Duelists Den

In this video I’ll show you how to set up new handgun reloading dies. It is fast and easy, if you know what you’re doing. Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

This video will explain the evolution of American double Action revolvers in the 19th century. I'll start with the origin of double action revolvers, and I'll trace the development of American double action systems to the point where all the capabilities were fully developed for the double action revolver to take its place as the predominant civilian and police handgun of the 20th century.

This week’s video is on loading black powder .45 Colt cartridges. In this video I’ll be using a Dillon 550B progressive press. I’ll be breaking with conventional wisdom, because I use a plastic powder measure with black powder. Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

This week’s video is on measuring black powder. Based on some comments and questions I’m getting lately, there is some confusion about how black powder loads are measured and dispensed. People are asking me how grains of weight relate of grains of volume. The answer is simple. There are no grains of volume. Grains are a measure of weight only. All gun powders… black powder, or smokeless powder…are measured by weight. But, most powders…both black and smokeless… are dispensed by volume. In the video I’ll attempt to de-mystify that. Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

I’ve been getting questions on black powder reloading lately, so I thought I would discuss a few things you need to know before you start loading any black powder handgun cartridges. I’m going to discuss three things: 1. Black Powder lube 2. Bullet designs specifically for black powder cartridges 3. Determining the correct powder charge Dick Dastardly’s Big Lube Bullets: http://www.biglube.com/ Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

This week’s video is called “De-Mystifying 19th century .38 caliber cartridges.” It will provide all the poop on the evolution of the .38 Colt lineage of cartridges, which led to today’s .357 Mag. It will also explain why .38 S&W doesn’t interchange with any other cartridge, and became an evolutionary dead end. I’ll talk about why the “.38 S&W Special” confuses people into thinking it is related to the .38 S&W, when it is actually derived directly from the .38 Long Colt. Hopefully some folks will find it interesting, but, if I just made it more confusing, let me know in the comments. Mike Beliveau links https://www.patreon.com/Duelist https://mikebeliveau.com/

Every time I have been in a conversation about the Colt Model 1877 DA…AKA the Lightning or the Thunderer, someone will say, “If somebody would make a clone of that with a modern, reliable action, I’d buy it in a heartbeat!” And everyone in the group nods their head. When tell people that gun is already out there they don’t believe me, but it is… High Standard made it from the 1950s until the 1970s. It’s called the Double Nine. Mike Beliveau links https://www.patreon.com/Duelist https://mikebeliveau.com/

In this video I’ll show you how to reload authentic 19th century .38 Long Colt cartridges. I will show you haw to make cartridges using both hollow-based bullets, and using heel-based bullets. Old West Bullet molds: https://oldwestbulletmoulds.com/ Mike Beliveau links https://www.patreon.com/Duelist https://mikebeliveau.com/

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my viewers. In this video I’ll read my version of The Night Before Christmas. I hope you enjoy it Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

The Colt model 1877 Double Action revolver has a reputation for easily breaking down, but Colt sold over 169,000 of these gun, making it the most successful unreliable handgun ever made. But is it really as unreliable as its reputation suggests? In this video I’m going to explore that question. The video is chock full of information on Colt’s Model 1877 DA, and I’ll shoot my .38 caliber 1877, and we’ll see hoe it holds up. Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

This video provides my first channel update in quite a while. It will let you know how some channel innovations went this year, and give you a glimps of upcoming videos for next year. You can email me any video ideas or dog breeder recommendations at: Mike.beliveau@hotmail.com Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

In this video I’ll look at the three iconic firearms that made their debut in the year 1873. We’ll look at the guns, and their cartridges. These are the guns that made history in the 19th century. Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

I am often asked why Winchester lever action rifles weren’t chambered for the .45 Colt round in the 19th century. They wonder this because modern-made reproductions of those rifles are often chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge today. In this video I’ll tell you the reason for that. Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

In this video I’ll show you a live fire gun I built using a 9mm P38/P1 base pistol. It is a gun that was inspired by the very cool modified P38 carried by the agents of U.N.C.L.E. on the 1960s TV show, “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

In this video I’ll share some thoughts with you on my 67th birthday. I’ll talk about channel growth, and what keeps me interested in producing new videos. Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

In this video I’m going to discuss the evolution of the single-handed arming sword during the High Middle Ages (1000 to 1300 AD) Armor improved during the High Middle Ages, and improvements in armor lead to changes in sword design to defeat that armor. In this video I’ll trace the course of those changes. You can support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Duelist And check out the great shooting content on our website: https://mikebeliveau.com/ And like our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/mike.beliveau.writer And you can buy cool Duelist”s Den Merch at our Teespring store https://teespring.com/stores/duelists-den

Today’s video is a bonus video that should run commercial-free. In this video I’ll share some of my thoughts on the Norman Conquest of England. This video will be 100% history nerd talk, so, if that interests you, pull up a chair. If it doesn’t interest you, my regular video will run on Thursday. Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

This is the second episode in my two-part series on the guns used by the Texas Rangers in the 19th century. In this video I’ll discuss the guns used by the Rangers from 1870 until 1900. Special thanks goes to Doug Dukes and Mike Cox for their excellent books. Mike Cox’ book, “The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900” is a great history of 19th century Rangers. It is available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Rangers-... Doug Dukes wrote the definitive book on Texas Ranger weapons, “Firearms of the Texas Rangers: From the Frontier Era to the Modern Age” It is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Firearms-Texas... Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

This is just a fun video to celebrate Halloween. In this video I’ll tell the true story of the infamous Hex Murder of 1928, and I’ll blast a variety of ghostly ghoulies that have invaded Duelist’s Den. Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

This is the first episode in a two-part series on the guns used by the Texas Rangers in the 19th century. In this video I’ll discuss the guns used by the Rangers from 1824 until 1870. In part two, I’ll discuss the guns used by the Rangers from 1870 until 1900. Special thanks goes to Doug Dukes and Mike Cox for their excellent books. Mike Cox’ book, “The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900” is a great history of 19th century Rangers. It is available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Rangers-Men-Valor-Action/dp/0890158185/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1634489600&sr=1-3 Doug Dukes wrote the definitive book on Texas Ranger weapons, “Firearms of the Texas Rangers: From the Frontier Era to the Modern Age” It is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Firearms-Texas-Rangers-Frontier-Modern/dp/1574418106/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Doug+Dukes&qid=1634489809&s=books&sr=1-1 Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

In this video I’ll try to answer this question: “Why was the Colt Single Action Army revolver so popular during the 19th century?” I’ll look at a variety of factors, and I’ll give you my personal opinion. I’d love to know whether you agree with me, or if you disagree. So, let me know in the comments. Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

Pedersoli Model 1859 Sharps Infantry Rifle is a breechloading, lever-actuated, falling block single shot rifle. In this video I’ll demonstrate how to load and shoot it, and how to clean it. My Pedersoli Sharps has the Larry Flees breech block modifications, which makes it much more reliable. To contact Larry Flees: larryflees111@gmail.com Phone: 231-342-0821 Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

In this video I’m going to demonstrate the versatility and effectiveness of a 12 gauge flintlock fowler on the 18th century frontier. I’ll attempt to demonstrate the effective ranges for this weapon, both for hunting, and for fighting. Mike Beliveau links https://www.patreon.com/Duelist https://mikebeliveau.com/

In this video I’ll discuss gun flints. I’ll talk about what gun flints are made of. I’ll discuss gun flint sizes, and I’ll show you how to install the flint in your locl. I’ll finish up by showing you how to sharpen a flint. Track of the Wolf link: https://www.trackofthewolf.com/ Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/

In this video I’ll show you the gear that you need to shoot and maintain your flintlock rifle Black powder sources: https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/3501 https://www.buffaloarms.com/black-powder.html Muzzleloading supplies websites: https://www.dixiegunworks.com/ https://logcabinshop.com/ https://www.trackofthewolf.com/ Bullet boards: https://www.crazycrow.com/site/ Here is a links to episodes one and two of my Beginners Guide to Flintlock Rifle Shooting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5uje7V7_PQ&t=636s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-iTTgmqlQE&t=281s Mike Beliveau links: Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Duelist Website - https://mikebeliveau.com/