Range Day For Black Betty (No 56K) Updated 10 May 09

[Aaron]

Today Mrs. K and I got a chance to bring Black Betty (named after the mainframe from Dilbert) out for her first firing. As promised, here are some pics and vids of the event. Please ignore the date, we forgot to put the proper one in before we started.











From here down are the vids I took for tim31

50 grains of powder

100 grains

Fire and smoke!

For the ten rounds we fired today, we had four misfires. Two due to the flint breaking and two due to the Triple 7 pellets failing to ignite, a switch to using Triple 7 powder rectified it.

[tim31]

*click - pause - BOOM*

"WOAH!"

I don't know if I would have been able to hold it steady for the quarter second between trigger pull and ignition, just from anticipation. Thanks Aaron!

[Aaron]

*click - pause - BOOM*

"WOAH!"

I don't know if I would have been able to hold it steady for the quarter second between trigger pull and ignition, just from anticipation. Thanks Aaron!

It's worse when you just had a bunch of misfires. Thankfully we didn't have any hangfires.

[Dark Flame]

Did you have to swab out the barrel between shots? In my experience, that's the toughest part.

Although in that second video it looks like you were dealing with more recoil than I ever did.

[Aaron]

Did you have to swab out the barrel between shots? In my experience, that's the toughest part.

Although in that second video it looks like you were dealing with more recoil than I ever did.

We would have swabbed out if we were going for accuracy but today was just to familarize ourselves with her, as I haven't fired in six years.

The second vid I went with the max load for Triple 7 (100 grs) so she had a bit of a kick.

[Phantasee]

That was pretty neat, with the puff of smoke at the back and then all the smoke out the front. Looked like a cannon or something.

When are you putting a red dot on it?

[Aaron]

That was pretty neat, with the puff of smoke at the back and then all the smoke out the front. Looked like a cannon or something.

When are you putting a red dot on it?

You can't mount optics on her, as the barrel isn't drilled or tapped. I suppose I could have it done but I'm not really a big fan of scopes.

[Chardok]

That was pretty neat, with the puff of smoke at the back and then all the smoke out the front. Looked like a cannon or something.

When are you putting a red dot on it?

You can't mount optics on her, as the barrel isn't drilled or tapped. I suppose I could have it done but I'm not really a big fan of scopes.

Uh, dude, just a little metal twine, a laser pointer and maybe some duct tape for added stability. My God, man, you were in the military, how could you NOT think of duct tape?! Just....UGH!

(PS - the 100 grain shot was friggin awesome. It was the first thing I watched so my headphones were auto-muted, and took a second for them to kick in, so I didn't hear the missus talking about 50 vs. 100 and I looked away from the screen - and BLAMMO! Apparently, Ricky turned em waaaay up without me knowing - I may have shat a little.)

[muse]

For the ten rounds we fired today, we had four misfires. Two due to the flint breaking and two due to the Triple 7 pellets failing to ignite, a switch to using Triple 7 powder rectified it.

I'm curious, how do clear the gun when you have a misfire?

[Aaron]

Uh, dude, just a little metal twine, a laser pointer and maybe some duct tape for added stability. My God, man, you were in the military, how could you NOT think of duct tape?! Just....UGH!

Ahh gun tape, magic fix-all!

(PS - the 100 grain shot was friggin awesome. It was the first thing I watched so my headphones were auto-muted, and took a second for them to kick in, so I didn't hear the missus talking about 50 vs. 100 and I looked away from the screen - and BLAMMO! Apparently, Ricky turned em waaaay up without me knowing - I may have shat a little.)

She did it today with me standing behind her without earmuffs (just to see), it sounds like a damn cannon going off. Complete with a massive CRACK!. The shot we filmed actually dislodged the barrel out of the stock though...

I'm curious, how do clear the gun when you have a misfire?

You use a ball puller, which is a screw that attaches to your ramrod. You twist it into the round and yank it clear, then dump the powder. If it's just a busted flint then you clear the pan (you can just blow it out) and either re-seat or swap the flint out.

Your supposed to wait at least one minute after it fails to fire, lest it be a hang fire and it goes off when your clearing it.


Here you go, same one I use:

[Aaron]

Here are a few more from today:

Our son checking out the muzzle while getting a lesson on how to load and fire:


Our son learning how to prime the touch hole:


Getting to fire, with assistance:


Taking aim, still getting used to the sights:


Mrs. K firing (Video):

[Phantasee]

Very nice pictures. It's good to see the kids get to learn about guns early on, I got that education a long time ago and it's stayed with me to the point I'm hesitant to even look down the barrel of a gun I unloaded myself.

Of course, I wish my cousins had learned some safety. Maybe then I'd have less of a heart attack every time I see one of them handling a piece (and less running through the house with a shotgun in hand - "Hey guys check this one out!").

Fucking idiots, the lot of them.

[Aaron]

Very nice pictures. It's good to see the kids get to learn about guns early on, I got that education a long time ago and it's stayed with me to the point I'm hesitant to even look down the barrel of a gun I unloaded myself.

Thanks. There's been an unexpected side benefit to all this, since we went and I explained what would happen if they got shot there hasn't been anymore playing at toy guns in the house!

Of course, I wish my cousins had learned some safety. Maybe then I'd have less of a heart attack every time I see one of them handling a piece (and less running through the house with a shotgun in hand - "Hey guys check this one out!").

Fucking idiots, the lot of them.

I don't think I'd be even able to step foot in that house if that was the case, their lucky they haven't shot someone yet.

[Enigma]

Muzzle-loaders? My father-in-law has a few of those rifles plus I think a muzzle-loading shotgun (wrought iron barrels , the shotgun is I think at least 100 years old and would explode if you try to use traditional shotgun shells:) ). I can't be anywhere near him when he fires them (at least until I can get one of those ear covers)as I am very sensitive to loud noises.

[Phantasee]

Very nice pictures. It's good to see the kids get to learn about guns early on, I got that education a long time ago and it's stayed with me to the point I'm hesitant to even look down the barrel of a gun I unloaded myself.

Thanks. There's been an unexpected side benefit to all this, since we went and I explained what would happen if they got shot there hasn't been anymore playing at toy guns in the house!

Of course, I wish my cousins had learned some safety. Maybe then I'd have less of a heart attack every time I see one of them handling a piece (and less running through the house with a shotgun in hand - "Hey guys check this one out!").

Fucking idiots, the lot of them.

I don't think I'd be even able to step foot in that house if that was the case, their lucky they haven't shot someone yet.

In my case, it's more, "I don't think I can have them over ever again." You'd think you could leave the piece you were cleaning alone for a couple minutes in a house that doesn't have any little curious kids, but apparently being 6'3" and 19 years old doesn't actually make you a grown-up. My dad learned his lesson from that, though. Now if they ask where the guns are, we point them to the locked safe. "Yeah, they're right in there."