Rorke's Drift Rifle Maintenance.

Posts : 182 Join date : 2012-02-16 Location : northeast usa

were there breaks in the fighting when the soldiers cleaned their rifles?

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

free1954. We talking RD Question

Posts : 182 Join date : 2012-02-16 Location : northeast usa

[quote="impi"]free1954. We talking RD Question

[/qote

yes

Subject: Rorkes drift Rifle Maintenance Sun Feb 23, 2014 11:30 pm

Hi free1954.
There was time in between the zulu attacks for Rifle maintenance to have been carried out if need be .
Not sure exactly how many attacks were made by the zulu's ( 4 - 6 ? ) but I know there were periods where maintenance could've and would've been carried out . Hope this helps ?
90th

Posts : 2558 Join date : 2009-04-06 Age : 61 Location : UK

90th wrote:: I know there were periods where maintenance could've and would've been carried out . Hope this helps

What's your source for this 90th, or is it personal opinion.

Subject: Rorkes drift Rifle Maintenance Sun Feb 23, 2014 11:47 pm

Dont know exactly where I read it , but when I did read of it I was surprised at the smallish number of attacks generated against the RD defenders , I'll go out on a limb and say 6-8 from memory , that's not a large number in 14 or 15 hours ! . I may have read it in Lee Stevenson's book ' Rorke's Drift By Those Who Where There ' so , no , it's not a personal opinion , I dont give personal opinions unless I say they are such , it's difficult to find the info one reads after a while as there are many books that have been read . Hope this helps ? .
90th

Posts : 2558 Join date : 2009-04-06 Age : 61 Location : UK

We know Henry Hook, had problems with his rifle jamming, so it makes sense that some cleaning process was carried out! Perhaps Neil could tell how long it would roughly take,to clean a rifle in Battle conditions.

Subject: Rorkes drift Rifle Maintenance Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:17 am

Yes John , thats correct , there are reports from eyewitnesses saying Durnford was clearing rifles in the donga at Isandlwana , so , as he had only the use of one arm basically , it must'nt have been a too difficult task to clear them , I'm sure Neil has mentioned that fact previously on here . There were no breaks in the attacks at Isandlwana like there were at RD , so it would've been much easier to do the needed maintenance at RD one would think , that's an opinion . Isandlwana went for about 2- 4 hrs , RD much longer .
90th

Posts : 2558 Join date : 2009-04-06 Age : 61 Location : UK

Durnford I read, wasn't cleaning rifles Very Happy

he was supposedly clearing blockages!

Rifle cleaning third donger on the left! Exclamation

you sure your book collection is cochure?

Subject: Rorkes drift Rifle Maintenance Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:45 am

Hhahahhhaha what is ' Cochure ' ? LOL , do you mean Kosher ?? LOL. And I wrote Clearing rifles not cleaning , maybe you should head off to bed , it may be past you bed time ? . I thought you would understand the word clearing can be used as in blockages , maybe you dont have a job , sorry if that's the case ! .
90th

Subject: Re: Rorke's Drift Rifle Maintenance. Mon Feb 24, 2014 10:55 am

Caleb Webb actually talks about a group of men lighting up a pipe during one of the pauses.

Cheers

Posts : 747 Join date : 2009-10-18

John, if your posting after midnight your mad. 90th as the advantage of being awake! 90th what time was it where you are.

Posts : 182 Join date : 2012-02-16 Location : northeast usa

thank you all for the replies. while watching the movie zulu the other night the question occurred to me. were they using the coiled brass rounds at the actual battle?

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

They were!

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

Free1954. Have you watched this documentary. There an interesting piece on the MH and ammuntion.

Subject: Time difference Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:33 pm

Hi Mr Greaves
I'm 11 hours in front of the UK , John was obviously past his bedtime LOL.
90th

Posts : 2593 Join date : 2009-04-24

Possibly because his ground floor is full of water?

Subject: Rorkes drift Rifle Maintenance Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:48 pm

Well CTSG why on Earth would he be on the forum with a ground floor full of water !!!! . WTF !. I dont know what I'd do , but I wouldnt be on the forum !

Posts : 2593 Join date : 2009-04-24

That's just it, what can he do apart from wait. Perhaps the forum takes his mind off things.

Subject: Rorkes drift Rifle Maintenance Tue Feb 25, 2014 12:00 am

I dont suppose there is much one can do when confronted by something like that , I'd be pulling my hair out !
90th

Posts : 2593 Join date : 2009-04-24

His wife's pulling his out.

Subject: Rorkes drift Rifle Maintenance Tue Feb 25, 2014 12:23 am

Much Lol 'ing . Poor Bugger .
90th

Posts : 182 Join date : 2012-02-16 Location : northeast usa

[quote="Dave"]Free1954. Have you watched this documentary. There an interesting piece on the MH and ammuntion.

quote]

watching it now. thanks for the link

Posts : 553 Join date : 2009-10-14 Location : Loughborough

Sorry guys, I've been wandering around Isandlwana this week before hitting a cruise to Cape Town.
All they would need to do is clean the rifle bore, which would take say 10- 20 seconds was their jag, the rifles cleaning rod and a bit of rag. The old sweats would also blow down the barrel as the moisture in your breath softens black powder fouling.
http://www.martinihenry.org/index.php?route=product/product&path=61_67&product_id=117

Sorry Dave, but that secrets of the dead footage makes me cringe, the Kn@b who talks like an expert then says re a jam "I'd throw down my rifle and run away" needs to fall on a bayonet 48 times. No, you'd use your rod, like Hook says he did to knock out the stuck case

Posts : 1261 Join date : 2010-04-12

Did they have spare rifles at RD. considering the amount of ammuntion left there.

Posts : 553 Join date : 2009-10-14 Location : Loughborough

Chard, unlikely, but not out of possibility as each battalion would have a small reserve. In the field regimental Armourer Sgt's would be expected to maintain rifles, and would keeps a reserve of the things that could "break" and render a rifle US. Firing pins, mainsprings, tumblers, etc., quick and easy to replace, for those completely destroyed (i.e hit by bullets, which happened quite commonly in alot of the battles of the C19th), a new rifle would be issued, from a special crate. "Chest, Spare, small arms" which held 20 rilfes and was locked with a padlock.

Ordinarily each man would have an allotted rifle, with regimental rack number. Bassages diary (2/24th) found on the battlefield does list what these were for most of his company.

Posts : 182 Join date : 2012-02-16 Location : northeast usa

very interesting, thank you sir for the replies.

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