Knight Big Horn question

[Ray P]

Folks, I'm a long-time Hawken and H&A underhammer shooter, but I ventured into new territory yesterday. I'm now the proud owner of a used Knight Big Horn in excellent condition at a price I couldn't pass up.

The rifle came with two breach plugs, one threaded to take a nipple, and the other looks to take a naked 209 primer. The only accessory is a blued breach tool with a hex socket at one end, and a nipple wrench cut at the other. The tool is without the cross-bar piece.

1) What accessories are needed to fire this rifle using 209 primers? Do I need something special to a) properly position a new primer, and b) extract fired 209 primers?

2) Am I wrong in thinking I should only load loose powder when using the percussion cap breach plug?

3) Ramrod has some sort of roll pin sticking out on both sides at one end. Roll pin is in the brass filial at one end, and is perpendicular to the ramrod axis. Never seen this before.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

That inline ignition system is pretty efficient, and the percussion caps should ignite pellets just fine if you really want to utilize them. Especially if you get the "Magnum" caps. I personally don't find measuring loose powder to be very difficult, and with pellets you really don't have the ability to adjust to your ideal load. I'd recommend loose powder regardless.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

I believe that rifle utilizes a plastic adapter/ carrier to hold the 209 primer in the breach plug pocket. Did you see something like that in your collection of extras?

 

[Ray P]

Thank you, Malachi Leviticus Blue. The breachplug in the gun looks like the "naked 209" type, and there are no little red/orange primer holders. But I may pick up that breachplug as n alternate to the current one. But I expect I will be using loose powder and either musket or no. 11 caps for some time given current supply of caps and Pyrodex RS & 777. I have fired pellets in my Rem 1858 using No. 10 caps, but was concerned the flame path is a bit longer on the rifle. Guess I'll give that a try that too.

Thank you again!