Belton Repeating Flintlock

**4V50 Gary** · October 19, 2023, 09:07 AM

I learned of this gun while researching for the firs tbook and contacted the Royal Armouries whose staff confessed at the tyme that they knew nothing about the action. Well, they've corrected that deficiency and here's their video on the Belton Repeating rifle that was offered to the American Congress during the American Revolution.

https://youtu.be/E2kIPmuXMWU?si=_LOcY84T_EUwWiny

Schlitz 45 · October 19, 2023, 10:10 AM

Thanks for posting this, never knew this was out there.
Seems like after the first shot the exposed touch holes would be spewing fire like a ported barrel & by the last shot you'd have 6 ports open that would be venting the chamber ?
Interesting concept.

**4V50 Gary** · October 19, 2023, 01:23 PM

Most of the flame from subsequent shots would go down the muzzle but conceivably some could spurt out from the touchholes.

RC20 · October 20, 2023, 03:42 PM

Thank you, I had never read anything in regards to a BP repeater like that (I am an extensive reader and its surprising what you can read about era's and not read about something like this)

An aside was reading Lewis and Clark journal and the pneumatic rifle they had on that expedition and how it saved them more than once due to their getting their powder drowned in one river mishap or another.

**4V50 Gary** · October 21, 2023, 03:36 AM

Girandoni. Do you belong to the NMLRA? I had a two part articce on an airgun inspired by it.

Ricklin · October 21, 2023, 12:49 PM

The Girandoni was also demonstrated to the natives they encountered along their way. I would think the native's reaction would be similar to me handing you my cell phone in 1955. We had a term for things we could not explain in engineering. PFM Pure F******* Magic.

**4V50 Gary** · October 21, 2023, 02:02 PM

Airguns were also useful for siege warfare. You don't want to discharge a musket underground in a tunnel where there may be flammable gases or powder. Airguns allowed the user to safely shoot without the dangers of kaboom!

RC20 · October 21, 2023, 06:24 PM

Interesting. I had read that they saw some European use but keeping them in charged flasks as an issue.

**4V50 Gary** · October 27, 2023, 12:20 PM

Getting quality sheet iron from which the flasks were fabricated was problematic for Girandoni. Poor low carbon iron would blow up when they were pumped up.

October 19, 2023, 09:07 AM	#1
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,855	Belton Repeating Flintlock I learned of this gun while researching for the firs tbook and contacted the Royal Armouries whose staff confessed at the tyme that they knew nothing about the action. Well, they've corrected that deficiency and here's their video on the Belton Repeating rifle that was offered to the American Congress during the American Revolution. https://youtu.be/E2kIPmuXMWU?si=_LOcY84T_EUwWiny __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 19, 2023, 01:23 PM	#3
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,855	Most of the flame from subsequent shots would go down the muzzle but conceivably some could spurt out from the touchholes. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 20, 2023, 03:42 PM	#4
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	Thank you, I had never read anything in regards to a BP repeater like that (I am an extensive reader and its surprising what you can read about era's and not read about something like this) An aside was reading Lewis and Clark journal and the pneumatic rifle they had on that expedition and how it saved them more than once due to their getting their powder drowned in one river mishap or another. __________________ Science and Facts are True whether you believe it or not

October 21, 2023, 03:36 AM	#5
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,855	Girandoni. Do you belong to the NMLRA? I had a two part articce on an airgun inspired by it. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 21, 2023, 12:49 PM	#6
Ricklin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Location: SW Washington state Posts: 2,018	And another use The Girandoni was also demonstrated to the natives they encountered along their way. I would think the native's reaction would be similar to me handing you my cell phone in 1955. We had a term for things we could not explain in engineering. PFM Pure F******* Magic. __________________ ricklin Freedom is not free

October 19, 2023, 10:10 AM	#2
Schlitz 45 Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2018 Location: Colorado Posts: 385	Thanks for posting this, never knew this was out there. Seems like after the first shot the exposed touch holes would be spewing fire like a ported barrel & by the last shot you'd have 6 ports open that would be venting the chamber ? Interesting concept.

October 21, 2023, 02:02 PM	#7
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,855	Airguns were also useful for siege warfare. You don't want to discharge a musket underground in a tunnel where there may be flammable gases or powder. Airguns allowed the user to safely shoot without the dangers of kaboom! __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 21, 2023, 06:24 PM	#8
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	Interesting. I had read that they saw some European use but keeping them in charged flasks as an issue. __________________ Science and Facts are True whether you believe it or not

October 27, 2023, 12:20 PM	#9
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,855	Getting quality sheet iron from which the flasks were fabricated was problematic for Girandoni. Poor low carbon iron would blow up when they were pumped up. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*