 60 grains and a round ball? Leave it to "reenactor loads" or just return it to the wall?
***I forgot...my friend and the musket can be seen marching in the beginning of the movie "Glory" along with a number of other locals including the History teacher.***
Many years ago, when he was 15 years old, my friend bought a New Reproduction Springfield Musket with the idea of doing some Civil War Reenactments. He joined a group of reenactors base out of Charleston, IL. His group consisted of mostly Eastern Illinois college students, a High School history teacher and a few random folks. To be "Historically Correct" they had him buy a 69 caliber flintlock Springfield Musket and it was to be converted to percussion cap by a local gunsmith. The gunsmith had supposedly performed the conversion a number of times and his fellow reenactors were allegedly happy with his work. To make a rather long story somewhat shorter he got the musket back, unfinished only after law enforcement got involved.
The work that was finished includes the frizzen removed, a shoulder silver soldered on to hold the nipple and what appeared to be JB weld on the flash hole and gummed up into a #11 nipple.
It the time we decided it to be unsafe and to be honest we felt there to little if nothing to lose, so we finished the repairs ourselves. I removed all JB weld. Tapped the flash hole and installed a screw with a tack weld from a mig welder to hold it (basically melted the screw to the barrel). We ordered a musket nipple and tapped it to fit. I am satisfied with the work we done, however I'm apprehensive about the silver solder since the rest of the work was so poor.
Again, all of this happened many years ago and to be honest it's has been a wall hanger since. He worked hard doing roofs during the summer to pay for the rifle and some gear. He would like to be able to share shooting it with his family. Any advice? Proof test? Start with 60 grains and a round ball? Leave it to "reenactor loads" or just return it to the wall?
***I forgot...my friend and the musket can be seen marching in the beginning of the movie "Glory" along with a number of other locals including the History teacher.***