2 Band Parker Hale Enfield

**4V50 Gary** · November 21, 1999, 09:20 AM

Took my Parker Hale Enfield to the range yesterday and being cheap, shot round ball through it. The twist is 1:48" and it's suppose to take Minie Balls. Anyway, I used a light target load of 40 grains FF and a TC prelubed patch (.015) with .570 swaged lead balls from Speer.

After figuring how it shot, I kept everything with a 6" bullseye at 75 yards (shots fired from unbenched sitting position). I was amazed at how accurate this gun was with round ball. I thought they would be flying all over the place.

I then tried it at 200 yards and had the target sights set for 300 (because it was uphill). In my feeble attempt to mimic the back firing positions popular in the last century, once I figured out how it shot, I consistently came within 1' of the target (a block of wood). Again, this was startling to me considering that I was using a round ball in a Minie ball gun.

It's a darn good shooter with the ballistically inefficient lead balls and I guess I have to break out the lead pot and mold and make some Minie balls to see what this gun can really do.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt

George Hill · November 22, 1999, 06:30 AM

The old guns can be a lot of fun.
The one old gun I would LOVE to test out is the old neumatic rifles used to snipe on Napolian's army...
Old 50 cal or bigger air rifles shooting lead balls at over 1000 FPS... SWEET.
Last time I fired Black Powder was out of an old Hawkins Rifle. It was fun.
Hmmmm - You can get a kit for one at Wal Mart for about 100 bucks...
I may have to think about that...

------------------
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." - Sigmund Freud
Hey, have I mentioned my new book? It is called:
MEN ARE FROM MARS and WOMEN JUST NEED TO DEAL WITH IT!

**4V50 Gary** · November 23, 1999, 06:21 PM

George,

I've read about those old rifles (and even posted info on it once in one of our forums). The nice thing about those Austrian air guns is that the bladder was in the stock and not a big ball (like the English guns). It also shot those big balls out faster and with more energy than my Farco .433 caliber air shotgun. To think that in a time when most troops were musket armed and were trained to volley fire by pointing (not aiming) the Austrians had equipped their marksman with a silent and smokeless weapon. The other advantage of beign smokeless is that there is no billowing cloud of white smoke to obscure the target for a follow up shot. Too bad it went the way of the Ferguson (breech loading flintlock) and fell by the wayside.

I'd love to go to the Philippines and get to the Farco factory. Have them build an action without the barrel, bring it back and have it barreled for a saboted or patched .45 caliber round ball and HUNT with it. As is, my Farco isn't accurate enough at 75 yards to take game. At 25 yards, no problem (have to try 50 someday).

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt

George Hill · November 24, 1999, 12:17 AM

Those guns were much more effective weapons than the muskets at the time...
Better energy, faster reload time, and probably more accurate.
If military arms followed that path - things would be most interesting today.
Problems for it do exist - such as performance changes from hot to cold weather etc.
Still - a very interesting piece.
Ah - your right about the air bottel.
I remember seeing one in a museum - my Dad was explaining it to me. I was thinking "BB guns were a threat?"
Little did I know.
You cold hunt BEAR with those BB guns!

------------------
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." - Sigmund Freud
Hey, have I mentioned my new book? It is called:
MEN ARE FROM MARS and WOMEN JUST NEED TO DEAL WITH IT!

November 21, 1999, 09:20 AM	#1
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,831	Took my Parker Hale Enfield to the range yesterday and being cheap, shot round ball through it. The twist is 1:48" and it's suppose to take Minie Balls. Anyway, I used a light target load of 40 grains FF and a TC prelubed patch (.015) with .570 swaged lead balls from Speer. After figuring how it shot, I kept everything with a 6" bullseye at 75 yards (shots fired from unbenched sitting position). I was amazed at how accurate this gun was with round ball. I thought they would be flying all over the place. I then tried it at 200 yards and had the target sights set for 300 (because it was uphill). In my feeble attempt to mimic the back firing positions popular in the last century, once I figured out how it shot, I consistently came within 1' of the target (a block of wood). Again, this was startling to me considering that I was using a round ball in a Minie ball gun. It's a darn good shooter with the ballistically inefficient lead balls and I guess I have to break out the lead pot and mold and make some Minie balls to see what this gun can really do. ------------------ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt

November 22, 1999, 06:30 AM	#2
George Hill Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 14, 1998 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11,546	The old guns can be a lot of fun. The one old gun I would LOVE to test out is the old neumatic rifles used to snipe on Napolian's army... Old 50 cal or bigger air rifles shooting lead balls at over 1000 FPS... SWEET. Last time I fired Black Powder was out of an old Hawkins Rifle. It was fun. Hmmmm - You can get a kit for one at Wal Mart for about 100 bucks... I may have to think about that... ------------------ "A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." - Sigmund Freud Hey, have I mentioned my new book? It is called: MEN ARE FROM MARS and WOMEN JUST NEED TO DEAL WITH IT!

November 23, 1999, 06:21 PM	#3
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,831	George, I've read about those old rifles (and even posted info on it once in one of our forums). The nice thing about those Austrian air guns is that the bladder was in the stock and not a big ball (like the English guns). It also shot those big balls out faster and with more energy than my Farco .433 caliber air shotgun. To think that in a time when most troops were musket armed and were trained to volley fire by pointing (not aiming) the Austrians had equipped their marksman with a silent and smokeless weapon. The other advantage of beign smokeless is that there is no billowing cloud of white smoke to obscure the target for a follow up shot. Too bad it went the way of the Ferguson (breech loading flintlock) and fell by the wayside. I'd love to go to the Philippines and get to the Farco factory. Have them build an action without the barrel, bring it back and have it barreled for a saboted or patched .45 caliber round ball and HUNT with it. As is, my Farco isn't accurate enough at 75 yards to take game. At 25 yards, no problem (have to try 50 someday). ------------------ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt

November 24, 1999, 12:17 AM	#4
George Hill Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 14, 1998 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11,546	Those guns were much more effective weapons than the muskets at the time... Better energy, faster reload time, and probably more accurate. If military arms followed that path - things would be most interesting today. Problems for it do exist - such as performance changes from hot to cold weather etc. Still - a very interesting piece. Ah - your right about the air bottel. I remember seeing one in a museum - my Dad was explaining it to me. I was thinking "BB guns were a threat?" Little did I know. You cold hunt BEAR with those BB guns! ------------------ "A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." - Sigmund Freud Hey, have I mentioned my new book? It is called: MEN ARE FROM MARS and WOMEN JUST NEED TO DEAL WITH IT!