Arms in the Time of the Founders

From 1608 when it was first invented, and for over 200 years thereafter, the flintlock was the firing mechanism of choice in the design of muskets, rifles and pistols.  Nothing more advanced was around when the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.  Flintlocks were the only models that James Madison, the Congress of the USA and the legislatures of the several states could have had in mind when the Second Amendment was drafted, debated and ratified.

Today, of course, we have progressed mightily.  The traditional flintlock is still prized by hobbyists and reenactors.   And it can kill, as a recent TV murder drama has reminded us, but modern American mass killers have better options for offing a few baker's dozens or so of victims and themselves before official bullets can end their slaughter of the lambs. 

These random slayings occur with some frequency, as we all have had occasion to know.  No need to repeat the litany of the killing fields fresh in recent memory. 

Here's how to fire the flintlock.  This is advice easily found on the Internet for today's affectionados:

"Load the barrel in the ordinary way [ramming it home with an oiled patch and the ramrod stored beneath the gun barrel], depending upon what type of gun you are shooting, rifle, smooth bore or pistol. Brush the pan free of all residue from the last shot, using your pan brush. If residue remains, wipe it out with a moistened cloth, then a dry one. Include the frizzen face and the edge of the flint in this wiping. Prick the touch-hole, to make certain it is clear. Place a few grains of priming powder into the pan, not more than 1/3 full, probably less. Close the frizzen, cock and fire.

"If you will make each of these steps a routine part of the procedure, and if you keep an eye on the flint edge for sharpness, the gun will fire every time. You'll notice after a few shots that your frizzen, flint and pan are getting pretty fouled, and inconsistent ignition will surely be the result. A small cleaning patch dampened with rubbing alcohol is best for wiping the face of the frizzen, flint and pan to prevent the buildup of soot that would dull your sparks. A good wipe down every few shots is all that's needed."  ©1997 Brad Finch

Why am I telling you this? Because no mass killer worthy of the name would rely on such an awkward contraption today.  He or she would be better off with a couple of box cutters.  Yet our laws for the regulation of guns and ammunition are all descendants of the mindset behind the Second Amendment formed by the flintlock.

These days any blithering fool can legally, freely and instantly buy at gun shows his own miniature Gatling gun and spray a screaming, terrorized crowd in a mall, school, auditorium or stadium with several score bullets, optimized for best lethal effect, in the time it took one of General George Washington's patriotic soldiers of the Revolution to get off a single lead shot at a Red Coat and prime his weapon for the next "round."

It is deadly folly -- even though a generation of conservative jurists have argued otherwise-- to find that the original intent of the Founding Fathers was to have such lethal potential in the pocket or purse of every man or woman on any Main Street.  To repeat, the most that our famous ancestors could have had in mind was the arming of every able bodied citizen with a Kentucky long rifle, powder,shot, an oilded patch and a ramrod.

Not a bad idea, that, although concealed carry might be difficult in Florida in the summertime. At least the wild animals and civilized humans targeted would have a modest chance on a partially leveled sporting ground.