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Shope Arms Tools and tips for the 18th century soldier and sporting enthusiast

It has been an absolute whirlwind with a cross country move and now the battle of white plains is just a few days away! ...
10/20/2026

It has been an absolute whirlwind with a cross country move and now the battle of white plains is just a few days away! For the last several weeks I have been trying to get as many repairs and orders done as possible but there is always more to do! I may not have a functioning kitchen or unpacked clothes but I have cleared some workspaces to get the last couple items across the finish line before I head out for NY tomorrow!

Flashguards love to get a lot of hate as useless modern safety contrivances that actually make things worse, or that if ...
10/13/2026

Flashguards love to get a lot of hate as useless modern safety contrivances that actually make things worse, or that if you just don't over prime the pan then you wouldn't need one...

Well unfortunately they are not modern devices and they are poorly named because they have nothing to do with the flash.

Extensive testing comparing a musket firing a live round, a blank, and flash only with normal and (grossly) over primed pan, with and without a flashguard, showed that they do not in any way protect anything from the powder burning in the flash.

What they do is deflect the gasses and particulate coming out of the touchhole up and down rather than into the face of the person next to you. One of our testers took one for the team (accidentally) and received the full force of that jet which embedded fouling/unburnt powder into his skin and made it bleed.

What they can't do is direct particulate back at your face...

I'll be doing a video on this very soon to go over the findings from the testing!

I've been putting this post off but I finally must announce: in just a couple days I am moving back to the midwest (wher...
10/08/2026

I've been putting this post off but I finally must announce: in just a couple days I am moving back to the midwest (where I'm from). Specifically Kansas City, more specifically a very lovely German style Tudor home. What does this mean for Shope Arms?

Well, moves are for fresh starts and I will be transitioning from being a modern engineer to an 18th century one doing full time gunsmithing, repairs, and historical reproductions! I'd also like to do classes on musket maintenance and unit armorer duties at events as well as a youtube channel once the dedicated workshop is built. I am quite nervous but mostly very excited to dive headfirst into the 250th doing what I love!

For those who have commissions and repairs with me right now: I appreciate your patience. In the last two weeks I've finished about two dozen repairs trying to get everything done before the workshop got packed up. If you're waiting on me for something critical and I haven't directly communicated with you yet please let me know! I will be taking a veritable arsenal to folks at White Plains. Despite being further away I will probably attend even MORE events than I have been to do onsite repairs.

And thank you all for trusting me with some of your most valued possessions over the last few years. Nothing gives me more pride in my workmanship than when someone tells me they didnt have a single misfire at an event for the first time! I look forward to serving the rev war community with even more capacity as the 250 really kicks off!

PS Please wait a couple weeks to flood me with work because I still have a cross country move to do and a workshop to build 😅

Savannah history museum today! Last time I was there was before I did any reenacting so it will be interesting to see it...
10/04/2026

Savannah history museum today! Last time I was there was before I did any reenacting so it will be interesting to see it in a new light. Fun fact: it's thought that the regiment v Bose (formerly Trümbach) was at the siege of Savannah because a "Trümbach" regiment was there. But by that time the blue-faced white infantry regiment had already been taken over by v Bose, and v Trümbach was actually leading the late Rall's grenadier regiment! They had been reconstituted after most of the Trenton prisoners were released and it was they who fought at the battle of Stono Ferry. Their successful defense there earned them the right to carry colors again

Just call me flash guardon cuz we're out here getting the Germans ready to take the field for big 250th anniversary even...
09/30/2026

Just call me flash guardon cuz we're out here getting the Germans ready to take the field for big 250th anniversary events! German locks are particularly challenging because they are bridleless and have internal featherspring screws, but a period illustration of a Hanoverian lock with flashguard gave away the solution!

09/30/2026

This Bess has been worked HARD and it shows! A series of cracks down the centerline of the forestock have developed and need to be addressed. Just gluing/epoxying the wood back together will lead to a failed joint for lack of surface area or a new crack along an adjacent grain line. Metal bowtie inlets give extra surface area and reinforce the joint. On to the next step!

Had a great time talking about Ferguson's r***e company for the national army museum! Getting to share the experience of...
09/21/2026

Had a great time talking about Ferguson's r***e company for the national army museum! Getting to share the experience of live-firing a Ferguson r***e is always a blast (and it ran great! 30 rounds or so with no issues whatsoever), and of course I had to give the Hessians their time in the spotlight too. Ending the day by firing solid shot and canister from a 6pdr was icing on the cake.

***e

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Charleston, SC
29445

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