The Mk III Snider Long Rifle and the Ballard Carbine: Firepower Compared

Incurable Collectoer said:
Lorne helped out a lot on this video and even more on the upcoming one.
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lorne19 said:
Hi Terry. As Incurable Collector stated my finger prints are on this project, although in a small way. The next video(s) will feature a very special Ballard Rifle with deep connections to the action at Eccles Hill.
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lorne19 said:
I won't say anymore, you'll just have to wait for the next video(s) to be released.
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How's that next video coming along I wonder?
 
Incurable Collectoer said:
It is taking a bit longer because we have more people involved so there is more scheduling and coordination necessary. However, we are working on it.
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We all know that the real reason is because Rob is still recovering from Inkerman and lets be honest at an average growth rate of 1/4" per month it takes time to increase the epicenes level of ones mustache. Seriously though, at this point there are at least 6 people involved that I'm aware of and field work taking place at two ends of the country. Great projects take time to come together and I feel this one will be great and worth the wait.
 
Like you to know how much I enjoyed the movie that you and Rob put together. It provided me with a fascinating insight into the activities of those 'pesky Patsys' as my great uncle called the Fenians, and how their 'uppance' was 'got'.

More would be good, please, I'm looking forward to it already!
 
tacfoley said:
Like you to know how much I enjoyed the movie that you and Rob put together. It provided me with a fascinating insight into the activities of those 'pesky Patsys' as my great uncle called the Fenians, and how their 'uppance' was 'got'.

More would be good, please, I'm looking forward to it already!
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I'm glad you enjoyed the first video. We are working on more but, I better not give too much away though, Lorne is right this has become a great project. One day I casually suggested to Rob that he should do a video on Eccles Hill and he has taken it to a Cecil B. Demille level of production.
We were very fortunate to get Lorne and Ross on board since they have access to the actual battle site and a wealth of local knowledge.
 
JP said:
To bad they did not use a proper Ballard rifle in the video as used by the Red Sashes, instead of that strange looking carbine.
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I suspect the vertical spread of the Ballard shots was probably at least partially due to the gun being a carbine and easier to "flinch down" if you pulled the trigger too quickly. I think the time required for ten shots with the Ballard would have been much closer to the Snider if true rimfire ammo was being used because with blanks as primers and that took extra time to orient them in the correct position. I found the video quite informative just the same, especially the map with the troop movements

cheers mooncoon
 
Incurable Collectoer said:
The B.C. forests have to double as the Eastern Townships background for the video. One day I will have to get out that way and visit the Eccles Hill battle ground.
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If you want to trace the movements of the Fenians coming up on the American side, Vermont Route 105, which runs between the towns of Richford and St Albans, has an official historical marker where the Irish lads detrained and crossed the Mississquoi River to march to the border. The marker is right on the bridge where that happened and is somewhat perilous to read due to traffic, but it can't be missed if you're heading west. In the 1960s, there was a article about the 1870 raid in the old Canadian magazine 'The Family Herald' that was partly written for laughs I guess. It described how the Fenians, who'd had nothing to eat but salt pork since leaving New York City, were driven so mad by thirst that they jumped from the train, swarmed down to the river, and gulped down the water like madmen, filling up their boots and pouring it down their throats. That would have happened where the marker is.

Edit: Got to thinking that the story may have appeared in a very similar formatted magazine called "The Star Weekly." We got both, the Family Herald was farm oriented and the Star Weekly was more urban, came from Montreal or Toronto.
 
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Big Bad said:
Got some family history connected to this one: after the Fenian Brotherhood, supposedly composed of US Civil War veterans, had come up from the USA in 1866 and briefly invaded my home area, looting and vandalizing farmhouses and relieving citizens of their watches and other personal valuables before returning to the USA with a Union Jack they used to raise money in places like Boston and New York City, a group of local gentleman, including one of my ancestors, were convinced the Fenians would return and formed a local militia to fight against them, calling themselves 'the Red Sashes' and importing a large number of Ballard rifles from the USA which they used to drill and target practice with on their own time, using barns in the winter. When the Fenians did show up a second time, in 1870, they were met by the assembled Red Sashes, attempted a charge up a place called Eccles Hill, got their asses shot off and vanished back south in about 20 minutes, abandoning their artillery field piece just over the border in Vermont, where it was captured and hauled into Canada, then used in July 1 parades for years afterwards. It now stands on a monument marking the battlefield. Anyway, this video talks about the carbine version personally purchased Ballard rifles those men defended their homes and all of Canada with. And no, I don't have one but I do have the medal that was issued to all the Red Sashes.



Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Eccles_Hill
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perfect example of "sometimes you don't know your making a mistake until it's too late".
 
Big Bad said:
If you want to trace the movements of the Fenians coming up on the American side, Vermont Route 105, which runs between the towns of Richford and St Albans, has an official historical marker where the Irish lads detrained and crossed the Mississquoi River to march to the border. The marker is right on the bridge where that happened and is somewhat perilous to read due to traffic, but it can't be missed if you're heading west. In the 1960s, there was a article about the 1870 raid in the old Canadian magazine 'The Family Herald' that was partly written for laughs I guess. It described how the Fenians, who'd had nothing to eat but salt pork since leaving New York City, were driven so mad by thirst that they jumped from the train, swarmed down to the river, and gulped down the water like madmen, filling up their boots and pouring it down their throats. That would have happened where the marker is.

Edit: Got to thinking that the story may have appeared in a very similar formatted magazine called "The Star Weekly." We got both, the Family Herald was farm oriented and the Star Weekly was more urban, came from Montreal or Toronto.
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The Fenian raid of 1870 is a fascinating story and it still has more that we need to find out and rediscover. Unfortunately, we won't be able to film on the other side of the border so our focus will be from when the Fenians cross the border.


I suspect the vertical spread of the Ballard shots was probably at least partially due to the gun being a carbine and easier to "flinch down" if you pulled the trigger too quickly. I think the time required for ten shots with the Ballard would have been much closer to the Snider if true rimfire ammo was being used because with blanks as primers and that took extra time to orient them in the correct position. I found the video quite informative just the same, especially the map with the troop movements

cheers mooncoon
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I am a slow shooter at the best of times so, probably not the best person to show off how fast a Ballard could be shot. The reloading sequence should be faster than a Snider since the gun does not have to be tipped over to dump the spent case. It might not look like it but, the results are stellar compared to the previous loads where I could not hit the side of a barn. It took a bit of mucking around to get a load that worked.
 
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Incurable Collectoer said:
The Fenian raid of 1870 is a fascinating story and it still has more that we need to find out and rediscover. Unfortunately, we won't be able to film on the other side of the border so our focus will be from when the Fenians cross the border.
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Yeah I was just talking about if/when you're visiting, and also using the post as a way to work in the colourful salt pork story.
 
'Unfortunately, we won't be able to film on the other side of the border so our focus will be from when the Fenians cross the border.'

You mean that the inhabitants of the Lower 48th don't like it when they get a reminder about a serious a$$-whuppin'? ;)
 
tacfoley said:
'Unfortunately, we won't be able to film on the other side of the border so our focus will be from when the Fenians cross the border.'

You mean that the inhabitants of the Lower 48th don't like it when they get a reminder about a serious a$$-whuppin'? ;)
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I don't know how they feel about the Fenian Raids but you do want to watch what you say about the War of 1812. The only time I've been called a communist was when I got into that with a group of usually informed US citizens.
 
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