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Glass projectiles

swopjan
I heard on another forum about a guy that used to shoot marbles out of a smoothbore musket, thickly patched I would imagine as marbles are typically .47 or .63 inches in diameter. It piqued my interest and I don't see why this couldn't work in a rifle in place of a lead ball.

Has anyone tried this? I'd be interested in any load data or accuracy results you may have, as well as any potential problems or bad experiences.
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Comments

15 comments

Date Votes
  • allen griggs
    With the proper patch it certainly would work.
    I will be interested in seeing if you get any replies by someone with experience with this.
    Glass is not as heavy as lead so it won't carry downrange as well.
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  • swopjan
    I've posted on a couple other forums, no replies yet. A few "I've heard of that too"'s but nobody who's actually done it [V]

    I certainly wouldn't use it for big game, but for plinking and hunting squirrels or rabbits I'm sure it would work well with an accurate load.
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  • flyingcollie
    Um . . . what, exactly would be the advantage ?
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  • Tflogger
    My great grandfather told me that him and his brothers would sometimes shoot marbles out of muzzle loading rifles.
    This was back in the early 1900s, the cartridges guns were reserved for the adults.
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  • Chief Shaway
    There are too many things to mention that I've shot out of my Bess. Patched marbles is not one thou.
    Pea gravel, walnut hulls, hot dogs.....[:D]
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  • swopjan
    quote:Originally posted by flyingcollie
    Um . . . what, exactly would be the advantage ?


    There's a bunch of reasons I can think of, the big two being marbles costing 6 cents apiece whereas similar sized lead balls are 13-15 cents each, and I'll be in California for most of next year where, last I heard anyway, lead is banned.
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  • swopjan
    Hot dogs, Chief? I've got a dog that doesn't fetch, maybe a hot dog launcher would make for a fun game instead [:D]
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  • andrewsw16
    Talk to some old vets who spent leave or liberty in Olongapo or Angeles City. They will tell you about hot dog shooters. [;)][:D]
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  • flyingcollie
    [/quote] . . . marbles [cost] 6 cents apiece whereas similar sized lead balls are 13-15 cents each, and I'll be in California for most of next year where, last I heard anyway, lead is banned.[/quote]

    Wal, now that makes good sense. Lead banned in Calif. ?? I see everything causes cancer in California . . . damn fools haven't figured out it's actually California itsself that causes it. Ban ammunition, or disable it like this, don't need to "ban" guns.

    Hoorah for a blunderbuss . . . load 'er up with nails, rocks, chipmunks, anything that's handy !!
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  • Chief Shaway
    quote:Originally posted by swopjan
    Hot dogs, Chief? I've got a dog that doesn't fetch, maybe a hot dog launcher would make for a fun game instead [:D]


    20 grains of powder hot dog wars.[:D]
    The cheese ones really make a mess on ya.[;)]
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  • swopjan
    quote:Originally posted by Chief Shaway
    quote:Originally posted by swopjan
    Hot dogs, Chief? I've got a dog that doesn't fetch, maybe a hot dog launcher would make for a fun game instead [:D]


    20 grains of powder hot dog wars.[:D]
    The cheese ones really make a mess on ya.[;)]


    [:0] I hope you wear eye protection! [B)]

    I ran into the actual marble shooter last night on another forum, he showed me a one-hole group from 25 yards with ten marbles from a .62 rifle. So it can certainly be done out to 25 yards, probably twice that [:D]
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  • machine gun moran
    Marbles, no. But I tried flashlight batteries in a home-made muzzle-loading cannon, of a size that would fit the bore, with generous wadding and about 200 grains of 2F. The recoil broke the sawhorse it was mounted on, so I decided not to try it from an oarlock. [:)]
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  • perry shooter
    made many Black Powder "cannons" growing up in rural Va. used galvanized 1/2 inch and 3/4 water pipe Threaded and using a Cap with small hole drilled to allow for a fuse. Shot many a glass marble used newspaper as a over shot wad then Marble then another section of paper. You will be surprise they will shoot through a 2X4. I even got into making my own Black powder never could get the same power as STORE BOUGHT[:I]
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  • v35
    I've done it as a kid from a shotgun and relic flint barrels from Francis Bannerman's.
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  • yoshmyster
    Better off using spark plug ceramics.
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