Black Powder Cartridge Fall 2021

Sharp-eyed readers will notice that we have overhauled our “Competitions” portion of the magazine. The information presented there was in dire need of editing, as there were out-of-date contact numbers and information. If you are a contact person for your club or simply a member, please take the time to review your club’s information and see if it is correct. The function of the newly titled “Rifle Clubs” section is to provide riflemen with a basic contact point to ascertain what competitions are going on in given locale. Space limitations made it impossible to list all the competitions offered by a club, so simply listing the contact person gives the prospective shooter someone who can fill them in on what a club in his area has in the way of competitive shooting. Many match dates have been altered or changed due to COVID-19, so listing a contact instead makes it much easier to provide uncompromised, up-to-date information. ...Read More >

Our cover for this issue was sent to us, once again by William P. Mapoles, a regular contributor and firearms experimental archaeologist. A long title to simply say that Bill enjoys exploring commonly held ideas about historic firearms and coming up with data based on real use. His article dealing with the .56-50 cartridge in this issue, is no exception. Bill points out several erroneous assumptions made over the years about the famous Spencer repeater and the .56-50 cartridge. ...Read More >

Mr. Gilbert wrote in his article, “Two Clever Cartridge Conversions,” in Issue #113, “When the breechloader was first invented by Johannes Samuel Pauly in 1812, ...” ...Read More >

With the whole world on the threshold of the smokeless powder era, transitioning from black powder to the new nitro powders – with lead bullets – was not a smooth passage nor was it a sudden event. The process involved a devotion to grappling with unknowns such as much steeper rifling pitches and their attendant rotational speed, searing ignition temperatures and the violent jolt of abrupt bullet starts. Adopting old techniques to the new challenge hadn’t proven successful. Easing cast bullet technology into the smokeless era called for clear thinking, analytical personalities with a willingness to plow this unfurrowed ground. The realm of opportunity was, for a time, wide open, but lacking an authority with an expertise or experience. ...Read More >

On June 5-6, the Worland Shooting Complex hosted the Eighth Annual Wyoming State Mid-Range BPTR Championship. We had spent countless hours and money to upgrade the shooting complex, in particular the pit area, as it was in desperate need of improvements. So now it is covered, safe and a more inviting area of the range. ...Read More >

This Model 1865 Spencer carbine was found in a small cave in southeastern Arizona and it gives a chilling insight into the life and death struggles in Apache country. In this article, we will explore the restoration and accuracy of the gun, as well as some myths about the .56-50 cartridge. Then, we will discuss a hunting trip and the effectiveness of the cartridge on big game. We will not dwell on the earlier Spencer Model 1860 of Civil War fame, but rather on this Indian War model. ...Read More >

The internet is one of the greatest sources available to a collector looking for interesting variations of virtually any nineteenth-century domestic firearm. Such was the case with the example covered in this article. After just missing out on a really nice Winchester High Wall because I did not have enough money when it was available, I sold one of my high-end British black powder double rifles and was rolling in cash – a collector’s dream situation! The rifle that got away was an excellent condition Model 1885 in .30-40 Government with double-set triggers; a chambering I had wanted in a High Wall for a long time. This particular rifle was on a dealer’s website that I had dealt with several times before, but alas, some other lucky person now has it. ...Read More >

At the end of Part II, I said I would share with you the “secret” of winning and the importance of recordkeeping. ...Read More >

So, what is a Cape Gun? According to Hallowell & Co., a dealer in fine sporting guns, the definition is as follows: ...Read More >

A few years ago, some of the boys and I started a new doin’s called “Buffalo Camp.” This particular sport is a take-off of the modern-day rendezvous held by the buckskinners, modeled somewhat after the great fur trade rendezvous that ran approximately from 1825 to 1840. Those old rendezvous were where the trappers could sell their furs, get resupplied, and in general get “loose” and have a good time. Today’s black powder rendezvous are mostly shooting events, where the shooters can also have a good time. The Buffalo Camps are much like that, but our shooting is mainly done with black-powder cartridge guns and in between the matches we do have a good time! ...Read More >

At one point, a shooting partner of mine had a cabin on Raton Pass near the Whittington Center in New Mexico. Outside of barbecuing and talking about shooting, it was quiet and slow at the cabin. One discovery was a stack of Precision Shooting journals on the bookshelf in the guest room. These were the early editions, with no glossy paper and no fancy binding. Having never read Precision Shooting, the content was a revelation to me; wonderful articles all about the details of rifles and rifle shooting. There was one contributor that always had my attention and that was Creighton Audette. Available bio information indicated Audette had an engineering background, was a shooter, gunsmith, and worked at Frankford Arsenal. He was a member of the U.S. Palma Team and won multiple National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. I certainly would have enjoyed having a conversation with this gentleman. He had a very scientific approach to making rifles shoot accurately and the ability to put it to use on the range. ...Read More >

Something that has always amused me when the conversation gets around to the hide-hunting in the 1870s and 1880s, is the use of Frank H. Mayer’s term “Buffalo Runner” to describe a professional hide-hunter.1 Over the years, I have read a lot of articles, memorandum books, diaries and manuscripts, and I do not recall any professional buffalo hunter except Mayer referring to themselves as a “buffalo runner.” ...Read More >