Naval academy conference rejected the paper. Won’t have time to resubmit until June.
But basically done. Just looking for refereed academic journal for first publication.
Cheers!
Sirhr
- Thread starter Sean the Nailer
- Start date
Naval academy conference rejected the paper. Won’t have time to resubmit until June.
But basically done. Just looking for refereed academic journal for first publication.
Cheers!
Sirhr
USNA was a bit of a stretch, but I presented it as riverine warfare and interdiction. Thought it might be just kinky enough to get their attention. But no joy.
A couple of colleagues got their papers excepted though, and so I’m very pleased for them. Cheers.
Haha, love that you tried. I don't remember off-hand but when the steamboat surrendered to him the Author of "Hinson's War" mentioned it being some kind of record for a single man fighting a ship to a standstill.
Have you tried to present your work as an example of a force multiplier in 19th asymmetric warfare?
This was a really great read, really appreciate all the hardwork you put into this @sirhrmechanic . There was a lot good information from other posters as well.
And your rifle is absolutely gorgeous!
And your rifle is absolutely gorgeous!
I sent him a pm, and nothing. I may be able to help him get this story published
Thanks… I Saw That.
Been a bit busy up here. I will respond!
Sirhr
Been a bit busy up here. I will respond!
Sirhr
Hey all...
So I know there has been a lot of interest in the Hinson rifle project. Several folks including @Gary/CO and @Death From A Distance have been following closely.
I presented the paper on the 11th of January at a packed meeting of the Massachusetts Arms Collectors Society (amazing group!) and went through the results of the research, shooting, etc. The paper was extremely-well received by a group of folks who are very definitely knowledgable about Civil War arms and tactics.
The presentation is being produced into about an hour-long video (maybe a bit longer with questions) and we will be posting it at a minimum on YouTube. In addition, LL is interested in having an Everyday Sniper Podcast about the research and the findings... because, hey, it all started here. Right here on Snipers Hide. And credit where credit is due, it was @Maggot who told me about the book and started me down this path c. 2019 or so! So sometime later this month or early in March, there will likely be a podcast here on SH.
The 'big' reveal that everyone has been wanting to know... is the rifle's twist rate. This is the thing that we were the first to be allowed to measure and is the key to determining the ballistic performance of the rifle. Now that the presentation has been made and the information is 'out there' I will post for the first time here on Snipers Hide that the twist rate was measured at 1 in 70". That is a twist rate that is designed either for patched round ball or a very short, stubby Minie... That was measured in Tennesse in November 2021, right after the Precision Rifle Expo at the home of the rifle's custodian, Judge Ben McFarlin.
It also at best means that the shots Hinson was making were much shorter range than parts of the book's narrative might suggest. A long, thin bullet capable of such distance shots would not stabilize (I tried them).
In fact, we had to make two barrels. The first barrel was a 1:24" twist that would have stabilized a very long heavy pointed "Tennessee style" bullet. This barrel was designed not using measurements of the original Hinson Rifle. It was designed because we created a bullet and a barrel capable of making "ELR" shots with a muzzle-loader. Basing the technology on the narrative. But after measuring the actual rifle, a new barrel was made in 1:70" twist and so the research had to re-focus to match the narrative to the technology.
The other big giveaway (which I should have noticed immediately upon beginning this project) was the sights. The short buckhorn sights on the original Hinson rifle would not have allowed accurate extreme long-range fire. And a "Gibbs-type" ladder sight would have been needed. But one was never fitted, nor is there evidence of one.
HOWEVER, the time spent 'on the ground' in Tennessee along with the archival work to find the original geography, combined with a knowledge and understanding of sniper tactics (then and now) puts Hinson well within the range of his targets and the capability of his rifle... without any major narrative changes to Col. McKenney's book . This has been confirmed by shooting the replica rifle with a number of projectiles and out to ranges of nearly 300 yards. More shooting will take place in the spring... as I did not have a suitable 'short minie' to test, but now have a mold coming.
In fact, many of the details that confirm Col. McKenney's research are in the book. And the only real challenges to the narrative come in a few areas where McKenney was relying primarily on oral histories.
I have no reservations saying that McKenney's book remains superbly-written and researched. And that I have no doubt that Hinson's Civil War exploits are almost exactly as described in One Man War. McKenney's research, futhermore, is so perfectly-documented that I'd call his notes and bibliography a 'model' for how to document history.
More to follow as we get the video finished up. I just sent pictures to the producer today to 'back up' the slide presentation. Once the video is done (within a week we think) we will set up a Podcast here on SH. Seems only right! Since the whole thing started here, as I mentoned, that LL's plattform should get this out to a wider audience.
I am glad to answer more questions here for those who might have them. Though many may well be answered when we post up the video. So I may keep you in suspense a bit longer on some things and keep some questions for Frank to ask during the Podcast!
Anyway, there's the beginning of the info. I know some were definitely waiting for the news!
Cheers,
Sirhr
PS. A great public thank-you to Col. Tom McKenney who is an outstanding gentleman and whose research is impeccible and whose prose is just excellent. To Judge Ben McFarlin who is custodian of the Hinson Rifle and whose family has an amazing history. To Capt. Tom DeJarnette, USN Ret. who granted us access to Hinson's cave and has been a great cheerleader through this process. I couldn't have done this without the incredible craftsmanship of Ed Parry of BlackHart Long Arms in Connecticut... Ed was a career navy Submariner and built his first muzzleloader on a cruise! I thank Gary Yee who has been a great supporter of the project and his books are fantastic (buy them). My 'academic colleague' Dr. U. , -- a published Marine Corps historian, who is always a great sounding board. As is my friend, author James Stejskal, USA SF and CIA Ret. (Buy his books too!) Last, my buddy since we were kids and former SOTIC instructor "Master Sergeant Bull" who spent days with me tromping around the Tennessee woods gathering ground truth. Bull was part of this project from the beginning when we found the Hinson sign while shooting together at Campbell one week a few years ago. He trained a whole generation of Snipers! And, of course @Lowlight and all you guys who have been interested in (and cheerleading) this since I started! Thanks everyone!
So I know there has been a lot of interest in the Hinson rifle project. Several folks including @Gary/CO and @Death From A Distance have been following closely.
I presented the paper on the 11th of January at a packed meeting of the Massachusetts Arms Collectors Society (amazing group!) and went through the results of the research, shooting, etc. The paper was extremely-well received by a group of folks who are very definitely knowledgable about Civil War arms and tactics.
The presentation is being produced into about an hour-long video (maybe a bit longer with questions) and we will be posting it at a minimum on YouTube. In addition, LL is interested in having an Everyday Sniper Podcast about the research and the findings... because, hey, it all started here. Right here on Snipers Hide. And credit where credit is due, it was @Maggot who told me about the book and started me down this path c. 2019 or so! So sometime later this month or early in March, there will likely be a podcast here on SH.
The 'big' reveal that everyone has been wanting to know... is the rifle's twist rate. This is the thing that we were the first to be allowed to measure and is the key to determining the ballistic performance of the rifle. Now that the presentation has been made and the information is 'out there' I will post for the first time here on Snipers Hide that the twist rate was measured at 1 in 70". That is a twist rate that is designed either for patched round ball or a very short, stubby Minie... That was measured in Tennesse in November 2021, right after the Precision Rifle Expo at the home of the rifle's custodian, Judge Ben McFarlin.
It also at best means that the shots Hinson was making were much shorter range than parts of the book's narrative might suggest. A long, thin bullet capable of such distance shots would not stabilize (I tried them).
In fact, we had to make two barrels. The first barrel was a 1:24" twist that would have stabilized a very long heavy pointed "Tennessee style" bullet. This barrel was designed not using measurements of the original Hinson Rifle. It was designed because we created a bullet and a barrel capable of making "ELR" shots with a muzzle-loader. Basing the technology on the narrative. But after measuring the actual rifle, a new barrel was made in 1:70" twist and so the research had to re-focus to match the narrative to the technology.
The other big giveaway (which I should have noticed immediately upon beginning this project) was the sights. The short buckhorn sights on the original Hinson rifle would not have allowed accurate extreme long-range fire. And a "Gibbs-type" ladder sight would have been needed. But one was never fitted, nor is there evidence of one.
HOWEVER, the time spent 'on the ground' in Tennessee along with the archival work to find the original geography, combined with a knowledge and understanding of sniper tactics (then and now) puts Hinson well within the range of his targets and the capability of his rifle... without any major narrative changes to Col. McKenney's book . This has been confirmed by shooting the replica rifle with a number of projectiles and out to ranges of nearly 300 yards. More shooting will take place in the spring... as I did not have a suitable 'short minie' to test, but now have a mold coming.
In fact, many of the details that confirm Col. McKenney's research are in the book. And the only real challenges to the narrative come in a few areas where McKenney was relying primarily on oral histories.
I have no reservations saying that McKenney's book remains superbly-written and researched. And that I have no doubt that Hinson's Civil War exploits are almost exactly as described in One Man War. McKenney's research, futhermore, is so perfectly-documented that I'd call his notes and bibliography a 'model' for how to document history.
More to follow as we get the video finished up. I just sent pictures to the producer today to 'back up' the slide presentation. Once the video is done (within a week we think) we will set up a Podcast here on SH. Seems only right! Since the whole thing started here, as I mentoned, that LL's plattform should get this out to a wider audience.
I am glad to answer more questions here for those who might have them. Though many may well be answered when we post up the video. So I may keep you in suspense a bit longer on some things and keep some questions for Frank to ask during the Podcast!
Anyway, there's the beginning of the info. I know some were definitely waiting for the news!
Cheers,
Sirhr
PS. A great public thank-you to Col. Tom McKenney who is an outstanding gentleman and whose research is impeccible and whose prose is just excellent. To Judge Ben McFarlin who is custodian of the Hinson Rifle and whose family has an amazing history. To Capt. Tom DeJarnette, USN Ret. who granted us access to Hinson's cave and has been a great cheerleader through this process. I couldn't have done this without the incredible craftsmanship of Ed Parry of BlackHart Long Arms in Connecticut... Ed was a career navy Submariner and built his first muzzleloader on a cruise! I thank Gary Yee who has been a great supporter of the project and his books are fantastic (buy them). My 'academic colleague' Dr. U. , -- a published Marine Corps historian, who is always a great sounding board. As is my friend, author James Stejskal, USA SF and CIA Ret. (Buy his books too!) Last, my buddy since we were kids and former SOTIC instructor "Master Sergeant Bull" who spent days with me tromping around the Tennessee woods gathering ground truth. Bull was part of this project from the beginning when we found the Hinson sign while shooting together at Campbell one week a few years ago. He trained a whole generation of Snipers! And, of course @Lowlight and all you guys who have been interested in (and cheerleading) this since I started! Thanks everyone!
I need an honorable, or dishonorable, mention for the inspiration.
It’s in there! Third paragraph!!!
Very cool stuff. I am looking forward to the video & podcast. Jack Hinson’s One Man’s War has been one of my favorite books for over 10 years now.
Looking forward to it, really cool to match up the lore with the actual rifle and see how much they overlap.
I agree, "One Man War" was one of the best written historical novels I've ever read. Great insight into their way of life and a Southern family's perspective on all of it.
I agree, "One Man War" was one of the best written historical novels I've ever read. Great insight into their way of life and a Southern family's perspective on all of it.
