Primitive Living: How to Use Black Powder Firearms for Survival

In order to understand why I am writing this article, I must first define the word "primitive living."

In this case it relates to an individual who practices experimental archeology. If you are an experimental archeologist, you have a time period that you are interested in and try to recreate their lifestyle and the way they did things.

I am interested in the Mountain Man era. The time period for this is around 1820 - 1840. The people who opened up our country as we know it today. By necessity these individuals had to be self reliant, they could not go to the local store every time they needed something. They either packed it in with them, made it or they traded with the local tribes. In the case of the black powder rifle and pistol they usually packed in lead, bullet molds, percussion caps and black powder.

Many of the mountain men preferred Flint Locks over the Percussion models because they didn't fully trust the new percussion caps. However eventually a majority of the people were using percussion locks.

For this article I will be using the percussion lock Hawkins Rifle and the Kentucky Pistol. Both of these weapons are .50 caliber and single shot.

If you were a Mountain Man how would you go about getting the supplies that you needed for a season in the mountains. Well when it came to your weapons you would more than likely go to the yearly Rendezvous. A good idea of what a rendezvous was like can be found when your local black powder clubs host their own. At a typical rendezvous you will find a traders row where items typical of that time period can be purchased. You will also find people in period correct clothing shooting their weapons, throwing knives and tomahawks and other games typical of that time period.

Before I go any further lets discuss safety, since black powder guns are real and deadly:

If you follow these three rules you will not have an accident

1. All guns are always loaded.

2. Keep your finger straight along the weapon until you are ready to fire.

3. Never point your gun at anything you are not willing to destroy

Let's talk about what you will need to start shooting:

A rifle or a pistol. Preferably a rifle since we are talking about primitive living. You can use a pistol to hunt with however it isn't as nice as a rifle.

A Possibles Bag. This is a bag that you carry all your black powder supplies in; they are usually made out of leather or canvas.

A Powder Horn. This is a horn that allows you to carry your black powder with you usually carried over your shoulder. They also make a flask that is designed to carry powder.

A Powder Measure. This is a special measure for loading a measured load into your rifle.

A Short Start. This is the same concept as a Ram Rod except it is shorter. It is designed to start the ball or the bullet down the barrel; it is possible to break a ram rod if you do not use a short start. I have even herd stories about people running a ram rod through their hand from breaking it while applying pressure. Don't take short cuts.

The Proper size patches for the caliber that you are shooting. These seat around the bullet and make it possible for the burning powder to push the bullet out of the gun. With out a patch the force will escape around the bullet.

The proper caliber balls or bullet for your rifle. Usually .45 .50 or .54 caliber remember when buying bullets the size matters if they are too big you will not be able to seat your ball on top of the powder and it will become stuck.

Black Powder or Pyrodex. I have shot both however I like black powder better because I feel like I get better ignition.

Caps or Flint. Usually #11 Caps but it can vary. When it comes to flint you will have to check out the specs on your gun for what size you need.

www.cabelas.com is a good source for your supplies. As you learn more you will probably want to start making allot of your own gear.

A Mountain Mans worst enemy when it came to his weapons was the rain .Why? Because black powder doesn't fire when it is wet. I have hunted in all kinds of weather and I have found that when using a percussion lock as long as my caps do not become wet I am fine. In a survival situation you're rifle may have to be in all kinds of weather so you need to pay attention and keep the lock dry especially the nipple on a percussion lock. The mountain mans most trusted companion was his rifle, pistol and knives. A practicing primitive would do well to remember that what is a life style right now may one day have to save his life.

I know many people who are into Black Powder shooting as a hobby; there is always some one who has one of those smoke poles in their gun closet. However I know very few who would claim to be a practicing primitive and actually rely on the old style weapons to put meat on the table and to protect them.

The benefit to a black powder gun is this. I can make one purchase of about $70.00 to $90.00 and have the ability to hunt and target shoot all year.

If I had to pick a down side to black powder it would be that you have to clean them after shooting due to the fact that black powder and Pyrodex are corrosive. However the cleaning can be done with hot soapy water so you don't have to by allot of different cleaning solutions.

The important thing to remember is that black powder shooting in the world of primitive living is a skill and if you practice enough you can then own that skill making it truly yours. There may come a time when things are so bad that people might count on your primitive skills to help them survive because their modern day technology no longer works or is not available.