Mississippi Didn't want crossbows...

[Woody Williams]

....so what did they get in the "primitive season"? Breech loaders..

Is the 2005 primitive firearm change Mississippi's final breech of tradition?

By Bobby Cleveland
bcleveland@clarionledger.com

Revel Rawlings was honest about his interest in buying a breech-loading rifle for future primitive weapons deer seasons.

"Purely a matter of convenience," Rawlings, of Jackson, said. "I love my muzzleloader and I love shooting it, but it is a pain in the butt to have to clean it after every time you shoot it.

"To be perfectly honest, that's the only reason I'd switch. My muzzle-loader is tack sharp. I don't know if one of the breech-loaders will shoot as good."

Under a change in regulations made this summer, Mississippi deer hunters for the first time can choose to use certain rifles that don't require muzzle-loading or black powder during the primitive-weapon seasons.

Those rifles, which must be .38 caliber or larger with an exposed hammer and of a single-shot design that predates the 20th century, will be allowed to fire regular rifle cartridges.
That makes them far more convenient, if not as accurate, than muzzle-loading firearms that use black powder.

Black powder is extremely corrosive and barrel cleaning is required after each day of shooting to prevent rusting or pitting.

Muzzle-loaders also require the reloading process of pouring powder and ramming a bullet down the barrel, plus re-arming the firing mechanism.
Breech-loaders, like the now-legal H&R Handi, simply require putting a new bullet in the chamber and re-cocking the hammer.

Traditional black-powder and muzzle-loader hunters are not happy with the change, but not any more unhappy than they were when scopes and modern in-line ignition muzzle-loaders were allowed.

“As far as I'm concerned, the tradition of primitive weaponry ended a long time ago," said Dwight Byrd of Byram. "There's nothing primitive about the muzzle-loaders being sold now. And, scopes ... don't let me get started on that.

"I still use an old Renegade with a maxi-ball, FF black powder and no scope, and I'd use it if they did away with the primitive weapon season. Way I see it, this ends any need we have for the December primitive weapon season."

Byrd said he is considering a breech-loader purchase.

"Not for me, but for my wife," he said. "My wife has stayed home during the primitive weapon season because she doesn't feel safe pouring powder and ramming a bullet down a barrel. She was just starting to consider a muzzle-loader, but now I think she'd prefer a Handi."

The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks caught local retailers by surprise with the change, which happened long after hunting orders had been made.

"You think about it, back during the annual (Shooting and Hunting Outdoor Trade Show) in January, we were still trying to figure out if the state was going to legalize crossbows," said Chris Bates, owner of the Mean Mallard in Ridgeland. "The winter and spring shows are when we place orders.

"I had to cancel some of my muzzle-loader orders because once this change was made, I knew I wouldn't need that much product. They could have given us more time."

Van Allen of Van's Sporting Goods and Deer Processing in Brandon, agreed.

"It would have been better for us if they had passed it effective in 2006, but that didn't happen," he said. "I immediately started buying as many of the breech-loaders as I could find and it's tough to find them anywhere. I'm selling them as fast as I can get them, and Marlin tells me that they are gearing up for a special run and there will be more available in late September.

"What concerns me is that, yes, I will sell a lot of the rifles, but once they buy the gun and scope, that's it. I won't see them again until they run out of shells. I see my muzzle-loading customers three or four times a season when they come and buy more supplies. The breech-loaders are a one-time sale and the mark-up on guns is low."

Cory Rath of Birmingham, a sales representative for, among other companies, Thompson Center Firearms, said the change has him worried about the future of Mississippi dealers.

"One of the things that separates Mississippi sporting good stores from those in Alabama is Mississippi's muzzle-loader season," he said. "In Alabama, statewide, you've about the same amount of major locally owned outdoor stores as you have in the Jackson area alone. Over here, we only have a five-day muzzle-loader season and it's all weekday.

"This could hurt Mississippi stores. I've already had $300,000 in canceled orders and I still haven't heard from 60 to 70 percent of my Mississippi clients. But, I know there are some stores there with orders paid and received. There are stores that are going to be sitting on $200,000 of muzzle-loading product that they won't be able to sell. I worry that some of them won't be able to sustain that big a hit and survive."

Primitive weapon deer seasons

Mississippi's 2005-06 primitive weapon deer seasons:

Statewide season

Dec. 2-15.

Zone 1 late season

All lands north of U.S. Highway 84 plus those lands south of 84 that lie west of Mississippi Highway 35

Jan. 19-31, private land only.

Zone 2 late season

Areas south of U.S. Highway 84 and east of Mississippi Highway 35:

Jan. 19-Jan. 31: for either-sex deer.

Feb. 1-15: legal bucks only.

Four tests for breech-loaders

According to Johnny Collins, chief of law enforcement for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, legal firearms for primitive weapon deer seasons include breech-loading firearms that meet all of the four following stipulations:
· Single-shot, breech-loading rifle with a cartridge barrel.
· A type of gun, or a replica or a reintroduction of a gun that was first manufactured prior to 1900.
· An exposed hammer.
· .38 caliber or larger.

All muzzle-loading firearms and archery equipment, plus crossbows, previously allowed remain legal.

Magnifying optics (rifle scopes) are allowed.

Cartridges for breech-loaders are not required to have black powder
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs. ... 025/SPORTS

[tcct2003]

Makes sense to me..I saw the other night on OLN saying the Thompson Omega (I think) was capable of shots at 200 yds. Times and technology has changed I feel for the better.