#smokepole

Another pic from another satisfied customer.  When he contacted me about hanging his antique flintlock rifle, I was happy to help.  I have a soft spot in my heart for flintlock rifles.

The double screw holes in the hooks prevents any chance of spinning and magnifies the “hand forged” nature of the hooks.   I even lined the hooks with leather so we wouldn’t worry about scratching that fine wood.

  Muzzle-loading is still a very popular sport, contrary to many people’s beliefs.  Muzzle-loading goes clear back to the old days.  It was especially popular in the mid to late 1800’s.  Muzzle-loaders were one of the primary weapons used in the civil-war, and many of the wars close to that era. 

            Mountain men lived and died by Muzzle-loaders.  They used them to shoot elk, deer, buffalo, bear, and any of the other animals they could get a shot.  The powder back then was stored in a powder horn, and random amounts were poured into the barrel.  Too much powder and the gun would blow up, and too little meant that the bullet would not shoot out.  And without the same amount of powder consistent shots were very hard to get.  Not to mention the powder is affected by the weather so in the bitter cold the guns might not even fire.

            Obviously now muzzle-loading has advanced greatly, and muzzleloaders are still used all the time.  The powder is either smokeless, or synthetic which is unaffected by the weather or temperature.  There are many muzzleloader seasons in Iowa for deer hunting, and I even take part in them.  Muzzleloaders are a fun and effective weapon to hunt with.