A six inch group at ten feet???

Normally I would say that's impossible, or at least highly unlikely. But it happened to me Saturday afternoon.

Back in 1975 I built a .44 caliber smoothbore from a Dixie Gun Works kit.

It made a nice BOOM with lots of smoke on many New Years Eves and Fourths of Julys with a charge of black powder and toilet paper wad. But up until last Saturday it had never launched a ball.

I decided to change that.

The .430 Hornady balls I had would not load with the thinnest patch on hand, so I loaded them bare. They were a fairly snug fit anyway. I shot them over a light charge of 35 grains GOEX FFFg ignited by a #11 cap.

Here's the gun:
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Here's the 10-ft. target.



Now here's the big chuckle - that's the result of ten shots.

I think this is what was know as a "belly gun", meaning you pushed it into an adversary's belly before you pulled the trigger.

They were not known for their accuracy. One reason when I watch some movies and these people are shooting the bad guy at 50 yards with a smoothbore pistol.. I just have to chuckle.

Also (on this model) no sights. The hammer is centered on top of the frame so you can't even sight down the top of the barrel. It's a by guess and by gosh proposition.

But I was surprised at the apparent strength of that load out of the little gun.

I think you're suppos-to load that baby with shot, there not accurate at all.
They used them back in Deadwood when you were playing Cards and had a Cheater, you just let er go from under the table and got your money back.