Robbery with a musket

[cleardiddion]

Now, I've heard of a lot of strange things happening in my time, epecially when it comes to crime.
The rise of crime has been most noticeable with the downturn in the economy and such acts have been carried out with everything from your standard issue Raven .25 to one instance that I heard about which involved a live boa constrictor. However, even after having heard a 'news' report of how anyone can get a .50 caliber rifle (they showed muzzleloaders) I've never heard of anyone actually commiting a crime with one (at least not in modern days). I guess I always thought that a smokepole, while fun, would be unbelievably impractical for some thug job. Guess I was wrong:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrbHUpaaUC8&feature=player_embedded

 

[Slamfire]

That looks like a three band Enfield, which would be a either a 460 or 520 grain .577 diameter Minie ball coming out the front end.

I would agree that a Civil War Infantry Musket would not be a good choice for much of anything other than having a good time rock blasting.

But, if one of those things were pointed at me, I would be afraid, very afraid.

As LaGarde discussed in his book "Gunshot Injuries", Civil War muskets created worse wounds than the standard service rifles cartridges of WW1. And those are significantly more powerful than the intermediate rounds in service today.

The guy may have only one shot, but if he hits you with it, it will be a very bad thing.

 

[S.W.G.]

Since black powder firearms are exempt from the Destructive Device category of the NFA, how long do you think it will take before the Brady Bunch start shrieking about the 'Antique Loophole'?

 

[Carter]

If I'm not mistaken that was just a block of wood with a steel pipe taped to it, but I could have my stories mixed up.

There was a news report this morning about that.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

If I'm not mistaken that was just a block of wood with a steel pipe taped to it

No, I think you're right.
That clerk is the same type of person at the bank who hands over cash because of a threatening note. Meanwhile the old lady at the next 7-11 would have beat them down.

 

[cleardiddion]

Sure does seem like it on closer inspection

 

[cleardiddion]

Sure does seem like it on closer inspection

 

[VA27]

On one of the police video shows I watched a clip of a convenience store robbery. The guy walks in, pulls a revolver and opens fire. The first shot absolutely fills the room with smoke! On the slo-mo replay you can clearly see the profile of an open top Colt clone of some sort! Of course that fact was never mentioned by the narrator of the show. I was surprised that they didn't call it a Glock or AK47. (Mods, should this be in Black Powder Shooting?)

 

[skarr]

That is just sad. Maybe the clerk has some protection now against idiots with muskets and red scarves.

 

[White Horseradish]

To be fair, a block of wood with a pipe can still be loaded. It's an even chance not will hurt the shooter or the target, but even being very crude it can be dangerous. Personally, I wouldn't take the chance it's completely fake.

 

[ZCORR Jay]

Robbery with a Musket... Those dang Brits.

 

[JohnD13]

A few years back, a local brain donor tried to rob the post office in the next village with a flintlock pistol. I guess he couldn't afford stamps. The bungler actually dropped the gun on his way out of the post office and was picked up by the FBI the same morning.
SO this is actually the second blackpowder hold up I've ever heard of!

 

[CoastieShep]

Pretty sure I would've been too busy laughing to hand over any money.

 

[armoredman]

Block of wood and steel pipe isn't a musket - that's a zip gun.

 

[rondog]

When I was a stupid kid.....I took a piece of electrical conduit, clamped it to a 2x4, capped the "breech" somehow with three firecrackers inside, then shoved a marble wrapped in a kleenex down the "barrel" with a stick. I propped the thing up, aimed it at a board leaning against the garage door, and lit the firecrackers. Damn marble blew completely through the board, through the garage door, and dented the grill of mom's Pontiac on the other side! Never did that again! Lucky I didn't get caught.

Did the robbers in that video even take anything? I didn't see them take anything if they did.

 

[Leathermarshmallow]

Several years ago there was a domestic dispute near here where one of the men in question attacked the other with an ax. The other man retreated to his car and got a muzzle loading rifle out of the trunk and went back and shot and killed the ax man.

 

[Slamfire]

If I'm not mistaken that was just a block of wood with a steel pipe taped to it, but I could have my stories mixed up.

There was a news report this morning about that.

The image was fussy on my screen, so maybe.

Either way, I would hand over the money.

Getting killed protecting someone else's money, while being paid minimum wage, does not make a lot of sense to me.

Others are free to disagree.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

That clerk is the same type of person at the bank who hands over cash because of a threatening note.

How did you arrive at your characterization of the clerk? Only the clerk's hand is visible in the video. There is no audio. The clerk didn't give up any money.

FYI, the "type" of clerks in banks that hand over money because of threatening notes quite often do so as a matter of bank policy. They are instructed to be compliant with robbers. They have no reason to fight over money that isn't their own.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I know it's the policy of the bank or store to comply. I just hate the idea of making things so easy for lazy criminals, especially when they don't even have a weapon (or a totally fake one as in this vid). It's not the monetary loss, it's the act that I despise.