"History Detectives" cringe

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1bolo	"History Detectives" cringe	Lead	[-]
Posts: 505 (05/16/09 04:28 PM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None Just watching an episode of the PBS series "History Detectives. The segment in question concerned a pair of percussion duelling pistols alleged to have been used in the 1859 Terry/Broderick duel in California. The supposed "expert" (I'm sorry,she's a blonde) was examining the pair and proceeded to dry fire one dropping the hammer on a bare nipple! I cringed; maybe I'm too sensitive but were I the owner I would have stopped proceedings right there. John "Put your faith in the Lord,a British man-o-war and ram them,damn your eyes Man!"
trautert		#1	[-]
Posts: 5251 (05/16/09 08:52 PM) Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Even with an Italian repro percussion I warn people in no uncertain terms what will happen if they drop the hammer on an un-primed nipple on one of my guns. And she is an expert? Yeah, you and me both, buddy. Tom Ne Desit Virtus Rakkasans
Alibi		#2	[-]
Posts: 469 (05/17/09 02:25 AM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	What happened to her nipple?
1bolo		#3	[-]
Posts: 506 (05/17/09 10:55 AM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I was afraid someone would go down that road......................... John "Put your faith in the Lord,a British man-o-war and ram them,damn your eyes Man!"
Alibi		#4	[-]
Posts: 470 (05/17/09 01:15 PM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	It would have been poetic justice. It has been known that uncapped and other wise loaded pistols and muskets have discharged, now that would have been a lesson learned. History Detectives is fairly interesting, but they don't do anything that anyone could do for themselves if they took the time to do the research.
OKMTRPOOL		#5	[-]
Posts: 37 (06/02/09 03:44 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	The "History Detectives" crew filmed a segment in my museum and I was impressed with their lack of knowledge, planning and execution. I would classify them as "Rank Amateurs".
Aubullet		#6	[-]
Posts: 1181 (06/03/09 10:45 AM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	On a properly tuned percussion firearm, the hammer will not touch the nipple with a clearance of a couple of thousandth of an inch. I would be suprised if many modern reproductions where tuned this fine, and probably many original firearms were not tuned that fine either. But, many original pieces were made with that level of precision that would allow a hammer to drop clear of hitting the nipple. That being said, I would still have gone ballistic if any supposed expert had dry fired any of my collection! Without the "cushion" of the percussion cap, even a properly tuned lock will eventually peen down the shoulder stop on the hammer neck and lockplate top (if that is the stop system used) to where it will then eventually impact the nipple. In a situation like this, I think it may be important to remember the correct definition of an "expert", (pronounced ex-spurt). ie: an "ex" is a has been, and a "spurt" is a drip under pressure!
rruss2827	History Detectives and Other Things	#7	[-]
Posts: 1234 (06/04/09 01:49 PM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Two points: I've tried to watch the show History Detectives a couple of times. On both occasions I ended up turning away before the end of the show. Their approach to most matters historical seems haphazard and over simplified. Not sure if they are trying to 'dumb it down', or if they really think, act and speak in that fashion. No pun intended: They are history to me. On nipples: I obtained a very beat Mortimer side-by-side percussion cap shotgun. It has been in the family, but only for about 60-70 years (the history is a little murky). At least one of the nipples is horribly flattened, obviously from extensive dry firing. I'm sure this piece was once tuned, as described by Aubullet, where the hammer would not actually strike the nipple. Unfortunately that tuning has long passed.