Chassepot needle rifle: Better than s...shooting

SlowShooter · Jul 23, 2016

whistlersmother said:
Ha! You (and the gun) shoot better with 1870 technology and home-made cartridges than I do with modern guns and production grade ammo.

I assume the cap sticking on the firing pin is more of a annoyance than anything.

Nice...

The Chassepot was built with great quality. The bore was beautifully cut and polished to perfection. This rifle is better than any Mosin Nagant or Arisaka rifles I own. I used modern components to make the cartriges. These translated into accuracy. Unfortunately, my eyes are out of calibration, otherwise the group could be better.

The cap sticking on the firing pin issue is not too bad. It just get a little harder to cork the bolt before it can be opened. When the bolt is opened, it is already off. A turn of the rifle will drop it on the ground.

SlowShooter · Jul 23, 2016

Threeband said:
Great success!

I'll bet you got a big sense of satisfaction watching shot after shot go right into that group.

After the last shot, I felt I really need a cigar. Unfortunately the AGC is a Non-smoking Range (a Korean lady told me so.)

SlowShooter · Sep 4, 2016

Hello everyone,

I just finished making 20 cartridges for the test tomorrow, Labor Day. Even though I had no failure last test and the ammo was quite accurate, I made a small deviation for this batch. I used paper wad to fill in the gap between powder and bullets instead of using Dryer Lint. I have found that the paper wads are easier to control the length of the cartridges and easier to install the paper patches (masking tape).

Will post the results shortly after the test. This test will determine if my load is battle worthy. I will shoot the rifle standing/kneeling as in war.

SlowShooter · Sep 5, 2016

Here are the results of the test this morning:

- All 20 rounds went off nicely without any delay.
- The first 5 shots were put on the 12” paper target at 100 yards so I can see the POI. Based on what I saw at 50 yards results last test, I Kentucky windage aiming at 5 o'clock at the 12" round dot and managed to put 4 shots in the dot. 1 shot (2nd shot) ran away from the group as a flyer. When I took picture of the target, I have found that the 2nd shot was a keyhole. Something must deformed the bullet and sent it out of its trajectory (percussion cap left in the barrel. (?)). I did the first 5 shots on rests.
- The next 15 rounds, I shot them standing and kneeling. I hit the 12" gong 5 times (it was soooo… excited to hear the dings.) The rest were quite close but no cigar.

So what are the verdicts?
- My ammo went off quite fast but not faster than percussion rifle; so it was really a challenge shooting the Chassepot off hand (lock time is too long and my arms are weak). The loads were accurate but I have to admit it, I am a lousy black powder rifles shooter. Soooo...it was me who miss the target, not the ammo or the gun.
- I can shoot up to 5 rounds without cleaning the gun. For accuracy, I prefer cleaning after 3 shots. I am new to black powder guns so I just found out that trying to put a patch through the dry dirty barrel is a task. Wet it down first then it goes smoother. For the first time, I understand why soldiers pissed in their rifles in the mist of the battles while cleaning them.
- Compared to modern bolt rifles, the Chassepot is clumsy and not effective. It also requires too much maintenance and care. Compared to percussion rifles, it is clearly superior, soooo... the Chassepot is battle worthy. My ammo is battle worthy and my ammo fabrication technique really works.

Thanks for keeping up with my Chassepot rife evaluation.

Until next time, keep shooting!

SKIP · Sep 5, 2016

From what I witnessed this morning they were positive.

Blacksmith101 · Sep 5, 2016

That is certainly minute of enemy soldier accuracy at 100 yards. I would not want to be on the receiving end of one of those hunks of lead, especially with late 1800's medical care.

Slow you done good! :thumbsup:

WatTyler · Sep 6, 2016

I have to admit that I'll probably never shoot black powder in my life, but following this thread has taught me a lot and has been a lot of fun.

MilsurpDan · Sep 7, 2016

Now I'm tempted to take my Dreyse Needle Gun out for a spin. But I don't think I can bring myself to do it

SlowShooter · Sep 7, 2016

MilsurpDan said:
Now I'm tempted to take my Dreyse Needle Gun out for a spin. But I don't think I can bring myself to do it

Dreyse Needle Gun is on my bucket List. At the moment is out of my reach (too unreasonable pricey). If I had one today, within a month, it would cough out lead balls. I already have a plan for making the cartridge.

SlowShooter · Sep 7, 2016

WatTyler said:
... I'll probably never shoot black powder in my life...

Never say "Never".

If you help Democrats stay in control, the day you go to the range with a musket will come sooner than you thought.

Threeband · Sep 7, 2016

SlowShooter said:
Never say "Never".

If you help Democrats stay in control, the day you go to the range with a musket will come sooner than you thought.

Well, after the paperwork and the licensing and the training and the seven references and the fingerprints and the psychiatric evaluations and the waiting period and the liability bond and the gps tracking device and the appeal process after your denial...

...and it will be an airsoft musket, which will be stored at the range ($50 monthly fee), requiring an application be filed with the ATF (copies to MSP, local PD, and psychiatrist) every time you want to shoot it...

SlowShooter · Sep 8, 2016

I could not sleep last night thinking about the days I have to shoot steel plate with Airsoft Musket. :shocked4:

LostSoul · Sep 10, 2016

A de-milled Airsoft musket at that... :ohnoes:

Seriously though, this thread is awesome. Great work SlowShooter, it's great to see a Chassepot not only work, but apperently work very well! I wish I had the time and motivation to pursue a project like this. :thumbsup:

SlowShooter · Sep 13, 2016

This will be my last input for this thread.

How was the Chassepot compared to the Gras? Of Course the Gras was an enormous improvement for the military. The metal cartridges were more reliable and easier to produce.

However, for me the guy who have to do my own loading/reloading, making ammo and shooting the Chassepot is more enjoyable. To make the brass cases for the Gras is not easy. It is time consuming and quite hard to find a close relative for the Gras cartridge to start with. After shooting with black powder and wheat meal, cleaning the brass is not a simple task. To shoot black powder with my Gras, I pick the carbine and 3 cases and bring them to the range. After finish the 3 rounds, I clean the barrel (more convenience with the shorter rifle) then reload the 3 cases right there at the bench without cleaning them then go back to shooting again. This cycle is repeated until I run out of bullets or the wife call. For the long Gras, I just use Tite Wad to reload and shoot 30 round for a trip to the range.

To wrap it up, I thank everyone for your comments. Your opinions pushed me go the extra miles.

whistlersmother · Sep 13, 2016

Thank you for your continued work and especially for the updates...

Its fascinating to see revival of an immediate precursor of our modern technology. What's more interesting is the improvements made in your process and the resulting successes.

Blacksmith101 · Oct 24, 2016

Translation Program Needed for Links

Here is some more on Cartridges for the Chassepot.

This site is Spanish and the best site I know for Cartridge information.
http://www.municion.org/

On the right side index click on the 8th entry from the top:
Sin Vaina y cohetes /
Caseless & rocket

In the pop down list scroll down and click on:
11 mm Chassepot

This should be the direct link:
http://www.municion.org/sinvaina/chassepot.htm

In it he references some French sites but only one was opening for me but Google might find the others.
http://guy.jachet.pagesperso-orange.fr/chassepot.htm

I just thought they were good additional references.

SlowShooter · Oct 25, 2016

It's a great website. Just looking at the pictures I can learn so much about ammunition history and development. My computer did translate the 11m section and failed the rest. Because of this website, I vow to learn more spanish, just not only "Buenos días" and "muchas gracias". Thank you Blacksmith101.

Blacksmith101 · Oct 25, 2016

SlowShooter said:
It's a great website. Just looking at the pictures I can learn so much about ammunition history and development. My computer did translate the 11m section and failed the rest. Because of this website, I vow to learn more spanish, just not only "Buenos días" and "muchas gracias". Thank you Blacksmith101.

You can always use Google Translate, I do, it makes most things understandable.
https://translate.google.com/#es/en... patentes en Bélgica, España y Estados Unidos.

SlowShooter · Oct 25, 2016

sí señor. Muchas gracias!

Blacksmith101 · Apr 9, 2017

Found a site selling bullet molds for both the Chassepot and the Dreyse.
They are the first two in the left column.
http://oldwestbulletmoulds.com/t/single-shot-rifle-bullets

Chassepot needle rifle: Better than s...shooting

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

SeaWaves not TigerStripes

SeaWaves not TigerStripes

SeaWaves not TigerStripes

Attachments

SeaWaves not TigerStripes

Attachments

Ultimate Member

Grumpy Old Man

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

SeaWaves not TigerStripes

SeaWaves not TigerStripes

The M1 Does My Talking

SeaWaves not TigerStripes

Nugget Popper

SeaWaves not TigerStripes

Peace through strength

Grumpy Old Man

SeaWaves not TigerStripes

Grumpy Old Man

SeaWaves not TigerStripes

Grumpy Old Man

Users who are viewing this thread

Log in

Forum statistics