Plugging the touchhole

[Bob J]

Other than a toothpick, what's the best thing to plug a touchhole (for cleaning or pan-firing practice)?

 

[CG6018]

I still like the round toothpicks broken into thirds. If you collect enough of the middle sections, they can be used to start a very small fire. For practice, remove the flint and replace it with a wedge of wood or half of an old typewriter eraser. Don't waste the edge of a sharp English flint! :thumbsup:

 

[Packdog]

Turkey or other bird feather will work nicely.
PD

 

[musketman]

For practice, remove the flint and replace it with a wedge of wood or half of an old typewriter eraser. Don't waste the edge of a sharp English flint! :thumbsup:

Scrap wood works good for this, watch the grain though, if the grain is going side-ways the wood could break off...

If you are pan-firing practicing, the gun better be empty, so there is no need to plug the vent, I use the quill end of a discarded bird feather when I need to plug my Bess...

 

[guncobbler]

Folks used to use feathers of small to medium sized birds like a jay. The feather material is strong and flexible. Finding a feather in the vent of an old flintlock was often the first indication that there was a charge in the barrel. GC

 

[SimonKenton]

For odd reasons I have barn owls at work. Their smaller feathers serve well and have a cachet of rustic utility.

-Ray

 

[Bob J]

Thanks 1776Patriot, Packdog, Musketman, guncobbler, and SimonKenton. As far as plugging the vent, I was thinking of doing that when pan-firing with prime only to keep breech area clean. Obviously don't need to when practicing with unloaded gun using hardwood (or half a clothes pin) in place of flint.

 

[Rebel]

If your state laws are like ours, and they may be Federal laws, possesing any type of Hawk, Owl, or Eagle feather is illegal, so be careful with those feathers. A friend of mine spent a year in Lompoc Federal prison for possesion of a Bald eagle feather.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

If your state laws are like ours, and they may be Federal laws, possesing any type of Hawk, Owl, or Eagle feather is illegal, so be careful with those feathers. A friend of mine spent a year in Lompoc Federal prison for possesion of a Bald eagle feather.

It's a federal law. Only ones who can legally possess them are a few members of various native-American tribes, and some licensed bird handlers. You don't want to get caught with owl or hawk, and especially not eagle feathers.

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Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:

 

[TANSTAAFL]

I use porcupine quills when available.

 

[musketman]

A grouse tail feather will work fine, and as an added bonus, you can use the tip as a broom to sweep powder from the pan...

 

[BennyMac]

Learn something every time I come to the site. :thumbsup:

 

[SimonKenton]

Twisted One,

Soooo right! I am the "lucky" designated caretaker for a slew of oddball research animals. Besides my faves (the rats) I also have a working menagerie of monkeys, frogs, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils and goldfish. I thought I'd miss the 4 foot monitor lizards. I was wrong! That is where we set up the owl roost. They do shed some feathers and regrow them, but I tell folks not to start walking around with them. Some feds arrest first and ask questions later.

-Ray :hmm: