“Thoughts on Loading & Firing a Flintlock Rifle… in the traditional manner.” A DVD Review.
January 20, 2010 by Rick Sheets
Filed under DVD Review, Gift Idea, Product Review
I have never met Don Bruton. But I have handled one of Don’s rifles that had been owned by my late friend Richard. When Richard had it made the criteria for its creation was simple; Richard wanted an early smooth rifle with English influence that could have been made by Squire Boone. Not only did he nail the request, but Don’s rendition was a flintlock smooth rifle that was trim, light and pointed like an upland shotgun. It was a gun that needed to be handled- a lot! But I am reviewing his DVD, Thoughts on Loading & Firing a Flintlock Rifle… in the traditional manner. I just had to brag on his gun building skills a little. (Don’s website shows his ‘smithing- samples of authentic leather goods, guns, hawks and knives are all there. A link to his website is provided below.)
Now here is my review. I got the DVD in the mail and was impressed with the cover art and the overall professional appearance of the packaging and the DVD itself. There was even an eight page leaflet of Don’s observations done in the style of an 18th Century broadside on parchment paper. Of course, the quality of packaging is not always a dependable predictor of the quality of content. But, I was not disappointed in any way.
First of all, Don is a veteran of portraying a longhunter for over forty years and he knows what works and lays it all out for the shooter. Don speaks with clear North Carolina accent as he demonstrates in his 18th Century skills. His kit is of his own making and his persona is believable in every way. Now that I think about it a little more, the DVD is not just for the shooter, but anyone who is interested in the history of the woodsman or longhunter. Even if you have been portraying a longhunter yourself for a long time, you will enjoy Don’s impression and enthusiasm.
I just read a novel where the hero was using a longrifle. The author went into excruciating detail about loading and shooting and it was all wrong. He could have benefited from spending forty minutes with Don and getting it right!
I heartily recommend Thoughts on Loading & Firing a Flintlock Rifle… in the traditional manner.
The DVD is informative and fun to watch. The DVD covers loading and firing (including old time speed loading), cleaning in the traditional way (with worm and tow), the differences between the rifle and smooth bore and Don covers the longhunter‘s accouterments and how they were used. The outtakes at the end are good for a chuckle as well.
This DVD is ideal for giving as a gift as it looks nice on the outside too!
Thanks for reading this review,
Rick Sheets
Thoughts on Loading & Firing a Flintlock Rifle… in the traditional manner.
A 40 Minute DVD-Featuring Don Bruton
Price is $20.00 Includes shipping within the USA
Click Here to purchase the DVD from Don Bruton’s website.
Here is a one minute preview of Don’s DVD:
What a great video! I (like other folks I know) take a lot of this for granted, but this is well worth watching. In addition to the common sense aspects of loading and firing a flint lock, there are a ton of great historical observations about the whole matter. The thought of carrying round balls in the webs of your fingers while working is incredible.
My suggestion is to watch and enjoy. It is well worth the money. The presentation is super, and Don doesn’t make anyone feel alienated. I rate this highly.
This video is a snapshot into the world of flintlock rifles as they were loaded, shot, cleaned and cared for by frontiersmen in the 1700’s in America. The best thing that can happen for someone new to shooting a flintlock is to find an experienced shooter who will help them learn the lore of the flintlock longrifle. In this video, Don Bruton is that guy. Imagine you are hiking in the woods and you come upon an apparition from the 1770’s. In period dress, carrying a rifle and accoutrements he made, Don shows how to handle, load, shoot and clean a flintlock rifle using period techniques. He shares skills that have been pared down and honed for decades, and his thoughts about how the rifle was used on the frontier.
Don covers the basics of loading a rifle as a frontiersman would do it efficiently in the woods, without short starter or bullet block, straight from the pouch. Along the way, the sequences are repeated several times, to ingrain the steps, as any good teacher would do. He shares lots of little tips. For example, Don shows how to carry cut patches on a string in a way that keeps them secure but prevents them from getting lost, how to keep a powder measure, pan brush and vent pick handy but not dangling in the way, and how to organize a shooting pouch to carry everything needed, without confusion.
Don shows us how he cleans the rifle with tow wrapped on a tow worm , saving the used tow for another cleaning later, as frontiersmen would have done, and how to change a flint. He introduces the viewer to the plain longrifle, going over the functions of all the parts.
In addition, he shows techniques for reloading rifles swiftly, as was probably done in battle. Extra round balls can be carried wedged between the fingers for easy access. After cautioning to “Never do this!” he describes how a rifle could be primed, loaded with powder directly from the horn, and how a ball could be dropped down the muzzle and the rifle “thumped” to seat it against the powder. I had mixed feelings about illustrating how these techniques could be done on the video, despite the cautions. Sometimes it’s better to not put ideas in some folks’ heads.
Overall, I felt we were learning the basics from an old timer who has been handling and shooting a flintlock rifle from a young age. Experience and calm confidence were displayed in every movement and word. In my estimation, the video would serve well for teaching the public about the flintlock longrifle as it was used on the early American frontier, and help beginning flintlock shooters use their rifles efficiently and confidently. It doesn’t cover everything, like caliber choices, how to work up a load that combines power and accuracy, how to improve shooting ability, or a host of other topics that viewers may be hungry for. But it may very well whet their appetites for those other things, and more.
-Rich Pierce
Rich, Thanks for reviewing this DVD!
For those who don’t know Rich Pierce, here is a bit about him. Rich has been making and shooting flintlock rifles since 1978 as a hobby and also makes and sells gunflints from native Missouri chert. He and his wife live in St. Louis, MO. All of my flinters sport his “rough, tough and sparky” chert flints!
Rick