I have an interesting reference which gives a fair bit of information about some 18th-century guns and gear, maybe some would be interested in discussing it. It’s from the Maryland State Archives, detailing an order for guns made in 1772.
I see mentions in the literature of fowling pieces, cocking pieces, squirrel pieces, but I don’t know what distinguishes between them. Are they really different guns or just being called by different names? I’ve seen, for example, a description of a fowling piece “charged with small shot” and hunting squirrels.
These two guns both have short barrels, 37 1/2” and 20 1/2”. I first thought the 20 1/2” one was probably a boy’s gun, but notice that it is to be “well fortified”, which I take to mean strongly built, and that the barrel is required to be 1.2” wide, a thick one. Is that at the breech of a tapered barrel, or is it straight? Why specifically that extra 1/2 inch?
No bore size is specified.
Spring steel chargers ordered for each gun, but for the longer gun the amount of powder and shot is to be whatever the builder determines to be best. The chargers would hold only that amount. Sounds as though he didn’t intend to try different loads. For the shorter gun a “full finger” of powder and shot is specified. A full finger in which way, long or wide, and in what container? The bore? Is a full finger more or less than the load which is “proper for the gun” as specified for the longer gun? Is he loading up or down?
The “charges” might be something like this, although I don't know the date on such:
He speaks of screws permanently fixed to the gun stick to draw the gun, but is that to draw wadding or balls?
I assume that these guns are to be used both for shot and ball, since both chargers for shot and powder and molds are specified for each gun. We can’t be certain, though, that the mold wasn’t for swan or buck shot, both commonly loaded at that time either for hunting or war. Since nothing was specified, I assume a plain round ball proper for the gun.
Spence
I see mentions in the literature of fowling pieces, cocking pieces, squirrel pieces, but I don’t know what distinguishes between them. Are they really different guns or just being called by different names? I’ve seen, for example, a description of a fowling piece “charged with small shot” and hunting squirrels.
These two guns both have short barrels, 37 1/2” and 20 1/2”. I first thought the 20 1/2” one was probably a boy’s gun, but notice that it is to be “well fortified”, which I take to mean strongly built, and that the barrel is required to be 1.2” wide, a thick one. Is that at the breech of a tapered barrel, or is it straight? Why specifically that extra 1/2 inch?
No bore size is specified.
Spring steel chargers ordered for each gun, but for the longer gun the amount of powder and shot is to be whatever the builder determines to be best. The chargers would hold only that amount. Sounds as though he didn’t intend to try different loads. For the shorter gun a “full finger” of powder and shot is specified. A full finger in which way, long or wide, and in what container? The bore? Is a full finger more or less than the load which is “proper for the gun” as specified for the longer gun? Is he loading up or down?
The “charges” might be something like this, although I don't know the date on such:
He speaks of screws permanently fixed to the gun stick to draw the gun, but is that to draw wadding or balls?
I assume that these guns are to be used both for shot and ball, since both chargers for shot and powder and molds are specified for each gun. We can’t be certain, though, that the mold wasn’t for swan or buck shot, both commonly loaded at that time either for hunting or war. Since nothing was specified, I assume a plain round ball proper for the gun.
Spence
