I picked up a muzzleloader today. A smooth bore, 29 1/2 inch octogan barrel, 1 3/16 inch bore diameter. 15lbs Made in Sweden around 1810. The workmanship is very good as is the condition. Documented history.

Does anyone know what it is or what it is for?

I also got another .577. This one is an Alex Martin, from Scotland. The loading is .577, 3 inch, 650 grain bullet, 90 grns. cordite. I have never heard of this loading. Any information about it?

Mickey, you did not say if this muzzle loader has a "YOKE, and spike on the front bottom of the stock, simular to a OARLOCK on a row boat! If so it is probably a "RAMPART" gun. These were used on ships, and in port intrances. The old habit of comeing in at an angle to your enemy, then at the last second turning broadside to fire cannon, from ship to ship. The target was the HELMSMAN, while the boat was in the tight turn. If he was hit, the ship would suddenly right it'sself, breaking the turn. This left the ship almos dead in the water, and a sitting duck for your cannon. The spike is dropped into holes drilled along the gunnel, takeing up some of the weight, so the shooter could control the gun. These guns are rare today, as most were lost at sea, or dammaged so badly they were junked. 1 3/16" bore is about right but most were 1"!

The guns were used the same way on the walls of the port fort, and the ships attacking a port, did the same way, comming paralell to the shore, and turning at the last minute, into the mouth of the port, hitting the Helmsman at the critical point in the turn had the same effect it did at sea. Hope any of this helps!

PS: The 577 load sounds like an "EXPRESS" load. useing a lighter bullet than usual, and probably faster than the standard load, and may have been made for the INDIA trade, as a TIGER rifle.

[ 09-22-2002, 20:17: Message edited by: MacD37 ]

The gun has no auxillary mts. It is a shoulder weapon. A large single shot. Trigger let off is a crisp 2.5 lbs. The only differance in design between this and my old Hawkin is in the size.

Wouldn't the velocity for the .577 be the same as the 90 grn. 650 2 3/4? It must be an extremely low pressure round with the 3 inch case.. It came from a PH in RSA who has had it for over 40 years. He has shot a number of elephants and over 200 buff with it. He never had the proper load so shot the normal 750 grain load. I guess at the ranges he used it it was close enough.

I haven't shot it yet (just picked it up yesterday) but will try to load for the 650.

I'm not sure of this, but that sounds quite a lot like those guns that were used for seal hunting here in Finland at that time. They were normally not quite that big, the bullet diameter normally being closer to .700"-.900", but i guess there were bigger ones also. The hunt took place at springtimes, when there was still ice on the sea. Hunters would spot the seals from boats, and then approach them (or rather a single one) by laying on a long single ski,holding the gun in front of them and crawling slowly ahead. These guns were quite often smooth-bore type.

The other chance is that they were used for shooting ducks and other waterfowl from a boat, the gun being loaded with a �lbs of lead shots and fired to a larger swimming herd.