Differences between modern and BP

[northmn]

As an aside to the crescent shaped buttplates, which I happen to really like both from an ascetic and hunting functional point of view.....I understood that their design had something to do with be able to securely place them in the stirrup of a saddle for reloading on horseback...can't point to any official document making that claim, just read / heard about that a few times over the years

[/sup]
Usually form follows function or vice versa?  I have thought also the method of shooting them off the arm may have been a horseback thing.  One of the things I have also noticed is that I think there may have been a long barrel prestige.  Some of the originals I have seen documented have barrels over 4 feet long.  Personally I think that may have been a little overdone, but I can picture someone ordering one built like that kind of like a modern magnum shooter talking about his latest acquisition.  Might also be why they are still around.  It seems like the more impractical designs came along or after about 1820 give or take.  A modern gun, custom made can be designed  or built to our specs also.  You do not need to handload them either, I buy a box of shells for my daughter every now and then.  I go back to the original premise. We should appreciate our accomplishments more when we use a ML.  Dan D. showed off his buck he shot with his swivel breech on another thread.  It is not Boone and Crockett, I don't think he will argue with me on that, but it is a trophy because of the method he used to get it.

DP

[451whitworth]

i have never understood the cresent butt plate. i find them evil and think the idea of shooting it off your arm is nonsence. i have always wondered why/how they came into existence and probably will never know. they even carried over into lever guns like the 1886 and 1895 winchesters chambered for 45/70, 45/90, 50-110, and 405wcf. you can't shoot those off your arm unless you're a glutton for punishment, bruises, and torn ligaments.

[roundball]

Shot thousands of shots out of cresent buttplate rifles no probelm...it mounts just on the inside part of the ball of the shoulder with the toe tucked down into the armpit...doesn't touch a thing from recoil.

The big benefit to me is that it holds the butt in place under hunting condiitions of leaning over to the right or left to shoot around a tree, etc...disappointed my new Virginia doesn't have more of a curve to it

[northmn]

Due to the relatively light weight of round ball which most of us shoot, the crescent buttplate is not so bad on our ML's  The calibers 451 mentioned really can get your attention if not proportioned correctly. I had a Marlin CB in 45-70 that I got rid of becasue it was too darned light weight even when I loaded the butt with a little lead.  The 405 in the Win 95 was notorious for being brutal.  A favorite trick of cavalry men were to load up a full loaded infantry round in a cavalry carbine 45-70 for a new recruit. The carbine round was loaded down with 55 grains of powder.  I had a 50-90 built up, but it only wieghed 9 pounds or so and it hurt to shoot.  You can get something of the same effect with the "modern" ML's  An individual mentioned shooting the Knight "magnum" 52 with a full load and stated that it was about like a 458.  The ML's with crescents were usually built quite heavy in addition to the use of lighter loads.  The buffalo runners were stated to have put a "sissy" pad on their shouder when they shot. 

DP

[Daryl]

Many hunting guns of the 18th and 19th century had proper butt shapes.  I dislike cresents on a heavy recoiler as well, and that was the reason I got rid of the .58 Hawken I had as it was just painful to shoot. I don't mind the scresent on the Tenn. rifle due to it's calibre.   These fit the pocket of the shoulder perfectly.