Fascinating. This sort of testing is enormously valuable to let us know how such weapons were actually used and what they could actually do. In context with historical sources, they give a degree of clarity that is simply not possible without this kind of testing,
Yes and no. Unless produced with period tools then modern machining, bullets and gunpowder would be expected to radically increase accuracy beyond that achievable by period pieces. That said it's definitely worth doing and gives insights pure reading doesn't provide
Even though it is not Christmas, a 22 minutes video of a dual Wheelock pistol is seriously a great treat. Thank you Capandball. :) Thanks for the likes, I have never had a comment that has more than 10 likes -_-
Those slugs were the literal definition of "If it works well enough, it works" Fascinating video, always appreciative of the educational content this channel provides.
Didn't they survive as heavily ornate hunting weapons for a while after the flintlocks where introduced? I understand it that it's main drowback was that they where more complicated and expensive. As such they never really took of as a weapon for mass armies of foot soldiers that mostly went from fuse lock to flint lock due to this.
Thank you so much for such an educational presentation. The testing was of a level few other firearm channels have. The introduction of the hammered slug was interesting it would have been nice to see some examples that had been retrieved from one of the battlefields you mentioned. Please keep up the good work, we in America should take a lesson from your reverence of historical firearms.
The fellow that built those pistols should be very proud of his work. Craftsmanship is not appreciated much anymore. But, I recognize it when I see it…and I acknowledge it.
hmm if its a matter of bows vs muskets id say the bows are no worse of. Muskets are easier to train large numbers to use buut if trained archers go against muskets itd be a blood bath all round. Of course that's assuming tha tthe guys with bows dont run away due to the BANG :P
@@sabo55 There's a very funny account of a French general(Baron de Marbot) who was fighting the Russians at the Battle of Leipzig(1813), and chastised their Bashkirs who principally fought with bows because they weren't well trained to shoot in an organized fashion which lead to the Bashkirs loosing arcing volleys which were inaccurate and lacking in power, and he described them as, "In fact the Baskirs, having no other arms, are undoubtedly the world’s least dangerous troops." Ironically this French general was wounded in the leg by a Bashkir arrow.
@@sabo55 I live in a region where 5% of the population is Bashkir. The city museum presents composite Bashkir bows, very complex in technology. The Bashkir cavalry used them until the beginning of the nineteenth century. The range and accuracy are not worse than smooth-bore rifles, the rate of fire is very high. They used their bows to shoot from the saddle and presented a very big problem for the rifle-armed infantry. During the movement of Napoleon's army to Moscow and the subsequent flight of its remnants back to Europe, Bashkir horse archers made constant night raids on the French camps. Night, surprise attack and retreat are what they have always loved. But these people learned horseback riding and archery from early childhood and all their lives, this is a way of life.
I have been a muzzle loader since 1979. This was the most fascinating video I have ever watched on the subject. The pistols are gorgeous, accurate, and versatile. It was amazing to me how accurate the paper cartridge tied on to the sprue was. I thought it would tumble. It would have been extra deadly because it left the sprue and some paper in the wound. I wonder if the paper acted as a stabilizer like the fletching on an arrow or bolt to keep the ball+sprue from tumbling @25 m? I also love your scrimshawed deer tine powder flasks. Did you make them?
@@capandballHello ! I don't understand English very well. Please tell me, do you sell these reproductions of flintlock pistols? What is the price in dollars?
Yes it is my favorite channel, the wide range of variety keeps bringing me back. But I have to say the early colt videos are very enjoyable to watch again and again
Excellent presentation! I had no clear idea before today how the wheel lock functioned. Another way to form (rather than pour) a correct sized slug is to drive a larger sized ball through a section of barrel of the the correct caliber for the pistol or musket/rifle. Obviously, this works best for a ball only slightly bigger than the intended caliber, but I found it useful on occasion when I did not have the correct mold.
Seriously point blank only though. Were as the others could be used up to 40 or 50 meters with good effect. I'll pass on the slug, the paper cartridge looked to be all around superior.
Indeed , for that matter , should do respectfully well on the enemy Horse ! Later Flint and Percussion locks were less expensive to manufacture , and simplier to maintain , but as far as power and accuracy , they would compare favorably throughout the remainder of the Single Shot Pistol Era for another 200 or so years .
Absolutely gorgeous design on these pistols, especially with the little Fleur De Lis-shaped release for the priming pan cover. I'll gladly admit I like AR's and AK's as much as the next guy, but nothing compares to the beauty of flintlock/wheellock antiques and the artistic level of craftsmanship that went into making these weapons. Especially when you consider the fact that these firearms were born from a pre-industrial society. No conveyor belts, no robots on an assembly line. These were all made by human hands, slowly and painstakingly, to the precision that was needed both for the weapon to be safe and to function adequately. And that's to say nothing of the ingenuity it took to come up with these ignition designs in the first place.
Interesting analysis. The lock mechanism on the pistols if that is correct terminology is stunningly well done. Over all the craftsmanship of each is fabulous. I found it interesting seeing the on the spot projectile manufacturing as well. I must say your 25 meter shots with tight fitting round ball showed they were capable of darn good accruacy.
Capandball stated that the weight of a normal power charge is a third of the bullet weight. Actually, it works out closer to a quarter of the bullet weight. He stated the ball diameter was .530. Ergo: .530 round ball (without sprue) = 224 grains lead... 224 grains / 4 = 56 grains powder. Your 1860 Colt Army's bore is .44 caliber. .440 round ball = 128 grains lead... 128 grains / 4 = 32 grains powder. However, usually a larger ball is used in the 1860, up to .454" diameter. A .454 round ball = 141 grains lead... 141 grains / 4 = 35.25 grains powder. Note that it is common for 1860 shooters to use less powder (e.g. 20 grains) for improved accuracy.
@@DigitizedReflections yes , I heard him say all those things as well. My 1860 prefers a full charge of 30 grains with a 128 grain .440 round ball. 20 grains gives terrible accuracy in mine.
Science and historical research combined make for compelling viewing. The first group of 5 was most impressive, especially the two in essentially the same hole.
Excellent video, very complete! I wish that one day, be it in a decade or more, you'd collaborate with Ian McCollum on some project, even though the two of you are more complementary: he is less interested in muzzleloaders and you're less into XXth century stuff (except repros).... but who knows!
Love your channel. Not into guns anymore (bows are my fancy) but your love for them is nice to see and learning from someone passionate about what they are about is the best way to learn
Wow! Thank you for sharing these wonderful pistols! This videos is very well structured, and provides an excellent look into the efficacy of older firearms.
When you said slug. I was thinking of like a shotgun slug, conically shaped, or Minnie ball shaped projectile. I guess this was a way of mass produced and/ or field expedient way of producing projectiles with limited resources. I sure it would have worked in volley fire or CQB. I need to go back watch the previous cited sources or other videos. I bought a CVA .54 rifle and bullet mold out a pawn shop in Oklahoma 3 years ago. Haven't done anything with it yet. This could be my other hobby. I enjoy your videos for the quality of content. Thanks! 😍
Those are beautiful pistols! This is the first time I have ever seen a wheel lock loaded and fired, makes me want to own one. I assume that horse soldiers loaded these weapons well before an engagement took place. I can see why a soldier would want to carry as many of these guns as he could afford( yet again another case of more is better :) ). How snug is that bullet and powder charge in the barrel? I would worry that they could move around a bit, after some hard riding. Great video!
To a surprising degree, _Hunglish_ has a notable similarly of timbre and cadence to the English language. Is this typical in Hungland? _(smile!)_ *Observation #1:* Observing the care you take measuring and pouring black powder, and using a bench rest to obviate the majority of circular error, _etcetera,_ for determining the accuracy of this gun; however, every seasoned practitioner of making, loading, and shooting cap-and-ball I know “independently“ invents the technique of placing a mark upon the ramrod, that there may be a visual sign that the ball is seated and the powder is compressed. (Also, that the gun is not double-loaded with powder and/or ball, and other considerations.) I´m sure you are aware it is essential to compress the powder for consistency of internal ballistics. (By the way, it´s not a _pistol_ if it´s not a _rifled_ gun -- and a _gun_ is defined as _only_ a smoothbore weapon.) In this matter of consistency, the degree to which the powder is compressed has a notable effect of internal ballistics, compromising theoretical accuracy. So you are carefully, consistently loading and priming this weapon while bullets are flying all about your head -- you are indeed very brave -- but skip the most important step for the very point of your ballistic trials here? How could you not? You say, _I must somehow consistently and effectively assure myself that the powder was kinda compressed and the ball was sorta seated._ War is indeed hell. _(smile!)_ By the way, I informally do not assess this to be a great matter for the firing at only 20 yards, but still.... *Observation #2:* In a very different scenario, in the past I investigated the odd behavior of a modern weapon that distinguished itself by firing two bullets simultaneously from two barrels. (The issue was found to be in the complex transonic interaction of the two bullets. One bullet exiting just a millisecond later than the other would be perturbed by the pre-existing shock wave and blast effect from the first to leave, inducing nutation, then tumbling, resulting in one bullet on target and other just being... practically random even at four meters) Your replica weapon has none of this effect, of course, but this got me to thinking instead of the complex aerodynamics of round ball, and _what is more,_ the compromise of accuracy because of _vortex shedding,_ a recently discovered class of phenomena. (Just use “vortex shedding“ as a Google search phrase, and the phenomenon is clear -- and can be quite extraordinary, like a whole bridge shaking itself to pieces in a high wind.) However, the effect of vortex shedding is not necessarily intuitive. It was experimentally determined many years ago that golf balls with intentional but regular imperfections (that is, turbulators, aka dimples) fly _twice_ (!) as far as one without dimples. Indeed, this phenomenon was known centuries ago when it was observed that old, nicked golf balls flew farther and more consistently than new ones. (By the way, has anyone ever attempted to do accuracy trials (at range), carefully controlling the aspects as described here, but using instead of lead balls, "perfectly" spherical hardened ball bearings? I predict (without knowing) a surprise result.) Again, at 20 yards this phenomenon does not have time to develop aerodynamically, but it is a _chaotic_ phenomenon, and so is challenging to predict even its contribution to concerns of accuracy, except statistically -- but at least its cause is now known. In an informal survey, I find that vortex shedding (affecting only obsolete round ball) has not been adequately investigated. By the way, any such effect can only be exacerbated by using malleable (that is, low-alloy or alloy-free) lead. It is not helpful that you deal wanton violence upon it (multiple times!) with a hammer, and _then_ brutally deform it (again, multiple times!) with stabs of a crude ramrod, to be making _asymmetric and non-regular_ imperfections. Horrific! _(smile!)_ *Observation #3:* Have you ever observed, or does it even make sense, that because most _initial_ inaccuracy of a smoothbore gun is the ball rattling inside the barrel, that after the gun is fired more times, and powder fouling buildup making the ball tighter and harder to seat and the barrel “narrower“, does (long-range) accuracy actually improve? I don´t even know....
I've always loved these types of firearms. The look, aesthetics, curved handles, engraving, etc. I remember seeing a few of these pistol kits at flea markets as a kid, and my father always made fun of me because I wanted one of these. He said, "Hahaha! If you tried to pull that thing on the Terminator he'd laugh at you." Even then, I knew that response was dumb on more than one level.
Nice wheelock pistols; I wonder if they are rifled. Very good shooting for accuracy. Keep up the good work and enlightening us on the history. The man in Poland did a very fine Craftsman's job on these. At about 7:20 I saw the ball go through that lower six thirty hole a second time. Great shooting!!! Nice lead melting furnace; I have seen them but I never used one. Those rectangular bullets are terrible.
I agree that one MUST shoot and use a gun to understand its history. I carry an 1851 repro on my desert walks and I now understand that weapon inside and out. For a rabbit gun there’s nothing better.
It was because of this channel that I got into black powder shooting. I bought my firearm a few months ago (a New Model Army from Pietta) and love shooting it when I can.
Very, very nice, very cool. Brings me back to my own black powder days. I bet you were very popular at the range, that day? You don't see too many, wheel lock pistols out there.
It is in fact my favorite gun channel on TH-cam in beautiful, bright Hunglish language.
Yes! A scientific professional study.
This is not Paul Harrell.
What about Gun Jesus ?,
I ám from Hungary too
These Polish reproduction wheel locks are beautiful and very high quality.
They look even sturdier than 17c originals. I saw a lot of Suhl-made mass-produced wheel-locks that had weaker trigger guards and flimsy ramrod rings.
What's the price for these polish reproductions?
Where can I get a pair
Fascinating. This sort of testing is enormously valuable to let us know how such weapons were actually used and what they could actually do. In context with historical sources, they give a degree of clarity that is simply not possible without this kind of testing,
Got to love experimental archeology!
Nerd
Yes and no. Unless produced with period tools then modern machining, bullets and gunpowder would be expected to radically increase accuracy beyond that achievable by period pieces. That said it's definitely worth doing and gives insights pure reading doesn't provide
@@nath9091 That's a very valid point!
@@Gigachadly So?
Finally some wheel locks in action. That's the most beautiful and sophisticated ignition mechanism ever invented. I'd love to see more matchlocks too.
Even though it is not Christmas, a 22 minutes video of a dual Wheelock pistol is seriously a great treat. Thank you Capandball. :)
Thanks for the likes, I have never had a comment that has more than 10 likes -_-
"Let's fire the school bus into the gelatin" is the funniest thing I've heard in a while. Great video as always!
That's a beautiful pair of pistols. Consider me jealous.
right? I bet he totally did not sit the entire evening in front of his TV with both pistols in hand for two weeks straight after he got them haha
@@peteraugust5295 :) Let me have a pic please!
You know he did. Stroking them.
Those slugs were the literal definition of "If it works well enough, it works"
Fascinating video, always appreciative of the educational content this channel provides.
Given the technology at the time I'd say these were adequately accurate given the intended use and range of these. I'm impressed!
Capnball is the only channel I get to see things like this. Thank you.
Straight stylin' with the dual wielding in the intro. Wheellocks are freaking beautiful.
Didn't they survive as heavily ornate hunting weapons for a while after the flintlocks where introduced? I understand it that it's main drowback was that they where more complicated and expensive. As such they never really took of as a weapon for mass armies of foot soldiers that mostly went from fuse lock to flint lock due to this.
The grace of that brace!! Beautiful pistols.
Love your channel man it’s made me pursue history as an educational interest! I have used your research in college papers never had a problem
What magnificent brace of pistols. My congratulations to the gunsmith... and you!
This is my absolute favorite Magyar gun channel.
What a beautiful brace of pistols!
Thank you so much for such an educational presentation. The testing was of a level few other firearm channels have. The introduction of the hammered slug was interesting it would have been nice to see some examples that had been retrieved from one of the battlefields you mentioned. Please keep up the good work, we in America should take a lesson from your reverence of historical firearms.
Stay tuned for more!
@@capandball Maybe you could try to take a look at a Russian Berdan rifle?
The fellow that built those pistols should be very proud of his work. Craftsmanship is not appreciated much anymore. But, I recognize it when I see it…and I acknowledge it.
good for you mate
I really appreciate the close-up shots here and the level of detail. Beautiful guns and hope you find a reason to update us again with the wheel lock
That brace is exquisite! Absolutely gorgeous. I have never seen a wheel lock fired before and was fascinated by the slow motion footage.
One of the most consistent quality gun videos on the net to be honest.
Those wheellocks are truly works of art. Fantastic video as always.
What a beautiful brace of pistols! Your videos have inspired me to finally get into blackpowder shooting!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video for us Capandball
Capandball: "Everybody had to have at least one firearm"
Ottoman Akinji and Russian Baskirs: 😔🏹
hmm if its a matter of bows vs muskets id say the bows are no worse of. Muskets are easier to train large numbers to use buut if trained archers go against muskets itd be a blood bath all round. Of course that's assuming tha tthe guys with bows dont run away due to the BANG :P
@@sabo55 There's a very funny account of a French general(Baron de Marbot) who was fighting the Russians at the Battle of Leipzig(1813), and chastised their Bashkirs who principally fought with bows because they weren't well trained to shoot in an organized fashion which lead to the Bashkirs loosing arcing volleys which were inaccurate and lacking in power, and he described them as, "In fact the Baskirs, having no other arms, are undoubtedly the world’s least dangerous troops."
Ironically this French general was wounded in the leg by a Bashkir arrow.
@@sabo55 the bows could shoot faster but the lead balls did much more damage if they hit anywhere.
@@sabo55 I live in a region where 5% of the population is Bashkir. The city museum presents composite Bashkir bows, very complex in technology. The Bashkir cavalry used them until the beginning of the nineteenth century. The range and accuracy are not worse than smooth-bore rifles, the rate of fire is very high. They used their bows to shoot from the saddle and presented a very big problem for the rifle-armed infantry. During the movement of Napoleon's army to Moscow and the subsequent flight of its remnants back to Europe, Bashkir horse archers made constant night raids on the French camps. Night, surprise attack and retreat are what they have always loved.
But these people learned horseback riding and archery from early childhood and all their lives, this is a way of life.
@@colbunkmust He was lucky that, according to their custom, they did not store the arrowhead that had wounded him in the decaying corpse of the horse.
Oh we've been waiting for this! I have to say the lapel microphone is working really well and the audio is great.
I have been a muzzle loader since 1979. This was the most fascinating video I have ever watched on the subject. The pistols are gorgeous, accurate, and versatile. It was amazing to me how accurate the paper cartridge tied on to the sprue was. I thought it would tumble. It would have been extra deadly because it left the sprue and some paper in the wound. I wonder if the paper acted as a stabilizer like the fletching on an arrow or bolt to keep the ball+sprue from tumbling @25 m? I also love your scrimshawed deer tine powder flasks. Did you make them?
Dear Robert, thanks for the good words, yes I made both horns.
@@capandballHello ! I don't understand English very well. Please tell me, do you sell these reproductions of flintlock pistols? What is the price in dollars?
This is the first time I have seen a wheel-lock firing. It was a much better system than I thought. Thank you for the video.
I'm very fond of your channel. This video takes it to a whole new level. Well done.
Yes it is my favorite channel, the wide range of variety keeps bringing me back. But I have to say the early colt videos are very enjoyable to watch again and again
How awesome it must be to have this gem of a guy as your teacher lol
Glorious reproductions; your friend is a gunsmith of excellence and artistry.
I like your channel because you have a very clear accent, with my English I understand 90% of your words in any video.
Hunglish is so relaxing to listen to. Thanks.
Those are a beautiful brace of pistols.
Excellent presentation! I had no clear idea before today how the wheel lock functioned.
Another way to form (rather than pour) a correct sized slug is to drive a larger sized ball through a section of barrel of the the correct caliber for the pistol or musket/rifle. Obviously, this works best for a ball only slightly bigger than the intended caliber, but I found it useful on occasion when I did not have the correct mold.
This channel is very well produced and presented. peaked my interest in historical firearms. Best wishes from Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The most elegant pistol I have ever seen Formidable yet beautiful and quite frankly a masterpiece 🙂 greetings from Texas
( formidable for the people being shot )
Simply amazing at every level.
that looks like it would be extremely satisfying to shoot. Just closing the little gate on top of the priming powder looked satisfying.
Many thanks for this video! Didn't know about the slugs usage for the short ranges, it has such a devastating effect!
Seriously point blank only though. Were as the others could be used up to 40 or 50 meters with good effect. I'll pass on the slug, the paper cartridge looked to be all around superior.
Lovely vid, i am very suprised at how hard those pistols seem to hit.. i can easily imagine them emptying saddles in a melee!
Indeed , for that matter , should do respectfully well on the enemy Horse !
Later Flint and Percussion locks were less expensive to manufacture , and simplier to maintain , but as far as power and accuracy , they would compare favorably throughout the remainder of the Single Shot Pistol Era for another 200 or so years .
This just proves that contrary to popular belief, smoothbore muskets and pistols were accurate to an extant and not just wild inaccurate weapons
Wonderfull video and gorgeous pistols.
Have you ever tested Silk in front of the Balistic Gel Block to see if Silk really stops foreign matter being dragged into the wound?
This will part of the experimental archaeology project I mentioned.
@@capandball - Great, looking forward to that one.
this looks a incredible fun hobby , handling all the processes
Pretty damn accurate really. Excellent video on the wheel locks pistols. Those are a fine example too. Very very nice.
Thank you sharing with us! Greetings from Germany!
Excellent video. I have made and shot English wheel lock pistols and have found them to also be accurate and powerful.
Fascinating the results with the tied ball with sprue!
Man, I wish there was high speed footage of the sprue-ball and slugs. I bet the sprue-balls spun like mad going towards their target.
Stay tuned!
@@capandball
Oho! Now I'm excited!
Absolutely gorgeous design on these pistols, especially with the little Fleur De Lis-shaped release for the priming pan cover. I'll gladly admit I like AR's and AK's as much as the next guy, but nothing compares to the beauty of flintlock/wheellock antiques and the artistic level of craftsmanship that went into making these weapons. Especially when you consider the fact that these firearms were born from a pre-industrial society. No conveyor belts, no robots on an assembly line. These were all made by human hands, slowly and painstakingly, to the precision that was needed both for the weapon to be safe and to function adequately. And that's to say nothing of the ingenuity it took to come up with these ignition designs in the first place.
Interesting analysis.
The lock mechanism on the pistols if that is correct terminology is stunningly well done. Over all the craftsmanship of each is fabulous.
I found it interesting seeing the on the spot projectile manufacturing as well. I must say your 25 meter shots with tight fitting round ball showed they were capable of darn good accruacy.
thanks. those are very beautiful pistols.
Excellent video, thank you for the work you put into making and editing all the videos on your channel.
Great video of a beautiful pair of wheel locks, such gems.
Its rare that wheel lock pistol covered. the pistols lovely and I must say its quite a fashion for army to have one back in the day
Interesting and thank you for the excellent videos. 60 grains is double the charge I use on my Pietta Colt 1860 reproduction. Keep up the good work.
Capandball stated that the weight of a normal power charge is a third of the bullet weight. Actually, it works out closer to a quarter of the bullet weight. He stated the ball diameter was .530. Ergo: .530 round ball (without sprue) = 224 grains lead... 224 grains / 4 = 56 grains powder.
Your 1860 Colt Army's bore is .44 caliber. .440 round ball = 128 grains lead... 128 grains / 4 = 32 grains powder. However, usually a larger ball is used in the 1860, up to .454" diameter. A .454 round ball = 141 grains lead... 141 grains / 4 = 35.25 grains powder. Note that it is common for 1860 shooters to use less powder (e.g. 20 grains) for improved accuracy.
@@DigitizedReflections yes , I heard him say all those things as well. My 1860 prefers a full charge of 30 grains with a 128 grain .440 round ball. 20 grains gives terrible accuracy in mine.
Thank you so much for cover such unique firearms in great detail!
Excellent presentation as always.
Very nice. Thank you for the historical information and accuracy.
Those pistols are beautiful.
Beautiful pistols and beautifully informative video. Thank you
now those are some damn cool looking pistols
and thus whole vid was super interesting
I enjoy your work. Thank you for sharing.
These pistols are fascinating to see.
Wow that is some incredibly shooting
Science and historical research combined make for compelling viewing. The first group of 5 was most impressive, especially the two in essentially the same hole.
Beautiful guns..we forget how desperate fighting was back then.
Very beautiful Pistols.....Thanks so very very much....Excellent fun video....From Kentucky...!
Excellent video, very complete!
I wish that one day, be it in a decade or more, you'd collaborate with Ian McCollum on some project, even though the two of you are more complementary: he is less interested in muzzleloaders and you're less into XXth century stuff (except repros).... but who knows!
Love your channel. Not into guns anymore (bows are my fancy) but your love for them is nice to see and learning from someone passionate about what they are about is the best way to learn
Beautiful pistols
Wow! Thank you for sharing these wonderful pistols! This videos is very well structured, and provides an excellent look into the efficacy of older firearms.
Amazing work
Great video, as always! Truly a professional job.
Another great one and a real treat. It's so cool that someone is still making these. Thanks.
Hunglish? I always enjoy and learn very much from your videos!
I would love to see these projectiles tested on Paul Harrels meat target
Should be simple to extrapolate. Imagine a 20ga Foster style slug , download about 200 fps .
Those are beautiful reproductions.
Thank you. This is a very interesting video and very informative.
Hey, that is good shooting with wheel locks. Very impressive.
When you said slug. I was thinking of like a shotgun slug, conically shaped, or Minnie ball shaped projectile. I guess this was a way of mass produced and/ or field expedient way of producing projectiles with limited resources. I sure it would have worked in volley fire or CQB. I need to go back watch the previous cited sources or other videos. I bought a CVA .54 rifle and bullet mold out a pawn shop in Oklahoma 3 years ago. Haven't done anything with it yet. This could be my other hobby. I enjoy your videos for the quality of content. Thanks! 😍
Those are beautiful pistols! This is the first time I have ever seen a wheel lock loaded and fired, makes me want to own one. I assume that horse soldiers loaded these weapons well before an engagement took place. I can see why a soldier would want to carry as many of these guns as he could afford( yet again another case of more is better :) ). How snug is that bullet and powder charge in the barrel? I would worry that they could move around a bit, after some hard riding. Great video!
To a surprising degree, _Hunglish_ has a notable similarly of timbre and cadence to the English language. Is this typical in Hungland? _(smile!)_
*Observation #1:*
Observing the care you take measuring and pouring black powder, and using a bench rest to obviate the majority of circular error, _etcetera,_ for determining the accuracy of this gun; however, every seasoned practitioner of making, loading, and shooting cap-and-ball I know “independently“ invents the technique of placing a mark upon the ramrod, that there may be a visual sign that the ball is seated and the powder is compressed. (Also, that the gun is not double-loaded with powder and/or ball, and other considerations.) I´m sure you are aware it is essential to compress the powder for consistency of internal ballistics.
(By the way, it´s not a _pistol_ if it´s not a _rifled_ gun -- and a _gun_ is defined as _only_ a smoothbore weapon.)
In this matter of consistency, the degree to which the powder is compressed has a notable effect of internal ballistics, compromising theoretical accuracy. So you are carefully, consistently loading and priming this weapon while bullets are flying all about your head -- you are indeed very brave -- but skip the most important step for the very point of your ballistic trials here?
How could you not? You say, _I must somehow consistently and effectively assure myself that the powder was kinda compressed and the ball was sorta seated._ War is indeed hell. _(smile!)_
By the way, I informally do not assess this to be a great matter for the firing at only 20 yards, but still....
*Observation #2:*
In a very different scenario, in the past I investigated the odd behavior of a modern weapon that distinguished itself by firing two bullets simultaneously from two barrels. (The issue was found to be in the complex transonic interaction of the two bullets. One bullet exiting just a millisecond later than the other would be perturbed by the pre-existing shock wave and blast effect from the first to leave, inducing nutation, then tumbling, resulting in one bullet on target and other just being... practically random even at four meters) Your replica weapon has none of this effect, of course, but this got me to thinking instead of the complex aerodynamics of round ball, and _what is more,_ the compromise of accuracy because of _vortex shedding,_ a recently discovered class of phenomena. (Just use “vortex shedding“ as a Google search phrase, and the phenomenon is clear -- and can be quite extraordinary, like a whole bridge shaking itself to pieces in a high wind.)
However, the effect of vortex shedding is not necessarily intuitive. It was experimentally determined many years ago that golf balls with intentional but regular imperfections (that is, turbulators, aka dimples) fly _twice_ (!) as far as one without dimples. Indeed, this phenomenon was known centuries ago when it was observed that old, nicked golf balls flew farther and more consistently than new ones. (By the way, has anyone ever attempted to do accuracy trials (at range), carefully controlling the aspects as described here, but using instead of lead balls, "perfectly" spherical hardened ball bearings? I predict (without knowing) a surprise result.)
Again, at 20 yards this phenomenon does not have time to develop aerodynamically, but it is a _chaotic_ phenomenon, and so is challenging to predict even its contribution to concerns of accuracy, except statistically -- but at least its cause is now known.
In an informal survey, I find that vortex shedding (affecting only obsolete round ball) has not been adequately investigated. By the way, any such effect can only be exacerbated by using malleable (that is, low-alloy or alloy-free) lead. It is not helpful that you deal wanton violence upon it (multiple times!) with a hammer, and _then_ brutally deform it (again, multiple times!) with stabs of a crude ramrod, to be making _asymmetric and non-regular_ imperfections. Horrific! _(smile!)_
*Observation #3:*
Have you ever observed, or does it even make sense, that because most _initial_ inaccuracy of a smoothbore gun is the ball rattling inside the barrel, that after the gun is fired more times, and powder fouling buildup making the ball tighter and harder to seat and the barrel “narrower“, does (long-range) accuracy actually improve? I don´t even know....
I've always loved these types of firearms. The look, aesthetics, curved handles, engraving, etc. I remember seeing a few of these pistol kits at flea markets as a kid, and my father always made fun of me because I wanted one of these. He said, "Hahaha! If you tried to pull that thing on the Terminator he'd laugh at you."
Even then, I knew that response was dumb on more than one level.
I find it amazing how fast the ignition is.
Nice wheelock pistols; I wonder if they are rifled. Very good shooting for accuracy. Keep up the good work and enlightening us on the history. The man in Poland did a very fine Craftsman's job on these. At about 7:20 I saw the ball go through that lower six thirty hole a second time. Great shooting!!! Nice lead melting furnace; I have seen them but I never used one. Those rectangular bullets are terrible.
I agree that one MUST shoot and use a gun to understand its history. I carry an 1851 repro on my desert walks and I now understand that weapon inside and out. For a rabbit gun there’s nothing better.
“Hung-lish”…. Keep it up sir lol the brace is absolutely beautiful. I want a pair
Beautifull pistols and very nice video
CAPANDBALL ,,,,,,The Boss of the Black stuff....💥💥💥
Armas simplesmente lindas e o camarada atira bem. Legal.
My after dinner treat. Viewed while enjoying crumb cake and espresso.
I LOVE these kind of videos!
It was because of this channel that I got into black powder shooting. I bought my firearm a few months ago (a New Model Army from Pietta) and love shooting it when I can.
Great choice!
They are such cool weapons.
I love those pistols it was high tech in its day.
Amazing content, thanks.
Very, very nice, very cool. Brings me back to my own black powder days. I bet you were very popular at the range, that day? You don't see too many, wheel lock pistols out there.