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I've seen original Kentucky rifles in .36, .40 & .41 all of which are capable of excellent accuracy. As to the .54 Cal, the M1814 was in .54, a rifle used by the US Army right after the War of 1812. So .54 was around for quite sometime. You can find martial arms all the way up to .85 cal still in use at the time of the ACW.
I think the idea of a Palmetto M1841 is a good idea for a deer rifle but I would advise you to leave off the brass scope. It's not accurate rep of the original arm and frankly it doesn't assist in the shooting. I've never seen a reference to an M1841 w/ a scope. For the Palmetto, keep the original configuration, IMO it will be a better hunting rifle. To me putting a brass scope on a M1841... you might as well put a red dot on it. It just sticks out as an anachronism.
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
I've seen original Kentucky rifles in .36, .40 & .41 all of which are capable of excellent accuracy. As to the .54 Cal, the M1814 was in .54, a rifle used by the US Army right after the War of 1812. So .54 was around for quite sometime. You can find martial arms all the way up to .85 cal still in use at the time of the ACW.
I think the idea of a Palmetto M1841 is a good idea for a deer rifle but I would advise you to leave off the brass scope. It's not accurate rep of the original arm and frankly it doesn't assist in the shooting. I've never seen a reference to an M1841 w/ a scope. For the Palmetto, keep the original configuration, IMO it will be a better hunting rifle. To me putting a brass scope on a M1841... you might as well put a red dot on it. It just sticks out as an anachronism.
Thanks for the heads up, johan_steele.
I'm not aware of any M1814 muskets but I do know that there was the M1816 musket.
The M1814 was a Rifle, very similar to the M1817. Both superb weapons for the day.
For what it's worth look at http://www.lodgewood.com/ as they often have very nice things on their consignment page. They can also provide a M1841 Palmetto for, IMO, a very reasonable rate. And if you want it defarbed thay can and will do so.
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
I have very little experience with firearms of this era. Was there much lead used in the ammunition or guns themselves at the time? What about the replicas of today? My question comes from a medical point of view.
People who handle lead (i.e. bullets, etc) on a regular basis or in large quantities are in danger of lead poisoning. They need to have the levels of lead checked in their blood every so often.
Lead bullets would have been 100% pure lead or as close to it as possible and have been for generations. To shoot a Blackpowder repop today good lead makes the best bullets. Other than that there is no lead in the weapon. If you were to start chewing and eating lead bullets then I can see a problem but the minimal amounts ingested through transfer from the meat killed by a lead bullet... is minimal.
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
ACW bullets were made from lead and hardened lead (alloyed with slightly harder metals like antimony). Among the bullet and cartridge collecting community this topic has been discussed in length and several of us routinely have blood lead levels checked. Generally most of us take precautions like frequent hand washing and we avoid licking our fingers.
That said, I had a stroke last month, the third member of our small community to have one this year so yah gotta wonder. (My doctor told me that the bullets were not a problem as long as I kept them out of my mouth).
BTW: If you ever see a group of older, mostly portly, balding guys, sitting around a table in a pub or middle priced eatery, passing around tiny baggies containing large lumps of an inert metal surrounded by whitish or tan powder, and peering at the bags with ferocious intensity accompanied by an occasion exclamation of "Wow, what a beauty", please do not call Drug Enforcement or Homeland Security. You probably just stumbled on a group of bullet geeks and they are not dangerous if not provoked.
TomH
__________________ I would rather be historically accurate than politically correct.
I worked in a "doc in the box" clinic for a few years. (they were clinics set in strip shopping centers, usually with a sign saying, "The doctor is in.") We saw anything and everything that walked in the door.
Anyway, there were 2 employees of a local gun range that would come in on a regular basis to have their blood drawn to check lead levels; their job was to collect the spent and dropped bullets.
They said the lead level test was a job requirement, as over time the lead would leach into and thru the skin.
If not kept in check, lead poisoning could set in, leading to all kinds of symptoms that mimick other disease processes.
The M1814 was a Rifle, very similar to the M1817. Both superb weapons for the day.
For what it's worth look at http://www.lodgewood.com/ as they often have very nice things on their consignment page. They can also provide a M1841 Palmetto for, IMO, a very reasonable rate. And if you want it defarbed thay can and will do so.
Speaking of 1817 rifle, we've got one in the collection that has been modified to percussion fire (most unfortunate). I used it as an example in my talk to the Colonial Dames about the changing technology between the American Revolution and the later Federal Period.
BTW, I'd love to take my Parker Hale Enfield hunting - if I ever go again. That 58 caliber minie is a stopper of a bullet.
Gary, as far as I know most of the M1817's were converted to Percussion. Those escaping the upgrade being those that made made it into State Arsenals or private hands. I don't know why I like the weapon so much, it is a beautiful weapon though.
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
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