Re-purposing the Trade Rifle. Ideas invited

[dragoon500ly]

Well, if you want to go cheap...take a shotgun shell, a thin piece of wood, nail and either glue or duct tape.

Run the nail through the wood so that the tip sticks through, make sure you touch up the tip with a file so it's nice e and sharp, fix the shotgun shell so that the cap is resting on the tip of the nail and fix in place, you now have a cheap little AP mine

Emplace on that likely approach route and...

This trick can also be done with rifle and pistol cartridges, but a buckshot load is just nastier.

You can also take that rifle barrel, bend in half and mount a knife blade on the ends and use it in a spring trap.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

Well, if you want to go cheap...take a shotgun shell, a thin piece of wood, nail and either glue or duct tape.

Run the nail through the wood so that the tip sticks through, make sure you touch up the tip with a file so it's nice e and sharp, fix the shotgun shell so that the cap is resting on the tip of the nail and fix in place, you now have a cheap little AP mine

Emplace on that likely approach route and...

This trick can also be done with rifle and pistol cartridges, but a buckshot load is just nastier.

You can also take that rifle barrel, bend in half and mount a knife blade on the ends and use it in a spring trap.

I always though the pipe plus end cap with another pipe fitted inside and against the shell rim was the better way to go... Oh and blunt the nail. If the primer is pierced the detonation will probably vent back toward the pin and not into the vents towards the powder. The crushing force will be enough.

But, this is Trade Rifles and those are muzzleloader, percussion fired rifles.

Umm ...... let's see..... Bore them out and make a extra large Minie bullet filled with magnesium or red phosphorus.... an improvised flare signal gun.

Without rifling and a double powder charge.... firing the piece makes a signal gun.... A lot of frontier forts used the swivel gun as a signal gun.... The loud bang was a signal for the people to rush back to the fort.

[ArmySGT.]

Cut into short lengths..... You have arrow shaft or javelin shaft straightener.

You can warm up the shaft by a hot fire or boil it. Slip the barrel segment down and allow it to cool using the barrel segment as a former. Acts as a scraper, making for a uniform circumference too.

[ArmySGT.]

Take off the stock and the barrel....... Keep the action.

You have a flint and steel fire starter.... Heavier and more cumbersome than just a flint and striker..... unless you have cold and shaking hands in a wet and windy winter night.