Silk for patches

[Ohio Rusty]

I came across some free 100% silk ties this weekend and remembered the line in the Last of the Mohicans 'Silk, another 40 yards.' Since the ties were free, it's no cost patching should I cut them up. The question I have is has anyone ever tried silk as a patching material and how did it work?
Ohio Rusty

 

[Okwaho]

When I first started shooting muzzle loaders in 1961 we didn't have all the goodies one sees today.I was shooting an old half stocked iron mounted Tennessee rifle for which I paid all of $45.00. I shot many a bullet using a spit-leaf patch.Since then as a dedicated plinker,I have probably used every kind of cloth I could find and used I don't know how much lard.Powder and caps were cheap and I cast bullets from tire weights.We have come a long way judging from the tecnical questions I see,but I see no reason why one couldn't use silk cloth provided it is pure silk with no blends and thick enough.
Tom Patton

 

[Stumpkiller]

As far as an extra 40 yards, that's right up there with the fellers that squeeze off 10 shots from a 1873 Colt without reloading. 15% more powder does that, too.

Maybe better accuracy? Doubt it. With fixed sights what you use determines your sight setting. You don't vary the mix for better accuracy at need.

Anyway. If you can hold a match to it and it doesn't melt or vanish in a puff it will probably work as a patch material. Silk was relatively no cheaper then as it is now. China knew they had the market cornered and limited supply to keep prices high. The British had to get the Chinese addicted to opium so they could squeeze more out of the market.

 

[Flint1]

Wouldn't silk be too thin to use as a patching material? Seems to me it would burn through and give very poor accuracy. I looked at that line from The Last of the Mohicans as pure Hoolywood.

 

[Cruzatte]

I think I'm suspicious of using silk, too. I'd rather have a nice silk cravatte, or line my vests with it, or have a nice silk kerchief than blow that nice fabric out the end of my rifle.

Cruzatte

 

[Wart]

Personally I would stick with cotton patches as the silk will most likely burn through :m2c:

 

[AZ-Robert]

Wouldn't silk be too thin to use as a patching material?

I think that is the key there - the tightness of the weave and the thickness of the material. We usually see silk as a thin, light material. But comparing "equal" patches (weave & thickness) of cotton and silk should have the silk lasting about twice as long when exposed to heat, given its natural properties.

That said, don't know nuttin' about how that would affect accuracy or range one way or the other.

 

[AZ-Robert]

I'd rather have a nice silk cravatte, or line my vests with it, or have a nice silk kerchief than blow that nice fabric out the end of my rifle.

Ditto. One of the nicer things in my house is a quilt my grandmother made from old silk ties.

 

I never did know what to make of that statement. I know that if you shoot at a silk kerchief that the bullet will push it aside rather than penetrate it. Many a documented report where a man wearing a silk shirt had been shot and the bullet carried the silk material into the wound. :hmm:

 

[3 stinky dogs]

China knew they had the market cornered and limited supply to keep prices high. The British had to get the Chinese addicted to opium so they could squeeze more out of the market.

They even faught a war over it.

 

[Hunsta]

G`day from Australia. Great thread on silk patches, but what I would like to know is does silk burn more or less than say calico patches? Bush fires are a ever present threat in Australia`s harsh dry bush. I have often had to stamp out a smouldering patch that may have cause a fire in dry grassland. Would using silk have less chance of causing a fire or would there be no real difference?
Cheers
Craig B
50cal Missouri Ranger

 

[musketman]

G`day from Australia. Great thread on silk patches, but what I would like to know is does silk burn more or less than say calico patches? Bush fires are a ever present threat in Australia`s harsh dry bush. I have often had to stamp out a smouldering patch that may have cause a fire in dry grassland. Would using silk have less chance of causing a fire or would there be no real difference?
Cheers
Craig B
50cal Missouri Ranger

I would say the patch lube would also play a major part in how the patch smolders after being fired...

Sure, some material will burn easier than others, that is the nature of the cloth, yet other material will absorb and hold lube longer than standard patching cloth...

Trial and error will let you know what material and how much lube to use...

 

Hi Rusty
I have watched that movie hundreds of times. I too tried the silk to see if hollywood was right... Nope I tried out lots of different thickness of pure silks. It didn't work. It also seamed to cut up from the rifling no matter how loose it was. I found good old cotton works the best...
Try though and see what you think, let us know after will yea... Best regards Loyalist Dawg :results:

 

[bpollock_sr]

" silk , an extra 40 yds" Yeah ! to the left. (lol) Stay with the cotton. It's worked for this long , and will keep working.