Last of the Mohicans

[New Hampshire]

First of all I just want to say I really like this movie, very cool.  Seen it many of times.  Now the question.  What are the gun types Hawkeye and his indian friends carry?  They do not look like Kentucky or Shanendoah (sp?) rifles.  And what caliber?  Also, I believe I read somewheres that, even up to the American revolution, there were no such things as sights on guns.  They basically sighted down the top flat of the bbl ala shotgun style.  True?  If so, I give those boys some credit for putting meat on their tables   .  My question is purely academic.  i've always thought those rifles Hawkeye carried were sure purty  :grin: .
Brian M.

[filmokentucky]

Hawkeye uses a longrifle with foresight and rear sight. Sights were common on firearms from the earliest days.  Matchlocks had them. Crossbows, too. I seem to recall that the LOTM rifle was built by Wayne Watson. For a time you could order one for yourself. I've seen some detail photographs and it is a very handsome piece.
    The rest of the cast use muskets and fusils, including some Northwest trade guns that my reference works tell me weren't available until much
later. At least they had flintlocks.

[flintlock]

Brian...They were American Long Rifles (I prefer that name verses Kentucky or Pennsylvania rifle) the name Kentucky Rifle became popular after The Battle of New Orleans...when a popular ballard was written about that battle and the "hunters of Kentucky" and their "Kentucky Rifles"...

I'm not sure who built Hawkeye's rifle...I had heard it was the late John Bivens...He was also from NC...and at one time worked at Old Salem (Winston-Salem) ...and Jim Chambers worked for him...as you may know Jim Chambers offers some of the finest semi-kit guns that have ever been made available...

In the movie The Patriot...Mel Gibson's gun was made by Frank House (Hershal House's brother)...their style of rifle is unmistakable...

Rifling started in the area we now call Germany...about 1550...of course at this time the guns were wheel locks...by 1650 it was very widespread across central Europe....shooting matches were being held...with ranges  out to 300 yards....By this time, rifles were equipped with a front and rear sight....All the American Long Rifles that I have examined have had both a front and rear sight....and most smooth rifles do as well....If a early American firearm dies not have both a front and rear sight...its a fowling piece.

When the German gunsmiths came to America, they bought this history of the rifle with them...rifles were not as popular in either England of France...
Interestingly enough...this technology spread throughout Colonial America partially because of religion....You see...in Germany, there was group of people that were Moravians....they were Christians....they settled in Bethlehem, PA in 1742....they had a gunshop in operation in a place called Christian Springs about  1762....they also bought land in Piedmont NC about 1750...they called this tract Wachovia....and by 1760 they were making rifles in Old Salem...these early NC rifles were probably made very much like the early rifles made in Pennsylvania....

By the way....not many people realize this...but Daniel Boone moved with his family (he was 16 at the time) to the Mocksville, NC area about 1755...and he actually lived in NC longer than either Kentucky or the Missouri territory....the largest export out of Central NC in the 1750-1780 era was deer skins...to be shipped to Europe....I've often wondered if he ever carried one of these early rifles from Old Salem....It is known that his family did visit and trade at Old Salem and Salisbury....flintlock

[lostid]

The rifle Hawkeye carried is/was named KillDeer.

 It's a replica Johannes Faber Virginia Flint lock made by Wayne Watson,,you might get one made if you ask real nice for about $7000(truth).

 Do a goog search,,read,, learn.

[lostid]

Another fun fact,,Russel Means,,The warrior father character "Chingagchook",,only got to fire his weapon once!,, and he complained the gunstock club was too big and clumsy

[simonkenton]

That damn club/battle axe thing that Russel Means carried looked ridiculous. They showed him throwing it at a bad guy who was running and sticking him in the back.
It looked like it would be as easy to throw as a 4x8 sheet of plywood.

[filmokentucky]

Chingachgook's war club always strikes me as being a klutzy weapon, too. Seems like you'd be more apt to cut yourself with it than an enemy. But the gunstock type war club was fairly popular back in the old days. I remember reading that quite a few originals have survived. I've sometimes wondered if they weren't used more in ceremonies than in actual combat.

[New Hampshire]

You can actually get a replica already made or inn Kit form here:

http://www.crazycrow.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=4936-001-002&Category_Code=702-000-000&Product_Count=0

This is Crazy Crow trading post.  I got a few things here before.  Whats funny is I was looking at the kit for the same exact war club (just for ornamental purposes of course  :twisted: ) and did not even realize that was the same club used in the movie.  Im sitting there looking at the club as he throws it going "no way, it cant be!"  Sure was.  I like the ball head club they have too.  I believe Ive seen these on the screen too, maybe Dances with Wolves, but not positive:



http://www.crazycrow.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=4936-001-001&Category_Code=702-000-000&Product_Count=1

Brian M.

[xnmr53]

I had trouble getting past the opening scene where the indian villian watches the flintlock fire, and then DUCKS! What a load of crap!

[Ridge]

According to the books, Hawkeye's rifle was a 54 caliber.