Major Ferguson's Rifle

[82Rigger]

I had the fortune while in one of the firearms forums to chat with an owner of a replica Ferguson.
The info he provided sheds some new light on what we have discussed here.

The replica was manufactured by Narragansett Arms Inc of Indianapolis. It is of high quality and manufacture is accurate to the originals.

The breech screw has multiple fine threads and is lowered into loading position by one complete (360 degree) turn of the trigger guard. Greased ball is placed in the chamber, followed by the powder charge. Powder charging need not be precise since any excess is carried away by raising the breech screw. Breech screw is raised and pan is primed. She's ready to shoot.

Upon firing there is some powder gas leakage at the breech screw, both top and bottom. Loading (and reloading) can be accomplished in about 9 seconds on the average.
Accuracy is about 4 inches at 100 yards, with good accuracy out to 200-250 yards.

After the 3rd shot arises a problem. The breech screw becomes difficult to operate due to build-up of powder fouling. Water poured on the open screw will soften the fouling enough to get off another shot. After the 4th shot the rifle is essentially out of commission until the breech screw is removed and cleaned.

Putting grease on the breech screw doesn't help very much, and too much grease risks contaminating the powder charge.

In my reading on the Ferguson rifle I never saw this problem mentioned.

So, where does that leave us as far as the advantages of this rifle?

[revwardoc]

Steve,

The only greased patch I had ever heard about regarding a military weapon during the Rev War was by American riflemen using the longrifle. The additional step of adding a greased patch would add time to the British loading/firing drill that was designed to decrease time, not add to it. British musket balls were machined for uniformity and smoothness to facilitate loading and the Ferguson's used the same ammo. But I did read that there was a fouling problem in the screw mechanism. I'm not sure how the German Jaegers loaded their weapons.

[colmurph]

The greatest advantage of the Furgeson Rifle was the fact that it could be loaded with the gunner lying prone. 3 shots from a prone position is a lot safer than taking one shot while standing.
The US didn't come up with a breech loading rifle until 32 years later with the advent of the Hall Mod. 1819 Breechloading Flintlock Rifle. (I have an original one of these with it's 13 groove rifling in .54 cal.)
The odd thing about Fergueson's death at Kings Mountain. His unit was not equipped with his invention, had they been so, Fergueson might not have died that day

[revwardoc]

At King's Mountain, Ferguson commanded local loyalist militia (he was the only commissioned British officer at that battle). While he was the only one armed with his namesake firearm, all the men on both sides were armed with Dickert rifles (The Dickert is also known as the Kentucky, Pennsylvania or Virginia long rifle, depending upon who bought it and where). Since the men (both sides) were all Appalachian Mountain men, it was natural for them to have a rifle rather than a musket. It was probably the only battle of that conflict that was fought entirely with rifles. Some of the opposing men were also related to each other giving the fight an early Civil War atmosphere.

[colmurph]

The Dickert Rifle was made by Jacob Dickert of Bucks County in Pennsylvania.