Historical use of powder measures

[tenngun]

I would think that people were always thinking of a way to get a quick (er) reload. A man who carriers a loading block for a quick reload after shooting a game animal, will have likely loaded his first shot very carefully. So an apostle or two makes sense, with stuff to do a careful load. We read of gun captains on old ships of making sure their first loads were the most perfect ball in the rack. After that it was only the nearest, since speed counted more then accuracy.

 

[Artificer]

Why are two of the men carrying keys in identical fashion?

Aw, Dawg Gone it! Someone a long time ago let out the secret of the keys to accuracy. :haha:

NICE Woodcut illustration Loyalist Dave.

Gus

 

[coloradoclyde]

Seriously though....I don't think the picture matches the description. There are "oddities"

 

[tenngun]

Were they some sort of petty officer mark...they had the symbolic key to such and such. We give symbolic keys to a city, but I'm thinking some sort of normal sized keys are part of some chains of office for Brit officers today.???

 

[coloradoclyde]

I think the keys belong to shackles....perhaps they are on a man hunt.

 

[tenngun]

Did shakles take that sort of key then? It seams the drum key was used on hand cuffs in the 19th cent :idunno:

 

[tenngun]

Was just looking up hot dipped tin for the tin measure and came across the a quote from an 1809 for trade guns form Derringer. Guns to have mold and measures.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Well I get a sorta translation of "The paths of a dangerous incident in the Tyrol..." and then I think the German is too old for the translation software to finish translating the caption....

I don't think these guys are necessarily hunting, I just thought it might show a fellow with a gun, with an object that might be a measure. Also they are using fully fabricated powder carriers, instead of converting cattle horns over for the use.

:idunno:

The keys are not for shackles, BUT they could be for padlocks, and padlocks might be on a cage in the back of a wagon, so maybe they are man hunting...

LD

 

[bgeipel]

They appear to be carrying wheellocks ( note the the flints point backwards), so the keys could be for winding the wheellocks. these men are definitely not hunting as they are part of a large party. I have a set of paintings in my collection that shows the muster of a group to hunt down a criminal.

The "powder measure" seems to low on their bodies to be useful in reaching the barrel plus they have nice powder flasks of the type that have a measuring spout.

Barry