The Liberty cap was made popular during the American and then the French revolutions. Today on Craftsman's Corner from the NMLRA, we're going to show you how to make your own.
"It's Important that somebody remembers" | The Story of the Liberty Cap | Muzzle Blasts Archives
Of all of the interesting headgear associated with the American Revolution, one of the simplest forms, so simple in fact that no regular Continental units ever adopted it as an official hat, was the "Liberty Cap." During the Revolution this was generally a wool or cotton cap with the word Liberty or Liberty or Death embroidered across its front in an opposing color. A few battalion infantry and numerous light infantry units wore miters with this legend emblazoned across their fronts (Congress being another legend), light infantry miters sometimes saying Liberty or with a skull and cross bones replacing Death, the words requiring more room than the shorter light infantry miter could afford, the skull and crossbones being more easily squeezed into the space.
Watch out for Murder Hornets, the May 2020 Downloadable Target is here!
The Davies Children - The First NMLRA Sponsored Youth Competitive Shooters
Fire by Flint and Steel | John A. Swett | Muzzle Blasts Archives
Dim shapes in the swirling snow slowly materialized into a small party of men, wrapped voluminously against the weather in furs and capotes. Moving slowly downhilL through winter b arren woods, they reached the floor at the upper end of a small valley. They crossed a frozen stream and climbed to the flat top of a knoll where each one eased his burden to the ground.
Up Close and Personal with an RW Wright Flintlock Pistol from 1977
The Gunmaker’s Hall Collaboration Rifle
Thoughts on building a Single Shot Muzzle Loading Pistol | W.A Carver | Muzzle Blasts Archives
Having given some thought to the advantages and loading of a single shot pistol, some considerations on the building of such a pistol seem in order. Perhaps two approaches to the subject would be useful, building a pistol from a kit, keeping in mind what would make the finished piece suitable to serious shooting, and building a pistol which is altogether a target pistol.
May 1, 2020 COVID 19 Update from the NMLRA
The following decisions have been made with the information outlined by the Indiana Governor May 1, 2020 at 2:30 PM. You can read this information here
In accordance with the State of Indiana and Ripley County Health guidelines:
The NMLRA Campground will remain closed until May 23rd at midnight, because of this, NMLRA Women’s Weekend has been POSTPONED. A new date will be announced shortly.
The NMLRA Nationals (June Shoot) has been canceled. The State of Indiana has placed strict gathering limits of <250 until at least July 4, 2020.
We will be organizing and launching an NMLRA Fundraiser in the near future to recoup funds lost due to this cancellation. We will update the official NMLRA social media and website when this launches.
If you are a craftsperson or vendor that sells your wares during our National Events, please send a photo or two of your wares as well as your contact information for customers to order from to media@NMLRA.org to be added to our list of vendors so visitors may shop from you during this hard time.
The May 30th Inline Hunters Match is still on. This event historically hosts less than 100 participants and should fit inside Indiana State Guidelines.
We will be working with county and state health officials to evaluate all new information and reopen as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience in this difficult time, staff will continue to work remotely for the foreseeable future as we do our best to serve the membership of the NMLRA.
Demonstrating Muzzleloading Barrel Rifling with Rice Barrel Co.
Rice Barrel owner Jason Schneider demonstrates ‘old school’ rifling on a vintage style rifling machine owned by the NMLRA. This demonstration was part of the 2018 TN Muzzle Loading History Banquet.
Rice Barrel Co is a longtime NMLRA Commercial Row Vendor and has supplied muzzle loader builders with fine barrels for years. Find out more on their website ricebarrels.com
Featured
The Rules for Finding Firewood Ethically | Outside Magazine
It can be hard to know what the rules are for gathering wood for your campfire. In this video, Wes Siler shows you how to find kindling and logs ethically and safely. Looking for a way to start a fire? We covered that in episode one.
Sagebrush, Cornfields, and Black Powder | Hunting Phesants with Black Powder by Randy Smith
Building a Lancaster Flintlock with Bill Raby | Part 66
Bill Raby is nearly done building his Lancaster Flintlock Rifle. This in depth series seeks to give you a real look at longrifle building from start to finish. Bill is doing a great job sharing this process. If you are wanting to build your first muzzle loader, or your 10th, give this series a watch!
Flintlock Timing by Larry Pletcher | Muzzle Blasts Archives 1990
The equipment that I use to time locks consists of a computer and interface made to scientifically measure time in a high school or college physics lab. It has the ability to measure times to the nearest ten thousandths of a second. The lock is fired electrically, and time is measured until a flash in the pan triggers a photoelectric cell, stopping the clock.
An All Around Gun | Building a Swivel Breech | Muzzle Blasts Archives
The idea for this gun came to me on a deer hunting trip in November 1985, while canoeing down the flooded Muscatatuck River in southern Indiana in pursuit of whitetail. I had seen several does, but no bucks. It seemed, however, that in every other tree there was a squirrel. Normally, our gray and fox squirrels are very shy, but a week of being trapped by floodwaters had made them careless.
Frank House on executing Engraved Script
Frank House originally shared this post on the CLA facebook page
Alright Engravers,
Time to take a big next step in grasping the concept of executing script engraving.....
First of all, it's important to understand the concept of shading... this where the Art of engraving comes to the fore.
Executed deftly, the work has that wonderful, yet subtle "Pop" that even great calligraphy can't quite match.
This next exercise is learning to draw your characters as if you would engrave them.... in other words, refine your script as if it is finished, shaded and detailed.
Script is basically cut from two directions, up-cuts and down-cuts, taking advantage of ones natural ergonomic abilities. Simply stated, it's far easier to control your cuts if executed on a outside arc than one on a inside arc, therefore the work is accomplished from two directions(photos).
The graver is started vertical and rolled away to the outside of the cuts as one proceeds, rolling the graver both back vertically and out to finish the cut, accomplishing the shading on curved cuts.
Vertical cuts are somewhat simpler.
Gradually allow the graver to consistently cut deeper until the finished depth and result are achieved.
The exercise here is to draw and lay-out your design as if you were engraving it. Incorporate the shading, incorporate the up and down cuts as you lay your work drastically speeds the process and helps one to grasp the concept.
I'm certain folks will have questions, I'll do my best....
Stay with me, we'll get there.
Upwards and onwards!