Was leather used in muzzleloading rifle making?

[Larry (Omaha)]

Man has always used leather for many items, since it was first produced by civilization.
I am just wondering if muzzleloading guns had ever had leather on a stock that was permanent? Like glued verses laced on.
Thanks in advance

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Leather cheek pads stuffed with horsehair or tow and tacked on.

 

[tenngun]

In Spanish America leather cannon were made. A thin iron tube draped with multiple layers of leather put on wet sewn in place and waxed till several inches thick.

 

[coloradoclyde]

There was a civil war carbine, that had the barrel shrouded in leather to protect it from salt, It was for maritime use and didn't work.

Leather would have had many uses in the actual making of guns, from machinery belts to parts hardening
It was also used extensively in things like hammer stalls, cows knees, and possibles bags.

 

[French Colonial]

The French were known to put leather cheek pieces on the better quality guns, I used to have some pictures of one, I'll see if I can find them....

 

[French Colonial]

Like this, can't find my pictures, this is off the internet

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

View attachment 78248

Like this, can't find my pictures, this is off the internet

Neat, looks like a little pillow! I need one of those for my Roman nose Kentucky flintlock. Beats the heck out my cheekbone.

 

[tenngun]

There was a civil war carbine, that had the barrel shrouded in leather to protect it from salt, It was for maritime use and didn't work.

Leather would have had many uses in the actual making of guns, from machinery belts to parts hardening
It was also used extensively in things like hammer stalls, cows knees, and possibles bags.

See CC, here you’ve been I two different threads ive liked what you’ve posted

 

[eggwelder]

View attachment 78248

Like this, can't find my pictures, this is off the internet

is that a cast in place pewter butt plate?

 

[user 36911]

Strange way to word it. It wasn't produced.

 

[oreclan]

is that a cast in place pewter butt plate?

I owned a fusee with brass furniture like this. It needed a lock conversion, and since at the time I didn't know the country of origin I sold it at the Fort Frederick Fair in the 1980s. So no this probably is an inlet silver butt plate. The gun looks very high end.

 

[beardedhorse]

I understand you said rifle making. After 1858, chrome tanning was invented by a German and patented by an American. The bison hides tanned with that method powered the gearing of steam and hydro powered plants. I suppose if you used belt driven machines to grind, plane, drill gun parts then leather was indeed used in rifle making. Brown Bess musket slings were painted white leather.
Rawhide is untanned hide and not leather but many a repair on cracked or broken rifle and smoothbore stocks were made usable again by sewing and shrinking rawhide on a shoulder arm. I've repaired broken wrists with brass bars, epoxy and rawhide and used sleeves of rawhide instead of a barrel band to keep the barrel in the stock.
I find that leather is superior to lead strips for keeping the flints securely adjusted in the jaws of the cock of a flintlock.