Black Powder Cartridge News Fall 2019

The recent revelations concerning the NRA, or more specifically, the controversy surrounding Wayne LaPierre, Lt. Col. Oliver North and Chris Cox, have certainly given many gun owners food for serious thought. Adding to the general confusion is the apparent obfuscation on the part of the NRA, who is attempting to say “All’s well…move along, nothing to see here.” Obviously, all is not well and their attempts to minimize the controversy are simply adding to many NRA members’ misgivings. ...Read More >

Our old friend and regular BPC NEWS contributor Miles Gilbert is responsible for this issue’s cover featuring a great photograph of James H. Cook ...Read More >

Theodore Roosevelt’s celebrated 1909 African hunt made him the toast of America’s press and the talk of its citizens, but to many entrepreneurs it represented another fresh profit angle not to be overlooked. Some of these were known to push the limits of good taste and fair play. ...Read More >

If you want to shoot at one of the greatest ranges in the country, compete with some of the very best riflemen and women in the country and enter a match that is just about the most fun possible, you better make plans to get on down to the .22 BPCRA National Championship next year. This year’s .22 BPCRA National Championship was held July 2nd and 3rd at the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico, and it was a ton of fun! On behalf of the .22 BPCRA board of directors, I want to thank everyone that shot, donated to and helped run this fantastic match. Here’s a bit of a run-down of some of the happenings that went on. ...Read More >

Here are the latest matches scheduled. This is a state by state list of the upcoming matches. ...Read More >

How did our ancestors carry, stow and transport their guns? We all know the cowboys carried their revolvers in holsters or stuck them in their belts, while a gambler might keep his concealed, but always at the ready. The Army was fond of saddle holsters for their Dragoon pistols up until around the time of the War of 1861 when smaller belt pistols came into use. The mountain men carried their plains rifles in buckskin sleeves as did some Native Americans. We know this because we’ve done our homework by studying Fredric Remington paintings, watching Hollywood and Italian westerns and the like. It’s always a good idea however, to gather facts from more accurate sources. ...Read More >

Years ago, while in New Zealand, I had the good fortune to read a book on deer stalking in that country by Lieutenant Colonel Montagu Cradock titled, Sport in New Zealand. Published in 1904 after Cradock had spent two years stalking red and fallow deer, it was filled with hunting experiences and tips for the prospective New Zealand hunter. I enjoy reading the old books on hunting anywhere in the world, but especially those dealing with the early-day deer stalking and culling in New Zealand. Although their recommendations on equipment can be dated and sometimes quaint, there is still an abundance of good information that applies to hunting today. ...Read More >

After keeping it a complete secret for nearly a year, I finally get to tell you about the new remake of the Hopkins & Allen Model 922 being manufactured by C. Sharps Arms. The original Hopkins & Allen 922 falling block rifle was introduced about 1888, soon after the .22 Long Rifle cartridge was developed. That rifle and the .22 Long Rifle cartridge made a natural pair and they worked together very well. Let me tell you about this new version of the old Hopkins & Allen design ...Read More >

Percussion Sharps carbines were an evolutionary “work in progress” from the 1840’s until the final claim of perfection with the New Model 1859. We are all familiar with the accuracy of the Civil War models, but how accurate were the so-called “slant-breech” versions, especially the early ones? I have never seen a detailed, modern shooting test of these early models, so I found an original Model 1852 with an excellent bore and tight breechblock to establish the ground truth. ...Read More >

James H. Cook was born in southern Michigan on August 26, 1857, but his mother died when he was two. His father was a seafaring man and placed him with a family named Titus, who were one of the oldest and most respected families in that part of the state. They exhibited industry, frugality, integrity and “every Christian virtue.” The men took pride in their skill as marksmen and they taught the young Cook to become a master woodsman. ...Read More >

In the early days, there was a tannery in almost every community. The bark of the oak, chestnut or hemlock was the principle material used in tanning leather. Chemicals and imported materials were, for a long time, unknown. Some sections of the country had no bark and so no tanneries. Between those regions and the ones having tanneries there grew up the practice of exchanging hides for leather. ...Read More >

The Elterich Rifle Bullet Shell (R-B-S) was patented in 1901 by Paul Otto Elterich (672824A) and was a cartridge adapter for shotguns, allowing them to fire centerfire rifle and pistol ammunition. The R-B-S consisted of a brass shotgun shell containing a steel chamber and a section of a rifled barrel. The brass shell had several longitudinal slots, which allowed the shell walls to be formed in a way that was somewhat ‘springy’ so that it would fit snug when inserted into the shotgun chamber. While the No. 1 and 2 had no additional barrel extension beyond the end of the shell, the No. 3, 4 and 5 had barrel extensions up to 7 ¼ inches. ...Read More >

My first introduction to Dan Highley and his Vigilante Bullet Lube was with muzzleloaders. They offer a patch lube and gun grease, both of which work very well and I gave them a good review in Muzzleloader magazine in the “Prime Possibles” section. Now it is my pleasure to give them another good product review after using their black powder cartridge lube in several BPC rifles. ...Read More >