I will actually be free during May! Excited now as I was disappointed about missing Ohio Show. So to join, all I needed to do was fill out that form, correct?Originally Posted by Eggman
I will actually be free during May! Excited now as I was disappointed about missing Ohio Show. So to join, all I needed to do was fill out that form, correct?
As the fellow said, "here we go"! I presently shoot for pleasure a Gallager, Smith, Maynard, Sharps, Spencer, Starr, Burnside, Ballard, and Type II Gynn & Campbell. Other opinions may and doubtless do vary, but my favorites for shooting are the wickedly accurate Ballard (converted to take .45 Long Colt cartridges), Starr, and, strange to say, the Gwyn & Campbell. The Maynard's downright boring, like shooting a modern gun. The Burnside would be right up there but for cartridge sensitivity. There are a number of books useful to a shooter or collector. I recommend for a start McAulay's "Carbines of the Civil War" for general information and Schiffers's "Civil War Carbines, Myth Vs. Reality" for shooting insights, though my experience frequently differs from the author's. You can't have too many books. If you'd like a Charleston, S.C. visit, it has a Civil War show the month after the mega Franklin, Tennessee CW show, first weekend in January when motel rates are low there. www.bulletandshell.com is one of several sites with a feature setting out upcoming shows where CW firearms are likely to be found. As someone earlier stated, the Gwyn & Campbell is an Ohio gun and thus may be of especial interest to you. it also has the attraction of being the oddest. Attached is a photograph of mine.
I will look into them. I am currently stuck in Alabama until May, but when I am back I definitely would like to join them.
Dave Fox,
I am considering either the Gwyn and Campbell or the Starr right now. Is your star rimfire or paper cartridge? I am leaning towards paper, due to ease of reloading. I am also looking at the Gallager, it looks like a cool design. Also it seems they where mosty issued to Ohio units. Might have to decide between these by getting whichever I find a reasonable price on first!
The Civil War Ballard carbines are usually less pricey. Lots were sold by a dealer in Cincinnati, Ohio named Kittridge & Co. and so marked. Used by mostly western cavalry troops like Ohio and Kentucky.
N-SSA Member since 1974
Dave maybe you can share some of your tips on shooting the G&C? Bullets, powder charge, reliability? I have never had a chance to shoot one of these but have all ways been very curious since as a young man was taken over to a friends granpa's who had a half a dozen or so on his den wall.
Thanks for any input--Steve
I can't believe that no one has mentioned the Maynard. They are affordable, and you can reuse the brass forever. It was my first carbine, even before I joined the NSSA and they are a lot of fun to shoot. Much easier than the paper cartridges. I have two Gwyn and Campbells and I am about as likely to shoot them as I am a Hall. NEVER.
Jim Wimbish
Member of NSSA since 2000
Sam; Let me hasten to say I started collecting firearms when a teenager in the 1950s and except for a spell of college, 'Nam, and law school on the GI Bill, have been accumulating them ever since, much of the time when they were relatively and absolutely inexpensive. Pushing 75, God help me, and retired, my chief joy is loading for and shooting old firearms which good eyes, health, and retirement have given me the opportunity to do.
I found my G&C type II at a Marietta show some four years ago, unloved and all-but unwanted. Unissued, surface storage rust, excellent bore, tight action. One needs both the latter to enjoy the shooting. Most G&Cs I've examined appear unissued, likely because Sharps were in full production and Spencers were coming into issuance when most G&Cs were concurrently delivered. Found that the .515 347 grain bullet from the mould I use for my Smith and Maynard carbines works well. I dip the bullet in melted SPG lubricant then peel the excess off the sides and base with a knife blade. Using quick-drying paper glue I form a cartridge 1.1" long and just a hair larger in diameter than the bullet. I then push a bit of paper into the cartridge to form the base, and glue it. I use women's hair curling paper. This paper cartridge takes about 45 grains of FFFg powder. The bullet is then inserted with a small dab of glue to hold it in place. The cartridge slides easily into the chamber and a camming action pushes a fitted plunger into the chamber base, sealing the breech. After firing, the empty paper cartridge remains intact. I haven't had much luck with nitrating the paper. As the flash enters the cartridge from the side, its base remains intact. This is handy because by blowing down the muzzle I not only soften fouling but expel the fired paper cartridge with an audible "pop". Schiffers, in his most interesting book "Civil War Carbines, Myth Vs. Reality", loathed the G&C (perversely a reason I bought one). His shooting was inaccurate and his G&C leaked gas. Mine is quite tight, leaks little gas, and is gratifyingly accurate. It's so ugly it's cute, is fun to shoot, and the breechblock comes out readily for easy clean up. Wanna hear about the Starr?
Last edited by Dave Fox; 11-16-2018 at 04:45 PM.
I also have and shoot a percussion Starr carbine. I had a friend make me a mould using an original Starr bullet. I played with making linen cartridges and it shoots them well. I have also shot the original style bullets with a Charlie's tube glued to the end, which also works well. What I finally settled on is an oversized ringtail Sharps bullet and tube. Shoots very tight groups.
Dave, I would love to hear about your Starr. A little about myself: I am currently going to college in one of our countries military institutes, which is the reason I have a very tight schedule when it comes to gun shows. I love old guns, which make up the entirety of my collection. I really have no use for modern firearms right now, and just enjoy bringing the old ones back to life.
P.S. Sometimes when I post with a quote it tells me I need to wait for moderator approval before the post will appear. Why is that?
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