So my son and I went out and visited the LLR camp this weekend. I brought a DGW flintlock and Traditions short "Tennessee" .50 percussion.
To make a long story short, while examining the lock on the DGW, a member inadvertently broke the mainspring, so I didn't get to fire it at all. He was very gracious and assured me that he can and will repair it. I assured him it was not a requirement, but he insisted.
So we broke out the Traditions .50 TN rifle, and after putting a few rounds through it myself, my son fired it a few times and did pretty well. (He's only 7).
Sunday afternoon, we scurried out again, and I brought the Bill Large flintlock (which I've posted about here). I got one shot off, and to make a long story short, I ended up having a bore brush break off and get stuck down at the bottom of the barrel.
Fortunately, when I got home I had a ball puller on one of the range rods that successfully grabbed onto the brush, and I was able to clear the barrel and clean the rifle (after one, pathetic shot). I will say that the one and only round out of the Bill Large rifle showed me how nice the .40 caliber can be... not much recoil at all, which makes me think I will let my son try it out, too.
The Lafayette Long Rifle folk that I met were nothing short of gracious and welcoming. I do think I will likely become a regular attendee at their events. Now, where to find period-correct 18th-century clothing...?
