Black Powder Cartridge News Summer 2019

Horror Vacui or “Nature abhors a vacuum” is most often credited to the philosopher Aristotle. The stated concept was that in nature nothing remains empty. You are probably wondering at this point, What in the world does this have to do with black ... ...Read More >

Our cover photo comes from good friend and black powder rifleman, Harvey Pennington. Pictured is his trusty old Winchester Model 1892 .44-40 WCF sporting rifle – Harvey is fond of wandering the woods with it. In an age when most big-game hunters need the newest high-power magnum rifle to harvest a deer, Harvey shows us how to do it with the .44-40 WCF. ...Read More >

Once there was a time when an innovative person could present to a manufacturer their idea, possibly inviting their groundbreaking article into the merchant’s catalog. A number of 1910-era shooting notables – some with familiar names yet – submitted novel bullet designs to Ideal Manufacturing Company’s John Barlow that might merit inclusion into the “Ideal Man’s” famous Ideal Handbook. Barlow had seldom strayed from his own standard, though somewhat generic bullet designs, but recognized the benefit of being receptive to fresh thought. The proposed bullet designs, successful in small circles, were decided departures from the Ideal norm. A disproportionate number of new ideas came from a single source – the ranks of the elite Manhattan Rifle and Revolver Association. ...Read More >

A few years ago, I heard the scuffling of feet and low murmurs along the “moccasin telegraph” that Bill Loughridge from Phoenix, Arizona, was contemplating the idea of holding Black Powder Target and Silhouette matches in the late February to early March timeframe at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility near Phoenix, Arizona, in conjunction with the Western Independent National Shoot (a muzzleloading event), known as AZWINS. ...Read More >

Recently, the youngest son presented me with a Mosin-Nagant Model 91/30 rifle, more commonly known to Russians as a “three-liner” made in 1943. This old rifle was far from pristine condition and had obviously seen heavy usage during the Great Patriotic War. Its lands and grooves had eroded quite a bit, no doubt from the steady diet of corrosive ammunition it was fed. ...Read More >

Recently, I decided to take an old friend on a deer hunt in Kentucky. The “old friend” was a Model 1892 Winchester that had been manufactured in 1902, and it was with that .44-40 rifle that I harvested a young whitetail buck in northern Maine about 40 years ago. That was my first hunt with a true black powder cartridge rifle using black powder loads, and I’ll never forget the experience; you see, that hunt with the old .44-40 rifle stirred something in me that is very special, even until this day. ...Read More >

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” This is a well-known quote from Keats’ epic poem “Endymion” which continues, “Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.” All of Keats’ lovely descriptive words, in my estimation, definitely describe the Marlin Ballard No. 6½ Rigby rifle; an example of which is the subject of this article. ...Read More >

The year was 1903. A man named Ed Smalley had recently been elected sheriff. Ed was not your typical Old West sheriff in that he had little experience in law enforcement. He had spent most of his previous life working in a mercantile store. He may have, in fact, been the stereotypical “shop keeper.” Regardless of who he had been, he was now sheriff of Laramie County, Wyoming, and on the morning of January 13, he had in his hand a warrant to arrest a man with a reputation for being one of the toughest, meanest, wiliest hombres to ever step foot west of the Mississippi River. ...Read More >

While researching the hide industry to find out what became of all those buffalo hides shipped to market, this article was found in Shoe and Leather Reporter August 21, 1890. I thought it was interesting enough to reprint along with a few notes regarding some of the major individuals mentioned. The endnotes contain some interesting and entertaining information. ...Read More >

Perhaps one of the greatest tests of a rifleman is shooting from cross sticks. This connection to our traditions often conjures images of frontiersmen, buffalo hunting and cavalrymen fighting for their lives. Let us fast-forward a bit, and now we utilize this once lifesaving accoutrement for our enjoyment. We hunt, knock over silhouettes and poke holes in paper with this simple, yet very stable piece of history. ...Read More >

With the completion of this new book, Randy Wright has done a huge service to the single-shot rifle world. I will also say that this book will become a classic in the field of Schuetzen competition and is definitely required reading for anyone interested in getting involved in this fascinating shooting discipline. ...Read More >