Riding with longarms in the saddle

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

One way I've seen is that photo of a member of Wilder's that attached a ring to his Spencer rifle. Knowing that that's an individual though, I would say that they would just sling it accross their backs. Right?

[Jerry Ross]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

"if I want to cut down my weapon...I by God will." and " but I did so I shoot yanks anyway documantaion or not"

Mark, those quotes are not questions.

I will be glad to answer any question posted.

I don't think the attitude even fits this website.

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe tht Spencers came with both rings and slings... the carbine and the rifle butt and reciever were the same, so the barrel and forestock of the two were different...

[Mark Choate]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

You make a good point, Jerry and I went back are read Paul's post (for the third time) I was "interpreting" everything that he said up to the last sentence as being a tongue-in-cheek reference to his defiant attitude in the past and that he was gonna cut his barrel down come heck or high water, then..............as he said in the last sentence, in hind sight he wishes he had not cut it down.

It is the last part that I DO have trouble with as it goes on to say that he shoots yanks anyway. That is the reason for the bulk of my post which affirms that I have not seen any documentation for it (and I have done a respectable amount of study on the Mississippi as I carried one for many years and still favor it) and also offered the logic behind why I do not think that anyone would have cut one down thus losing it's valuable accuracy. They just would not have done that to that weapon, I am convinced.

So, go back and re-read it again with that mindset of his past actions and those being wrong and hopefully you will see why I said that.

Again, though I will repeat, this is not able to be documented and even though it is the COI portion, it is not accurate so we cannot let it stand as a sanctioned portrayal.

I know Paul and I am certain that his heart was not in making a desire to do it now, but rather a regret that he did in the first place. But Paul, it is not sanctioned to use this.

Now, lets move back to how they carried their weapons and thanks for the input from all.

regards,
Mark

[woolhat1864]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

Zack, the Spencer rifles I have seen over the years were only set up for a regualr shoulder sling, not a carbine sling. What Andrew is refering to is the photo of one of Wilder's men holding a Spencer rifle with what appears to me to be a footmans loop and a ring attached to the stock.

Tommy Jackson

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe tht Spencers came with both rings and slings... the carbine and the rifle butt and reciever were the same, so the barrel and forestock of the two were different...

From everything I've read that would be right. Rifles had slings and carbines had rings. However, what I was reffering to was that there is a picture of a member of Wilder's that has a ring attatched to a full length rifle......Which begs the question, why would anyone want to carry a rifle on a carbine sling?

[Paul L Muller]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

Gentlemen; It was not my intent to demean or undermine the AC and it's standards. I thought the post was pretty harmless,but I see it struck a nerve, so please know that since I had cut down that gun, and again I wish I had'nt, I have learned a lot and even thou I am in my mid 50s, I consider that cut down a blunder of "youth" I just didnt know better. I was suprised at the reaction and anyone who knows me knows I am independant in nature,but am not contriversial or argumentitive. My whole goal is to do better and learn...and have fun nuf said, Thank you..... plm

[Ken Knopp]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

Aw come-on Paul! Proper penitence would be a crisp, brand new one hundred dollar bill for everyone you offended. I was particularly injured....so send me $200!

Anyone that knows Paul very well will (perhaps) understand his unique (??) sense of humor. I correspond with Paul quite frequently and I don't think I have ever received an email from him that was not funny- most of it self-depreciating. We all post things whether attempting humor or not, that are taken differently from our intention. Hell, when I think of some of the old soap box orations of profound and well understood fact (or ill advised attempts at humor) that I have made (here and elsewhere) and, when I see photos of how I looked when I first started this hobby I literally cringe in embarrassment. I was and remain today, profoundly ignorant. To echo your point we are all learning and evolving. No big deal...nuf said.

Ken R Knopp

PS: Maybe a funny thread here "would be" one where we each post the most ridiculous, farby photo of ourselves that we can find. That might be a hoot!

[Mark Choate]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

Ken,

I think you have just offended me to the extreme................that will be $400, please.

Mark

[TexCavly]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

I think we should do the farby picture thing fer kicks, but should it be in "the sinks"?

[rbruno]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

Does anyone have or can post a pic of the trooper that is being discussed with a rifle with the ring added? That would help maybe show how someone in the perioed made the modification.

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

Here ya go!

[ButtermilkRanger]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

I never intended Paul to take my post as an affront and this blow up into a mudslinging thread. It's the COI and as such, we are here to share information and help those who aren't as "learned" (whatever that means...learning is a never ending process) as we are. My point was, and remains, that Will has graciously posted documentation after documentation of Confederate cavalry carrying a majority of two and three band Infantry weapons, but no verifiable examples of field modified military issued weapons seem to exist. One thing that I always weigh when I start to speculate on something sans documentation is what we still do in the modern military. After 25 years in the military, I still remember some of the field modifications we've come up with to make our lives more comfortable. However, one area that is pretty taboo in tampering with is specific mission essential military equipment, especially weapons. I just honestly don't believe that the average soldier in the field would have access to even the basic equipment to modify a weapon like a Mississippi by cutting it down or adding rings, etc. Considering that Gen. Bragg charged each soldier in his entire Army of Tennessee $.25 for every round of ammunition that was wasted or lost, imagine what he would have had his commanders do if a soldier was found mutilating a weapon! I think that if field modifications were being done to weapons, they were most likely being done early war to civilian weapons privately purchased and brought from home (and therefore the property of the individual and not the CS government), OR they were small field expedient modifications (like staples and rings) that did little to alter the performance of the weapon and could easily be reversed.

[rbruno]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

Thanks Andrew. That is the type of thing I was looking for. Now, the next question. Would this be used with a carbine sling? I think the obvious answer would be yes, what else would the ring be for. BUT, there is always a "but"... With the lenght of that gun and the placement of the ring, that rifle would hang very close to the ground. Would this still work? Great photo though!

[TexCavly]

Re: Riding with longarms in the saddle

I think the man would carry the rifle in hand, but in times of battle the gun would be connected to him (by sling), so that if he was unhorsed or had to drop the gun to take up a reign or any other emergency he would still have the rifle at his side. It would not be practical for the gun to be slung down for any length of time.