Showing posts with label musket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musket. Show all posts
Tuesday, 27 November 2018
Friday, 30 March 2018
Sunday, 5 June 2016
The Cleaning Of A Muzzle-Loading Gun-Documentation.
"The Care and
Cleaning of Firelocks in the 18th Century: A Discussion of Period Methods and
Their Present Day Applications."
George Edie, A Treatise on English Shooting (London 1772)
(7-8) "When a person is master of a good Piece, the keeping it in proper
order is a main article in the doing execution with it: it is necessary the
inside of the barrel, the touch-hole, and the lock, be kept clean; and the
springs and moving parts of the lock properly oiled. The barrel should be
washed at least after every eighteen or twenty fires, where the best sort of
powder is used; but if the gun-powder is an inferior sort, then the barrel will
require oftener washing. The best method of washing a barrel is, by taking out
the britchpin; but as this can seldom be conveniently done, take the barrel out
of the stock, and put the britch- end in to a pail of warm water, leaving the
touch-hole open; then, with an iron rod, with tow or a bit of linen rag at the
end, draw up and down in the syringe manner, till it is quite clean; changing
the water, and rinsing the inside, as the foulness requires: when this is done,
it will be proper to put in a red-hot iron, of six or eight inches in length
(which any blacksmith will furnish), and move it up and down to dry any
remaining damp: the outside of the barrel should be well dried, and a little
oil rubbed over every time of cleaning." ________________
Thomas Simes, The Regulator: or Instructions to Form the
Officer and Complete the Soldier (London, 1780) “How to clean the Barrel. After
every firing day the barrel is to be washed, by taking it out of the stock, and
putting the breeching into water, leaving the touch hole open: then with an
iron ram-rod and worm, with a piece of tow or rag, draw up and down the barrel
till it becomes quite clean; when dry, rub it out with another piece of dry
rag, and the outside of the barrel with buff leather. The lock not to be taken
to pieces but when necessity requires it – and that is, when the trigger or
hammer goes stiff, or sounds unpleasant to the ear.”
Wednesday, 11 May 2016
What Do You See Here?
The description is as follows:
X-ray of a Brown Bess musket recovered by LAMP archaeologists
from an American Revolutionary War era shipwreck lost in December 1782. It is
believed to be a 1769 Short Land Pattern and is loaded with buck & ball
What do you see?
Sunday, 31 January 2016
Saturday, 7 February 2015
A Gap Between Powder & Ball. DON'T DO IT !!!
I made a statement on social media today, and immediately got challenged. I don't mind getting challenged, in fact I think it is a good thing. But when that challenge also includes some dangerous misinformation, it can be a problem for other people reading it.
I stated that when loading a muzzle-loading firearm, you should never leave a gap between the powder charge and the ball or shot load. The nature of Black Powder is different to smokeless gunpowder, and the build up of pressure in the gap left between powder and ball, can cause the barrel to bulge or to fracture. Smokeless gunpowder of course should NEVER be used in a muzzle-loading gun under any circumstances.
So always seat the ball or shot load firmly on the powder charge without crushing the powder.
Black Powder Loading Manual By Sam Fadala.
The Lyman Black Powder Handbook.
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
How NOT To Load A Musket!!!
This was the original loading method used by the British military in the 18th century, but you should NEVER prime the pan before loading the main charge.
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Ammunition You May Not Have Seen Before.
Musket lead round ball joined together in 2s with brass wire. This is to inflict more damage.
17th century. Recovered from the wreck of the Batavia.
http://museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/artefacts/bat7072-lead;
17th century lead shot. The small shot looks as though it could have been made with a hole punch.
Monday, 7 October 2013
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Monday, 11 March 2013
Gunpowder, Then and Now. Paper Cartridges.
After posting my video on how I make paper cartridges for my fusil, I got this message:
"The British Military load for the brown bess was 125g of powder with an extra 40 grains for the pan for a total of 165g per cartridge. the powder from the original cartridge I saw was course like 1f, Ive fired this combo from a repro french 1727 and it shoots well using the 1f as the priming powder, the only draw back is it burns slow in the pan so you have to watch your follow through".
Gunpowder now is not the same as gunpowder 300 years ago. I personally would not be loading 125 grains in any hand held gun. Whether or not it is proofed for such a load is not the point, the point is that there is no need for such a high load as this with modern gunpowder.
1Fg is cannon grade gunpowder, and I have no idea what it was doing in an original 18th century Brown Bess cartridge, unless (a) it was a mistake, or (b) they had run out of the regular gunpowder. Either way, just because it was done, does not mean that you should do it!
For those of you not familier with modern gunpowder/Black Powder, 1FG is a large grained gunpowder made for cannons. 2Fg is generally for any caliber over .45 but can be used in smaller calibers. 3Fg is for .45 caliber & smaller, but can be used in larger calibers with a load adjustment, i.e. the smaller the grains of powder, the higher the internal pressure. So if you are using a recommended load of 2Fg, DO NOT use the same load when using 3Fg. Use less. 4Fg is made these days as a priming powder. 4Fg is a very fine grain gunpowder and should NEVER be used as a main charge. You may also find it interesting to know that 300 years ago there were no priming horns made or used for hand held guns/rifles. The same gunpowder used as a main charge, was also used to prime the pan of the flintlock.
1Fg being a large grained gunpowder used only in cannons, would be very slow to burn if used for priming. I really can't see the British army and navy using 1Fg gunpowder as a standard in the Brown Bess.
"The British Military load for the brown bess was 125g of powder with an extra 40 grains for the pan for a total of 165g per cartridge. the powder from the original cartridge I saw was course like 1f, Ive fired this combo from a repro french 1727 and it shoots well using the 1f as the priming powder, the only draw back is it burns slow in the pan so you have to watch your follow through".
Gunpowder now is not the same as gunpowder 300 years ago. I personally would not be loading 125 grains in any hand held gun. Whether or not it is proofed for such a load is not the point, the point is that there is no need for such a high load as this with modern gunpowder.
1Fg is cannon grade gunpowder, and I have no idea what it was doing in an original 18th century Brown Bess cartridge, unless (a) it was a mistake, or (b) they had run out of the regular gunpowder. Either way, just because it was done, does not mean that you should do it!
For those of you not familier with modern gunpowder/Black Powder, 1FG is a large grained gunpowder made for cannons. 2Fg is generally for any caliber over .45 but can be used in smaller calibers. 3Fg is for .45 caliber & smaller, but can be used in larger calibers with a load adjustment, i.e. the smaller the grains of powder, the higher the internal pressure. So if you are using a recommended load of 2Fg, DO NOT use the same load when using 3Fg. Use less. 4Fg is made these days as a priming powder. 4Fg is a very fine grain gunpowder and should NEVER be used as a main charge. You may also find it interesting to know that 300 years ago there were no priming horns made or used for hand held guns/rifles. The same gunpowder used as a main charge, was also used to prime the pan of the flintlock.
1Fg being a large grained gunpowder used only in cannons, would be very slow to burn if used for priming. I really can't see the British army and navy using 1Fg gunpowder as a standard in the Brown Bess.
Long Land pattern Brown Bess.
Paper cartridges made for smoothbore muzzle-loading guns.
Saturday, 2 March 2013
Packs and Bags.
My thanks to the Flintlock and Tomahawk blog for this image.
French military on the march. Up the top of this image there appears to be some fortification. Possibly constructed for a short stay. Snapsacks can be seen here, and quite large ones too. Also notice the dog is being used as a pack animal.
Other items of interest are shot pouches, a kettle being carried on the stock of a musket over the shoulder, and a large belt axe.
1755ad.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
The Pike and Musket Society Australia.
Most of our members live in or near Sydney, and some in Melbourne and Newcastle.
http://www.theroutiers.org/
http://www.theroutiers.org/
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Smoothbore Fowlers in the New World.
the farmer’s American made fowling-piece, which he
depended on to provide game for his family and to fend off
marauding Indians. The first examples were assembled out of
foreign parts and stocked with whatever wood was available.
By the end of the eighteenth century, facilities for producing
iron and steel as well as the capabilities of American gunsmiths
to craft an entire firearm, had been developed.
However it remained far more cost and time-efficient in making
guns to use recycled parts or purchase new parts from
Europe. Fowlers produced in the eighteenth century constitute
the first guns made in America; the study of how they
were made and used is a significant part of our history.
Farmers in the agricultural eighteenth century often
had to rely on their American built fowlers and the great
number of arms in use is obvious because the majority of
the people were living on farms. Only five percent of the
people in America in 1750 lived in cities, none of which
exceeded sixteen thousand.(1) Immigrants sought land,
creating a pattern of settlement throughout the colonies of
rural farmsteads. The exception to this style of expansion
was found in the south where large plantations were created
to grow sugarcane and rice. In the north the pattern of
individual farmsteads spreading out over the countryside
and advancing in a westerly direction provided a great
demand for fowlers for hunting and defense. The wide
extent of gun ownership in America in the mid-1700s is
reflected in a statement by the Governor of Virginia, Sir
Jeffery Amherst, who wrote in 1759, “Most people in North
America have arms of their own”.(2)
These individually crafted fowlers varied in
construction from plain to elaborate, rarely equaling the
workmanship of their European counterparts, yet today are
greatly prized for their historical interest and sometimes for
their folk art appearance. Fowlers from five different regions
in America are identified in this talk and serve to illustrate an
important style of firearms from our colonial past.
In America during the eighteenth century, the
fabrication of firearms developed dramatically. Early in the century
there were few gunsmiths and the majority of the
weapons were imported from overseas, but by the end of the
1700s the number of craftsmen increased and their
capabilities grew to the extent that complete guns were being
fashioned.(3) Scarce examples from the late 1600s and early
1700s show that arms-making in America at that time
consisted mainly of assembling old or salvaged parts. Only by
the late eighteenth century did materials become available and
the expertise of gunsmiths increase enough to enable them to
fabricate a gun in its entirety. Even late in the century though,
gunsmiths found it quicker and less expensive to purchase gun
parts from Europe instead of making their own. Exceptions
exist, as shown by the guns made by members of the Hills family
in Goshen, Connecticut. They sometimes manufactured all
their own parts, including the lock and the barrel.
The population of Colonial America increased from
250,000 people, mostly along the Atlantic Seaboard, at the start
of the eighteenth century, to 5,000,000 inhabitants by the end
of the century.(4) This rapid explosion of settlers moving
westward created a great demand for weapons, and Europeanstyle
fowlers, with long barrels and flintlocks, were copied to
fill the need. These guns constituted a civilian arm, the
counterpart of today’s shotgun, and although designed for
hunting they were often pressed into military use. By
comparison, the musket made for war consisted of a sturdy
stock and a heavy barrel fitted for a bayonet, built to withstand
the rigors of combat.
The distinction between fowlers and muskets in the
eighteenth century was not always obvious. Those
manufactured from existing parts shared a common
appearance often combining aspects of both fowler and
musket. In times of Indian raids or war the family
fowling-piece served the need for a fighting gun.
Eighteenth Century American Fowlers—The First Guns Made In America
Tom Grinslade
http://asoac.org/bulletins/89_grinslade_fowler.pdf
depended on to provide game for his family and to fend off
marauding Indians. The first examples were assembled out of
foreign parts and stocked with whatever wood was available.
By the end of the eighteenth century, facilities for producing
iron and steel as well as the capabilities of American gunsmiths
to craft an entire firearm, had been developed.
However it remained far more cost and time-efficient in making
guns to use recycled parts or purchase new parts from
Europe. Fowlers produced in the eighteenth century constitute
the first guns made in America; the study of how they
were made and used is a significant part of our history.
Farmers in the agricultural eighteenth century often
had to rely on their American built fowlers and the great
number of arms in use is obvious because the majority of
the people were living on farms. Only five percent of the
people in America in 1750 lived in cities, none of which
exceeded sixteen thousand.(1) Immigrants sought land,
creating a pattern of settlement throughout the colonies of
rural farmsteads. The exception to this style of expansion
was found in the south where large plantations were created
to grow sugarcane and rice. In the north the pattern of
individual farmsteads spreading out over the countryside
and advancing in a westerly direction provided a great
demand for fowlers for hunting and defense. The wide
extent of gun ownership in America in the mid-1700s is
reflected in a statement by the Governor of Virginia, Sir
Jeffery Amherst, who wrote in 1759, “Most people in North
America have arms of their own”.(2)
These individually crafted fowlers varied in
construction from plain to elaborate, rarely equaling the
workmanship of their European counterparts, yet today are
greatly prized for their historical interest and sometimes for
their folk art appearance. Fowlers from five different regions
in America are identified in this talk and serve to illustrate an
important style of firearms from our colonial past.
In America during the eighteenth century, the
fabrication of firearms developed dramatically. Early in the century
there were few gunsmiths and the majority of the
weapons were imported from overseas, but by the end of the
1700s the number of craftsmen increased and their
capabilities grew to the extent that complete guns were being
fashioned.(3) Scarce examples from the late 1600s and early
1700s show that arms-making in America at that time
consisted mainly of assembling old or salvaged parts. Only by
the late eighteenth century did materials become available and
the expertise of gunsmiths increase enough to enable them to
fabricate a gun in its entirety. Even late in the century though,
gunsmiths found it quicker and less expensive to purchase gun
parts from Europe instead of making their own. Exceptions
exist, as shown by the guns made by members of the Hills family
in Goshen, Connecticut. They sometimes manufactured all
their own parts, including the lock and the barrel.
The population of Colonial America increased from
250,000 people, mostly along the Atlantic Seaboard, at the start
of the eighteenth century, to 5,000,000 inhabitants by the end
of the century.(4) This rapid explosion of settlers moving
westward created a great demand for weapons, and Europeanstyle
fowlers, with long barrels and flintlocks, were copied to
fill the need. These guns constituted a civilian arm, the
counterpart of today’s shotgun, and although designed for
hunting they were often pressed into military use. By
comparison, the musket made for war consisted of a sturdy
stock and a heavy barrel fitted for a bayonet, built to withstand
the rigors of combat.
The distinction between fowlers and muskets in the
eighteenth century was not always obvious. Those
manufactured from existing parts shared a common
appearance often combining aspects of both fowler and
musket. In times of Indian raids or war the family
fowling-piece served the need for a fighting gun.
Eighteenth Century American Fowlers—The First Guns Made In America
Tom Grinslade
http://asoac.org/bulletins/89_grinslade_fowler.pdf
Sunday, 6 February 2011
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