Sunday, March 26, 2006

Todays toy!

Remington Model 1863 “Zouave”

A replica of the US Civil War rifle. Firing a .58" slug, it hits with quite a wallop!

Certainly makes the steel target plates ring and can hit them at 200 metres.

3 comments:

Oswald Bastable said...

The modern self-contained cartridge made an appearance at the end of the war, but for the most part, it was fought with the sort of firearm in my post.They still needed powder tipped down the barrel, a bullet rammed home and a cap placed on the breech.

This was supplied in a paper cartridge- you bit off the end, tipped in the pre-measured powder and fitted the greased bullet.

The rifles of the type above were a transitional piece between the old smoothbore muskets and rifled cartridge guns.

The old firearms used a round lead ball, with a greased fabric patch as a gasket and to engage the rifling. The military did not use these, prefering the unrifled and less accurate soothbore musket, as it was quicker to load.

Then a Frenchman invented the Minie ball, a conical projectile with a hollow base, that expanded on firing, to engage the rifling.

These are much faster to load, more accurate and harder-hitting.

Anonymous said...

A Martini-Henry will do it at 800+ yards...

Worked out with a Zouave once - nice piece. Too much brasswork though. Prefer the contemporary Enfield. Rifles for men, aye!

Oswald Bastable said...

Still kicking myself for 25 years ago, turning down a .577 Martini-Henry in the original grease, for $279!

At the time I said- 'who would want one of those old peices of junk'