The Flintlock Muzzle-Loader Versus the Modern Breach-Loader for long term wilderness living.

The Flintlock Muzzle-Loader Versus the Modern Breach-Loader for long term wilderness living.

The advantages of the breach-loader.

1) The breach-loader is easy to load, & repeaters are fast to reload.

2) Some rifles are accurate over a long distance.

3) The shotgun is fairly versatile but a short distance gun only.

4) The .22 rimfire rifle ammunition is light in comparison to larger calibers so you can carry a reasonable amount of ammo.

The disadvantages of the breach-loader.

The larger calibers use heavy ammunition, that is the weight of the brass shells combined with the lead is heavy. The 12 gauge shotgun ammunition is very heavy, so in both these cases you may be limited as to how much ammo you can carry with you. You could reload your own shells using the smaller & lighter hand loader, but you will still have to carry spare primers & possibly lead as well.

The .22 rimfire has its limitations when it comes to what game you can kill with it. Small to medium game should not be a problem with well placed shots, but the .22 rimfire does not have the power to consistently shoot larger game, i.e. larger game is more likely to get away wounded.

Advantages of a Flintlock Muzzle-loader.

1)      Ammo is less expensive than a modern equivalent calibre firearm.

2)    The smoothbore is very versatile, being able to digest round ball, bird shot, & buckshot, or any combination of two of these (can also use minies/conical slugs).

3)    The fusil is lighter to carry than a modern equivalent sized gun.

4)   You can vary the load if needs be.

5)    The smoothbore will digest other projectiles besides lead.

6)   Lead can be retrieved from downed game & remoulded with a simple mould & lead ladle. This means that you can carry less lead, & more of the lighter gunpowder.

7)    You can make your own gunpowder.

8)    You can use the lock to make fire without using gunpowder.

9)   You can use gunpowder for gunpowder tinder fire lighting if needs be.

10) IF the lock should malfunction (these are very robust & it is not likely) you can easily repair it if you are carrying a few spare springs & a few simple tools.

11)   If you do not have any spare parts & the lock malfunctions, you can easily convert it to a tinderlock or matchlock & continue using it.

12) You do not need a reloader, brass shells, caps, or primers. The latter have been known to break down in damp conditions or if they are stored for too long.

13)  Wadding for ball or shot is available from natural plant materials or homemade leather or rawhide.

14)Less chance of being affected by future ammunition control legislation.

15) Gunpowder is easily obtainable providing you have a muzzle-loader registered in your name regardless of calibre (NSW).

16) A .32 calibre flintlock rifle is more powerful than a .22 rimfire, less expensive to feed, more accurate over a greater distance, able to take small & medium sized game, & other than not being able to use shot (unless it is smoothbore), it has all the attributes of the other flintlocks. For larger game you can load with conical slugs, which of course you can make yourself in the field.

17) Damage from a .62 calibre or .70 calibre pistol or long arm is in the extreme. Wounded prey is unlikely to escape.

18)  By using buck & ball you are unlikely to miss your target. This load is capable of taking out more than one target.

19) There is less kick-back to a muzzle-loading gun.

20)            Antique Flintlock muzzle-loading guns do not require a license, registration, or a permit to purchase in NSW Australia.

The disadvantages of a flintlock muzzle-loader.

The muzzle-loading rifle is slower to load than a single shot breach-loader. Smoothbores are a little faster to load if you are using cartridges, but they are still slower to load than a modern breach-loader.

It takes skill & knowledge to get the best performance from a flintlock, but once learnt you should have no problems.

Gun flints need knapping from time to time to keep them sharp.

You can get misfires on occasions if you fail to keep the gun flint sharp, or if the gun flint should become loose in the jaws of the cock.

If anyone can add to this article I welcome your input.

Keith.

States agree on gun control code. AUSTRALIA.

States agree on gun control code Author: ANDREW DARBY, GERARD RYLE Date: 26/05/1995 Words: 590         Publication: The Age Page: 3

Hobart. The states took a tentative step towards uniform gun laws yesterday when police ministers agreed to establish a national gun-control code on shooter licensing, mail-order sale, safety training and secure storage. The Federal Government will also further restrict the importation of ammunition and machine pistols. But those attending the Australian Police Ministers Council yesterday left unresolved a national argument on the registration of all guns. The federal Justice Minister, Mr Kerr, described yesterday's code decision as ``a step towards uniformity". He said quick responses to shooting tragedies in different states in recent years had led to ad hoc, potentially conflicting standards. Now ministers had set up a mechanism to take a more considered, long-term view. Mr Kerr said the latest statistics showed that in 1993, only about 70 of Australia's 526 firearm deaths involved violent crime. The planned code was welcomed by Victoria's Police Minister, Mr McNamara, as the most significant improvement in decades, and one that would remedy Victorian concerns about the effect of more relaxed laws in other states. ``It's the hoons and lunatics that everyone wants to see firearms removed from," he said. ``We need to look at measures where we can more closely interact with mental health authorities so that we can identify persons who should be prohibited from obtaining firearms." The NSW Police Minister, Mr Paul Whelan, did not attend the meeting and is awaiting a briefing. Mr Kerr was confident that NSW and the other absent states, Queensland and the Northern Territory, would agree with the proposals. While all jurisdictions now follow the principle that firearms be securely stored, the provision was variously interpreted. A Western Australian model is being proposed in which guns must be kept in steel cabinets with separate lockable ammunition storage. The Victorian Justice Department is to coordinate the development of the code, which will be put before the next Police Ministers' Council meeting in Tasmania in November. The Commonwealth's tightening of imports will outlaw a variety of ammunition, including military ammunition greater than 12.7mm, tracer bullets, armour-piercing and flechette ammunition. Imports of standard hollow-point and soft-nosed ammunition will still be allowed, but a prohibition on military-style weapons will be extended to pistols configured as semi-automatic machineguns. The president of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, Mr Ted Drane, said there were up to four million licensed shooters who ought to be consulted before changes were made to gun laws. ``We will never have national gun registration because that would mean that too many people (politicians) would lose their seats if they did in places like Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania," he said. A spokesman said Victoria's chief commissioner of police, Mr Neil Comrie, said he supported uniform gun laws. THE PROPOSED GUN CONTROL CODE. Recognition of licensing, perhaps with a categorisation system. Control of mail order firearm sales. Firearm safety training standards. Pistol registration methods. Secure storage standards. Regulations governing types of ammunition are to be tightened.

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