I've added another old gun to my collection.
My cousin sent me a box of parts for my birthday, he wasn't sure what it was, only that it was an old muzzle loader.
Turns out what he found in a junkshop was most of the metalwork for an 1861 Springfield rifled musket.
A friend that works in the local gunshop here had a wrecked stock for a 61' that he thought I might be able to repair.
The stock was broken at the wrist and had been cut off just behind the lower barrel band.
I was able to put the stock back together and graft a forestock to it.
The results so far are pretty rough but it's taking shape, it's the one on the bottom of the rack.



I test fired the barrel in a test rig I built to see if it was going to be safe to actually shoot and it survived the 5 shot test.
The gunsmith had already given it a clean bill of health in as much as he didn't see any obvious damage.
It may not be any more accurate than the 1853 Enfield just above it in the picture but it is a real one so I'll be happy with that even if it isn't accurate.
The 53' Enfield has expanded my vocabulary a great deal, even the Devil doesn't use some of those words.
I finally figured out a combination of powder and minieball that does a fair job but it still isn't anything to write home about.

Hopefully I'll get the Springfield to the point of being able to shoot it in a month or so and I can post a range report.

Just thought some here might find it interesting.

Jim

Boom! Instant Smokescreen.


Now that's a rifle that has seen some use.
Fascinating.

For all the cool new gadget guns we often see here, I really like that collection.

Very nice, those old blasters look great with wooden walls like you have them.

Thanks for the kind words.
I've always liked history and these old guns have that as well as character.
I've wanted a Civil War rifle for a long time but never could afford one, even the reproductions are priced beyond my means.
I did find the relatively cheap Nepalese P1853 Enfields which are local made Gurkha copies but they aren't real British Enfields and due to their being handmade the bores are not a standard size so getting them to shoot can be a frustrating experience at best.
The 53 at the top of the rack in the picture is a real British made example that my brother-in-law sent me from Afghanistan but it's in such poor condition that it would be very dangerous to attempt to shoot it.

The 1861 Springfield was a case of simply getting lucky, my cousin really knows nothing about muzzleloaders but he thought it was odd to find one with a round barrel instead of octagon and he knew it was old and it wasn't a shotgun, so he bought it and a box of parts.
He collects old shotguns and I found him an antique double barrel a couple of years ago for his birthday so he decided to return the favor.
The bore has some minor pitting and the outside of the barrel has minor and very shallow "orange peal" pitting over the breech end of the barrel but I think I may have a shooter here.
The rifling is decent and the bore diameter is very, very close to the listed size of .577, this is very important since the minieball won't function properly if the bore is oversize.
In the past several days I've gotten the few other pieces I needed to repair the lock so weather permitting I'm probably going to take the Springfield to the range Saturday.

Some people think I'm crazy to shoot these old guns but believe me, safety is my first concern, especially since a black powder rifle is only one small step away from being a pipe bomb.
I have the barrels, the metalwork and especially any repairs I do, inspected by a licensed gunsmith.

If I'm able to make it to the range this weekend I'll post a range report.

Jim

I have two of the reproductions Springfields; an 1861 and an 1863. The are both used, but near new in condition. Got them for two reasons. To make the Infantry emblem above my fireplace and as shooters. Haven't shot them yet.





That's some nice original stuff though. Original has a mystique that reproductions will never have. Even if the reproductions are actually better quality and shooters. Not only that, but you have the satisfaction of saving them and learn a lot by refurbishing them.

Wolf, if you would, let me know the best route to go on bullets, powder, and such. I know nothing.

Those are very nice OG.

If you have the manuals for them read them till you are comfortable with the information, if you have any questions send me a PM for my phone number and give me a call, I'm usually home anytime after 4pm CST.
If you don't have the manuals you can usually download them at the manufacturer's website.

I would suggest just ordering a limited number of Minie balls to start with till you see if shooting these rifles is something you enjoy, it's something of an acquired addiction, kinda like shooting 1911's if you know what I mean.

Here is one of the best places to get muzzle loading supplies... http://www.trackofthewolf.com

I would suggest getting this particular minie ball since it's very similar to if not identical to the minies used in the Springfields during the war... http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Search.aspx?search=BALL-58-MINIE-OS%20

You'll also need FFG grain size black powder, there are a number of different brands such as Goex, Swiss, and KIK but stay away from Elephant brand powder, it's a very good powder but the company that makes it has gone out of business and you don't want to work up a good load combination on a powder you can't get anymore.
I'd check the local gunshops for black powder, you may find one near you that stocks it.
I can't tell from the photo but your Springfields probably have percussion cap nipples for musket caps which you'll also need.
If all else fails you can get your powder and percussion caps here http://www.powderinc.com/catalog/caps.htm

I would suggest staying away from black powder substitutes like Pyrodex, again, there's nothing wrong with it but it tends to not be as consistent as real black powder. It also has a higher ignition temperature than real black which in turn increases the possible chances of a hang fire.
You're going to need a powder flask and a powder measure, I would suggest an adjustable measure like this one... http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/85/1/MAS-120

A powder flask can be as plain or fancy as you like, they make a brass one that is good for display as well as being functional and they have simple ones that work well and are very low priced.
You should be able to find these at your local gunshop.
And get a tube of Borebutter to lube the minies with, just a little on the outside just before loading is all that's required.

I know I'm making this sound very elaborate and confusing but it really isn't.
The equipment is a one time purchase and will last a very long time with proper care.
The standard powder charge for the Springfield is 60 grains of powder.
Take the ramrod and insert it into the unloaded barrel, make a mark even with the crown of the muzzle, you'll understand why shortly.
You might even consider getting an aftermarket fiberglass or composite ramrod with a brass tip to keep the wear on the barrel down to nothing, the steel ramrod on the rifle will wear the muzzle after a while.

Run a couple of dry cleaning patches down the bore to remove any oil left from a previous cleaning (you can do this before you leave home going to the range).
Before you load the rifle, snap a couple of musket caps to clear any oil or moisture from the percussion cap nipple and flame port.
Point the muzzle towards some blades of grass when you snap the caps and observe the grass for movement which will indicate a clear ignition path, if you don't see movement, remove the percussion cap nipple and use a pipe cleaner to clean the flame port from the bolster into the barrel and replace the percussion cap nipple.
Retry snapping a musket cap to check the ignition path, if it's clear then you're good to go.
As a note, I've only had to clear the flash port once or twice when I used too much oil during a cleaning.

Take a minie ball and apply a small amount of Borebutter to the outside mostly in the grease grooves.
The Borebutter serves to lubricate the minie making it easier to load and more importantly for our purposes, it contains ingredients that keep the powder fouling soft.
You can set the minie aside for the moment.

The shooting is the easy part.

Pull the hammer back to the half cock position.
Adjust the powder measure to 60 grains and fill it from the flask, NEVER EVER!!! charge the rifle from the flask as a stray ember in the barrel can turn a flask into a hand grenade.
While keeping the muzzle pointed away from your face, pour the 60 grain charge into the barrel, hit the barrel with the heel of your hand a couple of times to settle the powder.
Remove the ramrod, place the lubricated minie in the muzzle and use the ramrod to seat the minie, the mark you made on the ramrod should be out of the muzzle about an inch and a half, that lets you know the minie is seated properly.
If it's much more than that and it won't go any farther, take the rifle to a gunsmith because something is obstructing the barrel.
Don't hammer the minie with the ramrod like you see in the old movies, that's Hollywood BS and doing so can damage the nose of the minie and drastically affect the accuracy, just a smooth push to load the minie and a light tap to seat it is all that's required.

At this point, while keeping the weapon pointed downrange place a musket cap on the nipple, bring the rifle to the ready, pull the hammer back to the full cock position and sight on the target.
From this point on it's just like every other iron sight rifle you've ever fired.
You probably won't notice any lag between the cap firing and the main charge going off and the recoil will be more of a push than a kick.

Now a couple of things to be aware of, the first couple of shots may not be very accurate as a musket barrel needs to be fouled for best accuracy, the fouling acts like a gas seal.
Muskets don't generally get fouled like muzzleloaders do that shoot patched roundball, the minie tends to clear much of the excess fouling from the previous shot.
Here's something else to be aware of, these rifles whether they are originals or reproductions, have a personality and once you learn that personality you will be amazed at how accurate they are.
Forget the massed fire pictures from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, once you are familiar with your particular rifle's quirks you'll find it can be deadly accurate at several hundred yards.
A trained marksman could consistently hit a man sized target at 400 yards.

Hope this has been of some help and feel free to call.

Jim

Took it to the range and shot 10 rounds of minie ball and 2 roundball through it.
The results were about what I expected... not very good.
At 25 yards it didn't group, it was more of a pattern like a shotgun.
6 out of 10 shots keyholed ( bullets tumbling and going through the target sideways ) and the 4 that did stabilize were on the target but all over it.
The roundball did better so if I shoot this one anymore it'll probably be with roundball.
There are a couple of things I can try to improve the accuracy with the minie balls but I'm not very optimistic.
At the very least it's a real Civil War rifle and it'll make a decent wallhanger.

Jim

That's a beauty, I'd love to collect old rifles they have so much character, but coming from Blighty it'll never happen

Very interesting read Wolf.

I hadn't considered it but it seems Black Powder needs a bit more "safety routine" than modern guns... sounds like you spend more time with a loaded or semi-loaded gun on the stand before firing.

That's a good point Colonel, a lot of the safety routine stems from actually having exposed black powder as opposed to sealed cartridges and having to measure a charge on the firing line.
Also, you can't become distracted or complacent since doing so could lead to you pouring in two powder charges or none at all.
I've double charged before but that mark on the ramrod I spoke about in the other post is a good way to guard against that.
If that mark isn't in the right place when you load, you stop everything and find out why.
A double charge on a modern manufactured black powder rifle might not be enough to damage it since they often triple charge the proofing loads but on the rifles I shoot it could be a disaster.
Not putting in a powder charge is just plain embarrassing and everybody does it at least once but that's what they make ball pullers for.
The loading and firing really doesn't take long, about 30 seconds at most.
I'm considering make up paper cartridges like they used during the Civil War as it removes the need to measure each powder charge at the firing line and greatly reduces the chances of over or under charging.
It's an enjoyable hobby but you have to keep safety in mind at all times.

I personally enjoy getting a 100+ year old gun back to a point where it can be safely fired.
The Enfields I have had not been fired since the 1890's and this old Springfield probably hasn't been fired in over a 100 years, I never expect a very good performance due to their age but sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised.
The 1864 Snider/Enfield shoots an 8 inch group at 100 yards and could do better if I worked with the load and the 140 year old Martini Henry rifle shoots a sub 6 inch group at that range with no problems.
I've got two trapdoor Springfields that shoot sub 4 inch groups at 100 yards and truth be told they would probably do better if somebody with better eyes than mine were shooting them.
I have a reproduction 1863 Remington that'll shoot a 3 inch group at 100 yards and I suspect OG's Springfields would do at least as well if not better.

Jim