My new NW trade gun

[Runewolf1973]

So I just recently joined the smoothbore club. I found a guy who was selling a beautiful .62 cal North West Trade gun made by Danny Caywood. For $1000 Canadian I thought it was a good price considering he also gave me a bunch of roundballs, a roundball mould, gun case and some other stuff to go along with it. I still haven't had the chance to shoot it yet.

Anyhoo, I was wonderin if anyone here has tried using Old Man's Beard that grows like crazy on pine trees as wadding? It's just so readily available and can be rolled into a ball easily...seems it would be the natural thing for a smoothbore, but I don't know. Trying to post some pictures...

 

[eggwelder]

Old man`s beard will light a lot of fires.....
Very nice gun

 

[Grenadier1758]

I know that in the southern United States, Spanish Moss is regularly used as wadding.

According to Wikipedia, Old Man's Beard (Usnea barbata) is flammable when dry. I would expect that Old Man's Beard could be used when there are no dangers of setting fires.

 

[Runewolf1973]

I know that in the southern United States, Spanish Moss is regularly used as wadding.

According to Wikipedia, Old Man's Beard (Usnea barbata) is flammable when dry. I would expect that Old Man's Beard could be used when there are no dangers of setting fires.

Good point! I guess the same is probably the case with wasp nest which I hear some people use.

 

[Leadball loader]

Good point! I guess the same is probably the case with wasp nest which I hear some people use.

I use wasps nest and have never had the hint of ember show up. The material is naturally fire resistant from the wasp saliva and tends to disintegrate after leaving the gun.
I also use newspaper treated with a soak in a Boraxo boiling water solution. this wadding also tends to break into small
Fragments when fired from the gun.
I try to use materials close to those available to in the 18th century.

 

[hanshi]

That is a fine looking gun. I'd say most anything that won't readily burn should work okay.

 

[tenngun]

I use tow that can flame pretty easy. And the same with hemp fiber. I make little balls and grease it and has never had it flash. You might try it at a range where it safe to see if it smolders, but a little hard grease like lard or mink oil should slow it down enough it can’t catch,