Neat ideas used in the Lewis and Clark expedition

[Mulliga]

Just saw some interesting tidbits about the Lewis and Clark expedition on the History Channel:

They brought along more than a dozen locks to go with their muskets, all made to exacting tolerances and dimensions so they could be interchanged. Without these locks, the expedition's firearms would have broken down half way through the journey.

Powder storage was a problem, especially for a trip that long. A clever solution they came up with was to make lead cylinders that carried powder. These were sealed up with a cork and wax, and were waterproof. When a member ran short of ammunition, he could pour the powder into his powder horn and melt down the lead in the cylinder to make bullets. A sort of precursor to modern cartridges .

 

[Harry Tuttle]

they also had a military air rifle
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72187

 

[4v50 Gary]

Funny but we really don't know what type of short rifles they carried during their expedition. The black powder community has found no evidence that they had the 1803 Harper's Ferry rifle but what they did have may have been a prototype to it.

 

[Wildalaska]

How did they manage to survive that long trip through hostile territory without full auto, carbon fiber, body armour and Fritos?

WilweretheyjusttougherthenAlaska

 

[Matt G]

Ambrose said that Lewis carried a squirrel rifle, probably a .36, for much of the journey, and made the mistake of trying to shoot a bear with it. This would have worked with a well placed shot on one of the black bears of Lewis' native Virginia, but this was their first encounter with Ursus horribilis-- the grizzly. They were chased for miles.