Question - use of tow in rifles

[AdamRM]

I was wondering,

Was tow ever used for wadding in rifles? Would tow under and above a ball in a rifle help spin the ball? Or was a patch always traditionally used in rifle?

Anybody ever try it? I only have a smoothbore, so I can’t experiment.

- Adam

 

[Cruzatte]

Good question. But I rather suspect not, though I have no documentation to prove it. My thinking is that tow is too uneven, and the fibers tend to spread out. Thus tow would not provide the gas seal that a greased patch would. But it's great for cleaning, though.

 

[AdamRM]

Oh yes, I love using tow in my smoothie, for everything haha

I think it’s the simplicity of it that I like, I need so much less “stuff” to enjoy the sport.

My next gun with definitely be a kibler colonial, and it will for sure be a smooth rifle now I just need to figure out .54 vs .58 cal

Good question. But I rather suspect not, though I have no documentation to prove it. My thinking is that tow is too uneven, and the fibers tend to spread out. Thus tow would not provide the gas seal that a greased patch would. But it's great for cleaning, though.

 

[AdamRM]

But I was thinking about this question, wondering if there was any historical evidence if tow was used in rifles as well.

I’ve heard somewhere that leather patching was used, maybe that was the precursor to cloth patches

 

[tenngun]

Cloth and leather were used at least back to 1600. Where leather was used it was most likely a substitute.
Audubon says Boone got 400 count linen for his patching
Flax was used for cleaning and putting a wad under a patched ball is recommended by some, especially for heavy charges.
I find in a smoothbore a PRB shoots a little better then a bare ball. But I can make a ‘nest’ of tow and push a ball down in to it and pretty much duplicate a PRB
PRB in a smoothbore was mention in 1847

 

[AdamRM]

Cloth and leather were used at least back to 1600. Where leather was used it was most likely a substitute.
Audubon says Boone got 400 count linen for his patching
Flax was used for cleaning and putting a wad under a patched ball is recommended by some, especially for heavy charges.
I find in a smoothbore a PRB shoots a little better then a bare ball. But I can make a ‘nest’ of tow and push a ball down in to it and pretty much duplicate a PRB
PRB in a smoothbore was mention in 1847

That’s what I try to do, make a birds nest technique

 

[user 49399]

I was wondering,

Was tow ever used for wadding in rifles? Would tow under and above a ball in a rifle help spin the ball? Or was a patch always traditionally used in rifle?

Anybody ever try it? I only have a smoothbore, so I can’t experiment.

- Adam

Check out my thread in the percussion rifle section “Wacky Shooting “. I use wasp nest for wadding in a rifle. I also use jute for wadding the same way. I don’t know if it is historically correct or not but I do get good results out to about 50 yards. It’s a very quick and easy loading method.

 

[hanshi]

I find in a smoothbore a PRB shoots a little better then a bare ball. But I can make a ‘nest’ of tow and push a ball down in to it and pretty much duplicate a PRB
PRB in a smoothbore was mention in 1847

I do that too and am frankly surprised at the level of accuracy one can get with this "nesting" technique.

 

[Flintlock]

Since TOW is often used to start fires I'd sure hate to burn half the country down firing it into the dry woods. Wasp nests isn't really flamable so makes a much better wad in anything.

 

[barracudadave67]

The last time I tried to steel a nest from a bunch of wasps, all hell broke loose.

Dave

 

[Flintlock]

The last time I tried to steel a nest from a bunch of wasps, all hell broke loose.

Dave

But it was exciting wasn't it. I gather wasp nests in the winter while on scouts with kids and dogs.

 

[toot]

The last time I tried to steel a nest from a bunch of wasps, all hell broke loose.

Dave

ya get it in the winter! don't you know that? apparently not? bet you do now? I hope so.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Since TOW is often used to start fires I'd sure hate to burn half the country down firing it into the dry woods. Wasp nests isn't really flamable so makes a much better wad in anything.

That's a good point but most of the Tow that I've gotten was still oily from the spinning process. Smolders but sucks for fire starting. The Tow that I use when making a fire I have to rinse with water and dry first, or even save the stuff I use for cleaning a musket, rinse that, dry it, and use that to start the fire.

LD

 

[ormond tony]

mike belevoir (spelling ????) has a video of loading and shooting a 1766 french musket. He loads with a pillow patch and then with TOW behind and in front of ball. Hits steel target with both.

Please: where's the best place to get TOW?

 

[Grenadier1758]

mike belevoir (spelling ????) has a video of loading and shooting a 1766 french musket. He loads with a pillow patch and then with TOW behind and in front of ball. Hits steel target with both.

Please: where's the best place to get TOW?

Many vendors are selling what they call tow. Tow by the first definition is the coarse fibers left after the processing of flax into linen threads. Tow from flax is quite coarse and is an excellent cleaner of fouling from black powder. It can rinsed and reused. After that tow becomes any fiber that looks like tow resulting from the processing of flax into linen. The good news is that these other forms of tow are still pretty good. Dixie Gun Works, Log Cabin Shop, Track of the Wolf and other vendors have tow made from jute, hemp, manila fibers or sisal. You can go to most hardware stores or hobby shops and buy twine from jute, hemp, manila or sisal. Cut the twine into 4" long lengths and unravel into single strands. This can be used in any application that calls for the use of tow. As Mike Beliveau shows, tow can be used as a wad for holding a ball in a smooth bore. It will work with shot too but does not seal the bore as well as wads from other materials. Tow can used a scrubbing cleaner for your firearm. I have a wad of tow tied with a long linen string that I use to wipe my bore between shots. The coarse nature of tow will pick up the fouling in the strands and not push as much down the barrel into the firing chamber. Since the tow can be rinsed of the accumulated fouling it can be reused quite a few times. As @Loyalist Dave suggests, this well used and rinsed (and dried) tow is an excellent tinder for fire starting.

The best place to get tow is from someone who processes flax into linen. These sources are hard to find. Since the other sources for tow are acceptable, get or make your own tow from twine.

 

[ormond tony]

Many vendors are selling what they call tow. Tow by the first definition is the coarse fibers left after the processing of flax into linen threads. Tow from flax is quite coarse and is an excellent cleaner of fouling from black powder. It can rinsed and reused. After that tow becomes any fiber that looks like tow resulting from the processing of flax into linen. The good news is that these other forms of tow are still pretty good. Dixie Gun Works, Log Cabin Shop, Track of the Wolf and other vendors have tow made from jute, hemp, manila fibers or sisal. You can go to most hardware stores or hobby shops and buy twine from jute, hemp, manila or sisal. Cut the twine into 4" long lengths and unravel into single strands. This can be used in any application that calls for the use of tow. As Mike Beliveau shows, tow can be used as a wad for holding a ball in a smooth bore. It will work with shot too but does not seal the bore as well as wads from other materials. Tow can used a scrubbing cleaner for your firearm. I have a wad of tow tied with a long linen string that I use to wipe my bore between shots. The coarse nature of tow will pick up the fouling in the strands and not push as much down the barrel into the firing chamber. Since the tow can be rinsed of the accumulated fouling it can be reused quite a few times. As @Loyalist Dave suggests, this well used and rinsed (and dried) tow is an excellent tinder for fire starting.

The best place to get tow is from someone who processes flax into linen. These sources are hard to find. Since the other sources for tow are acceptable, get or make your own tow from twine.

Thank you very much for your reply. I will try to use the twin method and also look into hobby shops..

 

[Walton]

Cost effective might be to grab a bundle of sisal baling twine. Usually treated to help prevent mice from chewing on it, I don't know if that would cause any issues. It would give you 9,600 feet of twine to play with though.

 

[GriscomRun]

Recently ran into a fella who got a small coil - like 6 feet - of jute rope from the dollar store. He unraveled it, cut it into 4-5 inch pieces, then unraveled it. He uses it as is for scrubbing after a shot. And like others, kinda washes it out to remove powder fouling and uses it again.

 

[Flintlock]

Recently ran into a fella who got a small coil - like 6 feet - of jute rope from the dollar store. He unraveled it, cut it into 4-5 inch pieces, then unraveled it. He uses it as is for scrubbing after a shot. And like others, kinda washes it out to remove powder fouling and uses it again.

I do the same, lasts a long long time.

 

[oldwood]

Back in the late 1980's , visited a repro. 18th century farming village on the north shore of Lake Ontario . They made cheese , and actively made flax stems into tow. The flax stems were first soaked , then a few stems at a time placed in a "vee" shaped trough with a board w/ same "v" shape male form w/ the board balanced on a spring pole for ease of operation. When the two "vees" contacted each other , the stems broke down into the tow we use , after it dries.