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https://forgottenweapons.vhx.tv/videos/berdan-2-app
Black powder military rifles of the 1860s-1880s are a really enjoyable group of guns. A lot of them are relatively reasonably priced, and they are actually pretty easy to reload for. The unavailability of factory ammunition (for most, although not so much for the Trapdoor) makes them seem like a daunting prospect, but for a pretty simple investment in tools and time one can make up ammunition and have a lot of fun with rifles like this.
That’s the idea behind a new series here on black powder military rifles. Each month, my friend – and handloader – Tom and I will take out a different model to have some fun at the range and compare how they handle. And then we will show you how to make the ammunition for them. So grab your pith helmet, pause “Zulu” and join us! Today is Episode Six: the Berdan II!
Timely. Probably see these being issued to the latest batch of sirloin about to be turned into hamburger by Ukrainian artillery.
Negative waves always with the negative waves man….
Dersu Uzala, known (or now – probably unknown) – from the Akira Kurosawa movie by the same title, was a happy user of this rifle. A gift from his greatful Russian friend, Vladimir Arsenyev, for whom he acted as a guide, contributed to his demise. He was killed, as the bandits wanted his brand new Mosin rifle.
Brand new Winchester 1895, if I recall correctly.
You recall very correctly. I lined for that piece, seeing the film on my undergraduate budget. Closest I could come was a ’94 Winchester from the local lawn shop. Not so very close st all.
Despite Berdan II trigger might be looks not great from perspective of 2020s, when compared to fire-arm of similar vintage it was accurate https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%91%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0#%D0%A1%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D1%85%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0
U.S. trials of various foreign fire-arm shows, that accuracy-wise it was inferior to Martini-Henry and superior to Peabody-Martini, Serbian Grin, Beaumont, Vetterli, Werndl.
Hoping to see the Snider-Enfield in this series…pleeez