Period quotes on gun maintenance and equipment

[LongWalker]

Ran across these notes while digging out some info for another forum, and thought some here might find them interesting.  Anyone else have similar quotes re: maintenance and equipment?

From The Prairie Logbooks: Dragoon Campaigns to the Pawnee Villages in 1844, and to the Rocky Mountains in 1845 by Lieutenant J. Henry Carleton:

That pack belongs in part to our hunter of last year--and that is him sitting there at the mouth of his tent, and busily engaged in unscrewing the locks from his double-barreled gun, and oiling them up for immediate service.  This would have been in 1845.  The hunter--unlike the guide of the previous year--was good enough to be re-engaged for another campaign season. He has a tent, a double-barrel gun (smoothbore), and was removing the locks to oil them.  I'm not sure I've ever seen a period description of someone removing a lock in the field, or oiling the internals.

Our guide has a beautiful rifle that throws about a two ounce ball, which was made expressly for killing tigers in India, and presented to him by its former owner, Sir William Drummond Stewart.  But with the exception of carrying, suspended in front, a powder flask and russet leather ball pouch, above which a small belt is buckled to keep them from swinging, he has made no preparations for its use yet awhile.  Their guide for the 1845 campaign was Thomas Fitzpatrick--Broken Hand.  From the description, he had a powder flask (not a horn) and hunting bag, carried forward (rather than behind his back) with a belt buckled over them to keep them in place . . . so he wasn't wearing them at the now-de riguer elbow height.  From my own experience, this is a fair description of a comfortable way to have the bag etc ready while on horseback without having it pound your guts when at a gallop (the other way being to carry it slung behind your arm, but not-so-convenient to reload).

[rollingb]

I find such old quotes VERY interesting, thanks for posting.      

[Bigsmoke]

Very interesting.
Where the double rifle's previous owner, Sir William Drummond Stewart used a 8 bore (about .84 caliber) for hunting tiger in India, Lt. James Forsythe used a fourteen bore (.69 caliber) for the same purpose.  Possibly Sir Billy discovered the recoil potential in that 8 bore rifle and got rid of it as a result?
Regardless, I would think the 8 bore would be a bit much for anything on the North American continent.
From my reading, I have found that African and Indian hunters seemed to have a preference for flasks to carry powder.  I have also read about people carrying their powder in a large leather pocket on their vest.  They would simply reach into the vest pocket and extract a handful of powder to charge the rifle.  The balls would be wrapped in silk cloth and sewn onto the ball.  They would be carried in another pocket.  I don't recall any mention about where the caps were carried.

John (Bigsmoke)
PS  Sources would be Wild Beasts and Their Ways by Sir Samuel White Baker and The Sporting Rifle and it's Projectiles by Lt James Forsythe

[LongWalker]

I gotta wonder what the twist rate was on that 8 bore.  I bet it made a heckuva buffalo rifle! 

Since we have William Drummond Stewart in the discussion, I pulled some quotes from his “fictitious autobiography” Edward Warren.  In there he wrote of his initial preparations for the trip to the mountains:
The kit I selected from my baggage was merely half a dozen coloured shirts, an over-coat of white blanket with a hood, a leather belt, a broad-brimmed un-napped white hat, my ammunition, and a rifle; a tooth-brush, and a mane-comb which I thought the least likely to break, were in my pocket, a butcher-knife was in my belt, and an awl was attached to my pouch, which, with a large transparent horn of powder, and a wooden measure hanging to it, completed my equipment. This was full marching order; but a leather shirt over my cotton one, and my leather leggings, reaching halfway up the thigh and tied to an inner sash, was to be the costume of the steam-boat deck and the periods of halt.

While seeking a mount for the trip, a day's ride west of Independence MO, he was advised by a fellow who'd been one of Ashley's men:
“Well, I may as lief tell you what to do as another; and perhaps my advice may be as good; for you are but a raw hand in this sort of business. You have no saddle; I will see to that. You have no powder?—A little. Only one knife—no blanket—no bed. We will be at the store immediately. I will lay out there what you ought to have with you, in case you may be separated from the rest.”

Later,
A summons to a sort of back shop cut short my speculations; and I there found, laid out on the floor, the tree of a Spanish saddle complete, covered with parafléche; a pack-saddle, with girths, rings, and thongs; a bundle of riding-cords, a bridle, a packet of cases of English powder, some coarser for trading, a few bars of lead tied together, a few knives, two blankets, two pieces of skin with the fur on to put below the saddles and lay on the ground for a bed, a buffalo robe, and some flints and a steel; with three small tin kettles packing into each other, and a something between a bullet-ladle and a frying-pan; a packet of tea, and a bag of coffee, with two hams, and some rice; the whole not very heavy, but appearing, as spread out there, to be rather bulky. I had yet to learn to pack such articles, so as to be carried on a mule’s back; but my companion soon showed me how to stow them, putting the kettles and the robe, with one blanket for a top pack, to go between the two side bales, consisting of the other articles not every night needed, equally balanced and wrapped up from the weather in several folds of thick cotton stuff, called domestic.

For all of this he paid the total of $65; not mountain prices but a bit advanced over city prices.  That's a decent outfit.  With his coat, two blankets and a buffalo robe, and the apeshimores he should be set for bedding in the coldest of storms.  Lead and powder, but no ball mould mentioned yet.  Tea and coffee, food to tide him over til he reaches the buffalo plains, firesteel and flints, and pans to cook in. 

What I'm first noticing missing--in addition to the mould--are tools and supplies to maintain his horses: curry comb, rasp, shoes and nails, medicines, pine tar (he's going to have cracked hooves if he doesn't shoe the mounts).  He was apparently planning on having access to this when he caught up with his traveling companions.  No traps, and at this point he was fast going broke and didn't have the estate he later inherited; again, maybe with his companions.  No books (and that would drive me crazy). 

[Bigsmoke]

I gotta wonder what the twist rate was on that 8 bore.  I bet it made a heckuva buffalo rifle!

Of course, I have no idea.  But, I did have an 8 bore double. The twist rate was 1:140.  IIRC, the rifling was about .008" deep with narrow lands and wide grooves.  My service load was 300 grains of Fg GOEX.  I did experiment with the same charge with GOEX Ffg and Pyrodex RS.  Surprising enough, I got the best velocities with the Pyrodex.  I did ask my friend at Hodgdon how come and he replied, "I don't know.  You are the only person I know that is stupid enough to shoot charges like that!"  Funny guy, he would have been overwhelmed to know I shot 400 grains in the 4 bore.  The problem I had with the Pyrodex was that even with musket cap ignition, I always had a hang fire.

My first rifle customer wanted to go to Africa to hunt elephant so I loaned him my 8 bore, but he couldn't find an elephant.  However he did shoot an adult male lion at a full charge with it.  It was about 25 yards when he pulled the trigger.  The ball hit it in the high chest area and traveled the complete length of the body and exited out its rear.  When hit, the lion did a one and one half somersault in the air and crashed down on its back.  On the way through the body, the ball did shatter the pelvic girdle.  And that is good old time performance.  Ufda!!

I just love those big bore sporting rifles.  They sure are fun to shoot.

[waksupi]

I gotta wonder what the twist rate was on that 8 bore.  I bet it made a heckuva buffalo rifle! 

Since we have William Drummond Stewart in the discussion, I pulled some quotes from his “fictitious autobiography” Edward Warren.  In there he wrote of his initial preparations for the trip to the mountains:
The kit I selected from my baggage was merely half a dozen coloured shirts, an over-coat of white blanket with a hood, a leather belt, a broad-brimmed un-napped white hat, my ammunition, and a rifle; a tooth-brush, and a mane-comb which I thought the least likely to break, were in my pocket, a butcher-knife was in my belt, and an awl was attached to my pouch, which, with a large transparent horn of powder, and a wooden measure hanging to it, completed my equipment. This was full marching order; but a leather shirt over my cotton one, and my leather leggings, reaching halfway up the thigh and tied to an inner sash, was to be the costume of the steam-boat deck and the periods of halt.

While seeking a mount for the trip, a day's ride west of Independence MO, he was advised by a fellow who'd been one of Ashley's men:
“Well, I may as lief tell you what to do as another; and perhaps my advice may be as good; for you are but a raw hand in this sort of business. You have no saddle; I will see to that. You have no powder?—A little. Only one knife—no blanket—no bed. We will be at the store immediately. I will lay out there what you ought to have with you, in case you may be separated from the rest.”

Later,
A summons to a sort of back shop cut short my speculations; and I there found, laid out on the floor, the tree of a Spanish saddle complete, covered with parafléche; a pack-saddle, with girths, rings, and thongs; a bundle of riding-cords, a bridle, a packet of cases of English powder, some coarser for trading, a few bars of lead tied together, a few knives, two blankets, two pieces of skin with the fur on to put below the saddles and lay on the ground for a bed, a buffalo robe, and some flints and a steel; with three small tin kettles packing into each other, and a something between a bullet-ladle and a frying-pan; a packet of tea, and a bag of coffee, with two hams, and some rice; the whole not very heavy, but appearing, as spread out there, to be rather bulky. I had yet to learn to pack such articles, so as to be carried on a mule’s back; but my companion soon showed me how to stow them, putting the kettles and the robe, with one blanket for a top pack, to go between the two side bales, consisting of the other articles not every night needed, equally balanced and wrapped up from the weather in several folds of thick cotton stuff, called domestic.

For all of this he paid the total of $65; not mountain prices but a bit advanced over city prices.  That's a decent outfit.  With his coat, two blankets and a buffalo robe, and the apeshimores he should be set for bedding in the coldest of storms.  Lead and powder, but no ball mould mentioned yet.  Tea and coffee, food to tide him over til he reaches the buffalo plains, firesteel and flints, and pans to cook in. 

What I'm first noticing missing--in addition to the mould--are tools and supplies to maintain his horses: curry comb, rasp, shoes and nails, medicines, pine tar (he's going to have cracked hooves if he doesn't shoe the mounts).  He was apparently planning on having access to this when he caught up with his traveling companions.  No traps, and at this point he was fast going broke and didn't have the estate he later inherited; again, maybe with his companions.  No books (and that would drive me crazy).

I doubt they ever shod a horse. I've seen a lot of horses on the Blackfoot reservation that are used hard, and have never had shoes on them. Living on rocky sandy ground, hooves get darned tough. Same with the range horses on the Flathead rez, although they don't seem to work horses as hard as the Blackfeet..