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12 Gauge with Matches
More good stuff from Dave Canterbury. I've heard about using strike-anywhere matches for improvised primers, but hadn't thought about using them in this capacity. Try at your own risk, but pretty cool and another reason why it's a good thing to have a couple packs of strike-anywheres around.
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I'm not actually convinced with his trials. I'd prefer to see penetration on either a fresh carcass or ballistics gel. There is more to killing than penetrating the skin. You either concuss the animal somewhat or you penetrate heart, lungs, etc. I'm no ballistics expert, but I'm very confident that cardboard is not an allegory to a rabbit.
ReplyDeleteBack in my misanthropic teenage years me and my misanthropic teenage buddies built a few things, that teens really shouldn't be building, using strike anywhere match heads as the main ingredient. They worked. For an emergency situation they took way too many matches and time to build, but they will work.
ReplyDeleteIf I had a teenage boy in the house, I'd keep the strike anywhere matches tucked away out of sight.
No offence to anyone intended here, but I fail to see the point in this video. If you are relying on supplies, then why not carry gunpowder. The gunpowder itself is easy to obtain, & easy to make. I don't understand what is so difficult about obtaining the ingredients in an urban situation.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is that you are better off using a flintlock smoothbore muzzle-loading gun. They are easy to work on & you can carry spare lock parts. You can make fire with the lock without using gunpowder. You can use round ball, buckshot & bird shot or any combination of two of these. Lead round ball is usually retrieved from downed game so you have no need to carry a lot of lead. You carry a ball mould & lead ladle. Carry that extra weight in gunpowder, it will last a long time.
If the lock breaks & you are unable to repair it, you can easily convert it into a matchlock & continue using it.
You want to make fire, use flint, steel & tinderbox. It will last you a life time.
Regards, Keith aka Le Loup.
http://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/
With all due respect, check out my video channel & decide for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/user/historicaltrekking?feature=mhee
Le Loup -
ReplyDeleteCertainly, no one would prefer mashed up strike anywhere matches. The point of the video is to show that it CAN be done if needed. No one would recommend carrying a case of strike anywhere matches for this purpose - that's silly.
Not sure if I understand why you're recommending a flintlock muzzle loader - is that over a 12 gauge single shot like Dave has been using in his videos?
The 12 SS beats the flintlock in just about every way - you can basically shoot every black powder load out of the 12 gauge that you can through a flintlock, plus have all the versatility and commonality of modern 12 gauge. Not to mention price, reliability, faster loading, on and on. Not that a 12 gauge single shot is the be-all-end-all of survival firearms, but it does outdo a muzzle loader.
Danny -
ReplyDeleteAgree it's not the most scientific of tests; maybe we can get the guys at Mythbusters to try it out :D
After the bowling ball fiasco, teh athoratehs may not let the myth men do many explosive experiments. I agree with you that the modern 12 ga. is made more useful by the black powder concept.
ReplyDeleteMaking black powder ammo is not a bad thing to do waiting out the rain in a warm yurt!
You can also rebuild the primer on the shotgun shell by removing it gently and seperating the spoon from the cup and inserting a strike anywhere match head. This comes from tricks I learned in the ARMY. :)
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