Posted by: PigTech on February 04, 2003 at 21:06:56 Forum Moderator

: This is going to seem really weird to a lot of you in here, I suspect... but here goes; I'm a fan of civil war reenactments - I grew up about 3 hours drive from Fort Tejon in California. : Of course safety gear would significantly compromise our historical authenticity, Yes, which would, I think make it pretty pointless for demonstrating to students as mentioned later. : but this would be more for the participants, rather than a spectator oriented event as most of our Battle Reenactments are. We would still wear our period Union and Confederate uniforms, just adding whatever is needed to be safe. I would see it as being something more oriented toward the study of tactics - i.e. set up like a particular battle in history and try something different to see how it effects the outcome. Unfortunately, paintballs due to their different ballistics when compared to civil war era rifles and rifled muskets would make this an unrealistic simulation. : I envision an educational application as well - we already go to schools to demonstrate our weapons, equipment, and tactics as well as to "drill" students according to 1861 tactics. : Giving and taking a "volley" between battle-lines about 50 yards apart might give students a whole new appreciation for what Soldiers in the CW faced. Not very PC, for sure, but we have some home-school groups who are not overly concerned about that, and it could be a whole lot more fun for the kids than a normal History Class! Unfortunately, at safe velocities (under 300 feet per second) your realistic usable range is going to be less than 100 feet, and at the later half of that range, your shots will be lobbed at their target, not fired as an aimed shot. You won't be recreating something from the civil war, you will be makeing something new and different that while it might be fun for the participants, it won't be a history lesson for spectators. : I have several designs on the table for a .69 cal. hand-pumped pneumatic single-shot smoothbore muzzle-loading musket. The more promising of these uses a bicycle pump under the barrel so that pumping up the resivoir simulates ramming a charge with a ram-rod. I figure about 70psi ought to do it. Consider this - today's pump action paintguns are typically fired on CO2 that is nominally 800 psi (depending on temperature) to achieve 300 feet per second of velocity. : The air-tank is located beneath the barrel, and could be countoured to simulate the fore-stock or concealed under a false forestock. It could also be placed in the butt stock. The air release / firing valve will be hammer-actuated, similar to the original percussion-cap system. I would think it easier to conceal a larger tank that is filled with CO2, and then use a manually cocked hammer/valve system and ram the paintball down the barrel. : A trained Infantryman in the CW could get off about 3 fairly well-aimed shots a minute with his Springfield or Enfield muzzleloading rifle-musket using paper cartidges; this PB system, I think, would approximate that, simualating the tactical limitations a Soldier would have had to deal with in that period. You couldn't get anywhere close to that if you were attempting to hand-compress your propellant gas on the field. : We would probably have a few of the troops firing blank charges with their real muskets per usual for the noise and sulfurous smoke, which we all love so dearly you know. That is a smell that brings back fond memories. I built a CVA .50 cal plains rifle kit when I was in high school. : So... have any of you heard of such a simple pump-up pneumatic single-shot marker system? : If so, it could save me a lot of work as I might be able to use the action as the basis for this replica. Nope. : And what do you, as paintball players (I confess, I've never tried it... yet) think about the idea? I think it would not be an effective simulation, or effective history teaching tool. But the idea of "civil war paintball" as a game - where players hand load each shot is nothing new in the sport of paintball, and can be a fun alternative game format. See you on the field, -Bill Mills

Follow Ups: Post a Followup Show your name as: DefaultRealnameBothNickname E-Mail address (eg: joeschmoe@aol.com): Show your e-mail address? DefaultYesNo Your Password: Don't have a password? CLICK HERE - Forgot your password? CLICK HERE Subject: Subject:Message: : : This is going to seem really weird to a lot of you in here, I suspect... but here goes; : I'm a fan of civil war reenactments - I grew up about 3 hours drive from Fort Tejon in California. : : Of course safety gear would significantly compromise our historical authenticity, : Yes, which would, I think make it pretty pointless for demonstrating to students as mentioned later. : : but this would be more for the participants, rather than a spectator oriented event as most of our Battle Reenactments are. We would still wear our period Union and Confederate uniforms, just adding whatever is needed to be safe. : I would see it as being something more oriented toward the study of tactics - i.e. set up like a particular battle in history and try something different to see how it effects the outcome. Unfortunately, paintballs due to their different ballistics when compared to civil war era rifles and rifled muskets would make this an unrealistic simulation. : : I envision an educational application as well - we already go to schools to demonstrate our weapons, equipment, and tactics as well as to "drill" students according to 1861 tactics. : : Giving and taking a "volley" between battle-lines about 50 yards apart might give students a whole new appreciation for what Soldiers in the CW faced. Not very PC, for sure, but we have some home-school groups who are not overly concerned about that, and it could be a whole lot more fun for the kids than a normal History Class! : Unfortunately, at safe velocities (under 300 feet per second) your realistic usable range is going to be less than 100 feet, and at the later half of that range, your shots will be lobbed at their target, not fired as an aimed shot. You won't be recreating something from the civil war, you will be makeing something new and different that while it might be fun for the participants, it won't be a history lesson for spectators. : : I have several designs on the table for a .69 cal. hand-pumped pneumatic single-shot smoothbore muzzle-loading musket. The more promising of these uses a bicycle pump under the barrel so that pumping up the resivoir simulates ramming a charge with a ram-rod. I figure about 70psi ought to do it. : Consider this - today's pump action paintguns are typically fired on CO2 that is nominally 800 psi (depending on temperature) to achieve 300 feet per second of velocity. : : The air-tank is located beneath the barrel, and could be countoured to simulate the fore-stock or concealed under a false forestock. It could also be placed in the butt stock. The air release / firing valve will be hammer-actuated, similar to the original percussion-cap system. : I would think it easier to conceal a larger tank that is filled with CO2, and then use a manually cocked hammer/valve system and ram the paintball down the barrel. : : A trained Infantryman in the CW could get off about 3 fairly well-aimed shots a minute with his Springfield or Enfield muzzleloading rifle-musket using paper cartidges; this PB system, I think, would approximate that, simualating the tactical limitations a Soldier would have had to deal with in that period. : You couldn't get anywhere close to that if you were attempting to hand-compress your propellant gas on the field. : : We would probably have a few of the troops firing blank charges with their real muskets per usual for the noise and sulfurous smoke, which we all love so dearly you know. : That is a smell that brings back fond memories. I built a CVA .50 cal plains rifle kit when I was in high school. : : So... have any of you heard of such a simple pump-up pneumatic single-shot marker system? : : If so, it could save me a lot of work as I might be able to use the action as the basis for this replica. : Nope. : : And what do you, as paintball players (I confess, I've never tried it... yet) think about the idea? : I think it would not be an effective simulation, or effective history teaching tool. But the idea of "civil war paintball" as a game - where players hand load each shot is nothing new in the sport of paintball, and can be a fun alternative game format. : See you on the field, : -Bill Mills [ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ WARPIG Tech Talk - Stock/Pump ]