The Spring 2023 Volume 68 - Issue 1 of the Skirmish Line

Spring 2022 Volume 66 ~ Issue 4

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NORTH-SOUTH SKIRMISH ASSOCIATION, INC.

Spring 2023 Volume 68 ~ Issue 1 In this issue: Recruiting Skirmish Recap, Cabin Fever & a Thank You to our Donors!

HISTORY. COMPETITION. CAMARADERIE.

The N-SSA promotes the competitive shooting of Civil War firearms and artillery while encouraging the preservation of battlefields, artifacts, clothing and education of the period.

Mr. Charlie Smithgall 1945-2022

The Skirmish LineTMis the quarterly publication of The North-South Skirmish Association, Inc.

Non-member annual subscriptions are available for $24 per year (U.S. Funds) Editor & Publisher Editor, Eddie Davenport ~ skirmishline@n-ssa.net National Photography Officer ~ Allissa Weber Contributing Photographers ~ Niki Bethke, Walt ‘JR’ Zdon, Lis Cole, Brittany Cole Visit our website at: www.n-ssa.org The N-SSA Corporate Seal and the magazine title, The Skirmish LineTM, are registered trademarks of the North-South Skirmish Association, Inc. Reproduction in any form or manner without the expressed written consent of the N-SSA Board of Directors is strictly prohibited. All pages are copyrighted by the North-South Skirmish Association, Inc. and The Skirmish LineTM magazine.

Text and images in this publication are the property of the original owners (Authors). Text and images may not be published separately, in hard copy or electronically, without the expressed written permission of their owner(s). The authors and advertisers are responsible to secure the proper permissions and right to publish articles, photos, and illustrations not created by them. The North-South Skirmish Association, Inc., The Skirmish LineTM, and its staff are not responsible for copyright infringement. Please contact the Editor for questions relating to any matter, including but not limited to permission to copy materials herein.

Disclaimer: The North-South Skirmish Association does not guarantee, warrant, or endorse any product or service advertised in this publication. The publisher also does not guarantee the safety or effectiveness of any product or service illustrated, mentioned, offered, or advertised herein.

The publisher does not assume responsibility as to whether or not products or services advertised in this publication comply with all state or local laws which may be applicable in regard to the purchase or usage of such products or services.

Warning: The author(s), The Skirmish LineTM and its staff, and the North-South Skirmish Association, Inc. cannot accept any responsibility for accidents or differing results obtained using techniques, products, and combinations thereof that will make results vary. Firearms should be checked before firing and periodically thereafter by a competent gunsmith and all manufacturer’s instructions and warnings must be followed.

Cover Photos: Mr. Charlie Smithgall who passed away in 2022 at the age of 77. Mr. Smithgall served as commander of the N-SSA from 2005-2008

Change of Address Requests Please send all address changes to:

Features, Articles and Columns.

The Firing Line

3

Welcome new Recruits

4

Taps

5

National Commander Message

7

Contact List

8

Society of Color Bearers

10

Veterans Skirmish Information

18

Back to Basics - Cleaning

22

The Cabin Fever Challenge

24

Use, Reline, or Replace

26

147th Nationals Schedule

28

The Enfield Rifle

32

Recruit Skirmish

34

Judy Stoneburner N-SSA Executive Secretary PO Box 218 | Crozet, VA 22932-0218 If your household receives multiple copies that you’d prefer not to receive, please email: execsecretary@n-ssa.net You must include your Zip+4 to receive The Skirmish Line

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 1

Note From the Editor Send in any photos or articles that you feel may be of interest to other N-SSA members. When sending photos, please include captions and the names of those pictured. Don’t forget to credit yourself as the writer.

Submit all articles in text format (ex. Word, not a PDF).

All photos must be at least 300 dpi (credit the photographer).

Submit via e-mail to skirmishline@n-ssa.net.

You will receive a return email confirming receipt.

Upcoming deadlines to submit

Summer Issue - September 1st.

2 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

The Firing Line Greetings fellow skirmishers, The winter season has come and gone, and it’s once again time for the skirmish season. I hope you’ve been enjoying your regional shoots and the company of your friends and family. As we look forward to the national competition in Winchester, I can’t wait to see all of you again.

In this edition, I’d like to inform you that the magazine will be digital-only for this and the next issue. We’re striving to modernize the N-SSA and ensure its survival for years to come, and this is one step in that direction. While this switch is not permanent, it will help us understand who prefers a paper magazine and who’s okay with digital-only. We’ll discuss this further at the next board meeting, and if you’re unable to attend, please do speak to your regional commander.

On that note, I’d like to encourage regional commanders to submit articles addressing the organization. It’s a great opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas with your fellow skirmishers. Please reach out to me via email or Facebook, as I’ve only received submissions from Tidewater thus far.

In this issue, we have Tom Wiegand returning with his Back to Basics feature on proper cleaning of firearms, which is a great resource for new shooters. Ethan Yazel, a long-time friend of the organization, is also writing about a different style of muzzleloading competition. Don’t forget to check out his podcast, where you might even hear me from time to time if his voice isn’t enough of a reason to tune in.

Lastly, I’d like to give a special thanks to everyone who helped out with the Recruit Skirmish. It was a fun event, and it seemed to be well-received by those who attended. I think every region should have a similar model to recruit new members. There’s nothing like actually shooting one of our firearms to get someone hooked.

In closing, keep your powder dry and your shots X’s.

Best regards, Eddie Davenport Skirmish Line Editor, Hannover Greys (11366V)

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 3

North-South Skirmish Association National Commanders

Welcome to all New Recruits December 1, 2022 – March 27, 2023

*John Gilmer

1956-1958

Allegheny Region

3

*James Waters

1959-1962

Carolina Region

2

*Albert Hardin

1963-1964

*Carl Jensen

1965-1970

Richard Corrigan

1971-1974

*Frank Schoch

1975-1976

*John Sharrett

1977-1982

*James McAleer

1983-1984

John Robey

1985-1988

*Royal Inge

1989-1992

Earl Coates

1993-1996

Gary Crawford

1997-2000

Earl Coates

2001-2004

*Charles Smithgall

2005-2008

Linwood McMahon

2009-2012

Phillip Spaugy

2013-2016

David Booz

2017-2020

Charles Kindle, Jr.

2021 -

Central Virginia Region

17

Chesapeake Region

5

Deep South Region

1

Mid-Atlantic Region

4

Midwest Region

1

New England Region

3

Northeast Region

4

Northwest Region

2

Potomac Region

9

Tidewater Region

7

Western Region

2

4 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

A * denotes deceased commander

TAPS Winter 2023

Mark H. Amos

56th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry

Randall L. Baker

6th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry

Robert Hey Hoot Chance

1st Maryland Infantry, CSA

Kay Cogswell

49th Virginia Infantry, CSA

Ronald V. Erwin

108th New York Vol. Infantry

Robert Fulton

3rd U.S. Regular Infantry

William C. Gorman, Jr.

37th Georgia

Raymond E. Hess, SR.

Durells Independent Battery

Harry L. Jackson

1st Regt Engineer Troops

Joseph A. McAvoy

34th Bttn. Virginia Cavalry

Donald La Rochelle

Dulany Troop, 6th VA Cavalry

Randal Powell

1st Maryland Artillery, CSA

William Printz

13th Confederate Infantry

Dawn L. Reuker

48th Virginia Infantry

William H. Shuey

1st Maine Heavy Artillery

Charles W. Smithgall

3rd US Regular Infantry

Peter R. Voss

44th New York Volunteer Infantry

“Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality.”

- Emily Dickenson

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 5

Best Quality Quality for for Traditional Traditional Rifles Rifles Best Schuetzen Black Black Powder Powder Schuetzen and 4-Wing 4-Wing Musket Musket Caps Caps and

Schuetzen Black Powder

Schuetzen Powder Energetics, Inc. 866-809-9704 www.schuetzenpowder.com 6 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

From the

National Commander The 2023 Skirmish season has already begun. The Board of Directors meeting was held in January where many of the organization’s issues were discussed and addressed.

One such discussion that took place was how we want to handle the Skirmish Line. I have asked each regional commander to poll their members to try and determine how many hard copies of the magazine are required, versus how many people can take advantage of the digital version. By utilizing the digital version, we can keep the cost of producing the magazine down and avoid a potential dues increase. We should have the needed information by May to be able to make an informed decision by then.

Just a reminder, all uniforms must be worn when required. At Nationals, the only days a uniform is not required are Wednesday and Thursday. Uniforms are required on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Each region has its own uniform guidelines for their regional skirmishes, and the Regional Commander controls how those rules are enforced at regional skirmishes.

I am sorry to announce that we are now looking for a new Executive Secretary. Judy Stoneburner has submitted her resignation to be effective after Spring Nationals due to health concerns. We are hoping to find someone to fill the position before the start of Spring Nationals so that they can learn some of the more intricate details of the job while Judy is available to help guide them before taking over. Judy will continue to be available for help in the future.

I look forward to seeing everyone once again at Spring Nationals. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Stay safe, and be well,

Chuck

Chuck Kindle National Commander

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 7

North-South Skirmish Association Contact List National Officer

National Commander Past National Commander National Deputy Commander National Adjutant Inspector General National Paymaster Executive Secretary

Charles L. Kindle, Jr. David T. Booz David Cole Richard H. Clements Michael J. Santarelli Bette Ann Shepherd Judy O. Stoneburner

419-346-6768 717-338-9379 703-362-7836 703-815-3861 215-576-5358 443-375-2115 434-823-4772

Region Commanders & Inspectors

Allegheny Commander Douglas K. Walter 717-357-1134 AL IG Craig C. Shedd 570-423-1752 Carolina Commamder Rex Cockerham 704-576-1652 CR IG Dave Jackson 828-712-1437 Central VA Commander Ralph P. Shaw 804-400-9008 CV IG Phillip E. Crabill 540-323-3970 Chesapeake Commander Edwin Thompson 443-532-7841 CH IG Michael L. Linton 301-873-7110 Deep South Commander Charlie Bondurant 502-221-0727 DS IG Eddye H. Lawley 205-789-9139 Mid-Atlantic Commander Roger A. Gray 732-280-8159 MA IG Michael J. Santarelli 215-576-5358 Midwest Commander Eric S. Schuessler 216-990-5903 MW IG Ian Egbert 740-357-1415 New England Commander Louis Ruggiero 917-453-0171 EN IG Richard M. Intravia 860-833-8856 Northeast Commander Robert D. Kelley 814-484-3415 NE IG Benjamin P. Nevlezer 315-576-3108 Northwest Commander Edward Walters 248-346-1962 NW IG James E. Weber 734-244-6394 Potomac Commander Davy Crockett, Jr. 570-888-8686 PT IG Mark E. Elton 443-742-0041 Tidewater Commander E.R. Mike Davenport 252-453-2726 TW IG Michael S. Stoneburner 434-882-2228 Western Commander John P. Mark 920-420-1633 WR IG John T. Thatcher 815-653-9024

Staff Officers & Committee Chairs Artillery Officer Robert T. West Awards Committee Chair Nancy C. Crockett Bivouac Officer Robert E. Gorsky Charitable Giving Wayne V. Jordan Community Relations Gary J. Crawford Corporate Relations Officer Allen Minneman Costume Committee Chair Sharleen Leigh West Doc’s Place Retail Sales The Intravia’s Ft. Shenandoah Emergency Coord Chester T. Lauck 8 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

757-508-3007 570-423-1070 410-795-2677 703-407-2445 540-931-4033 937-272-7520 757-868-7844 860-833-8856 540-336-3938

clk111@Roadrunner.Com dtbooz@yahoo.com cole84_89@verizon.net nssa_national_adjutant@aol.com 1stpacavalry@gmail.com paymaster@n-ssa.net execsecretary@n-ssa.net

dwalter47@comcast.net ccsmew@yahoo.com racockerham@hotmail.com gaffergrip65@yahoo.com ltnup@embarqmail.com pdcrabil@shentel.net mdrebel@live.com mlinton1966@yahoo.com smokinpole@aol.com eddyelawley@gmail.com ragray1961@gmail.com 1stpacavalry@gmail.com eschues@aol.com ian45662@yahoo.com tammany42@aol.com quahog@sbcglobal.net rkel1858@outlook.com bnevlezer@yahoo.com ewalt1855@gmail.com shooter575@gmail.com davyc@stny.rr.com mark.alaska@verizon.net eddie_davenport@bshsi.org bulletmaker.stoney@gmail.com jmark48@hotmail.com Jt450@Aol.Com

sixpounder1841@yahoo.com nancyc@stny.rr.com gorsbob@aol.com wvjordan@aol.com gary.crawford18@outlook.com allenm@mtmcase-gard.com slwcarr@yahoo.com quahog@sbcglobal.net lauckc@yahoo.com

History Center Staff Officer Gary J. Crawford 540-931-4033 gary.crawford18@outlook.com History Committee John P. Zebelean, III 410-747-4161 rebshooter@aol.com International Muzzleloading Com Errol W. McLean 315-769-6204 captain1@slic.com Insurance Officer Jason Rexrode 540-414-2127 jmrexrode@hotmail.com IT Manager Linwood L. McMahon 757-536-5187 linwood.mcmahon@verizon.net Judge Advocate/Solicitor Lars E. Anderson 703-967-1789 lars.anderson@ofplaw.com Logistics Officer Shawn A. Shaffer 717-449-9114 shawn.a.shaffer@outlook.com Long Range Planning Chair Edwin Thompson 443-532-7841 mdrebel@live.com Marketing Committee Chair Chris M. DeFrancisci 540-840-2707 chris@washingtonbluerifles.com National Photography Officer Allissa N. Weber 734-231-6056 bert9258@gmail.com National Safety Officer Douglas K. Walter 717-357-1134 dwalter47@comcast.net NRA Liaison Officer Craig Stanley 717-649-9461 cws11@ptd.net Ordnance Officer/Med Liaison John Venskoske, Sr. 540-888-3349 bcgsi@hughes.net Personnel Review Chair Carlton Layne 678-773-1364 cpllayne@aol.com Program Officer George McDowell 724-421-9435 mcdingle7472@gmail.com Property Management Officer Jeffrey C. Hall 703-901-3691 jchall23.jh@gmail.com Property Manager Timothy D. Scanlan nssapropertymgr@aol.com Protocol Officer Brandon S. Bowser 419-274-9197 bbowser13@gmail.com Provost Marshall Robert S. Klutas 717-921-8660 stonycrick61@gmail.com Public Information Officer Bruce W. Miller 248-258-9007 spartan70@sbcglobal.net Range Officer Scott B. Harris 540-481-4566 cwshooter575@gmail.com Recruiting Officer Robert M. Harrison 703-599-8865 48thVa@gmail.com Registration Officer John L. Gaskill 586-291-2557 jlg14tenn@aol.com Revolver Range Officer Chris M. DeFrancisci 540-840-2707 chris@washingtonbluerifles.com Rules Officer Sharon A. Myers 724-255-5830 nssarulesoffice@gmail.com Sanitation Officer Charles J. Wager 910-326-4833 cwager@ec.rr.com Signal Officer David Cole 703-362-7836 cole84_89@verizon.net Skirmish Line Editor Eddie Ray Davenport, III 757-439-4553 nssaeditor@gmail.com Small Arms Staff Officer John D. Holland, Jr. 716-824-5542 jh44ny@verizon.net Statistics Officer Jeffrey R. Knauss 412-766-2789 j.knauss@verizon.net Sutler Officer Paul D. Stoneburner 434-242-2533 madforestry6@gmail.com Uniform Committee Mark E. Latham 603-382-7014 balchiss@hotmail.com Unit Membership Com Chair Kenneth L. Stiles 571-208-4826 nssa.org.membership@gmail.com Veteran’s Committee Chair George J. Schell 410-215-7040 gschell516@cs.com Youth Committee Travis Keener keener.travis@gmail.com

Revised: January 16, 2022, February 18, 2022, February 24, 2022, April 18, 2022, June 23, 2022, August 19, 2022

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 9

2022 Society of Color Bearers and Advance Guard Proud Donors to the N-SSA

By Wayne Jordan, Charitable Giving Committee The year 2022 more challenging thanchallenging the last couple for the our last seecouple if your employer will match yourAdonations charities. Some Thewas year 2022 was more than for our fundraising. crashingtostock fundraising.

A crashing stock market that reduced the value of of our retired members have had their former employer market that reduced the value of personal investment accounts, IRA account values, and other match personalretirement investment accounts, accounts, IRA account andeconomic other their donations, even make to the to N-SSA. along withvalues, general issues in ourorsociety all grants combined reduce retirement accounts, along with general economic issues in our the number of people who felt comfortable giving extra monetary donations to the N-SSA. society all combined to reduce the number of people who felt I have started to build an email database of our members comfortableDespite giving extra monetary donations the aN-SSA. am occasionally out emails about our fundraising those factors, we stilltohad record yearand for donations fromsending our membership, in terms Despiteofthose factors, we still had a record year for donations from needs and creative ways to make donations while reducing taxes dollars donated. The Society of Color Bearers (of which all donors are automatic members) our membership, donated. The Society of Colorof that, or providing other benefits.

Just sendtome email if you aren’t donatedinaterms totalofofdollars $79,727.00.

A large portion $43,153.00, was donated theanrecently Bearersestablished (of which all donors are automatic members) donated a already on the email list.

Advance Guard perpetual endowment fund for the N-SSA. Advance Guard donors total of $79,727.00. A large portion of that, $43,153.00, was donated contribute at least $2000, or commit to do so through an installment program over a designated to the recently established Advance Guard perpetual endowment I can be reached at wvjordan@aol.com or 703-407-2445, and period.Advance Some Guard of thedonors general donations are also designated for other A fund fortime the N-SSA. contribute at least donations can be mailed to mespecific at N-SSA,purposes. c/o Wayne Jordan, 8606 few donations came from employers matching donations made by N-SSA members.

See the lists $2000, or commit to do so through an installment program over a Eagle Glen Terrace, Fairfax Station, Va 22039 (or use one of our below moreSome details about all donations these donations donors. designated timefor period. of the general are also and return envelopes that may be laying around your home from our designated for other specific purposes. A few donations came direct mailings or in a Skirmish Line that you still have). Also, We are already receiving donations from our members for 2023. Our general fund always can from employers matching donations made by N-SSA members. Chris DeFrancisci spearheads the Advance Guard endowment use new funds. There are plenty of maintenance and capital projects that need more funding, See the lists below for more details about all these donations and and can be reached at chris@washingtonbluerifles.com or 540Skirmish the Advance Guard donors. which will be highlighted in upcoming editions of the 840-2707.

Also,Line. more And information and donor formshas can be found gotten off to a good start (see section below). on the www.N-SSA.org website by scrolling down to the middle We are already receiving donations from our members 2023. of the keep page and clicking on if theyou button and Support As you plan out your personal financesforfor this year, in mind that arecalled 70 ½Donate or older Our general fund always can use new funds. There are plenty of the N-SSA. Credit card and Paypal donations can also be made and have an IRA account, you can donate directly from it to a 501 c 3 charity (like the N-SSA) and maintenance and capital projects that need more funding, which on this page. paying all taxes on that money.

We also are accepting shares of appreciated stocks, mutual will be avoid highlighted in upcoming editions of the Skirmish Line. alsooff allows youstart to avoid paying all taxes gains.

And don’t forgetThere to is also a And the funds, Advanceetc., Guardwhich has gotten to a good (see section Below on is a those list of the 2022 donors, by category. charities. Some our retired below). see if your employer will match your donations to supplementary list ofofdonors who havemembers Joined the have Advance Guard, had their former employer match their donations,ororanswered even make grants to the N-SSA. the call for specific projects that needed funding, or As you plan out your personal finances for this year, keep in donated for other specific purposes or dedications. Anyone who I have started to build an email database of our members and am occasionally sending out mind that if you are 70 ½ or older and have an IRA account, you donated over $1000 is listed as a Sponsor of that project. emails about fundraising needs(like andthe creative can donate directly fromour it to a 501 c 3 charity N-SSA) ways to make donations while reducing taxes or providing benefits.

JustWe send an email if you aren’t already on the email list. and avoid paying allother taxes on that money. alsome are accepting shares of appreciated stocks, mutual funds, etc., which also allows you to avoid paying all taxes on those gains. And don’t forget to 10 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

2022 DONOR LIST

Sergeant Major ($5000+)

Ordnance Sergeant ($2500-$4999)

Dominion Resources

DeFrancisci, Chris

Jordan, Wayne & Joy Zebelean, III, John First Sergeant ($1000-$2499) Anonymous

Kreitler, Walter

Budzynski, Joseph

Maroney, Michael

Burgess, Jim

McCormick, Michael

Caltabiano, Michael

Miller, Bruce & Terri

Cole, David

Miller, Mark

Dennis, Mark

N-SSA Veterans

Egan, Eugene

Potomac Region

Funk, Larry

Shepherd, Jr, John

Gravatt, Glenn

Thomas, John

Hacker, Johannes

Wells, John

Hall, Jeff

Wood, James

Heuer, William

Sergeant ($500-$999) Amazon Smile Booz, David & Barbara Hansen, Roger/Chevron Match Newman, Dan & Mary Anne Rollette, Don Taylor, Nick White, Thomas Skirmish Line Spring 2023 11

Corporal ($250-$499) Anderson, Lars Bondurant, Charles Brown, John Campbell, Gordon Clowdis, K Blair Corrigan, Richard Dorner, Steve Druen, Raymend Gaede, Fred

Harbin, Rod Heizer, William Hovatter, Kent Marseglia, Aaron McDowell, Jeffrey Sours, Donald Wainwright, Ralph & Dorothy Willard, Dave Winklepleck, Kenneth

Bugler ($100-$249) 15th New Jersey Vol Inf Acton, Michael Anonymous(0) Ash, Claire Barker, Chuck Barker, Thomas Bell, James Brancoli, Barbara Brewer, Jr, Fred Cahoon, Thomas Chance, Robert Childs, Terry Conner, Duff Cramer, William Dismal Swmp Rangers Dixon, Donald Doc Chambers Golf Group Early, Gene Easterling, Frank Elko, Anne Elko, Edward Estok, John Freeman, Robert Garman, III, Walter Giovanelli, Dominick Hammond, Steve Heiser, Doug & Gail Heisey, Dennis Hogge, Holland, LyleDana & Brenda

Jackson, Harry Koch, James Krafchick, Ned Krug, Matthew Lichliter, Jackie Moore, Kenneth Nipar, John Pond, Steve Powers, Philip "Skip" Reddick, Gordon Rowe, L R Ryan, James Shepherd, Bette Smith, Jerry Snyder, Kent Spaugy, Phil Stedman, Dan Sutorius, Craig Taylor, Howard Travers, Butch Vail, George Walsh, Wayne Ward, John Whitlock, David Wright, David Wright, Edward Wright, Peter Zahner, Peter Zumstein, Bruce

12 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

Private (Up to $99) 14th Va Cavalry Angermaier, Dennis Bakley, Jr, Carlton Cutright, Thomas Graff, Dan Henderson, David Hobbs, Anne Howard, Robert Hughson, Britt & Deborah Knapp, Louis Lakota, Dmytro Nolte, Paul & Mabel Patton, David

Peeler, Jeffrey Penney, Thomas Rambo, F. William Roberts, Michael Ruggiero, Anthony Ruggiero, Gus & Janet Shipe, Lowell Tercenio, Gil UDC - Suffolk Vail, Gregory Weber, Paul Wingenbach, David Witt, Wendell & Susan

Dedicated Donations

Sponsor denotes donations of $1000 or more toward the project

Area 5 Restrooms Bondurant, Charles Batwing Lawnmower Taylor, Nick

Automatic Defibrillator Hogge, Dana N-SSA Veterans - Sponsor Potomac Region - Sponsor

Charitable Giving Committee Jordan, Wayne & Joy - Sponsor

Veterans Committee Rollette, Don

Historical Center Dixon, Donald

History Center in honor of Charlie Smithgall Wainwright, Ralph & Dorothy

In Honor: 72nd B NY Brancoli, Barbara

In Memory: Charles W. Hahn, Jr Bell, James

In Memory: Chuck Hlutke, Jr Early, Gene

In Memory: Dana Clark Estok, John Skirmish Line Spring 2023 13

In Memory: Dave & Arletta Riberdy 14th Va Cavalry

In Memory: Edwin T. (Tom) Hobbs Hobbs, Anne

In Memory: John Sachleben Ruggiero, Anthony Ruggiero, Gus & Janet

In Memory: Randy Baker Early, Gene

In Memory: John Sharrett Brewer, Jr, Fred Cahoon, Thomas Dismal Swmp Rangers Hughson, Britt & Deborah

Travers, Butch UDC - Suffolk Witt, Wendell & Susan

Marketing DeFrancisci, Chris

Veterans Building Roof Hogge, Dana

Road Maintenance Hovatter, Kent Jordan, Wayne & Joy - Sponsor Marseglia, Aaron

Young Skirmisher Award Jordan, Wayne & Joy 44th New York

50

14 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

The Advance Guard Endowment Fund

The Advance Guard started accepting donations in September 2022. Most of the donors listed below have made the full $2000 minimum donation to be Founding Members. The rest have committed to installments that will equal $2000 over the next few years.

The goal is to reach a total of $1,000,000 over the next five years. The principal will be used as a permanent investment fund with earnings from it being available for use each year, if needed. This fund will help ensure the long-term future of the N-SSA. There will be a ceremony at the spring nationals to present awards to the Founding Members. All donors who have fulfilled the $2000 minimum by the Thursday of Nationals will be included.

Anonymous Brancoli, Barbara Budzynski, Joseph Burgess, Jim Caltabiano, Michael Cole, David DeFrancisci, Chris Egan, Eugene Funk, Larry Gravatt, Glenn Hacker, Johannes Hall, Jeff Heizer, William Heuer, William

Jordan, Wayne & Joy Kreitler, Walter Krug, Matthew Maroney, Michael Miller, Bruce & Terri Miller, Mark Shepherd, Bette Shepherd, Jr, John Taylor, Howard Thomas, John Winklepleck, Kenneth Wood, James Zahner, Peter Zebelean, III, John

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Would you like to send in a donation now? Just print and send this form with your donation to: N-SSA , c/o Wayne Jordan, Charitable Donations Committee, 8606 Eagle Glen Terrace, Fairfax Station, Va 22039

Name ____________________________________________ Amount of donation__________ Address _______________________________ City ____________ State ______ Zip_______ Email _________________________________ Phone ________________________________ Credit card #_________________________________ Exp date__________ CVV___________ General Fund or Specific Purpose? _________________________________________________

All Checks should be made out to the N-SSA. All donors will receive a letter of receipt by mail. The N-SSA is a 501 c 3 organization and donations are eligible for tax deductions.

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 15

Memorial Park – N-SSA Engraved Brick Memorial Request Form NAME

UNIT: Year Deceased or memorial notation (ex. From loving family)

Description of memorial bricks Bricks are 4” x 8” in size Laser Engraved

All bricks will be of the same font and color

Directions:  Please print clearly on the form.  Only deceased N-SSA members may have a brick placed in Memorial Park.  Duplicate bricks may be ordered at the same price (Ex. One brick for Memorial Park, one brick for family, team, etc.). Please indicate this on the form. Duplicate brick(s) ordered can be picked up at the secretary’s office during each nationals. Duplicate bricks will not be shipped.

Number of bricks ordered__________ @ $30.00 each Total Amount submitted $___________ Make Checks Payable to: North-South Skirmish Association Submitted by: Name: _____________________________________________ Unit Name:_______________________________________ Unit Number and Region ________ Contact number or email address___________________________________________________ Mail to: Executive Secretary Judy Stoneburner P.O. Box 218 Crozet, VA 22932-0218 ****************************************************************************** Office Use Only: Date Received: ____________________________ Check #________

Amount $___________

Brick Placement________

16 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

Deposit Date_____/_______/_____

Extra Brick:

NO

YES

____________________

Thank You to Our Advertisers!

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2

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3

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4

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5

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6

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7

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14

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Back Cover

Classified ad: Interior only $0.60 cents per word (Minimum 15 words)

Interested in advertising in the Skirmish Line?

Contact us at nssaeditor@gmail.com We publish 4 times a year and reach thousands of potential customers Skirmish Line Spring 2023 17

52nd Annual Veteran’s Skirmish - “Family Traditions” July 14-16, 2023 Have you ever been to a Veteran’s Skirmish? Have you been a member for 10 years? Then why not? Is your son or daughter a member with 5 years in (and you’re a 10 year veteran)…..well guess what? They can come too! Are you a US Military veteran with 5 years in the N-SSA? Well - you qualify too! Don’t want to shoot? Well - we ALWAYS need volunteers! The entire skirmish is run by volunteers!

As the years go by, the crowd seems to be shrinking. But so many of the folks we’ve talked to have NEVER BEEN to the Veterans Skirmish! This year, Katie Scanlan and Allissa Weber are the Skirmish Directors, and we want to bring it back to our “roots” (so to speak). We want to get back to shooting on teams that are composed of complete strangers (besides our partners, that is) Therefore, we need more people to come down! Sign up with a partner (or solo) and we’ll pick teams out of a hat. Luck of the draw!

Tim Scanlan roasts a hog each year, and there is an amazing potluck Friday evening. We traditionally call this the “Welcome Dinner.” Bring a dish to pass and a chair! (Hosted at 14th Virginia’s campsite, on Artillery Road). To encourage some “chewing the fat” - we’re going to organize some activities this year, to encourage more socialization after Friday’s potluck dinner. We’re going to have Euchre and Poker games set up; cornhole tournaments; maybe even some ladder golf, giant Jenga games, and horseshoes. Don’t just go back to your camp and sit by yourselves!

Come hangout with everyone. Bring your chair - and have a good time!

Saturday, the Veteran’s meeting is held in the basement of the Museum (Veterans Building) - where we draw names for teams; after your team is drawn, you take a visit to Jeremiah Walsh’s fantastic Prize Table for your pick! This is all followed by the creek party, the Ruritan’s Dinner, and finally the 3rd Maryland’s Punch Party rounds out the evening..

Friday (July 14)

Saturday (July 15)

Sunday (July 16)

11:00

Range Opens

09:00

Range Opens

08:30

Team Captains Meeting

16:00

Range Closes

12:00

Range Closes

09:00

Opening Ceremonies Musket starts ASAP after opening ceremony

18:00

Welcome Picnic (14th VA Campsite)

13:00

Veterans Meeting

Noon-ish

Brigade Shoot immediately follows Musket Match

14:00

Creek Party

12:30-ish

Musket Awards

18:00

Dinner (somewhere)

20:00

Punch Party (3rd Maryland site)

18 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

52nd Annual Veteran’s Skirmish - “Family Traditions” July 14-16, 2023 Competitor Name:

Team #:

Competitor #:

Buddy Name:

Team #:

Competitor #:

Registration Fee (per competitor) is $40.00

Total Registration Enclosed: $

Friday Night Welcome Dinner - No charge for you and one guest.

Additional guests are $5.00 each

Additional # Guests: Total $:

Saturday Night Dinner (at Ruritan Pavilion) - 1 ticket included per shooter entry. Additional guests are $10.00 each

Additional # Guests: Total $:

Donation to the Veterans Association

Total Donation Enclosed: $

T-Shirts T-Shirts are 100% cotton. They are printed with design on the back (full-size) and front-left chest. We have 2 color options available; and a women’s tank top. Prices for black and gray shirts are the same. Prices for tank tops are different. If you need more space, write in at the bottom of the page.

Black T-Shirt - Unisex fit - Sizes Small to 5XL

$15.00 EA Size(s):

Quantities:

Gray T-Shirt - Unisex fit - Sizes Small to 5XL

$15.00 EA Size(s):

Quantities:

***Shirt Sizes 3XL and up are $18.00 EA, regardless of color*** Dark Gray Racerback Tank Top - Women’s Loose/Flowy fit - Sizes Small to 2XL $18.00 EA Size(s):

Quantities:

Make checks payable to: N-SSA Veterans Association Mail check and this page to: Katie Scanlan 480 Chalybeate Springs Road Winchester, VA 22603

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 19

52nd Annual Veteran’s Skirmish What the heck is a Veteran’s Skirmish, you ask?

Well, it’s a 50+ year tradition in the N-SSA, and if you haven’t been to one, you’re missing out on a great weekend! We’ve heard a lot of misinformation over the last few years - so let’s do some fact-finding first. #1) MUSKET ONLY! Yes, you heard that right.

Musket only. Team match on Sunday…..you guessed it - Musket! Individuals on Friday and Saturday? Give that skirmisher a prize! You guessed it - Musket! #2) I can’t get my whole team to show up! Good news again! You don’t need your whole team to show up! This is a “Buddy” shoot! You and a partner sign up and are put on a team of 3 other “partner pairs.” Wait, what? Yes, you can shoot your father, brother, sister, wife, son, daughter, “brother from another mother” - all of the above. Don’t have a buddy? No problem, we take “singles” and add them into the teams as well! #3) I’m a 10-year N-SSA veteran but… my kid is not….can they come? Two answers to this.

YES - EVERYONE is welcome to come! Can they shoot? If they have 5 years in the N-SSA and you (a parent) are a N-SSA veteran - then they can sign up to shoot! If they aren’t eligible well - we always welcome volunteers! They are guaranteed to have a good time! #3b) If you’re an N-SSA member with 5 years in and also a US Military Veteran, well, then you’ve done your time, and you’re eligible to sign up too! (PS - Thank you for your service!) #4) Do you need volunteers? Why yes, yes we do. This ENTIRE SKIRMISH is hosted by volunteers! We’ll need safeties on the line, help in the stat house, and more. If you are available to help, please contact the Skirmish Directors (if you haven’t already, via one of our Facebook posts). Oh - and those Skirmish Directors - yup, you guessed it VOLUNTEERS! Oh, and If you want to volunteer to host a Veteran’s Skirmish - just let us know! #5) It’s July. And hot. Why yes, it sometimes is. But it’s MUSKET ONLY! And we do have Back Creek running through the property. In fact - after teams are drawn on Saturday afternoon, we head to the creek for a cooling-off PARTY! Bring your creek shoes (highly recommended) and your favorite beverage and a chair - and come lounge with us in the creek or on the bank! #6) So, uh, what about food and such? Funny you should ask. Tim Scanlan, roasts a whole pig for the Friday night Welcome Dinner! Yes, a whole pig! And the meat is always excellent.

Everyone brings a dish to pass - which we set up on wagons at the 14th Virginia’s campsite (on

20 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

52nd Annual Veteran’s Skirmish Artillery Road). Last year - we had to use TWO WAGONS - we had so much food! Just remember to bring a chair! There is also a meal provided Saturday evening, after the creek party, by the Gainesboro Ruritans. One ticket is included in your registration, more can be purchased. There is also a Saturday night after-get together at the 3rd Maryland Artillery’s campsite, starting around 8pm. Everyone is welcome! #7) What’s this I hear about prizes? Ah yes, the prize table! Jeremiah Walsh (2nd Maryland Artillery) has been handling this for years! Extra credit goes to all his girls who have also helped out for years! After your team is “drawn” and you have 8 members you all go out to the Prize Table and pick an item! These items have been donated by Skirmishers and Sutlers alike.

#8) I’ve got some stuff that I could donate how do I do that? Please get a hold of Jeremiah and he will make arrangements to get the items from you, either the weekend of the Veterans Skirmish, or prior. He can be reached via email at bullfrog8025@gmail.com or at 443-761-8018.

There is a brigade shoot (following musket team matches) on Sunday, North versus South; and there are a bunch of “fun” individual events that you can try your hand at. Pigeon elimination, a ham shoot, poker hand, battleship targets, and we’ll be trying out a Josey-Wales style event also!

Friday, after the Welcome Dinner, we’re organizing some activities like cornhole, horseshoes, giant Jenga games, poker and euchre games, and more!.

We hope that folks stick around for a while and “chew the fat” with long-time friends and strangers alike! The camaraderie and good memories is what we’d like to promote this year. “Family Traditions” if you will. N-SSA Family Traditions. If you’ve never been to a Veterans Skirmish - please consider coming down this year, whether its to partake in the festivities, or just to volunteer! We’d like to share old memories with you all - and make more new ones!

Sincerely, Allissa Weber & Katie Scanlan - Volunteer Skirmish Directors Skirmish Line Spring 2023 21

Back to Basics “Cleaning”

By Tom Wiegand

In other words, care, and maintenance of firearms. If you want it to work and work safely, it must be properly cared for. There are stories, apocryphal or not, of small museums that lose quality displays like original muskets from the American Civil War to lack of care. Don’t do this. Please. If a person wants their car to keep working for years and miles, they change the oil regularly and attend to other maintenance duties. Our firearms are the same, machines that need to be maintained. Even if you don’t use it all the time, keep it clean and lubricated to prevent rust and rot.

Original period firearms and new reproduction versions still require good maintenance. Metallurgically, there may be differences, probably are. That doesn’t matter to the basics of cleaning the firearm after it has been used.

The first concern is cleaning immediate grime and carbon (coke) build up. As with much relating to this pastime, there are a lot of varying opinions but a few things are held in common as truths.

First of all, do not use any harsh chemical cleaners (Editor Note, I personally use Frog Lube for long term storage it’s all natural). Those solutions formulated for modern firearms and smokeless powders are corrosive and will hurt the barrel and bore of a muzzleloader. Mild cleaning solutions and warm to mildly hot water work best. From dish soap to peroxide mixes to commercial black powder cleaning solutions the choices are many. Take your pick.

I mention warm to hot water but not steaming or boiling water (Editor note; A good trick is to run water through your coffee pot and use that). Those familiar with cast iron frying pans, pots and

breech is the most important dirt to remove and the easiest to miss.

Clean the stock using a soft brush and some of your chosen solution.

Clean any parts disassembled from the firearm, the hammer, the nipple, the barrel bands if necessary. This gives time for the breech and barrel to soak and soften. A bore scraper can be used next to clean the base of the breech. While called a bore scraper this cleaning head doesn’t really scrape at the bore, that could hurt the firearm’s rifling. It scrapes the end of the breech plug, cleaning out built up carbon residue. Failure to clear this part of the barrel assembly will lead to a plug being formed. If the plug gets to big, the spark from the cap or firepan will not reach the powder charge in the barrel, causing a fouled firearm.

Rinse the barrel to wash out any loosened coke. Then swab the barrel with dry patches until they come clean. This process may take more than one repetition. Using a bore light to check the barrel and breech’s cleanliness is recommended. If the patch is dry but the barrel is still dirty, running a wet patch would show it still has cleaning to go.

Once the inside of the barrel is clean and dry, clean the outside primarily around the nipple or pan. Use a nipple pick or fine wire to ensure that the touch hole is clean and not obstructed. A soft brush is good for surface work. The tight spaces and hard coke can be cleaned using a cleaning or dental pick. Be gentle with these as scratching the barrel is not an optimum goal.

When all is cleaned, oil lightly and reassemble. To much oil will only serve to attract more dust or clog the touch hole. Regular

skillets know that when they are heated, the pores of the metal expand allowing oils and other things to be trapped when it cools. This is why a cast iron skillet is oiled hot and allowed to cool, giving it a non-stick surface if properly treated.

The same properties belong to the barrel of most muzzleloaders and all originals. Steaming hot water will microscopically expand the metal allowing carbon build up and other dirt to be trapped in the metal when it cools. Warm water will do a good job in combination to the cleaner to soften, loosen and dissolve the residue built up in and on the barrel. Give it time to do its work.

After disassembly of the firearm, noting how it came apart so it can be reassembled properly, let the barrel soak in a bucket of solution ensuring that the breech is fully immersed. The coke built up at the

damp patching and oiling is recommended for any firearm that is not in frequent use. Depending on climate and humidity, more frequent applications of oil may be required.

As an alternative to disassembly and the cleaning process above, range or field cleaning may be done with patches and solution.

Cleaning wipes are a good option as they are self-contained, patch and cleaner in one convenient package. Tear the wipe into strips and run down the barrel with a cleaning jag. Repeat as necessary. Then oil. Use the wipes on the exterior as well. Once back from the field, do a full cleaning to protect the firearm. (Editors note; I personally like to clean my firearms after shooting them to a semi clean state, after I will oil them liberally and let it soak for a few days coming back to clean it then for storage.)

CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

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Join the N-SSA Advance Guard and help preserve skirmishing for the next generation!

Donate and create a legacy that will never go away!

Members of the N-SSA Advance Guard are helping to create a $1,000,000 endowment fund to support the association into the next generation. The principal funds are to be placed into a permanently restricted endowment fund to provide a sustainable source of income for the future. The endowment fund will ensure the longterm viability of the North-South Skirmish Association.

Members of the N-SSA Advance Guard will receive a custom pin designed to be worn on the uniform. A numbered certificate suitable for framing, and their name on the Advance Guard plaque displayed in the museum.

The Advance Guard endowment is a great way to leave a legacy to the N-SSA, support the future of skirmishing, and ensure a viable organization for decades to come. Donations are tax deductible due to our 501(c)3 status.

The North-South Skirmish Association is a unique organization that represents a significant era in American history. Preserving this heritage of skirmishing is important in commemorating those brave men and women who were part of the struggle that was the War between the States.

Yes! I want to join the N-SSA Advance Guard and be recognized.

I pledge to become an Advance Guard member and donate according to the following. I understand the principal will remain in the endowment and will only be used to generate interest income to sustain the N-SSA. Choose one of the following: One time donation of $2000 Or Conditional Endowment 24 monthly Payments of $84.00 40 monthly payments of $50.00 Name:______________________ Address: ____________________ City:________________ State: ____

Protect and preserve our heritage for the next generation and for years to come, join the Advance Guard today!

Zip: __________

The first 100 donors will be designated as the Founders Group.

N-SSA #: ________ Team #: ______

Join yourself or honor a special person by donating to the fund.

Phone: __________________

Signature: _____________________ Email: __________________________________ Make all donations payable to N-SSA Endowment Fund and send to:

For more information please contact: Chris De Francisci – 540-840-2707 Chris@washingtonbluerifles.com or Wayne Jordan Wvjordan@aol.com

N-SSA Endowment Fund c/o Wayne Jordan 8606 Eagle Glen Terrace Fairfax Station, VA 22039 wvjordan@aol.com

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 23

Hi, I’m Ethan and I Love Muzzleloading.

The Cabin Fever Challenge.

The snow turns to rain and back to snow as I unpack my musket.

Sloppy snowflakes smack into my glasses with each step until I’m under the range cover. The brisk wind makes the 33F air temperature feel all the colder as I prep my supplies. I wipe melted snowflakes from my brow. This is how I will start the year.

If you are like me, by the time the holidays are over, you are ready for spring and all the muzzleloading fun that goes along with warmer weather. Plans are easy to make but hard to follow through with when it’s below zero or there’s a foot of snow on the ground, but for two years I’ve kick-started my range time for the year with “The Cabin Fever Challenge” (CFC). For those unfamiliar, the cabin fever challenge was started by Riflechair.com as an online shooting match and a way for shooting sports enthusiasts to get out in mid-winter/early spring to have some fun with marksmen from around the globe. The challenge runs from Jan 1 to March 31.

The provided introduction for the Cabin Fever Challenge goes as follows:

#1: Safety: If you can’t shoot the CFC safely then do not attempt it.

Please find a qualified coach to mentor you #2: Do not nominate someone unless they have the skills and experience to be safe. #3: Always shoot at a safe location and in a safe direction #4: Children may shoot but only under the direct supervision of a responsible and experienced adult #5: Competing Against Yourself - The Spirit & Intent of this match is for participants to explore and improve their own musketry skills. This is less about beating competitors and more about personal achievement regardless of knowledge and experience. An opportunity to learn from one another’s example..

The Muzzleloader Course of fire goes as follows: Class 5 (muzzleloaders) Course of fire is 4 rounds: 1 round standing, 1 round kneeling, 1 round prone, and 1 round sitting. Mandatory reload Originally, the match had divisions based on rifle and optics, but in between each position change. Ammunition used is at the discretion recent years the team behind the challenge has added a muzzleloader of the competitor. division.

The official 8” Muzzleloader target is provided on the RifleChair website for anyone to download and use. Once printed, the target is posted at 50 yards for the competition.

Scoring is one of the most interesting parts of the challenge, it doesn’t matter where in the circle you hit - as long as you hit it.

Time is calculated from the first shot fired to the last shot fired. Bullet impacts that break the score line count for score. Countable bullet strikes are 5 points each. Bullet strikes outside the circle are misses.

Your score is calculated with this simple calculation - (Hits on target x5)/ (Time in seconds) x 100 = Score With all of this in mind, I added some fun by bringing a muzzleloader I have never shot for a score - my 1777 Pedersoli Charleville Musket, shooting historically appropriate paper cartridges. My thinking was I would lose some accuracy through my own inexperience with the smoothbore, but I could pick up speed by having prepared cartridges. The Cabin Fever Challenge really shakes up muzzleloader ‘competition’ in my mind. I grew up standing on a line with 10–30-minute relays, calmly reloading and getting into the same position for each shot. With the CFC, the time it takes you to reload and pull the trigger is super important to your final score - and that’s on your

24 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

mind constantly as you struggle against the elements and yourself between positions.

It was the middle of March before I could break away for some range time with my friend Barry, who each year leads the charge for completing the challenge. Thankfully in Indiana, March doesn’t mean spring. We woke up this fine Saturday to about an inch of snow and gusty winds. Temperatures would rise before we got to the range, but for this match, we were glad to not have perfect conditions. For many of us, part of the fun is being uncomfortable, and this day would be perfect.

Barry and I met at a local club range with a 50-yard bay. Barry would be shooting his Pedersoli Brown Bess. Since we’d both be shooting smoothbores, we thought it good to ‘sight in’ a bit, even though neither of our muskets had a rear sight! having never shot at this distance on purpose, I lined up on the firing line and began ripping into paper cartridges aiming at an 8.5x11” practice target. As with any muzzleloader, I started aiming directly at the center of the bull. As the flint caught and the shot ignited, I was able to see a hole at 8 o clock, low on the target. Bite, rip, spit, pour, ram, and another shot rang out with similar placement. I was limited to 17 cartridges by my own fault of not making a ton before heading to the range, so I began to adjust my point of aim. With some hillbilly math and figured holding on the upper right-hand corner would get me into the black. Bite, rip, spit, pour, ram, and the next three shots held true. I had a plan, but now it was time to pit the plan against the clock and mother nature.

As Barry and I finished up our practice rounds, the snow shifted to cold rain again and began blowing into the front of our range cover. While it may not look like it on the video, we were in the thick of it!

The first shot was standing, a common enough position for many of us in muzzleloading. My flint fell and ignited the first shot- the clock was now ticking. I wouldn’t know it until watching the playback, but this first shot was almost perfect, just outside the center at 3 o clock.

After 23 seconds I reloaded and set to priming my pan. Sticking to the modern safety practice of priming the pan last may slow me down a little, but I think that’s a fair trade-off. At 46 seconds I let off my second shot, same elevation at 3 o clock but this time the ball cut the edge of the paper. The time I spent fumbling with my priming horn and trying to steady my aim began to work on my head. As any competitive muzzleloader will tell you, it’s as much of a head game as anything and my head was out of shape.

Back up to standing, I tore open the third cartridge. My reload was much smoother on this one and I was back into position, this time laying down, in about 20 seconds. Prone shooting is a lot of fun, even with a long barrel hanging out front, I recommend you try it sometime.

By this time in the challenge, I’m shaking a bit, I know the clock is ticking so I try to make up time with an accurate shot, but the damp was working against me. My third shot rang out with a slight delay, and I pulled it to the left. Same elevation as the first two shots but now I was out in the cardboard. I wiped the underside of my flint and returned to he loading position. At 2 minutes and 31 seconds, my 4th shot rang out but disappeared into the backstop without connecting to the paper. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the 50 yard “walk of shame”, as we jokingly called it, down to the target.

Of course, I wanted to get all the shots in the bull, it’s what I was raised

to do- but for my first time out in several months, and in less-thanideal conditions, the fun of the day was the priority. After some math, the score for my run was 3.91, just enough to be acceptable but also low enough to keep me pondering as Barry started his run.

Barry was in a similar boat to me, he had a large caliber musket with no rear sight and paper cartridges. However, where I had a functional front sight, all Barry had was an unmodified bayonet lug on the top of his barrel where a front sight would be on a more civilian-style muzzleloader of the time. Barry’s run started well, he hit the paper on his first shot a little high. It wasn’t until Barry’s third shot, in the prone position, that he hit his first snag - the pan didn’t ignite. Barry kept his cool, rocked the cock back into half and then full cock, closed his frizzen and the ball went flying with a pull of the trigger. Unfortunately for Barry, only his first shot contacted the paper, and it was outside the bull. This is the kind of situation where the Cabin Fever Challenge shines. Even though Barry didn’t score any points, he was able to enjoy the challenge and see how fast he could fire his 4 shots in 4 different positions. His clock stopped at 2:55, just 24 seconds slower than mine.

“I love how different this is than what we normally do with muzzleloading.” said Barry as we walked to the target. “It may be a little less gentlemanly, but it’s so much fun. For me, hitting the target isn’t as important as getting 4 shots off in 4 positions while on the clock”.

Being a glutton for punishment, I needed to give the challenge another try. This time I wanted to focus on a new game plan. Last round, I stuck to my gut and went slow, and it didn’t pan out for me. This time I was going to focus on speed and nothing else.

In what I call a flurry of “high speed, low drag musket shooting”, I got all 4 shots off in 1 minute, 41 seconds. Are you ready for the kicker? My hits remained the same; 1. I’m happy to admit I have a lot to work on and will continue for the rest of my life, hah! This faster run raised my score from a 3.91 to 4.95.

I’m nowhere near the top once again this year, kudos to the folks at the top, but like always I walked away from the range with some great memories and a reignited passion for muzzleloading.

I’d like to thank Barry for pushing us to get together this year and I’d like to thank the Rifle Chair team and all of the division leaders for making this great challenge happen. You can see my run as well as everyone else’s runs on YouTube, simply search “Cabin Fever Challenge” and you’ll be treated with several years of videos to enjoy.

If you’d like to participate next year, the challenge opens on January 1 and runs to March 31. I can’t recommend it enough!

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 25

The Use, Reline, or Replace Conundrum

By Jim Van Eldik Iredell Blues The N-SSA Forum is a popular place for Internet explorers of firearm enthusiasts. While its primary emphasis is on providing a flea market for buying selling, or trading plunder of our ilk, occasionally there are discussions that occasionally approach the level of profound, usually in the Shooting Techs, Tips, & Tricks section. One of these occurred this past July. Mr. John Westenberger of the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry purchased an original 1861 Springfield model of the “Trenton contract” persuasion. Of course, like all good N-SSAers, he wanted to shoot it.

Before one ventures any advice on shooting these old guns it’s incumbent that we establish a firm profile on its condition.

Mr. Westenberger’s pegged the Trenton’s current posture at “as found.”

The problem here was he did not specify “as found” where. If found in a museum, condition is generally superb; if found in a chicken coop, desirability generally drops off precipitously. Obviously, additional clarification was needed, which Mr. Westenberger did provide. He noted that the gun was “well used,” and was “used as a hunting rifle for decades.” Probably most significant, he noted that when he sought to shoot it using a .579 minie, “the bullet dropped all the way to the bottom freely without the rammer.” He concluded the gun “precludes anything but an old time minie.” He was essentially interested in how the N-SSA gurus would attack the problem, the options for consideration being: use as is. reline or re-barrel.

Of note – he provided no photographs of the gun.

While a number of skirmishers came online with suggestions for a variety of bullet sizes and configurations, the strongest arguments were made for re-barreling. They were offered by such N-SSA heavy hitters such as John Bly, Joe Plakis, CA Gerringer, and probably most noteworthy, by N-SSA sage Don Dixon. Don offered a couple of most succinct arguments: “Relining will destroy any value it might have to a collector,” and, “One of the objectives of the N-SSA is supposed to be the preservation of original Civil War weapons. Reline a serviceable weapon that meets original service standards so that you can skirmish with it? I go back to my original response.”

Don’s comments caught my eye on two fronts.

Through all my years in the N-SSA, with the 20th Georgia, with the 44th Georgia, with the Iredell Blues, with Forrest’s Escort, with the Iredell Blues again, I have never heard mentioned that one of our objectives is to preserve original weapons. Now myself and my teammates have owned and used numerous original Civil War firearms (we’ll switch to the more appropriate term here), have had countless discussions on how to make the guns shoot more accurately, and explored a variety of methods and products to properly maintain them, I have absolutely 26 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

no recollections of any discussions, ever, on how to preserve them.

The original Civil War guns we use in the N-SSA lead a lively existence; they are not indolent, like the museum guns.

Being I sometimes find my thoughts a bit out of step with “normal” N-SSA thoughts, I looked at what the official N-SSA documents had to say.

In the association’s, what us old military guys would call, mission statement, we find the phrases “unique sport,” and “recreating history through competition” used. Also, down the way, I believe it was in the N-SSA Official Policy bullets, I found the phrase “commemorate the heroism” in reference to the Civil War soldiers on both sides. But again, I was not able to find any reference to weapons preservation. My thought is, if there is a preservation element in our association, it’s a cultural thing, not a policy thing.

Moving on, I also found Don’s unequivocal statement, “relining will destroy any value it might have to a collector,” most interesting. I believe that collectability, whether relined or not, is relative to several factors, most importantly, the condition of the gun at the time of relining. To illustrate, let’s talk about my original 1860 Spencer carbine.

I bought the gun as you see it in Photo 1 in 1995--- I mean 1975 for $140.

Notice the modified loading lever, the missing hammer spur, and the lack of loading tube/butt cover, and the signs of pathological abuse in the receiver area. Not shown is a hopeless crud bore with acres of rust and corrosion, and, of course, the rimfire breach. Let me add here, I collect antique guns, and I collected this gun, but the rationale for collecting can vary, and in this case the desire to restore and shoot the gun was paramount. I soon began accumulating replacement parts, mostly from Dixie Gun Works. I worked with a friend of mine in a metals factory to produce .56 caliber rimfire cases using .22 blanks for primers (which we sold wholesale to Dixie for the next thirty years).

At that point I could begin shooting the gun which with the atrocious bore like it was, turned out to be a hopeless proposition regardless of the powder charge or the projectile used. I continued to try to make the gun shoot for the next forty years eventually converting it to center fire with the new breach block.

Finally, I think it was around the 2010s, I decided to install a Hoyt liner. And of course, as is the case with all Hoyt liners, the result was fantastic. While the competition in the repeater category is fierce, it’s still great fun to get out there and compete. However, where the gun really shines is taking it down to the local range. It seems everyone in the shooting community has seen “Unforgiven,” so the unexpected presence of an actual Spencer carbine on the firing line always creates a stir. And when you offer these modern gun shooters a chance to shoot the gun, they go nuts. Be prepared though, these non-black powder folks invariably jerk the trigger, so be prepared to shoot a nine or ten for them to save face.

So back to the collector issue. You’ll notice in Photo 2 that the replacement parts, though original, are much shinier and sort of stand out. Don is probably right. A collector with flabby arms and driving a Volvo probably won’t like the looks. He may not even get to looking down at the gorgeous, shiny bore before he walks off in disgust. Take it to a national and sell it there. I think it’s still worth $140, maybe more.

Photo One Notice the Missing hammer spur and modified lever.

Photo two Notice replacement parts to bring it up to N-SSA standards.

Back to Basics continued from page 22 A clean and functioning lock is important to the operation of the firearm. If it works, don’t mess with it more than necessary. Check the lock regularly. Clean and lubricate it to ensure smooth movement in all parts of the lock. Rust and grime can and will harm the parts if they are neglected. If the lock is disassembled be sure to know how to put it back together first.

The firearm’s stock must also be cared for. Depending on the finish, linseed oil or other oils may be used to protect the wood’s integrity.

There are formulas of oil and preservatives that may be used. Having working metal parts is no good, if there isn’t a base from which they can be used.

With proper care the originals have been proved to work and be very accurate for over two hundred years, now. There is no reason for that to change going into the future. Take care of your investment, be safe and have fun.

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 27

147th National Skirmish

May 17 - 21, 2023 Fort Shenandoah

Host Teams: Palmetto Guard Co. I,2nd SC Vol, 251CR* Knaps Battery E, PA Lt Arty, 129AL* Hazelwood Volunteers 167PT* 1st Tenn.Vol Inf Regt 195CV* 8th Regt Va.Vol Inf. 240PT* 110th Ohio Vol. Inf 082MW* 19th Ind.Inf. 084MW* 4th Kentucky Cav. 088MW* Laurel Brigade 108AL* 13th Regt. NC Inf. 111MA* 19th Mich. Inf. 116NW*1st Mich.Vol. Inf. 121NW* 1st SC Vol. Inf 148NW* 11th Indiana .Zouaves 168NW*

Skirmish Director: Robert Gorsky, 8th Regiment, Virginia Volunteer Infantry

Small Arms Committee (SAC) Inspections – Hocker-Hughes Building – IG Office, Wed.-Fri. mornings only – 9:00-11:00AM Executive Secretary Office Hours – Wed: 1:00-3:30PM Thurs-Sat: 8:30-2:30 Sunday: Closed --SCHEDULE OF EVENTS –

Tuesday, May 16 – Sunday May 21, 2023 Registration/Target Pickup: Noon Tuesday – Noon Sunday All Members attending the Nationals are required to sign in at Registration.

Wednesday, May 17, 2023 8:00 Required Training: All Range Personnel – Stat House; 8:15 Required Training: Line Judge at Stat House, Ord. at Main Tower-Tower Staff behind Main Tower 8:30 Scorers Training, Stat Personnel: inside Stat House 8:30-9:00 Set up ranges for Individual Matches 9-5:00 Main & revolver ranges open for Individual Matches Thursday, May 18, 2023 7:30-8:00 Set up ranges for Individual Matches 8-5:00 Main & revolver ranges open for Individual Matches 4:00 Revolver ranges closes, set up for Smoothbore Team 4-6:00 Artillery Inspections – 1st Va. campsite 4:30 Smoothbore Pistol Team Match Non-Shooting Events - Thursday 1:00 PM “Doc” Chambers Memorial Golf Outing 5-6:00 PM SCV & UDC Social – lower-level History Center 7:30 PM Board of Director’s Meeting – lower-level History Center Friday, May 19, 2023 7:30-8:00 Set up main range for Individual Matches and set up revolver range for Revolver Company Matches 8:00-10:00 Artillery Inspections – 1st Va. campsite 8:00-11:45 Main range open for Individual Matches 8:00-9:15 Phase I Revolver Company Match 9:15-10:30 Phase II Revolver Company Match 10:30-1:30 Resume Revolver Individual Matches 11:00 Artillery meeting - all cannon/mortar crews – Barn 11:45-12:15 Set up main range for Smoothbore Match 12:15-1:45 Smoothbore Co. Match 2 relays, 2 teams per Pos. 1:45-2:15 Set up main range for Breechloader/Spencer Match 2:15-3:15 Breechloader/Spencer Match – 1 relay, double hang 3:00-5:00 Tenderfoot Ind. Matches – revolver range (targets, air rifles & safety glasses issued).

3:15-3:45 Set up main range for Single Shot Match 3:45-4:30 Single Shot Match – 1 relay, triple hang 4:30-5:00 Set up main range for Mortar Match 5:00-6:00 Mortar Match Non-Shooting Events – Friday 10:00AM Inspection of Probationary Teams – IG Office 11-1:00 Sewing Circle – Memorial Park (open to all) 6-7:00PM AA meeting – lower-level History Center 7:30PM Membership Meeting at Memorial Park. All units must be represented.

8-9:00 PM History Committee Speaker Series – lower-level History Center

28 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

8:30 PM

Irish Jam – Ruritan Pavilion – All musicians welcome Saturday, May 20, 2023 7:30-10:00 Tenderfoot Ind. Matches – revolver range (targets, air rifles & safety glasses issued). Last relay 10:00AM. 7:30-11:00 Stat Office open for Individual Match protests; the reconcile period will end at 11:45 am.

8-11:00 Artillery Inspections – 1st Va. campsite 8-8:30 Set up main range for Carbine Company Match 8:30-12:00 Carbine Company Match 11-11:45 Tenderfoot Ind. Match protests – SAC/IG Office 12:30-1:00 Set up main range for Artillery Matches 12:45 Tenderfoot Team Match Check-in – main range, Position 55+ (Match begins at 1:30PM) 1-5:00 Smithgall Memorial 21 Gun Salute followed by Artillery Matches 3:00 Protest period closed for completed Company Matches 3:30-5:00 Individual awards available for pickup – Stat House 5:30-6:00 Tenderfoot Awards Ceremony – Memorial Park 6:00 Awards Ceremony (no Artillery or Musket) – Memorial Park Non-Shooting Events – Saturday 4-7:00 PM Gainesboro Fire Hall – Roast Beef & Ham Dinner 7:00 PM Protestant Worship – lower-level History Center 8:00 PM Catholic Worship – lower-level History Center Barn Dance is canceled for Spring 2023 Costume Committee Events – Saturday, May 20, 2023 11-12:00 Registration: Infants, Children, Girls, Boys Civilian 11-12:45

Registration: Young Ladies, Adults & Revolving Trophy 12 Noon Children’s Competition; Young Ladies, Adults & Revolving Trophy category competitions to follow 4:00 Robert L. Miller Award – Memorial Park Costuming events are held in Memorial Park. In case of inclement weather, competition will be held in lower level of Veteran’s Bldg.

Sunday, May 21, 2023 7:30-8:00 Set up main range for Musket Co. Match – 3 relays 7:30-10:00 Stat Office open for Artillery Match protests 8:00 Opening Ceremonies; Match immediately follows 12:00 Registration closes ca. 1:30 Musket Match Protests close ½ hour after final results are posted 2:00PM Final cleanup of ranges Awards Ceremony in Memorial Park ASAP following Musket Match – Musket and Artillery awards will be presented at this time.

Company Match Events Smoothbore Pistol Team Match 1. (12.5 yards) 9 clay pigeons on a backer 2. (12.5 yards) 6 hanging 6"x6" ceramic tiles 3. (12.5 yards) 6 hanging clay pigeons 4. (12.5 yards) 6 hanging 4"x4" ceramic tiles

Breechloader (4 competitors/company) 1. (50 yards) 32 clay pigeons on a backer 2. (50 yards) 16 hanging 4”x4” ceramic tiles 3. (50 yards) 16 hanging clay pot silhouettes 4. (100 yards) 10 hanging 6”x6” ceramic tiles

Revolver (4 competitors/company) 1. (25 yards) 12 clay pigeons on a backer 2. (25 yards) 6 hanging 6”x6” ceramic tiles 3. (25 yards) 8 hanging clay pigeons 4. (25 yards) 8 hanging 4"x4” ceramic tiles

Spencer (4 competitors/company) 1. (50 yards) 32 clay pigeons on backer 2. (50 yards) 16 hanging 4”x4” ceramic tiles 3. (50 yards) 16 hanging clay pot silhouettes 4. (100 yards) 10 hanging 6”x6” ceramic tiles

Smoothbore (4 competitors/company) 1. (25 yards) 12 clay pigeons on a backer 2. (25 yards) 8 hanging 4”x4” ceramic tiles 3. (25 yards) 8 hanging 3.5”x 3.5”wood blocks 4. (50 yards) 6 hanging 6”x6” ceramic tiles

Single Shot BLR (4 competitors/company) 1. (100 yards) 6 hanging 6"x6" ceramic tiles 2. (50 yards) 16 clay pigeons on a backer 3. (50 yards) 8 hanging 4"x4" ceramic tiles 4. (50 yards) 8 hanging clay pot silhouettes

Carbine (8 competitors/company) 1. (50 yards) 32 clay pigeons on a backer 2. (50 yards) 16 hanging 4”x4” ceramic tiles 3. (50 yards) 16 hanging clay pigeons 4. (50 yards) 16 hanging 3.5”x 3.5”wood blocks 5. (100 yards) 10 hanging 6”x6” ceramic tiles Musket (8 competitors/company) 1. (50 yards) 32 clay pigeons on a backer 2. (50 yards) 16 4x4 hanging ceramic tiles 3. (50 yards) 16 hanging clay pigeons 4. (50 yards) 16 hanging 3.5”x 3.5”wood blocks 5. (100 yards)10 hanging 6”x6” ceramic tiles

Fort Shenandoah Winchester, Virginia

Arrows on the map below indicate one-way traffic on Fort Shenandoah roads unless otherwise posted during the event. Failure to obey these restrictions will result in a citation and disciplinary action by the N-SSA Board of Directors. If you experience any problems while at Fort Shenandoah, please dial 911. Emergency evacuation routes are posted on all bulletin boards and available at the Executive Secretary’s office. AEDs are located at Doc’s Place or Registration and in each Sub-tower and Stat House during shooting events.

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 29

The Enfield Rifle Originally Published in the Times (London) Saturday, 4 Februray 1860 Some three or four years ago many of our engineers, manufacturers, and scientific men were deluded into going over to New York in the expectation of their seeing an industrial exhibition. Among others so misled was Mr. Whitworth, who, like all the rest, finding nothing worth looking at in the exhibition itself, tried to recompense himself for his visit by inspecting those manufactories which most abounded in the labor-saving machines which are used more or less extensively throughout the States: The two great centers for machinery of this description were at the United States’ arsenals at Springfield and, Harpers Ferry, and these accordingly Mr. Whitworth visited, saw the various processes there pursued of making small arms in thousands by machinery, and reported to our own Government strongly in favor both of the plan of the Government making its own weapons, and the means by which it could best be accomplished. The War-office, on receiving this report, adopted it forthwith, and, to their infinite credit, at once took a step which at the time even the most strenuous friends of progress in their secret souls scarcely approved. They sent out a commission, of which Mr. Anderson, now the chief superintendent of the Armstrong Gun Factory at Woolwich, was at the head, to make further inquiries into the subject of Mr. Whitworth’s report, and with power not only to order machines in America, but to engage American engineers to superintend them. This was the commencement of the now famous Enfield factory, and this is the first instance in which the English Government have ever had to send abroad either for machinery or men to work or make it. To their praise be it said they at once overstepped the formidable though narrow boundaries of national prejudice, and looked only for that market in which what they wanted could be best and easiest obtained. For a short time, several of the new machines were erected and worked at Woolwich; but, when “Brown Bees” was no longer paramount in the service, it was determined to create an immense establishment for the manufacture of rifled small arms, apart and in itself distinct from the operations carried forward at the arsenal. A small shop, if we may so term it, for the manufacture of gunstocks had always existed at Enfield, and this led the Government to turn their eyes in that direction, and once the place was seen, their gaze was, so to speak, fascinated. It was not at all the beauty of the spot which induced the Government to select it, for, in truth, a flatter or more dreary-looking waste, save Aldershot, was never seen. It was certainly not its salubrity, inasmuch as the whole country is eminently damp and unhealthy; neither was it either its convenience of access or its vicinage to skilled labor, for in both these requisites it was and still is singularly deficient as compared with other neighborhoods. The reason why the Government selected it was entirely independent of all these considerations of fitness, and due only to the simple fact that near the shop before alluded to was a canal which turned a waterwheel exerting some 20 or 25 horse-power.

The idea of economizing and bringing into play this little waterwheel (which has now ten times its power of steam machinery to assist 30 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

it) settled the whole affair. Foundations were laid and buildings commenced forthwith, and factories the size of little villages sprang up with more than the rapidity of colonial enterprise. Already the nucleus of a small town is fast gathering round the works. Hucksters’ shops, workmen’s houses, and small hotels are dotted here and there; and as it becomes easy now to calculate when, according to the natural course of things, “Ordnance Enfield,” as it is called, will some day become a town clamorous for corporate rights and the privileges attaching to its own M.P. And all these changes will be due to an old waterwheel which the Government could have got anywhere, and that, too, without the drawbacks attendant upon a superabundant supply of the pure element which turns it, and which occasionally hides the face of the surrounding country at Enfield, and places the floors of cottages and houses some inches under water. However, we suppose we must not quarrel with any cause which produces an effect so perfect in itself, so economical in its work, and so admirably managed, as the factory at Enfield undoubtedly is. It used to be a general remark, and one pretty generally believed, that Government could never compete advantageously with private manufacturers, and, to do them justice, the Government occasionally gave great force to the observation by rashly entering into contests with the trade on most unequal terms.

At Enfield, however, they have discarded the usual routine. There is no costly system of supervision; on the contrary, everybody connected with the place is rather underpaid. The Government only seek there to make their own weapons, and intrusts all the means and appliances to the hands of private engineers of acknowledged, though unofficial, capacity. Mr. Burton, an American gentleman, is the working and real head of the factory, and to his untiring skill and diligence its singular excellence is due.

With such tokens of military ardour as now so extensively prevail throughout the kingdom the Enfield rifle is likely to become not only a household word, but almost a household weapon. At such a time, therefore, some account of the manufacture and peculiarities of this most effective, but most easily injured weapon, may be of interest, and, if it does not make our young volunteers good marksmen, it will at least put them on their guard against such careless treatment of their pieces as may put it out of their power ever to hit anything with them smaller than a haystack.

The first thing that strikes a visitor on entering the forges at Enfield where the barrels are made is the apparent rudeness and inadequacy of the machinery to its purpose. It may be urged that it makes the barrels very well, but the same excuse might be advanced for nonimprovement in every stage of manufacture, and we are sure that among the clear-headed American mechanists now at the works are many who could at a day’s notice devise a far better apparatus for working up the iron of the barrels than that now in use. The materials

for the barrels are brought to the factory in short square slabs of wrought iron (with the fibre of the metal crossing and recrossing at right angles), each some 12 inches long by 4 broad, and half an inch thick. These are heated and bent into a short tube, having somewhat the appearance of a rough and ill-made draining tile, and in this state are again heated to a bright white, and passed between iron rollers of the first gauge, which weld up the joining down the middle, and, by compression, lengthen the tube about 2½ or 3 inches more.

It is again heated, and again passed between rollers of a smaller gauge, which lengthens it still further; and so on, again and again, until the operation has been repeated through 13 different gauges, when the rolling is complete, and the barrel – after some two hours’ manufacture – emerges at last a slender rough iron tube about four feet long, and having a hole down the centre the size of a large pea.

The muzzles are then cut off, the “butts,” or ends, as they are termed, made up, and the process of welding on the “cone-seat,” or nipple for the cap, commences. This latter is a difficult operation, and one which requires no little quickness, care, and skill on the part of the workman.

To insure rapidity of striking while the metals are red-hot, the breech of the barrel with the cone-seat is placed in a steel die under a small hammer worked by steam, which strikes at the rate of 400 blows a-minute, and under which, amid a terrific din, the metals are crushed together, with more than the strength of one piece.

This completes the forgings, and the barrels are passed from the smithy to the boring-shops, where the operation of boring (exclusive of rifling) is repeated no less than five distinct times. The barrels are for this purpose laid in horizontal machines, and the first sized borer is drawn up through them, not forced down, as, from the bend of the boring bit in forcing it through, it was found difficult to secure strict accuracy. The second boring at swift speed is then continued, and the third at slow speed, by which time the barrel is finished to within some two or three thousandths of an inch of its proper diameter, when the exterior is turned down also to its service size. The operation, if such it may be called, of straightening the barrel is then gone through after the screw-hole for the breech-piece has been bored. This straightening is one of the roughest and most unsatisfactory portions of the whole process of manufacture.

From the very fine soft nature of the iron used in the construction of the barrel, and the extreme thinness of the metal itself, the least violence or concussion is apt either to bend the barrel outright, or else to put such a dint in its side as effectually makes an end of its good shooting. Thus, in the processes which we have already described, in spite of the utmost care, the barrel is supposed to have deviated from its true line sufficiently to require considerable rectification.

This rectification is done, therefore, not by machinery, but by hand, a workman looking through the barrel and giving it a tap here and a tap there with a hammer, wherever it seems to him to require it. In defence of this apparently very rude method, which seems so astounding in connexion with a bore that must be accurate to the thousandth part of an inch, the managers of the works point to the results achieved, and say that out of some 2,000 weapons made weekly the gauge of all is accurate to a half-hair breadth. This undoubtedly is true, but it is nevertheless very far from proving that such mathematical exactness

is brought about by a man simply looking through the barrel and giving it a knock now and a knock then whenever he fancies he by sight detects an inequality in it. Most practical mechanics are of opinion that the process either does no good to the barrel at all, or that its result, if worth anything, would be better and more easily accomplished by machinery.

An immense variety of milling and grinding stages are next gone through, which merely relate to the exterior of the barrel, and with which, of course, we need not trouble ourselves here. A detailed account of the whole manufacture would be out of the question, as our readers may easily imagine, when we say that the barrel undergoes no less than 66 distinct processes, and the whole rifle upwards of 700 ere it is completed. The barrel, then, having so far advanced in its progress towards completion as to be bored for the fourth time, it undergoes its first proof test of nearly one ounce of powder and one ball. Not one per cent. of the barrels yield under this trial, which has sometimes, in the case of doubtful barrels, or those which it was wished to burst, been carried to as high a charge as 2½ oz. of powder and 17 balls – the whole barrel full, in fact – before the metal ripped. After this the nipplescrew and nipple, with the “tang” or tongue which fastens the barrel to the stock, are made, though not a single piece is put together till the whole musket is complete to its minutest detail. Before the barrel leaves the boring-room it is again, bored out for the fifth time, and, having been polished by machinery inside and outside till it shines as bright as silver, it at last reaches its 56th stage of manufacture, and is taken to the finishing shop.

With the exception, perhaps, of the Laboratory at Woolwich, it would be difficult to name any factory room in the kingdom, not even excepting our largest cotton mills, which at the first glance presents such a bewildering scene of active, never-ceasing industry. Let our readers imagine, if they can, a single room more than an acre in extent, lofty and well lit, in which some thousand men and boys are incessantly employed in superintending machinery. The ear is pained by the hum of flywheels, which revolve in thousands till the eye is giddy with their whirl. Miles of shafting are spinning round mistily with a monotonous hum, the room is almost darkened and the view completely obscured by some 50,000 or 60,000 feet of broad flapping lathe-bands, which are driving no less than 600 distinct machines, all going together on their own allotted tasks, with a tremulous rapidity and ease that seem to swallow up the work like magic, and the first sight of which is inexpressibly astonishing to the spectator. It takes some minutes before the visitor can subdue the overwhelming feeling of surprise which this scene of activity always excites, no matter how often entered on. Following the barrel, then, but with care, into this maze of lathe-bands, we see the process of rifling first commenced.

The rifling in the Enfield barrel consists of three broad shallow grooves, with a pitch of half a turn in the length of the barrel of three feet six inches. The depth of the rifling is 0.005 at the muzzle, and 0.013 at the breech, the width of each groove being 3-16ths of an inch. There are 16 rifling machines at Enfield, each of which turns out 26 barrels a-day, though, of course, the grooves are made separately, and after the same fashion as in the boring – viz., drawn through the gun from the Skirmish Line Spring 2023 31

muzzle to the breech. Looking at the light through a newly-rifled barrel has an extraordinary effect, the rings of reflected rays showing like bars of black and white metal alternately; and by the aid of these, as it is said, the workmen are able to distinguish whether or not the tube is perfectly accurate.

After the rifling it is again proved with half an ounce of powder and a single ball; then it is retouched, sighted, trimmed-off, milled, levelled, browned, and gauged, coming out in the gauge-room at last a finished barrel, made to such perfection of accuracy that the steel gauge of 577 thousandths of an inch passes freely through, while that of 580 sticks firm in the muzzle. Browning, as we have said, is the last operation which the gun undergoes, and this merely ornamental process occupies a week more than the whole manufacture of the gun itselfnamely, four weeks. The time thus bestowed, however, is not without its value, inasmuch as after the “browning” is completed, though not till then, the gaugers are enabled to detect the slightest imperfect welding or least perceptible flaw of manufacture, when the piece is instantly rejected, and the workman under whose hands the flaw took place fined 3s., no matter whether the imperfection is discovered at the very commencement of the process or when all is finished. The barrels thus flawed, we regret to say, are sold as old iron, but still in the form of finished barrels, and so doubtless find their way back again into the market as proved pieces. That this latter arrangement of selling the barrels complete, though as old iron, nothing can be more objectionable, and we are sure the War-office only require to have their attention drawn to the matter to secure for the future that all such pieces, before they are sold, shall be bent and flattened in such a manner as to be totally useless, at least for gun barrels, ever after.

But, as we intimated at the commencement of this article, the long processes by which the Enfield is brought to completion cannot easily be disposed of in a notice like the present. We defer, then, to a future occasion our description of the other portions of the manufacture and the peculiar weaknesses which render this weapon above all others so liable on slight occasions to irreparable injury.

In the first article on this weapon we traced the manufacture of the most important portion, the barrel, up to its final completion, when the gauge is placed in its muzzle, and proves such a perfect mechanical fit that it remains bobbing up and down, according as the column of air in the tube yields or expands beneath the pressure. Will Birmingham, where all the anvils are now resounding with the manufacture of rifles for the Volunteer Corps, turn out a weapon as perfect in its gauge as that of Enfield? We can only hope so, for, if not, the Volunteers will be but poorly off when they come to be supplied with ammunition, made by the Government with the same care as to size as the barrel itself, and which should fit with almost the same nicety as the gauge we have mentioned. At Enfield everything is done by machinery, as we have already pointed out, and so each portion of the lock, stock, bayonet, and fittings of the gun is manufactured by the same kind of labour-saving machines as those employed upon the barrel. The part of the works devoted to this portion of the manufacture is filled with a peculiar and most ingenious modification of the pile-driving machine, 32 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

where the weights are wound up by steam, and are ready for dropping again and again at the precise time required by the workmen in each stage. These weights punch out the hammers, lock-plates, springs, triggers, bands, and, in fact, every part of the gun or its fittings which is made either of iron or steel. After being thus roughly formed they are turned down to their exact size, according to gauge, and then case-hardened. This latter process is done by heating the parts to a dull red in a mixture of bone-dust (animal charcoal, in fact), so that the outside of the metal has all the hardness of the finest steel, while the centre retains the strength and toughness of wrought iron. The bayonet is, of course, manufactured at Enfield, with the other parts of the complete weapon, and nearly all the 68 processes which this piece undergoes are very interesting. Take it for all in all, no troops in the world are armed with such a strong, well-tempered, and efficient steel instrument of destruction as the bayonet which is issued to our troops.

It is very much to be wished that the cavalry sabre at all approached it in either temper or strength, or that it had never been superseded by the cumbrous and inefficient sword-bayonet, which is only a bad and very heavy sword when off the rifle, and neither a sword nor a bayonet when on it. When the bayonets are first beaten out at Enfield they are as brittle as glass; they are then annealed in a slow fire, and become as soft as lead. While in this state they are subjected to the last chief process, that of tempering, which gives them that immense strength and spring which is found in no other weapon. The tempering is done by immersing all the blades in a bath of molten lead, which heats them to a dull red tint, when they are withdrawn and plunged into linseed oil, becoming then so hard again that the file makes no impression whatever. They are then again heated to a low temperature, and this perfects them as steel. A man then tests them as to their strength by striking them with the handles downwards over the edge of an anvil with all his force, after which they are forcibly bent backwards and forwards in a machine, and finally gauged. Those which have yielded under these ordeals, even to the very slightest degree, are rejected; the rest pass on to the grinding shop, where they are polished and finished off bright and keen as razors. The cost of each of these bayonets to the Government, even including interest and wear and tear of plant, is only 3s. 6d. They could scarcely be made elsewhere at any price whatever. In making the stocks of the rifles the machinery employed is about the best and simplest that has ever been devised, and from the time that the rough beam of walnut-wood enters the row of machines at one end of the finishing-room till it comes forth at the other end a perfect stock, complete even to the most minute receptacles for the lock-work, the process occupies not quite 20 minutes. If there is any part of the manufacture in which a saving of time and labour might possibly be effected, it would certainly be in the gauging. Not only is every portion gauged in every process, but when all is done each is gauged and regauged again by half-a-dozen independent measurers one after the other. The result of all this is, that the very perfection of a mechanical fit is insured, and all parts, whether of stock, lock, or barrel, are interchangeable among all the Enfield rifles in the service. For the sake of this advantage alone, and exclusive of the undoubted superiority of manufacture, it would be well worth the while of Volunteer Corps to pay even a higher price in order to secure the Government rifle. The cost of each one to the Government

is 2l. 5s., and they are produced at Enfield at the rate of 2,000 a-week.

A perfect musket and bayonet are turned out there every two minutes, though from the time the processes commence with a single musket until it is finished, proved, and passed to store requires a period of seven weeks – of which, however, no less than four are occupied in “browning” the barrel. As with the manufacture of the Armstrong gun so with the Enfield, its rate of production is capable, at a short notice, of being extended to an almost unlimited amount by merely increasing the machinery employed in its manufacture. It swallowed up very much more than 200,000l. to enable the Enfield works to produce the number they at present do weekly. Less than 80,000l. expended in increasing the plant would now, however, give the existing factory the means of turning out 5,000 rifles a-week, while 80,000l. in addition to this again would suffice for the production of nearly 10,000.

The weak point of the Enfield rifle is exactly that part which ought to be the very best and strongest of the whole – viz., the barrel. This, from important considerations as to lightness, and from the softness of the wrought metal itself, is too thin and too yielding to be subjected with safety to the rude chances of a campaign, unless the soldier is taught to be particularly cautious as to its use. A very trifling injury as compared with that to which all other barrels are subjected with impunity is enough to dint and injure that of the Enfield to the most serious extent. Our readers must remember the large number of Enfield rifles which during the late campaigns in India were found to be inefficient from becoming suddenly too small at the muzzle to admit of the bullets entering. It was afterwards found that in some cases these defects arose from so slight a cause as the unequal thickness of the paper in which the bullet end of the cartridge is enclosed. This, however, was only the case in a few instances, the great source of injury, it was supposed, being the rough manner in which the soldiers “fixed bayonets” over the muzzle, or the careless manner in which the piece was handled with the bayonet on, – an almost imperceptible knock under such circumstances sufficing to dint the muzzle and prevent the entry of the bullet. Unless the most rigid caution is used, how much more likely are these injuries to occur among the weapons of Volunteer Corps, the muzzles of which, instead of carrying a 13-oz. bayonet, are all hampered with the so-called sword bayonet, weighing some three and a-half pounds! This latter cumbrous appendage, in addition to its thousand other disadvantages, has, when fixed in firing, a most serious effect on the accuracy of the bullet itself, over which it exercises nearly three times the amount of adverse influence that is attributed to the bayonet in the same position.

be to alter the pitch or turn of the rifling. All firearms are rifled in order to insure a regular and steady flight of the projectile by giving it rotation round its axis of progression. The Enfield has only half a turn in the pitch of the rifling in the length of the whole barrel, and this, it is generally believed, might be increased to one complete turn with the most favorable results. In the course of the many valuable experiments which Mr. Whitworth made as to the best pitch of rifling in order, in order to try the effect on the bullet of extreme velocity of rotation in the barrel he actually made one with one complete turn in the inch, – in fact, the inside of the barrel was a perfect screw. Yet this barrel, charged with 25 grains of powder, fired a perfectly fitting ball of lead and tin through seven inches of elm planks. The same gentleman, with a 24-pounder howitzer, having a hexagon bore, and, of course, a hexagon projectile on his own plan, fired with low charges shells of 10 diameters in length. With projectiles of a greater length than that of the common Enfield ball fired from the Enfield rifle, the bullet, no matter what its shape, always turns over within six feet from the muzzle of the piece, the rotatory force given by the slow turn in the barrel being insufficient to keep the conical ball point foremost.

Mr. Whitworth proposes that all military barrels should be rifled with one turn in 20 inches, and even those most opposed to adopting so rapid a pitch consider that the present pitch of the Enfield might be increased with great advantage. The Whitworth rifle, on the principle of the hexagon bore and hexagon shot, and with the increased pitch we have mentioned, has in all Government trials that have yet been attempted beaten the Enfield both in accuracy and range, and of course, therefore, in penetration. It may, under these circumstances, be asked, why then is it that the Government have not adopted it and commenced its manufacture, especially as the present machinery at Enfield could be altered to suit the new plan of boring at a cost of not more than 50l. or l00l.? On this point we are free to confess that we see no valid reason whatever why the Government have not adopted it.

The excuses urged against the adoption are, first, that the Government having so lately incurred the expense of altering all the weapons in the army, from the “brown bess” to the Minie, and from the Minie to the Enfield, are not now prepared to meet the cost of altering them again, especially as during the next two or three months a breech-loading plan is likely to be adopted, which it is said may exercise a most important influence on the form and nature of the barrel to which it is applied.

Two remedies have been proposed for doing away with this deficiency in strength of the Enfield barrel.

One method is to make it entirely of Whitworth’s homogeneous iron, and the other is a plan of Mr. Burton’s to make the barrel of steel.

Each change would be a great improvement, the latter perhaps the greatest if there did not exist such difficulties in the way of welding on the “cone seat” after the barrel has been rough-made. Another mode of improving the barrel, by which all experience shows that an increase of range, and therefore of accuracy, could be gained, would Skirmish Line Spring 2023 33

2023 Recruit Skirmish

By Eddie Davenport Photos by numerous volunteers.

I, like many of you, love this organization. I have grown up in it and can’t imagine what I’d do if the North-South Skirmish Association was to fold for some reason. In case you are unaware the membership of our organization is aging, and we need to recruit more members to survive. Now this article isn’t designed to be a doom and gloom article, in fact it’s the opposite.

Let us talk about the 2023 official Recruit Skirmish held on March 25th at Fort Shenandoah where we did exactly that. Thanks to the outstanding recruiting efforts of Robert Harrison (Rob) we had 51 participants register to come out and learn what the N-SSA is all about.

It was a cold wet morning, so we had 38 show up to learn and participate. The morning started with a safety instruction by Rob who went over the basics, you know black stuff first then the shiny thing. In case you have never been to a recruiting event the firing is done slightly differently than a regular skirmish. All recruits are paired with a mentor / instructor and they fire at a distance of 25 yards. The skirmish is broken down into phases.

Phase one is where the recruits learn to shoot our muskets and get an idea where they are hitting. To accomplish this, recruits shoot paper pie plates on a cardboard backer at 25 yards. Those recruits who are excelling are given smaller targets to continue to test them. From what I observed this was a fantastic way of handling it, the recruits that were struggling were still able to make hits, those that were hitting continued to be challenged.

Phase two is where we spice things up. The recruits were counted off into eight-man teams for a full-fledged skirmish. We all know the joy that comes from breaking targets, now couple that with doing it for the first time. It was like watching a kid on Christmas when you saw the recruits go after these targets. I personally got to watch one recruit break the stake with his final shot and man the smile on his face was infectious to all those around him.

In between the phases the recruits were treated to a hamburger and hotdog lunch as well as an artillery demonstration. Some recruits were even allowed to fire the cannons. This is how it’s done everyone, bring them out and put a gun in their hands. The magic of black powder will do the rest. As of writing this article according to Rob we have already had 20 individuals sign up for membership.

34 Skirmish Line Spring 2023

- 1st Place A-2 Musket Team

- 1st place B-2 Musket

- 1st Place A-2 Musket Team

with the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Trophy for highest placing C Musket Team

- 1st Place class A-3 Musket - with the Army of the Tennessee Memorial Trophy.

- with the Ben T Cooke, Sr Memorial Trophy, for highest scoring Smoothbore Crew.

- 1st Place B Musket - with the Franklin O Hayes Memorial Trophy

- 1st Place Smoothbore Pistol Demo Team

Skirmish Line Spring 2023 35

The Magazine of the North-South Skirmish Association, Inc.