Feather Hole

[arcticap]

The photos below show feather holes or what has been referred to as toe feather plugs.
I've never seen them before.

From the 1789 "An Essay on Shooting", page 211:
" …whether the practice is to prime before or after loading the piece, it is highly proper, after every discharge, to prick the touch-hole, and what is still better, to guard against all remains of fuse or squib, to insert into the touch-hole the feather of a partridge's wing, which will not only clear it of these dangerous remains, but if the piece is delayed to be re-charged, will take away all humidity that may be contracted there." --->>> An essay on shooting: containing the various methods of forging, boring, and dressing gun barrels ... remarks on the properties and action of gunpowder ...

Toe feather plugs found on North Carolina Longrifles.
David Kennedy Bear Creek School Rifle

Mecklenburg School Rifle signed L H

A second Mecklenburg School Rifle signed L H.

Photos courtesy of mbriggs

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Thank you Sir, for the reference.

I wonder why the specific reference to a "partridge" wing feather. Would not the feather of many other birds work as well?

LD

 

[appalichian hunter]

I use a feather from a crow, interesting that a feather sticking out of the bottom of stock, wonder how deep the hole protrudes into the stock. I have always admired the vent pick under the cheek rest set up, but this is a different approach.

 

[arcticap]

Thank you Sir, for the reference.

I wonder why the specific reference to a "partridge" wing feather. Would not the feather of many other birds work as well?

I noticed that the book was printed in London, and the Grey Partridge has almost universal distribution throughout Europe.
And that's not including other partridge species with ranges that overlap.
It's a medium sized bird, 12" - 13" long, weighing about a pound, and their wings probably have quill feathers of the proper size and stiffness to make a good vent pick and plug.

If a person were to Google images of partridge wing feathers, they would find a variety of them for sale, and also as the subject of art prints.
They seem to be very popular among people even today.

 

[JamesT]

They seem to be more prevalent on southern rifles. Ones that I have examined appear to be about an inch and a half to two inches deep. I just cant see how they would stay in there while afield. Here is one on an early 1820s era rifle from the Winchester, VA area.

 

[rchas]

I have seen those in the past, and in spite of the term "feather hole' they are typically too big in diameter to hold a feather the size to fit a touchhole. However, they are in the position on the stock where one might screw in a button to hold a sling...

 

[arcticap]

I just cant see how they would stay in there while afield.

The book and its recommendation of a partridge feather is unrelated to the feather hole.
The reference was only posted to document that using a feather is a historically correct practice.

I'm sure that there are smaller feathers that can be used.
Someone posted that using blue jay feathers was mentioned in a 1960's Muzzle Blasts article.
Feathers can also be trimmed.

 

[JamesT]

Oh I'm sure they used many different types of feathers especially in Appalachia. What I meant was I dont see how it would stay in the hole without being brushed out or broken off in the woods. It would have to protrude from the stock obviously to be able to grab it. Trying to find a photo of an original with the remains of a feather in it. Will post it if I can find it.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Wonder if anyone ever looked to see if the plate covering the hole was threaded, a gun as old as those it would be easy to loose the sling attachment.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Arcticap, I would not want to be caught with a blue jay feather stuck in the hole bye the local game warden might get interesting.

 

[Brian Gibbs]

Arcticap, that is REALLY interesting! Thanks for sharing that. Just goes to show Ya (us) how the old timers did things. Perhaps even differently than we have all perceived!

 

[M. De Land]

I don't see how a thin inlay could be a purchase for a sling mount then again I don't see how a feather would stay put with the gun in use either. I wonder if it is some kind of charm folks of that era were prone to put on their stocks or perhaps a break off hole for something?

 

[arcticap]

What I meant was I dont see how it would stay in the hole without being brushed out or broken off in the woods.

Pulling the feather out of the hole would require pulling it against the direction of its vanes & barbs which creates some resistance.
Folks wouldn't need the whole feather, just enough to use as a pick or a plug.
For instance, I saw a hand hammered vent pick for sale that was only 2.5" long.
Feathers have an anatomy, and wing feathers having stronger vanes & barbs that support flight.
The parts of a feather have more substance than some folks realize.

 

[Flinty Scot]

I have used the feather trick to plug the touchhole, when carrying it loaded but not primed or when freshening the edge on a flint, to exclude humidity and as a safety.

I've never found a really satisfactory place to stow spare feathers, so have thought about adding a feather hole.

Mine's a southern style rifle, so it'd not be out of place.
But first I'd want to inspect an original. Knowing diameter and depth would help me decide.

 

[George]

I use a feather to clear or plug the touchhole fairly often, but I would never have thought of storing it in a hole like that in the stock. Not a very logical solution, if it was actually used for that. The patch box is a more obvious place to store it, unless there is some other dedicated way, such as this.

Spence

 

[Bob McBride]

The feather was used to keep moisture out of the charge of a gun that is left loaded all the time. The reason it was kept in a hole in the stock was ease of access. Southern guns didn’t often have patch boxes. They were found particularly often in southern guns where high humidity and a frontier life meant the gun was carried everywhere you went for chance game. 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. I use them regularly in my southern guns and find it great for the purpose, easy to use, and a handy reference the gun is loaded. Many originals have been found with feather remnants in the holes. The feather doesn’t make a good prick but it does seal up the charge nicely.

 

[arcticap]

I've never found a really satisfactory place to stow spare feathers, so have thought about adding a feather hole.
Mine's a southern style rifle, so it'd not be out of place.
But first I'd want to inspect an original. Knowing diameter and depth would help me decide.

I've read posts by people who own Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania rifles that have a feather hole.
I also found a reference to there being staples under the buttstock to use as a feather holder.

"Beneath the cheek piece are a series of holes which once held small iron staples to provide a place to keep the touch hole feather." --->>> Early American Flintlock Longrifles: Part II of our American Longrifle Series - Scavengeology

Apparently the size of the feather used is related to the size of the vent.
The older guns probably had larger vents that could use larger feathers.
One way to help determine the size of the feather hole would be to first find the size and type of feather that your gun needs.
And then make a simulated feather hole in a block of wood to see how secure that it will hold in it.
The same if intending to use a metal plug.
The size of an antique gun's feather hole may not match the size that will work best with your gun.

WadePatton posted:
"I have seen originals with double feather holes...
...Mine is about 5/64 as best as I can measure at present. I think it's a little bit tight on them, but I've never lost a feather out of it-and it's the only size I've tried. I probably put it in with a gimlet. I don't recall ever seeing a dimension given, nor have I measured an original.

My touchhole is quill-blocked any time the pan isn't primed and there's a charge in the bore. I may drill the feather hole out a few 64th's more and some deeper, and add a twin because closing the pan on feathers rags 'em out pretty fast, And I'm seen at least one two-hole original."

 

[George]

Is there any kind of documentation for the feather hole, any reference to its use in the old literature, or is our modern idea of it all speculation?

Spence

 

[Bob McBride]

Is there any kind of documentation for the feather hole, any reference to its use in the old literature, or is our modern idea of it all speculation?

Spence

Well, there’s a lot of space between perfect documentation and ‘all speculation’, but yes, I believe there is documentation. However, we can start with a hole appearing on stocks of roughly the same size in each case, 3/32” by about 1/2” to 3/4” deep with remnants of feathers being found inside. I’ve talked to guys like Shelbi Gallien who have found that to be true over and over in the hundreds of original southern guns that have passed through their hands with no evidence any other thing was stuck in that hole. There is no disagreement between those guys on what the hole is. As to what the feather was used for I guess it could be a handy toothpick or a lucky charm but the guys who carried them in the late period guns that they are found in, were fairly practical folks.

 

[George]

The English apparently liked a partridge feather for the job, here's a reference to its use more than 60 years earlier than that in the Cleator book. It's from Pteryplegia, or the Art of Shooting Flying, by George Markland in his poem of 1727.

Yet cleanse the Touch-hole first: A Partridge Wing
Most to the Field for that wise Purpose bring.

Sounds as though he recommended the whole wing be brought along, not just a feather. I guess they hadn't thought of the feather hole that early.

Spence