Sport: Flintlocks at the Fort

The marksmen gathered at Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y. were a strange-looking group, dressed in checked shirts and funny hats. One man wore a skunk pelt on his head, another sported a black sombrero with a feather stuck in the band. The firearms were out of the ordinary too: long-barreled pistols, archaic-looking rifles decorated with carvings, etched designs and inlays. They were all old-style muzzle-loaders—flintlocks or caplocks*—and the oddly hatted people were devoted muzzle-loader fans.

Muzzle-loader fans have to be devoted. Their guns are handmade (many fans make their own), and firing them takes effort. To...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!