Tow Wadding?

[Panzerschwein]

I just bought a trade gun and am interested in the historical method of loading roundball using tow wadding.

Back in the 18th century, how was it done? Was tow placed between powder and ball as well as above the ball, or was only one piece used above the ball? Was the tow commonly greased or oiled? Thanks for the information.

PS: I am not concerned with our individual modern methods, but am posing this question to get a better understanding of period loading techniques.

[T*O*F]

If you use tow, you'll set the woods on fire this time of the year.  I set a tree on fire once.  Also, Il DNR banned muzzleloaders during the fall draw pheasant hunts because of that reason.  They allowed me to use mine when I swhowed them I was only using hard cards to shoot.  Fiber wads will do the same thing.

(ps....I was an IL DNR Hunter Safety Instructor for 12 years and taught the muzzleloading section of the course.)

[rich pierce]

Not many period accounts. One original trade gun unearthed in the South used Spanish moss. Later guns are often found using newspaper as wadding for shot. Most period records are for paper cartridges used in military muskets. The use of patching in the period is more debated than supported by evidence. Some later fur trade accounts mentioned “blanket wadding” for NW trade guns. I’m guessing many things were used by many different peoples in different areas under different circumstances.

[James Rogers]

I have some references as well as guns found loaded using tow but not at the references now. I recommend fore and aft of the ball. There have been a few times I wormed out the town top, rolled out the ball and dropped a load of shot in to take a turkey : )

[Levy]

I think that Rich might be referring to the Carolina Gun that was recovered from the Suwannee River (in Florida) in 2005.  When I unloaded the barrel in the conservation lab, first a ball came out and then a ball of coarse fiber that looked like it came from palmettos or palm trees.  It is possible that it could've been from Spanish moss.  Donna Ruhl, the wood ID person at the U of F looked at it but didn't test it.
 She felt like it was palm or palmetto fiber too.  I've had the preserved remains of this gun at a couple of the Shows.  I also saw a breech section of a barrel recovered from the St. Marks River in front of the old Spanish Fort that was loaded with tow over the powder, a big load of buckshot and another wad of tow over that.  You could see it all because the weld seam in the barrel had corroded open and the load was visible in situ.  Probably half of the guns and cannons that I worked on over a 40-year career were loaded.  A couple were double loaded with projectiles. James Levy

[Panzerschwein]

I think that Rich might be referring to the Carolina Gun that was recovered from the Suwannee River (in Florida) in 2005.  When I unloaded the barrel in the conservation lab, first a ball came out and then a ball of coarse fiber that looked like it came from palmettos or palm trees.  It is possible that it could've been from Spanish moss.  Donna Ruhl, the wood ID person at the U of F looked at it but didn't test it.
 She felt like it was palm or palmetto fiber too.  I've had the preserved remains of this gun at a couple of the Shows.  I also saw a breech section of a barrel recovered from the St. Marks River in front of the old Spanish Fort that was loaded with tow over the powder, a big load of buckshot and another wad of tow over that.  You could see it all because the weld seam in the barrel had corroded open and the load was visible in situ.  Probably half of the guns and cannons that I worked on over a 40-year career were loaded.  A couple were double loaded with projectiles. James Levy

Amazing, thank you, sir.

So by your judgment, would you say it is relatively safe to claim that during the mid-18th century, a trade gun could be considered historically correctly loaded with a charge of powder, a ball of tow over that, a round ball, and a ball of tow atop the ball?

I am curious if the wadding was ever greased or treated in any way.

[Brokennock]

Lubed tow will not, "set the woods on fire." 🙄

[Brokennock]

?
I am curious if the wadding was ever greased or treated in any way.

It is a good question, I'm just not sure it is possible to answer it accurately.

[Panzerschwein]

Thanks, gang.

I plan to enluben the tow using a mink’s oil tallow as sold by Track. Hopefully this will prevent any fires.

[Daryl]

Not sure, trying it will show either positive or negative results. Some liquids or semi-liquids actually promoted ignition of a patch, I assume.  Crisco shortening or oil oft used back in the
70's and 80's, was said to promote ignition of the patch in less than tight loads where there was gas/flame blow-by.
With tow, blowby is most definitely going to happen as I cannot "see" it sealing the pressure and flame behind the 'charge', whether a round ball or shot.
Sam F. even stated that a patch could not seal and this was quite well demonstrated with the patch combinations he used at the time. If his loose patch/ball combination cannot seal, how can "loose" fibers of vegetable material seal such pressure behind the projectile.

[RAT]

If we are talking about how Native Americans loaded their trade guns, then there have been several references in period journals. "Blanket wadding" is mentioned... Grass is the other one I've seen... or no wadding at all.

In appendix I in S. James Gooding's book "Trade Guns of the Hudson's Bay Company 1670-1970", he includes letters he obtained from company archival records. A letter dated June 6, 1859 addresses the problem of burst barrels. It states...

"These accidents must arise from carelessness, or improper loading. It is stated that in Buffalo hunting the hunters are on horseback and carry the Bullets in their mouth, dropping them down the Barrel in this way and then firing without any wadding. If this is the case, the instant the nose end of the Barrel is depressed towards the ground, and deviated ever so slightly from a parallel line, there would be a Windage between the Powder and Ball, and the most costly Gun would be as liable to burst as a N. W. Gun of the same weight. If grass is used as wadding it would also most likely lead to occasional accidents."

When it refers to "same weight" it refers to the weight of the barrel, not the whole gun. When these letters refer to barrel weight, they are concerned with cost and strength. The thicker the barrel, the stronger it it, the more the barrel weighs, and the more iron it uses to make. Iron was sold by the pound (or ton). They wanted a safe product, and complained to the company leaders (and gunmakers) when customer complaints came in from the field. But they were also concerned with the amount of money they were spending per pound for iron.

I've never seen a period written account of tow being used.

I think this is one area where we can make a compromise to modern safety and not be 100% historically correct.