Ahoy Maties!
I teach Treasure Island, Count of Monte Crosto and other historical novels at a school here in New Orleans. Having read Cascabel's article on Flintlocks and after his hearing his lecture on Blackpowder Arms at PyrateCon a few years back, I have been toying with the idea of aquiring one for educational purposes. We attend the Battle of New Orleans reenactment every year as well as the Louisiana Renaissance Festival and Fort Pike, all of which include some firing demostrations. I already have several replicas which we use in class to explain the mechanics involved but some of the parts are different. What I need is an affordable, ( I am a teacher after all!), reliable flintlock that I can use to demonstrate the history, function, and mechanics of the Flintlock to my students. We have even used flintlock dart guns to demostrate how duels were fought in "Count." Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Iron Tom Hell