Welland 44th Bn of Infantry Snider

[tacfoley]

arrove this morning - not too shabby - just under five weeks from shipping via dog sled and caribou travois.

It's a 1862-date BSA three-groove three-band rifle with lots of good clear stamps. Seen some life, but hey, haven't we all? The rifling is god and sharp - it will be a good shooter, I'm sure, even with me behind it.

Needs a good in-service cleaning and TLC, something that I'll derive great pleasure from administering over the next week or so, and then get it over to Birmingham to get it proofed so that I can shoot it, and my widow can sell it.

Here in UK it's an antique, since there is no ammunition ready-made, so I can own it without any form of permission. However, if I want to shoot the thing, and TBH, who wouldn't?, I first have to ditch one of my Section 1 rifled firearms [I have eighteen], to get this one 'on ticket' as they say here. Bullets are not a problem - got eight different-sized moulds from .575" to .590", and all the expertise that isn't in UK is here to call on - the benefits of the internet.

I'll keep you posted, and meanwhile, to Paul in Ontario - many, many thanks - you can be sure it's found a good home here with me.

Best to all

tac
Snider #290

 

[ciphery]

So how difficult is it to procure lead in the UK for those 1 1/4oz. bullets you intend on making?

 

[tacfoley]

Lead in UK?

Not a problem, after all, the Romans came here for it and there seems to be plenty left for me now they're gone. I've been shooting muzzleloaders here in UK since around Fall 1974, on and off, like tens of thousands of us into muzzle-loading. Scrap metal dealers who specialise in older house deconstruction are the places to go, since Victorian plumbing lead is far better than anything we have today. My local source has around five or six tons of it to hand at any one time - a quarter of a ton of it has my name on it.

Best

tac