Spring is really here. After a couple of false starts it is really here. How can I be so sure? Simple, I'm doing all those things that I would really rather not. Getting the mower ready. Weeding the garden. Putting off fishing. You know the list. Which reminds me of one of this month's articles? Did you take care of your black powder gun after this last hunting season? Well according to Rick Kindig, you may be in the minority if you did. Rick has put together an article detailing "all those little" problems he sees day in and day out. Most of them can be avoided by simply cleaning and maintain your piece correctly.

After you're finished with Rick's article, you can take the time to look over the rest of this month's articles. Hank Strong, he did the Apollo Rifle review last issue, tests the Cabela Remingtion Rolling Block Rifle. Like his Apollo review, this one includes ballistic data for several different bullet and load combinations. Hank assures me that he only sends about 10% of the data he collects. Hank has been involved in extensive testing of several black powder and black powder substitutes. He has also been involved in the design and development of several in-line rifles and black powder bullets. I am going to twist his arm to get him to write some articles covering his thoughts on powder, bullets and in-line rifles. With any luck we may be able to persuade him to test a few more rifles.

This issue starts something new for the BPJ, our first video review. Just a few years ago a black powder video was a rare item. Today there are probably over 100 available, covering every aspect of our sport. Our first review is of "John's Muzzle Loader Shooting."

For you history buffs, and that includes me, I have included a reprint of a 1965 article from "The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography," about the problems faced procuring black powder during the Revolutionary War. This is an excellent article. It will give the reader some insight into the problems the early Americans had just getting powder for the war effort. We are going to present the article in three parts, and follow it up with some other history related material.

Last, but not least, is another article from our friend from New Zealand, Jim Reed. Jim's friend, Stu Barclay, attended the 1996 International Muzzle Loading Championships as a member of the New Zealand team. And did they show the world that they could shoot, coming in second, in the shotgun, to Germany.

I hope you enjoy this issue of The Blackpowder Journal, and as always your thoughts and comments are welcome.

Editor, The Blackpowder Journal
The Editor