Old time jags, worms, etc

[Marc Adamchek]

I feel a little silly carrying shiny brass jags and other ramrod (ok, wiping stick) tools in my shooting bag to help out with loading, cleaning, etc. Lately I've seen some really beautiful old greyish ones that look like they came straight out of the 18th century that would look great in a shooting bag to accompany a flintlock or two (or three or...)

Does anybody know what I am referring to here and if so, where I can purchase these items? They sure would go a long way to bringing my shooting bags back a long way, if you catch my drift.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Just use yer brass and/or wipe with dirty patches until it takes on that ole timey looking dirtiness. No need to replace other than personal want.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

You can make them yourself, if your brass ones are a bit new-style looking.

These are homemade and turned in an electric drill, no need for fancy equipment.
Rifles homemade too, but that doesn't count!

 

[Zonie]

I feel a little silly carrying shiny brass jags and other ramrod (ok, wiping stick) tools in my shooting bag to help out with loading, cleaning, etc. Lately I've seen some really beautiful old greyish ones that look like they came straight out of the 18th century that would look great in a shooting bag to accompany a flintlock or two (or three or...)

Does anybody know what I am referring to here and if so, where I can purchase these items? They sure would go a long way to bringing my shooting bags back a long way, if you catch my drift.

I have a jag that looks rather gray colored. I don't use it though.

My reason for not using it is, it is made out of aluminum. The aluminum threads are very weak and likely to fail if I need to pull a stuck jag out of the barrel.

Although I'm not into period correct thinking, another reason not to use aluminum jags is, back "during the days" aluminum was more valuable than gold or platinum. In fact, outside a laboratory it was virtually not in existence.

Aluminum was so valuable that in the 1880's when they built the Washington Monument, they tipped its pointed spire with a piece of it.

IMO, a well used brass jag is stronger and more suitable for a muzzleloader. Brass was commonly available and almost all of the old muzzleloaders used it for one thing or another.
If you use a brass jag and don't clean it after you use it, it will develop a nice dark, "used" look that is hard to beat.

 

[rich pierce]

Original jags and worms.

 

[Stophel]

What are those weird duckbill and screw-head-looking things? Bore scrapers?

 

[rich pierce]

I think the duckbill ones must be for a smoothbore. Maybe to loosen fierce fouling? The breech scrapers are pretty cool. I like the ones with button ends. Probably work just like modern jags.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Rich,

That photo isn't of :Matchlocks" old stuff is it?

Best,
Richard.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

I have a jag that looks rather gray colored. I don't use it though.

My reason for not using it is, it is made out of aluminum. The aluminum threads are very weak and likely to fail if I need to pull a stuck jag out of the barrel.

Although I'm not into period correct thinking, another reason not to use aluminum jags is, back "during the days" aluminum was more valuable than gold or platinum. In fact, outside a laboratory it was virtually not in existence.

Aluminum was so valuable that in the 1880's when they built the Washington Monument, they tipped its pointed spire with a piece of it.

IMO, a well used brass jag is stronger and more suitable for a muzzleloader. Brass was commonly available and almost all of the old muzzleloaders used it for one thing or another.
If you use a brass jag and don't clean it after you use it, it will develop a nice dark, "used" look that is hard to beat.

Well, ok, but I've been using most of these for close to 15 years or more and they still look pretty "brassy" to me! I mean, I NEVER clean the brass on any of my guns, and some of it turns a real nice reddish brown, other just nice and dull. Just not the same with the little doo-hickeys for some reason......

 

[Grenadier1758]

I'd look at the jags, worms and pullers offered by Larry Callahan. Look for bagmolds.com

 

[Marc Adamchek]

I'd look at the jags, worms and pullers offered by Larry Callahan. Look for bagmolds.com

Grenadier, YOU got it! That's what I'm talkin' about! Many Thanks for the tip and link

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Here is my shooting bag contents:

In the lower left, you can see a ball screw and tow worm. Tow is the fluffy tan material, it is just course fiber byproducts of flax (or hemp), and is a traditional gun cleaning material. You pull off a wad of tow and wrap it around the worm and use that to scrub the bore. The ramrod on my rifle has a tapered tip to accept the worm and ball screw. This is an authentic and period correct setup. I normally use a range rod and modern brass jags when at the range, but like to go fully traditional for hunting and field shooting out of the bag.

 

[jbwilliams3]

Lots of craftsman out there make traditional iron worms/pullers, etc. Larry Callahan is one of the few whom you can buy from easily right off his website. He makes the best bag moulds out there too, by the way. The balls that come from those moulds are as precise as they can be, whilst the mould fits right in with a living history set up.

Anyhow, kudos to you for recognizing that. For all of the modern stuff that creeps into traditional muzzleloading, it’s nice to keep things operating as they once were, including two worms! I still use modern jags for full cleaning, but in the field, it’s nice to use a tow worm.

 

[tenngun]

Thumbs up for Callahan his work is over the top nice.