History of choke & shot column

[tg]

Any body have any info on what time in history jug chokes or other types of chokes or fiber wads, cards and the typical shot column as we know it in the world of ML today was used?

 

[Curry Mosher]

The "typical shot column" has been around since the invention of guns and I have little to no information as to how it was discovered.

The choke however, is a different story. A duck hunter and Yankee tinkerer by the name of Fred Kimble discovered modern choke-boring in the 1860's. All shotguns up to that time were cylinder bored. The English gunmakers had experimented with choking in the 1780's but couldn't get it to work.

Kimble discovered the secret while trying to improve the patterns produced by his muzzle loading shotguns. He became the champion trapshooter and duck hunter of his day, crediting his guns rather than any extraordinary skill on his part.

Kimble also invented the modern claybird in the late 1870's.

 

[tg]

I think the earlier shot loads were just held in place by tow or wadding of some sort with some of the same possibly under the shot, I was wondering when wads, overpowder cards and such came into use.

 

[Curry Mosher]

Paper was a fairly expensive item in the Middle Ages when guns were first invented. The Rennaissance brought out a whole host of changes and improvements, including the manufacture of inexpensive paper. Playing cards and Tarot cards were common items in the 1600's, so I would say that it is very likely that card and cushion wads were developed by 1600. Finding a reference to prove that would be the trick, though.

Old-timers in this area of Pennsylvania used to use the "paper" from bee nests as wadding. They told me that there was a waxy substance in the nest material that helped with lubrication.