Lancaster-

You have done a wonderful thing here for us all at NitroExpress, and for everyone who will eventually find this thread in the public archives of our website.

What you have presented here is especially valuable to me as I own and use some very nice light weight bore-rifles from the 1800's
Furthermore, my rifles are pinfire.
Many here have seen these images before, but I will put them in this thread because they are relative to this special niche you are detailing, the ammunition!.
I will write you a personal message soon, please watch you PM account here. I may want to come to you (wherever you live) some day to meet, possibly hunt with you with one of my bore-rifles!

This first rifle is very light, and it shoots quite well.
For this rifle and the next one, I have developed my own hand made brass cartridges and loading components.
It seems to have been a Boar and Bear rifle!
I do not have the hunting sword bayonet for it.
Someday I will make one for it in the proper style.

This next rifle is a very high grade Mahillon two barrel set. The case has a lift-out tray, below is the action, the shotgun barrels, and some other tools.
I also shoot this rifle, making my own components and tools.
I forget exactly how many game animals are on this rifle, I think there are 11 total. There are many images of this rifle on littlegun.be site

There is much written information and practical knowledge in the english-speaking world of the british high-power borerifles, very little information at all on light weight, handy rifles such as these.
Most of the world of double-rifle enthusiasts seem to have the roots of their interest in stories of african safaris and the adventures told of around the spread of the british empire.

My interest in these guns comes more from my fascination with the period of the development of the metallic cartridge, specific to sporting arms.
I was raised in a heavily wooded valley at the foot of a little mountain right next to San Francisco.
My brother and I would almost every day start our day walks early in the morning, exploring the mountain all day fishing and gathering small animals, usually returning home just before dark to share our stories with the family and cook the fish we caught or frighten our sister with the snakes and lizards we caught along the way.

The hunting I love the most is in similar settings, steep hills and heavy woods. These light and effective european rifles are perfect for the hunts I enjoy most, and as both of the rifles shown are 16b 2-1/2 dram rifles, they are perfect for everything I will see in my West Coast adventures.

I am curious about the 'cats head' bullets for the 16b rifles. Will you please post for us a bigger or better resolution image of the page showing the 16b cats head bullets - especially the ones for paper case (both of my 16b guns are set up for paper case) - and include if you will please all of the numerical data shown for those bullets?

I use roundball, and I know it is very effective.
I am interested though in learning the specifics on the cats head bullet design and want to try it some time when I can make a mould for them.
I am a machinist and I have a large workshop on my property where I can build special parts and tooling for my old rifles.

Also, if you will please include the load data for each of the cartridge case length variations you show, that would be great!

Again, thank you so much for covering this aspect of the light sporting bore rifle. I have not had access to such textbooks as the ones you are referencing in this thread.
I don't know how to find the right book titles either, as I don't understand the german, austrian, or french languages well enough to properly web-search for the old books.

I look forward to learning more from you.
I also look forward to your further contribution to NitroExpress.com!

--Tinker