Muzzle-Loader tools & spare parts.

[Le Loup]

My muzzle-loading flintlock fusil & flintlock pistol are an important part of my survival gear, so I need to carry a few tools & spare parts to ensure the continued functioning of these guns. IF the lock were to break & I did not have spare parts, I can easily convert it to a matchlock & continue using it, but I prefer the flintlock function.
Keith.


Mainspring vise, 20 gauge wad punch, spare lock springs & a spare hammer.

Hammer.

Ball mould & lead ladle.

Swanshot mould (Buckshot).

Turnscrew & screw. The screw can be attached to the end of my ramrod for pulling a load. I also carry a leather tie for attaching to the end of the ramrod to help in pulling a tight load. The other end of the leather tie is secured to a sapling. This is left over from my rifle days, there is usually no problem pulling a load from a smoothbore, & only then would it be a patched ball load.

The rammer end of my steel ramrod. This detaches to allow me to attach the screw for pulling a load.

The opposite end of my ramrod. I forged a worm on this end for attaching tow for cleaning the barrel. This is the end that fits into the stock under the barrel. The original ramrod was of wood, but I prefer this steel ramrod.

My .62 caliber/20 gauge flintlock fusil with a 42 inch barrel.

 

[Aussie123]

Hi Keith,

are there "natural" (found in the bush) materials you can use for wadding (which work well) ?

Thanks

 

[Le Loup]

Hi Keith,

are there "natural" (found in the bush) materials you can use for wadding (which work well) ?

Thanks

Stacks of plant materials can be used as wadding. I would not use dried grass in fire season or in dry weather, but green grass is fine. Paperbark, anything that can be scrunched up & fitted into the barrel. Paperbark & other tree barks can be used for making wads if you carry a wad cutter as I do. But wads & wadding are very light & take up no room at all in a pack, so you can afford to carry heaps with you. I use leather for wads because it will not catch fire. A trip to the Salvoes or St Vincent de Paul will net you some very cheap leather by way of old shoulder bags etc.
Keith.

 

[Blake]

Great post Keith, very interesting stuff.

 

[Le Loup]

Great post Keith, very interesting stuff.

Thank you for the feedback Blake, much appreciated.
Keith.

 

[Blake]

Hi Keith. I was watching some of your videos last night and particularly the trail food video. Can I also ask you, what kind of hot beverages would have been popular with an 18th century woodsman? Was tea and coffee have been staples or would they be more of a luxury item?

In a similar vain. What about spices as common item to carry to improve food or would these also been seen as unnecessary or opulet at the time?

I know I'm going off topic here but I thought others would also be interested so feel free to start a new thread or reply and I can split it into a new thread.

 

[Le Loup]

Hi Keith. I was watching some of your videos last night and particularly the trail food video. Can I also ask you, what kind of hot beverages would have been popular with an 18th century woodsman? Was tea and coffee have been staples or would they be more of a luxury item?

In a similar vain. What about spices as common item to carry to improve food or would these also been seen as unnecessary or opulet at the time?

I know I'm going off topic here but I thought others would also be interested so feel free to start a new thread or reply and I can split it into a new thread.

Not something that I have researched in great detail, But I have done a little. Tea was available, but I don't think coffee was popular during the early to mid 18th century on the frontier. Daniel Boone said in the last quarter of the 1700s: "We remained there undisturbed during the Winter; and on the first day of May, 1770, my brother returned home to the settlement by himself, for a new recruit of horses and ammunition, leaving me by myself, without bread, salt or sugar". So if he valued sugar at that time I assume he wanted it for some beverage.

I have not read any accounts of woodsmen using spices, but they were available & I suppose it is possible that someone may have had access to them, but again spices do not feature prominently on the frontier. Meals from what I have read were very basic. Bread, items they grew on the farm (if like Daniel Boone they had a farm) such as corn & of course meat from hunting. Salt was available & the frontier people used to process it from salt springs by boiling the water down & carrying the salt back via horse in leather bags.

If you decide to start a new thread, let me know & I will help where I can. I have documentation on equipment, supplies & provisions for militia, military & Indians in the early to mid 18th century. Personally I think these items are the very best for long term wilderness living or any survival situation that should warrant going bush. They did not choose these items without good reason, they worked then & they work now. People these days get distracted with all this modern technology, from equipment to freeze dried foods. All of which are usually expensive, & much of the hardware is of no benefit, adds weight, takes up room & is prone to break or wear out.
Anyway, I am off on my favourite rambling again!!!
Regards, Keith.

 

[Aussie123]

I no expert, but from my readings items like salt and black pepper were common in the era (although I'm not sure about "on the frontier").

Spices like nutmeg were prized and there are plenty of examples of period graters etc to testify to that (expensive so probably not a something you would find in the bush or frontier).
The history of the economic power of Britain is (partly) a history of food and spices from Asia and the middle east in particular.

... of course all the "English" herbs like mint, sage, "onions" (including native onion families) and many others would have been available (particularly in N America); N American natives used various herbs, berries and even honey; and these would certainly have been available.

(Black) tea and coffee was available in England and colonies ... and of course swag men are famous for their tea and sugar ration, but I suspect somewhat as luxuries ?

Teas like pine needle tes

 

[Le Loup]

Hi Keith,

are there "natural" (found in the bush) materials you can use for wadding (which work well) ?

Thanks

UPDATE:
[video=youtube;3O12tePZR-4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O12tePZR-4[/video]

 

[Havamal]

https://youtu.be/ZQBZZ6P3aB0

Jas Townsend has a good video on all things 18th century coffee from beans and roasting to brewing and storing.

 

[Havamal]

https://youtu.be/SssqL1OFuoU

At 6:19 in this video about Tudor Monastery farming is a great reenactment of the salt making process used with brine springs...called walling. The salt brine was dehydrated using open-pans made from lead.

The main occupations were lumpman and waller who worked at Wich houses (salt making sheds)...hence place names where salt was made had "wich" on the end...eg Nantwich, Middlewich and Northwich.

 

[Le Loup]

More Videos On 18th Century Living History & Historical Trekking.

Yes, they have some good videos. More good videos on 18th century Living History & Historical Trekking here on my youtube:
Keith.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEOMSZJETfj3GnoyONuvCQ?view_as=public

 

[Le Loup]

[video=youtube;hXDt8QCoeEU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXDt8QCoeEU&list=PLo1hYp5CIVq3XxS6FcasUH7q13E1LWKSM[/video]

 

[Le Loup]

[video=youtube;Go3i6FP4m3o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go3i6FP4m3o[/video]

 

[Le Loup]

Hi Keith,

are there "natural" (found in the bush) materials you can use for wadding (which work well) ?

Thanks

[video=youtube;3O12tePZR-4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O12tePZR-4[/video]