Black Powder Firearms in the new series "Hell on Wheels"

[Steel Horse Bailey]

During the ambush fight in episode 7 there was one fellow with a brass framed '51 in .44 caliber. Did anyone else notice that after the shooting lesson, Bohannon capped his brass framed '60, but didn't bother with powder and ball? He has a ball or cap pouch on his gun belt, in the middle of is back, but no powder flask, cartridge box or shells for his Winchester '66.

As a matter of historical information, here's a "tid-bit" you might not know; few soldier-types (like Cullen Bohannen had been) would have used loose powder & ball, rather they would have used the VERY available pre-wrapped packages that were wrapped in paper or "nature-produced skin" like dried animal intestine or stomach lining and had a pre-measured amount of powder and (most likely) conical projectile.  These came in packages of 6 with 6, 7, or 8 (depending on the supplier) caps - in case the shooter dropped one and didn't have time to search.  The old issue cap pouches would hold a number of "pre-rolled" charges, and later, the belt pouches would hold more, up to 3 or 4 of the packets.  Often these packets were sealed and relatively water-tight by some sort of wax or varnish spread over the outside and sealing the freshly packed packet.

So he wouldn't need a flask, only some sort of pouch to hold the individual "charges" or packaged "charges.  Actually, I've heard  (not know as fact) that the handy leather flask belt holders are pretty much a modern (for NCOWS, SASS, & other modern shooting venues) accessory.  Certainly they would have been easy to make back then, but not as a regularly used item by many shooters.

As for the blanks, you're right Ab ... they shouldn't recoil, but I too applaud the actors for making it LOOK like firing a real round which WOULD have some recoil.  Problem is, a 66 Winchester - even the carbine-length version, is a heavy firearm.  Unlike your slim-&-trim Ranger rifle, Dakota, a full charge load out of a '66 doesn't rock the boat very much.  When I shoot my '66, and I do have the 24" Sporting Rifle version, not the 20" version used mostly by Hollyweird (and on H.O.W.) with a full-charge 45 Colt round (BP or Nitro load) it's almost like shooting a 22.  I don't notice anything to speak of.  I'm sure that if one were to photograph me with a hi-speed camera, it would show some recoil but not very much.

But it IS more realistic to show SOME recoil in the shows than to not have any.