Mid 19th Century PERCUSSION CAPS:

If the good Lord intended you to shoot caps, He would have spread them out on the ground like he did flint .. 

Just because something is OLD and obsolete - doesn't mean that it no longer WORKS ..

Anyone want to stand and laugh in front of a 300y.o. flintlock .750" calibre Brown Bess?

Poke 'em on These ..

Rev.Forsyth's 'SCENT BOTTLE' rechargeable Percussion Primer System

That 300 year Flintlock Firearm age (from the early 16th century) - was doomed to ending once the advantages of fulminates - that ignited Gunpowder by a hammer blow, were appreciated.

Joshua Shaw in Philadelphia 1822, - Fancois Prelat of France,1818 - and Joseph Egg of London in 1817, all were involved in claims regarding 'inventing' the copper Percussion Cap in the same form that we recognise to this day, when placed onto the nipple of a PERCUSSION PISTOL or REVOLVER. 

Percussion Caps actually made the Revolver - into practical functional 'Equalizer' tools.

We don't know who but the when was the early 1820s, when the small but perfectly formed and convenient ignition system literally sparked an important advance in firearms development that dominated gunmaking by 1830.

When we had CAPS we also had PILLS

Religions consider that GOD created everything so it's obvious that HE created both gunpowder and the percussion cap - for which we gun owners might be thankful.

Augustin Primer TUBES for TUBE-LOCK PERCUSSION Pieces ..

The early PERCUSSION CAPS were made from copper sheet primed with MERCURY FULMINATE that worked very well, except for leaving corrosive residues. - Various other chemical combinations have been used for this percussion of the main charge - notably LEAD STYPHNATE but this compound is currently unpopular for leaving lead pollution that may be ingested.

MAYNARD PAPER CAP ROLL Primers were popular around 1850's

Note: We can make our own Percussion Caps - as have I .. using a kit from SHARPSHOOTER 22LR and their PRIME-ALL chemicals.  Link to my story:

https://flicense.blogspot.com/2023/12/diy-sharpshooter-percussion-cap-primers.html

There used to be choices of which makes and sizes of CAPS to buy for diffent guns - here I have Italian made, German made, and CCI from U S. - Now, after the GUN BANNERS worst efforts so far, it might be prudent to equip your home base with a Cap Maker Tool and the mixtures needed for DIY ignition into the future. Import them while you still may.

That is - IF you are interested in your Sport and Wild Harvesting continuing to SURVIVE for your family's future.

Homemade Aluminum CAPS Ready for Charging

Making your own gunpowder Propellant and Caps - or indeed FLINTS also - may be a sound investment for your future. - If you enjoy reading & learning from friendly folk .. Cast Boolits is the place to go on the Net. - Link:

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?103852-My-homemade-black-powder

Home Cooking some 'Granola' ..

There was one HELL OF A LOT going-on mid 19th Century .. The GREAT FAMINE in Ireland 1845-52, - the last recorded fatal duel in UK 1852, - the Crimean War 1853-56, - the American Civil War 1861-65, - and the 1850–1864 Taiping Rebellion - the bloodiest conflict of the century, leading to the deaths of 20 million people in China.

This was the era of the Bessemer Steel Process, the Steam Engine, Traction Engines and the earliest Passenger Trains and the wire Telegraph .. indeed this period has been named The Second Industrial Revolution. - Such rapid manufacturing and technological advances happened, that a mere 30 years passed before the percussion cap morphed into the 'PRIMER' inserted into the base of every self contained METALLIC CARTRIDGE for use in most rifles, shotguns, pistols and revolvers .. many of which Politicians now restrict us from owning ..

Fit and Proper?

FIREARMS LICENCES FOR NZ POLICE.

Marty K.

GUNS & GOLD Rushes

I reckon to being an odd sod because I find some weird stuff interesting .. one such is when I came across a novel link between 'Bully Beef'' - 'Billy Cans' and the Victorian era French 'Canned Boeuf Bouilli'. - Sorry if you always knew this, but when Railroad workers and Gold Rush adventurers found themselves out in the wilderness - the clever ones who planned ahead imported BOILED MEATS IN CANS to feed the hungry who failed in their efforts at living off the land.

BOUILLI meaning 'Boiled' in Napoleonic French ..

Those emptied meat tins were soon fitted with a wire handle

 and recycled as BILLY CANS.

Now .. I am assured that Bully beef/corned beef in cans helped end cannibalism in Fiji and the other Pacific nations - by providing a convenient alternative tasty meal - that is known in the islands as "BULLAMACOW" .. it being made from both bulls & cows. I reckon that it's also bloody fascinating that Bullamacow is nowadays very often  CANNED MUTTON from New Zealand.

Kiwi 'BULLAMACOW'

While trying to research 'DownUnder' history about gold & guns - I've found regular references to the aussie gold miners having a "MAD MINUTE" every night when they'd come out of their holes, humpies and sly-grog tents to fire their weapons into the dusk as a warning - that their camp was well defended by armed and brave men.

Mid 19th Century Gold Rush Era was also a 

Transition Time from FLINT to CAPLOCK to 'Cartridge'

Gold Rushes Starting California 1848, Australia 1851, New Zealand 1860's maybe?

Not being there at the time, I'd guessed that this may be at least partly fact based - as the many pioneers (including the gunslingers in the American Frontiers) all depended on their weapons for both food and protection - and would unload and freshen their gunpowder charges regularly, even daily, - as who knows how damp, greasy, compacted or depleted the gunpowder and Lead charge had become after a long hard day shoveling dirt and 'panning' in a icy riverbed or down a muddy hole.

A wise habit - if done deliberately and safely .. it would serve as TARGET PRACTICE - MAINTENANCE - & a warning to the neighbours that you were armed and ready - at least you might be - once you'd reloaded .. Best managed by having a second firearm to hand while servicing the first.

"The Australian diggings were certainly wild places. Note this comment from a Mrs Clancy, who describes a typical night on one of the fields in Victoria:
Imagine some hundreds of revolvers almost fired simultaneously. There was murder here, murder there, revolvers cracking, blunderbusses bombing, rifles going off, balls whistling, a man groaning with a broken leg, another shouting because he couldn’t find the way to his hole, and a third equally vociferous because he has tumbled into one.

Now, the reason so many diggers fired off their weapons late at night, was so they could reload with fresh powder. If the firearms were left loaded for several nights or so, the damp air was liable to seep into the chambers, etc and then when needed the revolver could have suffered a misfire."

Our modern anti-gunners seem to believe that every gun is a laser guided murder machine that automatically slaughters all it's innocent victims - causing evil, sickness and slavery to plague the world. - I predict that media images will be ever more fantastic when they advance to use AI to generate their dramatics & headline narratives.

Who needs the facts - all we want is NEWS  infotainment

You know, I suspect that even spiders and cockroaches can take offence - and have issues such as 'identity crisis', ignorance and 'beliefs'.

Fact: CRIMINALS commit CRIME and need controling.

8 out of 10 cats prefer bollocks to reality ..

The Australian gold rush led to the promotion of the 19 man Burke & Wills Expedition of 1860 to explore the interior regions .. (They died)

Burke & Wills - The actual Colt Revolver:

https://paulineconolly.com/2022/burke-and-the-revolver/

But this next outfit claims that flintlocks were "wildly inaccurate" and that British Gun Maker TRANTER made revolvers in Melbourne ..

https://www.goldgemtreasure.com.au/articles/history-through-the-barrel-of-a-gun

You NEED to be a critical thinker to survive all the bullshit and bollocks.

1852 - Man in COVID Mask Gives THUMBS-UP 

.. ah nah/yeah, maybe he is having a drink

NZ Police Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming has resigned with immediate effect amid an investigation into his conduct.

ARE YOU A FIT AND PROPER PERSON?

FIREARMS LICENCES FOR NZ POLICE.

Marty K.

CARE REQUIRED: GENUINE, ANTIQUES, or NOT.

 “It is easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they have been fooled.“ Mark Twain.

Beautiful 20th Century Engraved 'Colts' - Made In BELGIUM 

"Model 1860s" made in the 1960s

These are lovely guns - well made in Belgium, perhaps superior to the Italian made replicas, and I'd be very happy to own one or more.

-Samuel Colt is said to have licensed Belgian companies in 1851 for 10 francs per gun .. check that with departed douchebag R L Wilson - but these are fine replicas - NOT Colts, nor Brevete Colts. They certainly are not antiques.

link: 

https://littlegun.be/arme%20belge/artisans%20identifies%20e%20f/a%20fab%20armes%20unies%20de%20liege%20gb.htm

In New Zealand, an antique firearm is defined as a firearm manufactured before 1899 that is held solely as an antique (not a copy or replica) and is not designed or capable of firing rimfire or centrefire ammunition. Additionally, any firearm declared by regulations made under the Arms Act 1983 to be an antique firearm also falls under this definition. 

A while back, on trademe, there was listed an original Colt 1851 with a Colt .38 Conversion Cylinder. 

This antique revolver was in great condition - BUT was not an "antique" as defined by NZ Police as it 

used cartridges - and it disappeared off the site before closing.

______________

CENTAURE LIEGE BELGIUM: mark deposited by the “Fabrique d’armes unies de Liège” from LIEGE street Trappé, 22, registered with the proofhouse of Liege since 1920.

It manufactured counterparts of old weapons until 1976 and the sale continued until 1992.

I saw these on trademe ..

The Description:  

2x Antique pistols. The large one is marked Centaure liege belgium. Made in Belgium looks completely but would restore well. The small one is a Muff/pocket pistol no maker's marks. No license required as Antique.

The  small 'pocket pistol' looks right to me, - but NOT the Centaure .. but what do I know 😎.

- seller said ..my arms officer said the pistol is a true antique so no license required

I am very clear that these restrictive police imposed "antique" date rules are stupid, prohibitive nonsense having no value in controlling or preventing crime - but them's the rules 

Our police are all trained experts and know what they are doing ..

ARE YOU A FIT AND PROPER PERSON?

FIREARMS LICENCES FOR NZ POLICE.

Marty K.