Using "tow" with smoothbores

[John Tice]

I recently read in Harold Peterson's book: "Arms and Armor in Colonial America," that in 1779 Massachusetts required that militiamen have among other things "Tow for wadding." Does anyone have experience using tow or have they seen other early accounts describing the use of tow with fowlers or muskets? It sounded interesting and got me to thinking :hmm:....... Any thoughts?
JT

 

[dodgecity]

Your the only one I've met for a long time that has a copy of Peterson's book. Back in the 70's when the rebirth of muzzleloading was new, it was one of the few books on the subject. To answer your question, yes, I use tow to clean and lube my front loaders, and it works so well, that I have for many years used it for my cartridge guns as well. In a muzzleloader, you need to employ a "worm" rather than a "jag" if you are going to use tow. Wash it with dish washing soap when you are done each time, and you can continue to use the same tow indefinitely. I use a water soluable lube, so the tow comes out clean after every washing. IMHO tow is far superior to patches for reaching all the nooks and crannies.

 

[Rebel]

Ok, so where can a person get some of this Tow? Track, Dixie, or somewhere else?

 

[Eric/WV]

www.jastown.com
www.turkeyfootllc.com

 

[Rebel]

Thanks Eric

 

[dodgecity]

I get mine from Silver Shuttle (no web site), 2547 Madison, Memphis TN 38112. So far, we've been adressing tow as cleaning media. The original post, however, may suggest that tow was used as a wad. Lubed tow will conform perfectly to the bore of a smoothbore when seated over the ball, much the same way that paper from a greased cartridge would have been tamped down over the ball.

 

[John Tice]

Thanks for the input guys, its an interesting topic. BTW, Peterson's book is being republished under Dover, Inc. I highly recommend it for people who like old "Blazin' Irons." In Neumann and Kravic's book: "Collector's Encyclopedia of the American Revolution," they write under the heading of 'Tow': "Tow was the coarse and broken unspun fiber of hemp and flax. It served as a material for cleaning firearms and as wadding, or tinder with flint and steel; it also found use in making twine, rope, bags, and even caulking ship." It seems that tow was a widely used material in the colonial period tool kit as it served so many functions so well. Besdies what would one use to seat their round ball when they ran out of cartridges and didn't have time or resources to get or make more. I think for people who want to shoot traditional front loaders in a traditional way, tow is one good way to go. :front:
John

 

[tg]

I think the method or one of them for use of tow was to put down some tow atop the powder then tamp the ball on top of it I have done this when I had my NW gun and it shot well but I did not have great confidence in the ball staying put while in the field, an over shot card might be a good precaution.Some use leaves or duff from the forest floor in the same manor.

 

[Wehrmacht]

While my comment is not based on experience,I think that if you put tow down on top of powder,you'd better check the days' fire danger rating! Smoldering tow in dry leaves or needles on a dry,windy day might be an invitation for setting the woods on fire accidently

 

[NCOjohn]

On the few occasions I have fired my Charleville
live I use balls of tow lubed with Old Zips
under the .678 balls with cartridge paper over
the ball with great results. The tow, usually
smoldering, is easy to find 3 to 10 yards down-
range.Fire awareness is important, indeed! john

 

[tg]

Fire danger is always a concern, but I believe that the ball atop the tow or whatever was used is the way it was often done in the past, and much more accurate in my experience.

 

[Leonredbeard]

tg,
The good old boys at Union Co, PA would pour the powder then ram a wad of tow to within about three inches of the top of the powder column and then drop the ball and ram the final inches. This way the tow could wrap around the ball and grip it. But DO NOT put the tow down from the muzzle a short distance and lay the ball on it and try to ram it. It got so tight that it took a hammer to get it down the bore. So I think done properly the ball would stay in place. Also, a grampa type beat me badly at the steel silouhettes with his 'bess using that combo. :master:
God bless.
volatpluvia

 

[Tommy Bruce]

I use tow as wadding for when I'm using shot. I pour my measured amount of powder, ram down some tow, then my measured shot charge followed by another ball of tow. I'll usually roll up several small balls of tow about the size of my bore (.62) and stick in my shot pouch for bushy tail season and rabbits. I don't think this pattern would do good for turkeys and my squirrel shots are usually within 30 yards but I didn't miss any last year.

 

[Stumpkiller]

While my comment is not based on experience,I think that if you put tow down on top of powder,you'd better check the days' fire danger rating! Smoldering tow in dry leaves or needles on a dry,windy day might be an invitation for setting the woods on fire accidently

Possibly true. I'll wipe the snow of that sign to check the alert level before I enter the woods . . . if the rains haven't washed it away by now.

I get mine from Silver Shuttle, also. I used to use tow to wad and clean my Bess. It works as a wadding, but I have to say the patterns were not as tight as with the fiber wads and card over-shot. I probably was overly liberal in the top wad as I didn't want it "unstuffing" and spilling shot or. worse, working forward.

Now paper wasp nesting, that is a better over-shot choice. :winking: