How often do you shoot your antiques
- Thread starter rjf1963
- Start date
I enjoy shooting my Sniders and Martinis and have found that, once you have a routine, the cleanup is quick and even enjoyable. I wouldn't ever use anything but black powder in them. I have one Snider whose breech-block looks like the face has been beat with a hammer and has shortened enough to seriously affect headspace. The shoe and block are only surface hardened malleable wrought iron and I suspect something unreasonable was shot through that one. Perfectly good for BP- in trials tests they loaded cartridges with 150 grains BP and used multiple bullets without causing any damage whatsoever.
milsurpo
milsurpo
I have one that’s like that. Seller told me it was a shooter but has been abused like the one you describe. Seller offered to take it back so he was ok on the deal. I’ll take some pics and pm them to you for advice. It would be nice to be able to shoot it with BP rather than part it out. Other than the peaned block, the rifle is in nice condition.
I don't shoot either of my genuine Canadian Sniders here in UK. Here anybody can own an antique muzzleloading firearm long or short, and any cartridge-firing firearm, long or short, that is on the obsolete calibre list. This means that I can own a .50-70 Sharps without any form of permission, but NOT any kind of antque .45-70, because you can still buy ammuntion.
So if I wanted to SHOOT my Sniders, they would have to be entered on my Firearms Certificate - NOT an easy job, since my local chief Constable is not a shooter and doesn't like the idea of people having more than five guns - I have nineteen....
So if I wanted to SHOOT my Sniders, they would have to be entered on my Firearms Certificate - NOT an easy job, since my local chief Constable is not a shooter and doesn't like the idea of people having more than five guns - I have nineteen....
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- Location
- vancouver island
I have in my small collection an English stalking rifle by Wilson-London in .36 cal that I use regularly in squirrel shoots here and in the US. It will shoot better than I can and the nice part is the comments I get on it, particularly on the nice damascus barrel.It sees about 300 shots per season.
infideleggwelder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Not anywhere near enough
I have shot many of mine at least a few times, with the qualification that the hammer shotguns are antique in age but not in law (10, 12, 16, and 20 guage guns are not considered antique) I have an O/U belgian pistol that is semi accurate although the rifling sort of wanders down the barrel. I tend not to shoot original muzzle loading rifles in competition because most are too heavy. Of my cartridge rifles, my favourites are somewhere in the middle because I have rebarreld original actions
cheers mooncoon
cheers mooncoon
I don't keep guns just to look at. One way or another I find a way to shoot them although for some it may be too much trouble to do it frequently. Guns that I can't use are just decorations and have little appeal to me.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
I have a couple of antique pistols ( 1863 Rem "New Model" and what was a very beat up 1884 SAA that I rebuilt back to firing condition) that I'm still working up the courage to shoot but my long guns get used regularly, prob 5:1 rounds through the antiques over my modern guns.
I have been out twice with my 1863 Sharps carbine 50-70. My first time with BPCR as well. The rifle shot well and I am now hopelessly addicted. Load was 63gr of Goex2f, .03 veggie wad and Jet Bullet 450gr. Very pleasant recoil. Ran patches after every 3 shots. The bullets were .512 instead of .515 but did quite well. Now on to the 50-90.
