Feather Hole

[George]

Bob McBride said: "Well, there’s a lot of space between perfect documentation and ‘all speculation’, but yes, I believe there is documentation."

Not all speculation is bad, sometimes informed speculation is all we have to work with, and documentation doesn't have to be perfect. Even poor documentation can be better than our faulty memories of something we read somewhere, some time. Any idea what documentation there is about the feather hole?

Spence

 

[Robby]

A christian Beck rifle I made some time ago has a feather hole in it.

It seems to take just about any old feather I choose to stick into it, sometimes when I'm out and around I even stick one in there from a cardinal, goldfinch or bluejay, but I swap it out real quick if I spot a revenuer mucking about.
Robby

 

[Bob McBride]

A christian Beck rifle I made some time ago has a feather hole in it.

View attachment 49985
It seems to take just about any old feather I choose to stick into it, sometimes when I'm out and around I even stick one in there from a cardinal, goldfinch or bluejay, but I swap it out real quick if I spot a revenuer mucking about.
Robby

Take your smoothbore and go blast a Brit Sparrow. They’re about the only non protected bird of the correct size.

 

[Bob McBride]

Bob McBride said: "Well, there’s a lot of space between perfect documentation and ‘all speculation’, but yes, I believe there is documentation."

Not all speculation is bad, sometimes informed speculation is all we have to work with, and documentation doesn't have to be perfect. Even poor documentation can be better than our faulty memories of something we read somewhere, some time. Any idea what documentation there is about the feather hole?

Spence

I agree and that was my insinuation about the space in between. I’m out on the road but I’ll get in my records when I get home. I don’t recall exactly what the one I printed off was but it was along the same vein as the source you cited above.

 

[arcticap]

Any idea what documentation there is about the feather hole?

I suppose someone could use a spectrometer to analyze the remains found inside the feather holes of antique rifles.
Perhaps a geneticist could narrow it down to which type of bird feathers were stuck in some of the holes.
If we could examine the inside of the hole with an electron microscope, we could prove whether any sharp metal objects were ever put into the hole that could have been used as a vent pick, or to prove the holes weren't used for slings or studs.
Maybe if someone dug deep enough into each hole, they're bound to find a piece of a feather vane.
Is it possible that no one ever wrote in their diary about sticking a chicken feather in a hole in their buttstock?
There must have been some gunsmiths that earned extra money by making them, especially if they were extra fancy.
"I want one of them there fancy ________ holes! How much extra for a silver one with engraving?"

 

[Bob McBride]

I suppose someone could use a spectrometer to analyze the remains found inside the feather holes of antique rifles.
Perhaps a geneticist could narrow it down to which type of bird feathers were stuck in some of the holes.
If we could examine the inside of the hole with an electron microscope, we could prove whether any sharp metal objects were ever put into the hole that could have been used as a vent pick, or to prove the holes weren't used for slings or studs.
Maybe if someone dug deep enough into each hole, they're bound to find a piece of a feather vane.
Is it possible that no one ever wrote in their diary about sticking a chicken feather in a hole in their buttstock?
There must have been some gunsmiths that earned extra money by making them, especially if they were extra fancy.
"I want one of them there fancy ________ holes! How much extra for a silver one with engraving?"

I smell sarcasm.....

 

[hawkeye2]

Sarcasm serves a purpose as does speculation.

 

[Bob McBride]

I spec'late that itty bitty hole held a tiny little Hebrew National all beef hotdog.... (Sarcasm and Speculation).

 

[hawkeye2]

Woul

I spec'late that itty bitty hole held a tiny little Hebrew National all beef hotdog.... (Sarcasm and Speculation).

Would it have been frozen when it was put in there and how much insulation would the wood provide? Asking for a friend.

 

[appalichian hunter]

rcp do not be angry, pick them up when found on the ground a gift from the crow, one of most prized possessions believe it or not is feather from a raven, while bear hunting in northern Ontario Canada there was a puddle in front of the stand I was in in comes a raven, done a little bird bath show for me and left a feather, the next day I shot my bear.

 

[Zonie]

Ain't no way I would go around picking up bird feathers for vent hole picks.

With my luck, I'd end up with the feather of the endangered red breasted fly snatcher and get busted by the Fed's for having killed the last remaining bird known in America.

 

[hanshi]

Ain't no way I would go around picking up bird feathers for vent hole picks.
With my luck, I'd end up with the feather of the endangered red breasted fly snatcher and get busted by the Fed's for having killed the last remaining bird known in America.

And as if that's not weird enough, I, too, can't see a feather staying in the hole long enough for me to need it. My rifle gets swished around and scrubbed by brush and has even had the frizzen flipped open resulting in an empty pan. My two SMR have a vent pick inlay under the cheek piece but it's a very rare event for one to be used.

 

[George]

Some feathers are too big for the touchhole. I've found mourning dove flight feathers work well in some of my guns.

I have a question which someone might answer for me. In an earlier post Bob McBride said: "Songbird feathers of the correct size (appx 2” long) blew across the ground by the billions in those days and bending over to grab one and stick it in your stock was easy to do and often the feather in the touch hole was simply tossed when a squirrel or rabbit were spotted." Which raises my question...why couldn't the old boys simply bend over and pick up a feather any time they needed to plug the touchhole instead of having to carry one around in a hole in the stock? Saves a step, Occam's razor.

Spence

 

[toot]

remember, some times A FEATHER and some times A WHOLE CHICKEN!! that is how it starts!! WHAT EVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT!!. it is a bugger trying too stuff a WHOLE CHICKEN INTO A VENT HOLE!!

 

[Bob McBride]

Some feathers are too big for the touchhole. I've found mourning dove flight feathers work well in some of my guns.

I have a question which someone might answer for me. In an earlier post Bob McBride said: "Songbird feathers of the correct size (appx 2” long) blew across the ground by the billions in those days and bending over to grab one and stick it in your stock was easy to do and often the feather in the touch hole was simply tossed when a squirrel or rabbit were spotted." Which raises my question...why couldn't the old boys simply bend over and pick up a feather any time they needed to plug the touchhole instead of having to carry one around in a hole in the stock? Saves a step, Occam's razor.

Spence

Well, I didn’t mean to suggest billions per acre and a foot deep on the ground, but they were everywhere. Using my questionable powers of deduction I would think it would be better to grab one from your stock than to stop, look around, see a likely candidate five feet away, walk over there, picket it up, etal. It may save a step, but it adds five steps over to a feather. Keep one handy. Occam’s Razor.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Mostly I carry a couple Jay feathers in my hat band. Can't imagine drilling a hole in my rifle stock for that. They ride there with no problem, don't seem to get lost, and don't get in the way either. I don't keep `em in the vent unless it's wet outside or if I'm going to leave my rifle loaded but wipe out the pan for overnight. Then I clear the pan, insert the feather in the vent, and lower the frizzen with the hammer on half-cock. Works for me.

 

[pmccoywss]

How I carry my feather (and the first award I won after building the rifle).

 

[hanshi]

I like that gun, pmccoywss. Very cool.