The Ferguson Rifle

Welcome to the Leverguns.Com Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here ... politely.

Moderators: AmBraCol, Hobie

Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.

Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
Blaine
Posting leader...
Posts: 30495
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:22 pm
Location: Still Deciding

The Ferguson Rifle

Post by Blaine »

I watched a video about them, and I have a couple questions.

They are not using a patch with the RB they drop in the breech.

They are not getting a firm tamping down of the powder.

Both these issues are proscribed as far as ML rifles W/RB go.

And, GO.
The Rotten Fruit Always Hits The Ground First

Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
Ray Newman
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 2042
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:43 pm
Location: Between No Where & No Place, WA

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by Ray Newman »

Blaine: Back-In-The-Last-Century, there was a company that produced Ferguson clones. From what I recall, the rifle was expen$ive even back then. Problem was that the screw thread was fouling magnet and had to be pre-lube and/or cleaned off to keep the cation functioning.

Another oddity is the Forsyth Scent Bottle Rifle -- https://www.historicalfirearms.info/thing ... e-reverend
The most important aspect of this signature line is that you don't realize it doesn't say anything significant until you are just about done reading it & then it is too late to stop reading it....
Grand Poo Bah WA F.E.S.

In real life may you be the bad butt that you claim to be on social media.
Pisgah
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1797
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:01 pm
Location: SC

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by Pisgah »

The balls were larger-than-bore-size; upon firing they were swaged down as they entered the bore, sealing everything nicely, thank you.

The chamber was over-filled with powder, the excess being "cut off" by the rising breech screw, resulting in a filled, if not exactly ramrod-packed, chamber.

As you can imagine if you have ever managed a rifle shooting real BP, fouling was the Achilles heel of the system. Ferguson brilliantly disguised this fact when he famously demonstrated his prototype to the King and military officials. Claiming the rifle to be not only rapid to load and fire but impervious to ill effects from water, he carried a water bottle during his rapid-fire demo and drenched the action and bore between shots. This, of course, kept the fouling soft and made the whole deal seem like a real phenomenon of a device -- he was able to fire six accurate shots in a minute.
barbarossa
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1114
Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:46 pm

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by barbarossa »

One of the down sides to the Ferguson rifle is that they are prone to cracking the stock at the breech area do to the amount of wood removed for the breech.This was more of a concern for a military rifle as they were subject to rough handing.A lot of the surviving originals show cracks in this area.Also they are not exactly gas tight and do suffer somewhat from gas blow by but I don t believe it s too bad.They are an interesting firearm and it would be fun to own one
piller
Posting leader...
Posts: 15189
Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2007 9:49 pm
Location: South of Dallas

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by piller »

There is a lot I do not know about them, but they were an innovative idea.
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
1894cfan
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1493
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:07 am

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by 1894cfan »

Not sure as it has been a long time since I read it, but I think Louis Lamour wrote a book with that title, The Furguson Rifle. See if you can find it, it was a good one!!
Last edited by 1894cfan on Sun Apr 03, 2022 10:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Malamute
Member Emeritus
Posts: 3766
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:56 am
Location: Rocky Mts

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by Malamute »

I think it would be quite interesting to have one, but they are a bit out of my realistic budget.

Ive read a bit about the modern-ish handmade copies by people that built some, they seem to work fairly well, the fouling is less of an issue when properly used, i dont recall details, but grease in the threads may be a part of that, I believe the threads also are slightly tapered, so are able to move when opened and close up fairly snug to fire. All in all I dont recall reading anything greatly detrimental to using one if well made. There was a company that made parts sets for them and there may still be some parts available, but its largely a handmade rifle project to actually own one unless someone sells one they built. The examples Ive seen were quite well done.

Edit: I think this was one of the discussions I saw about the Fergusons. https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/thre ... le.109171/
Last edited by Malamute on Sat Apr 02, 2022 8:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt-

Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
Bill in Oregon
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 8850
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:05 am
Location: Sweetwater, TX

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by Bill in Oregon »

In spite of the faults, I would love to have one!
hondo1892
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1112
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 8:21 pm

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by hondo1892 »

Someone still makes part sets for the Ferguson rifle. I think it's the Rifle Shoppe in Oklahoma. I know a couple of guys that own one of the re-pops but never ask how fast the fouling builds up. As for patching round balls for rifled guns. The Germans didn't use patches in their Jeager rifles for years. They just pounded in an over size ball to seal the bore.
Ray Newman
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 2042
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:43 pm
Location: Between No Where & No Place, WA

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by Ray Newman »

Another oddity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheellock

Now we know were Ronson and Zippo got the idea :lol:
The most important aspect of this signature line is that you don't realize it doesn't say anything significant until you are just about done reading it & then it is too late to stop reading it....
Grand Poo Bah WA F.E.S.

In real life may you be the bad butt that you claim to be on social media.
User avatar
Blaine
Posting leader...
Posts: 30495
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:22 pm
Location: Still Deciding

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by Blaine »

I should have realized about the oversize ball... :oops:
The Rotten Fruit Always Hits The Ground First

Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
barbarossa
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1114
Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:46 pm

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by barbarossa »

When Ferguson was killed all the surviving rifles were recalled and packed away for good.This was mainly do to jealousy on part of some Senior officers who were opposed of the rifle from the start ,which was too bad as it would of been of great use during the Napoleonic wars.If the Ferguson had been put in to service in great numbers in rifle brigades it would of gave the British a big advantage
hfcable
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 2444
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:24 pm
Location: wasilla, alaska and bozeman, montana

Re: The Ferguson Rifle

Post by hfcable »

i have one of the narragansett arms repros made , i think, in the 1970s. all of the above, about fouling etc, is true, but there are some work arounds to help.

right now a friend has it, he is writing an article about them..

there is a paper back book about them that tells how to keep them running. ii am in montana right now and the book [ and rifle ] are in alaska.
cable
Post Reply