|
|
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,642
Campfire Regular
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,642 |
What caliber/calibers were the rifles referred to by the buffalo hunters needle guns? Did that term refer to the action or cartridge?
Good judgment comes from experience, and most of that comes from bad judgement! 🥴
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,823
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,823 |
From True West History of the American Frontier
A European invention, the needle gun got a lot of use (and publicity) during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. The name comes from the firing pin, long and slender like a needle. It pierced clear through the paper-encased cartridge to strike the primer. The .51 caliber gun was the father of all modern bolt-action rifles.
Americans made a few needle guns too, but these were soon replaced by rifles that fired metallic cartridges.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,642
Campfire Regular
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,642 |
Thanks MickinColo for your input. That’s about what Dr. Google had shared with me also. I’ve been reading Zane Grey’s Thundering Herd and one of the hunters preferred the needle gun as opposed to the big 50. Some had the Creedmoor sharps but reserved those mainly for injuns. The fellow using one actually killed a fellow with it and the ones investigating were able to tell he’d been killed by the needle gun. Since it was 50 caliber also it makes you wonder how they did that.
Good judgment comes from experience, and most of that comes from bad judgement! 🥴
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,099
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,099 |
One of my shooting buddies plays with a French Chassepot needle gun. Rather interesting rifle. Sorry, no pics of the gun but here's a pic of the cartridge. (A dud he bestowed on me. Such a guy!) Something on the order of 70 gr. powder, 385 gr. bullet. Bullet body is .450 diameter, driving/base band is .465. You can see in the second pic where the "needle" pierced the back of the cartridge on the way to hitting the cap which lies behind the bullet. All the paper is either consumed or blown out the barrel upon discharge, leaving the chamber clean for the next shot. The rifle is quite accurate, when it actually fires.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 472
Campfire Member
|
Campfire Member
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 472 |
The answers here do address guns which were properly called “needle guns”, but given the context of what you read they’re more likely referring to the 50/70 trapdoor which also was referred to by that as a nickname due to the long needle like firing pin.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 665
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 665 |
The answers here do address guns which were properly called “needle guns”, but given the context of what you read they’re more likely referring to the 50/70 trapdoor which also was referred to by that as a nickname due to the long needle like firing pin. This!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,275
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,275 |
Anteloper nailed it, the common term of the day for trapdoors was needle gun
the most expensive bullet there is isn't worth a plug nickel if it don't go where its supposed to. www.historicshooting.com
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,784 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,784 Likes: 1 |
What anteloper said is what I have always heard.
Molon Labe
|
|
|
|
117 members (2ndwind, 99Ozarks, 10gaugemag, 673, 907brass, 16 invisible),
1,665
guests, and
990
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,192,117
Posts18,483,482
Members73,966
|
Most Online11,491 Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|
|