Book: The Muzzle-Loading Cap Lock Rifle

[Snidely70431]

The Muzzle-Loading Cap Lock Rifle
by Ned H. Roberts
Copyright 1940, 1944, 1947

This book is a real eye opener for anyone who thinks that modern rifles are heads and shoulders more accurate than what our forebears made before most of us were born. Many of the rifles pictured are true works of art into the bargain.

 

[J-Bar]

I bought my copy about 15 years ago, and it is delightful reading.

For those who are unsure, the author, Ned Roberts, is the fellow who gave us the "Bob", the .257 Roberts cartridge. The man knew what he was talking about.

 

[rodwha]

Was recommended to me some time back as I’ve been interested in a 200 yd muzzleloader for hunting fields and such. Been meaning to buy a copy.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

You could read it online...., https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951000799864f;view=1up;seq=9

LD

 

[Slamfire]

I'll tell you the string measurement technique they used to determine accuracy, is an exacting standard. Ned's book is an excellent read, and yes, those guys did some amazing shooting with their blackpowder muzzle loaders.

 

[Snidely70431]

Just checked. Copies are available on Ebay and at Amazon.

 

[Snidely70431]

From the book:

 

[Snidely70431]

After 49 shots, I would not be able to hit the barn side of a broad. Just as a feat of athleticism, it is amazing.

 

[PapaG]

That book, or an excerpt in the 1942 or so Gun Digest, got me interested in guns and shooting at the age of six. I have an early edition of the book I won at Friendship around 1968 and have about read the print off the pages.

 

[paul harm]

I didn't make Friendship till 1970. Years back I built a chunk gun - it had a Bill Large 54 cal, 48" long, 1 1/8" across the flats. Bill cherried out for me a 535 mold to 542. Took a small hammer to start the load. God, would that gun just lay one RB on top another. All the rifles and pistols I built had Bill Large barrels. I always felt they were one of the best. I bought Ned's book and read it a number of times. Very good read.

 

[PapaG]

What nickname did Bill give you? I was X ring.

 

[PapaG]

That book got me started on a long road through the blackpowder life. At one point, my wife and I were going through a keg of fffg and pounds and pounds of lead shooting somewhere about every weekend (late 60s and 70s). I had a few wins at Friendship (musket, revolver, trap) and a good bunch more at local and state shoots. Kind of gravitated to shotgun toward the end and even had a Friendship special for a while (over/under made by Lyman Bowling) and won the Wisconsin Sportsman's overall trap/skeet championship. Jobs, kids, sports, all combined to slow me down to about nothing for quite a while. I'm left with only a dozen or so bp arms including an original Henry Leman percussion halfstock and my Hy Hunter "xed" out Remington Zouave. The sport has died out pretty much around here except for a few diehards. Still have a small stash of Dupont, and a few foreign powders bought during the shortage after DuPont blew up.

 

[paul harm]

My trailer at Friendship was almost across from his, just down the road a couple of spots. I shot mostly pistol. Used a Jack Lewis single shot with one of Bill's barrels. At first my trailer was next to the pistol range before they expanded the parking and moved me over by Bill. We'd shoot pistol all day and trap at night. My trap gun was one I made - I put my BT-99 on a piece of wood for a pattern. I shot the silhouette match a couple of years after it first came out. Tied for first with a 14/20 with a .54 Hawken style fullstock flinter with a BL barrel I made. I think Grand Valley Cap and Ballers still puts on a big shoot each year in lower Michigan. I use to attend it every year and with that same gun one year I shot the bench rest match. Laid on the ground and rested the gun over a log. Got lucky and beat all the big guns. Good thing it was only one match. I stopped once on the way back from Florida and visited him. His shop had quite a low ceiling and lots of machines. He didn't like the government, especially the IRS. And he called me " Preacher Harm ". I was in a tax dodge group called the Universal Life Church. I think he kind of liked anything that messed with Uncle Sam. Thanks for bringing back some memories.

 

[4v50 Gary]

It's a classic that I had no interest in until I started reading it. Then I couldn't put it down. I recommend it to students today.

 

[ThomasT]

I got that book from the library and read it a couple of times. In one picture he showed a group at 100 yards that if I remember right was about a 1 and 1/2" group with round balls. he then stated it was obvious that this rifle was not a round ball shooter with such a poor grouping. I would kill for a group like that at 100 yards.

 

[Snidely70431]

The more I read this book, the more I learn that most of what I know about muzzleloader accuracy is not correct Apparently, most of what ML manufacturers have to say about Ml accuracy is wrong also.

Roberts asserts that true ML accuracy was not possible until the invention of the Clark patent muzzle, aka false muzzle or patent muzzle, because a false muzzle is necessary if one is to seat the projectile atop the powder with the center line of the projectile aligned with the center line of the bore. Another essential is that the force used to seat the projectile must be consistent. It would be interesting to try to find a machinist to make a false muzzle.

 

[Venom007]

The best work on the subject ever IMHO. Incredible and really spurred my interest in historical percussion rifle history.

 

[PapaG]

The more I read this book, the more I learn that most of what I know about muzzleloader accuracy is not correct Apparently, most of what ML manufacturers have to say about Ml accuracy is wrong also.

Roberts asserts that true ML accuracy was not possible until the invention of the Clark patent muzzle, aka false muzzle or patent muzzle, because a false muzzle is necessary if one is to seat the projectile atop the powder with the center line of the projectile aligned with the center line of the bore. Another essential is that the force used to seat the projectile must be consistent. It would be interesting to try to find a machinist to make a false muzzle.

For Pickett and elongated projections, yes. I made a false muzzle and starter for my zouave and cut groups in half.

 

[Snidely70431]

Interesting. Did you make it the way the Clark patent muzzle was made, with steel pegs joining the false and real muzzles? I would think that it would be easier, if you have a cylindrical barrel, to cut a false muzzle to slide over the barrel end so that the bores match up.

 

[Norton Commando]

I'll tell you the string measurement technique they used to determine accuracy, is an exacting standard. Ned's book is an excellent read, and yes, those guys did some amazing shooting with their blackpowder muzzle loaders.

So what does the string measurement technique mean?

 

[4v50 Gary]

Plug a peg in the hole. Now, tie a string on one peg and stretch the string around all the outer pegs. Mark off the string, remove it and measure it.

 

[Norton Commando]

Plug a peg in the hole. Now, tie a string on one peg and stretch the string around all the outer pegs. Mark off the string, remove it and measure it.

Thank you for the explanation. So for the above example (41-13/16") it would be equivalent to a 13.3" diameter, which is pretty tight considering the distance?

 

[PRD1]

Thank you for the explanation. So for the above example (41-13/16") it would be equivalent to a 13.3" diameter, which is pretty tight considering the distance?

No. The group was reprinted in exact size, and the circle is less than 3" in diameter. The string measurement was the combined distances of each shot from the derived center of the group. This was a benchrest group at 40 rods (220 yards; a customary distance for matches shot at the time), and the best rifles were capable of groups of such size at that range.
Uncle Alvaro is my hero.

PRD1 - mhb - MIke

 

[Snidely70431]

This book is such a treasure trove of information about muzzle loading firearms.Seems like whatever subject comes up on this forum, Ned Roberts has something to say about it.

 

[PapaG]

Interesting. Did you make it the way the Clark patent muzzle was made, with steel pegs joining the false and real muzzles? I would think that it would be easier, if you have a cylindrical barrel, to cut a false muzzle to slide over the barrel end so that the bores match up.

No, it was a slip fit over the muzzle bored to groove diameter. The starter was bored to fit the nose of the minie. I later made a mould for a paper patched hollow based bullet but could never get it to work. Skirts too thin and I kind of lost interest in that before I got around to making a new base plug.