Bob Huntoon
12-18-2010, 06:58 PM
With Christmas coming, I am reminded of those of MANY years ago when I was a boy.
In the '50's during the height of the Davy Crockett hysteria, I really truly ONLY wanted a Davy Crockett flintlock as sold in the Sears catalog:
http://www.nicholscapguns.com/davy.htm
Needless to say, I did not get it. I got a "buckskin" jacket with fringe and flannel pillow case with Davy Crockett all over it from Grandma Vance, but no "Old Betsy" DANG!
From that day I measure my growing "thing" for muzzleloaders, black powder and ALL the insanity that has insued since.
It being the 1950's and 1960's, Cowboy shows were All the rage, so we made do with the next best thing:
http://www.nicholscapguns.com/mattel.htm
I had the tricky swivel Fanner fifty holster that had a pice of clear fishline tied to your wrist to trick your opponent in the gunfight, the Remington Rolling Block and the derringer in the belt buckle outfit. Dang this Cowboy stuff was all right!
With arrival of 77 Sunset Strip, I even had a shootin shell detective snub nose 38 with the black plastic shopulder holster!
Note - When I first started skirmishing, greenie stick um caps were the way you blocked the flash hole on Smith Tubes!
In order to keep my supply of bullets for the shooting shells stocked, I had to dig through the contents of Mom's vacuum cleaner to retrieve those pesky rascals.
( I was kind of scared by how many of these different toys my buddies and I had back in the day - played with almost all of them at one time of another - Amazing the prices they command today, but the same goes for all the WWII G.I. stuff we used up, broke and lost and what that stuff sells for today.)
Still no muzzle loader though.
Finally, the Centennial came around and I got my copy of an 1860 Army:
http://www.nicholscapguns.com/hubley.htm
I was getting closer! As a bonus, Mom and Dad brought me back an authentic Mexican (slim Jim) holster from their trip out west that fit that Hubley perfectly!
Finally I got a cap gun that was close to "Old Betsy"
http://www.culturedcowboy.com/kids/parr ... plicas.htm (http://www.culturedcowboy.com/kids/parrismfg/pages/riflesnreplicas.htm)
It was a greenie stick um cap powered, cork (round ball) bulletfiring musket!
Then, one Christmas came the almost ultimate:
http://www.stupidvideos.com/video/comme ... ial/#26430 (http://www.stupidvideos.com/video/commercials/Johnny_Reb_Cannon_Commercial/#26430)
Eat your heart out Charlie Smithgall! I had one!
Wow, the memories just roll on, hope some of you old guys enjoyed going down this trail with me.
Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Bob
In the '50's during the height of the Davy Crockett hysteria, I really truly ONLY wanted a Davy Crockett flintlock as sold in the Sears catalog:
http://www.nicholscapguns.com/davy.htm
Needless to say, I did not get it. I got a "buckskin" jacket with fringe and flannel pillow case with Davy Crockett all over it from Grandma Vance, but no "Old Betsy" DANG!
From that day I measure my growing "thing" for muzzleloaders, black powder and ALL the insanity that has insued since.
It being the 1950's and 1960's, Cowboy shows were All the rage, so we made do with the next best thing:
http://www.nicholscapguns.com/mattel.htm
I had the tricky swivel Fanner fifty holster that had a pice of clear fishline tied to your wrist to trick your opponent in the gunfight, the Remington Rolling Block and the derringer in the belt buckle outfit. Dang this Cowboy stuff was all right!
With arrival of 77 Sunset Strip, I even had a shootin shell detective snub nose 38 with the black plastic shopulder holster!
Note - When I first started skirmishing, greenie stick um caps were the way you blocked the flash hole on Smith Tubes!
In order to keep my supply of bullets for the shooting shells stocked, I had to dig through the contents of Mom's vacuum cleaner to retrieve those pesky rascals.
( I was kind of scared by how many of these different toys my buddies and I had back in the day - played with almost all of them at one time of another - Amazing the prices they command today, but the same goes for all the WWII G.I. stuff we used up, broke and lost and what that stuff sells for today.)
Still no muzzle loader though.
Finally, the Centennial came around and I got my copy of an 1860 Army:
http://www.nicholscapguns.com/hubley.htm
I was getting closer! As a bonus, Mom and Dad brought me back an authentic Mexican (slim Jim) holster from their trip out west that fit that Hubley perfectly!
Finally I got a cap gun that was close to "Old Betsy"
http://www.culturedcowboy.com/kids/parr ... plicas.htm (http://www.culturedcowboy.com/kids/parrismfg/pages/riflesnreplicas.htm)
It was a greenie stick um cap powered, cork (round ball) bulletfiring musket!
Then, one Christmas came the almost ultimate:
http://www.stupidvideos.com/video/comme ... ial/#26430 (http://www.stupidvideos.com/video/commercials/Johnny_Reb_Cannon_Commercial/#26430)
Eat your heart out Charlie Smithgall! I had one!
Wow, the memories just roll on, hope some of you old guys enjoyed going down this trail with me.
Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Bob