Finally Shot my Ferguson - Need Advice

[120RIR]

 A number of years back I was fortunate enough to get a hold of one of the dozen or so Ferguson rifles Ernie Cowan and Rick Keller made.  I understand there is some well-founded criticism of some features on the stock that are chunkier than the Morristown rifle it was copying but overall, it's a beautiful piece and I'm thrilled to be its caretake. I finally took it out to shoot recently and @!*% if the plug didn't jam up completely on the very first shot!  There was some minor leakage at the top and bottom as one might expect but not a lot.  I find it hard to believe one shot's worth of fouling could jam it up like that.  Am I doing something wrong?  Are those plugs supposed to be greased before firing or something?  I love the rifle but I'm really disappointed with this first attempt.

[wormey]

Nobody knows more about shooting a Ferguson than Ricky Roberts.  You need to get a copy of "Every Insult and Indignity" by Ricky Roberts and Bryan Brown.  Contains everything you need to know; and yes, you need to grease the threads as well as use a lubed ball.
 I built mine from Rifle Shoppe parts.  Mine has very little gas leakage and shoots very well.  Good luck.  Wormey

[120RIR]

Thanks!  I've heard good things about the Rifle Shop Fergusons when subject to skilled hands for the build.

[Don Steele]

I’ve followed the various articles about the Ferguson rifle with interest over the years. The originals found Mutton tallow most effective to grease those threads. I’d like to add that when you find your rifle getting a bit overloaded with fouling, making it difficult to rotate the threaded bolt into place… PLEASE take care where your muzzle goes. I was standing on the firing line on a primitive range while two gentleman were actively attempting to overcome the excess fouling condition of the beautiful Ferguson they were shooting. I was intrigued by the rifle and watched their efforts with interest….. until, in their exasperation at trying to force the handle into position for another shot they lost control of the muzzle, allowing the rifle to rotate ( instead of the handle..) and I found myself staring down the muzzle of their loaded rifle.
What followed was NOT an exchange of pleasantries. 

[120RIR]

Ouch...yeah, I'll bet that was an "uncomfortable" situation to put it mildly!  Regardless, in lieu of mutton tallow, what would be a good substitute?  Perhaps just plain old commercially available lard might be a rough equivalent?

[lexington1]

I have tried the mutton tallow on the threads of my Ferguson and it works very well. I don't know why it works better than other lubes I have tried, but I am a believer.

[Hungry Horse]

 Regular old garden variety lard is very heat sensitive. Mutton tallow, or venison tallow is preferred. Mutton tallow can be purchased from most Civil War suppliers, and Dixie Gun Works used to stock it.
 Much of the new “wiz-bang” lubes being sold today have ingredients that polymerize with extreme heat, which makes them worthless.

Hungry Horse

[duca]

Sorry to hear about your day at the Range with the Ferguson. Amazon has Mutton tallow. I bought some for patches when Hunting Squirrel

[davec2]

120RIR,

Read through this thread.......    https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=6184.0

Lost of information especially the responses from bryanbrown on page 2

 Also....get this book........http://www.everyinsultandindignity.com/

[utseabee]

I helped a friend shoot his and we used bear grease on the threads. If I remember correctly, we got about 12 to 15 shots out of it before cleaning.

[Flint62Smoothie]

I have one I am still tinkering with, custom-made from a gunsmith in NY, a 3/4-scale version of the ordinance rifle made in 45-caliber.

[Hungry Horse]

 They would shoot quick, but they wouldn’t shoot long. So unless you had a force with a lot of them, you were in trouble from the start. Like many later modern guns they performed well in trials, but not in combat.

Hungry Horse

[Mattox Forge]

They would shoot quick, but they wouldn’t shoot long. So unless you had a force with a lot of them, you were in trouble from the start. Like many later modern guns they performed well in trials, but not in combat.

Hungry Horse

They stopped production of a perfectly servicable muzzleloading rifle for the Ferguson. One could argue that the good sales pitch Major Ferguson did for the King probably delayed general aboption of a good rifle for the British until the next war.

Mike

[Water Sheltie]

Get the Book Every Insult and Indignity.
I've had good luck with the bees wax, crisco lube.
The Ferguson is a lot of fun, but doesn't take long to realize why it wasn't excepted wholesale.

[Justin Urbantas]

After it was getting pretty fouled, could you close the breech and load as a standard muzzleloader with smaller patched balls?

[Daryl]

Absolutely, Justin.