Using the patchbox...

[Mickc01]

Why does it open sideways? In other words, from the back of the longarm to the front? It would seem more efficient and useful if it opened from the top down, like an old-fashioned blue mailbox or maybe a laundry bin. That way you could hold the longarm port-arms and open the box easily while not spilling anything.

You mean like this......


Some do open top to bottom. Just depends on the school/maker/style of rifle.

As for use, I have found it useful to keep the cleaning jag for that particular gun in it's pathbox along with some patch material to keep it from rattling around.

 

[tenngun]

I'm putting a wooden patchbox on my early Lancaster,after about a dozen hours on the box I HOPE I use it. My plans are to carry a spare flint, leather, tow, jag,, and some SKITTLES!! :rotf:

It’s your gun and you can do what you want with it. When I go to an event or on a trek I try to stay in hc foods, though admittedly I’ve been know to have out of season food. I do have to say that only red skittles are hc up till 1871 when other flavors became available :wink:

 

[necchi]

They certainly had pockets in the 18th century.

Pant's pocket like we have today?
Do you have provenance of that?

 

[Stumpkiller]

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/history-of-pockets/

Certainly waistcoat pockets. And, it seems, breeches had pockets.

 

[F.G. Ford]

I keep ALL my spare cash in my patch box.
Trouble is, those 5cent and 10 cent coins rattle a lot.
Fred

 

[Rifleman1776]

My longrifle that I used for decades has a squirrels foot in the patch box. This is the first meat the rifle ever made. Accounted for a number of deer after that.

 

[Grenadier1758]

They certainly had pockets in the 18th century.

Pant's pocket like we have today?
Do you have provenance of that?

Gehret's (?) book, Rural Pennsylvania Clothing has photos of original clothing, pants weskits coats with pockets. Pants may have had a watch pocket, but pocket watches were uncommon and expensive.

 

[hanshi]

I only have three rifles with patchboxes. They usually contain a couple of extra patches, a flint, or a cap, and an extra ball. The percussion also carries a worm. Snickers go in the shooting bag.

 

[Elnathan]

They certainly had pockets in the 18th century.

Pant's pocket like we have today?
Do you have provenance of that?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikip...Mode_2,_The_Tête_à_Tête_-_William_Hogarth.jpg


Most folks 'round here don't go hunting in their breeches alone, anyway. I expect that was true in the 18th century, for folks that wore breeches in first place, anyway.... :wink: