ftp.xmission.com/2014.06.ftp.xmission.com.tar/ftp.xmission.com/pub/lists/hist_text/archive/v01.n142

Internet Message Format | 1998-09-22 | 30KB

From: [e-mail] (hist_text-digest)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: hist_text-digest V1 #142
Reply-To: hist_text
Sender: [e-mail]
Errors-To: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


hist_text-digest     Wednesday, September 23 1998     Volume 01 : Number 142




----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 01:09:42 -0400
From: "Fred A. Miller" <[e-mail]>
Subject: MtMan-List: Powders...

Michael Pierce wrote:
>
> why do you mix the powders fred---how the hell can you be consistant---
> mixing FF and FFF g is a new one on me----I shoot 3 f in everything I own

You can use scales to weight it or by volume....NO problem.

> except my shotguns and have done darn well at a many a shoot for many
> years---I never have shot any of the elephant powder---I shoot 85 gr of
> FFFg in my 54 and have shot a many a  cleans with x's.  Gun has a Bill
> Large Barrel in it and that is what bill suggested---I have tried loads
> from 50 gr to 150 gr and the 70 to 95 gr has the smallest group with the
> 85gr having the most consistant in all kinds of weather---and
> temperature---

Heavy loads of fffg WILL sooner or later erode the breech, with all due
respect to Bill Large.

Fred

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 09:12:11 -0600 (CST)
From: [e-mail] (Henry B. Crawford)
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Virginia style

>Pendleton,
>
>I don't know if Henry was kidding or not.

Friends,
I wasn't kidding.  I know the Pennsylvania (Kentucky) rifle and the
Tennessee, but I never heard of anything called a Virginia rifle.  I assume
it's some vartiant of the traditional long rifle, but what kind of
variation, I don't know.  I may know it by a different name, who knows.

HBC

*****************************************
Henry B. Crawford        Curator of History
[e-mail]     Museum of Texas Tech University
806/742-2442           Box 43191
FAX [phone]             Lubbock, TX  79409-3191
               WEBSITE: http://www.ttu.edu/~museum
******  Living History . . . Because it's there!  *******

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 09:59:36 +0100
From: Allen Chronister <[e-mail]>
Subject: MtMan-List: fire making, guns in west

I was gone for a few days and returned to find a
lot of messages about firemaking and char cloth.
How the old timers did it has also been an issue
of mine for some time.  Despite extensive reading
in period journals there is little or no
information usually given on fire starting except
to not that a fire was started or "struck" or that
they had trouble starting a fire because of wet
conditions.  Without going back and looking at all
my notes, the only reference I can recall to
techniques are (all in west, 1800-40):
- --one reference to inability to make fire because
they had no powder
- --one reference to watching an Indian make fire
using a twirling stick and wood hearth
Sorry I don't have the cites with me.
Also consider some random associated points:
Many of the invoices of individual's purchases in
the Mountains contain relatively small quantities
(a yard or two) of cotton fabric.
You can get past the point of needing char by
putting dry tender down your bore on top of a
small charge of powder and shooting it out.  It
works.
I've tried striking sparks onto tender dusted with
powder (based on above reference) without any good
results.  Usually noting happens as the powder
settles down into the tender.
Fire steels were a unbiquitous item of commerce.
Usually in the 1820-30 period called "bright oval"
ALSO, anyone with questions on "what guns went
west?" should start with Hanson's "The Hawken
Rifle and its Place in History."  It will probably
answer most of them, and I suspect that maybe some
folks are overlooking it because of the title,
assuming it to be only about Hawkens.  What it
really does is put everything into an overall
perspective.
Allen Chronister

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 16:02:56 -0400
From: "Holler, Edward" <[e-mail]>
Subject: MtMan-List: Bow and Drill

I'm trying to find aplace where I can buy 10 sets of Bow and Drill fire
making devices.  I want to use this for a training session for teachers
at the school in which I'm the principal.  Can you tel me where to buy
them?

Thanks,

Dr. Ed Holler

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 13:15:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: Sam Keller <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Bow and Drill

Check you local Boy Scout Of America Council Office. At one time, they
offered a "Fire by friction set" which was made of Yucca. Have not
been there in years, but worth a try.




- ---"Holler, Edward" <[e-mail]> wrote:
>
> I'm trying to find aplace where I can buy 10 sets of Bow and Drill
fire
> making devices.  I want to use this for a training session for
teachers
> at the school in which I'm the principal.  Can you tel me where to buy
> them?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Dr. Ed Holler
>
>

_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 17:52:12 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Bow and Drill

You used to be able to buy them through the Boy Scouts

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 19:25:05 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Michael Pierce)
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Bow and Drill

Ed contact me off-line and we can discuss the fire bows--I thank you can
make them yourself quite easily---

      "Hawk"
Michael Pierce
854 Glenfield Dr.
Palm Harbor, florida   34684
1-[phone]     E-MAIL ADDRESS: [e-mail]

On Mon, 21 Sep 1998 13:15:59 -0700 (PDT) Sam Keller <[e-mail]>
writes:
>Check you local Boy Scout Of America Council Office. At one time, they
>offered a "Fire by friction set" which was made of Yucca. Have not
>been there in years, but worth a try.
>
>
>
>
>---"Holler, Edward" <[e-mail]> wrote:
>>
>> I'm trying to find aplace where I can buy 10 sets of Bow and Drill
>fire
>> making devices.  I want to use this for a training session for
>teachers
>> at the school in which I'm the principal.  Can you tel me where to
>buy
>> them?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Dr. Ed Holler
>>
>>
>
>_________________________________________________________
>DO YOU YAHOO!?
>Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
>
>
>

_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 19:01:35 -0500
From: "Lanney Ratcliff" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: fire making, guns in west

Allen
I agree with your comment about Charles Hanson's book.  I bought my copy
this summer in Pinedale, Wyoming en route to Pierre's Hole.  It is a
fascinating and enlightening read.  It is very inexpensive (mine cost $8.00
American) and anyone even semi-serious about the early 19th century fur
trade would be well served to have a copy.
See you next July.
YF&B
Lanney
- -----Original Message-----
From: Allen Chronister <[e-mail]>
To: chat <[e-mail]>
Date: Monday, September 21, 1998 10:57 AM
Subject: MtMan-List: fire making, guns in west


>I was gone for a few days and returned to find a
>lot of messages about firemaking and char cloth.
>How the old timers did it has also been an issue
>of mine for some time.  Despite extensive reading
>in period journals there is little or no
>information usually given on fire starting except
>to not that a fire was started or "struck" or that
>they had trouble starting a fire because of wet
>conditions.  Without going back and looking at all
>my notes, the only reference I can recall to
>techniques are (all in west, 1800-40):
>--one reference to inability to make fire because
>they had no powder
>--one reference to watching an Indian make fire
>using a twirling stick and wood hearth
>Sorry I don't have the cites with me.
>Also consider some random associated points:
>Many of the invoices of individual's purchases in
>the Mountains contain relatively small quantities
>(a yard or two) of cotton fabric.
>You can get past the point of needing char by
>putting dry tender down your bore on top of a
>small charge of powder and shooting it out.  It
>works.
>I've tried striking sparks onto tender dusted with
>powder (based on above reference) without any good
>results.  Usually noting happens as the powder
>settles down into the tender.
>Fire steels were a unbiquitous item of commerce.
>Usually in the 1820-30 period called "bright oval"
>ALSO, anyone with questions on "what guns went
>west?" should start with Hanson's "The Hawken
>Rifle and its Place in History."  It will probably
>answer most of them, and I suspect that maybe some
>folks are overlooking it because of the title,
>assuming it to be only about Hawkens.  What it
>really does is put everything into an overall
>perspective.
>Allen Chronister
>

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 20:55:03 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Bow and Drill

 <A HREF="http://www.trackofthewolf.com/">Track of the Wolf, Inc.</A>

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 17:57:24 -0700
From: Frank <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: fire making, guns in west

Allen,

One other method of lighting your char is to put a piece in your flash
pan (assuming you have a flinter) and firing you gun to land a spark on
the char.  Naturally you would make sure your gun was not loaded and
pointed in a safe direction.  Anyway, it's another method I remember
reading about.

Medicine Bear

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 01:26:51 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Roy Parker)
Subject: Breechplug treatment, was...Re: MtMan-List: Powders...

I try to trim followups, but this has too much info.  I recently read
(Muzzleloader or Backwoodsman - neither handy - or did I read it here
on the list?) about a fellow who found an old barrel used for a fence
post (muzzle up) for undoubtedly several hundred years.  Anyway, he
decided to unbreach it, applied a little heat, and low and behold it
unscrewed like nothin'.  The threads had been coated with some sort of
tar, and the metal underneath was like new.

Anybody else have any experience like this with originals or repo's?


On Mon, 21 Sep 1998 01:09:42 -0400, you wrote:

>Michael Pierce wrote:
>>=20
>> why do you mix the powders fred---how the hell can you be =
consistant---
>> mixing FF and FFF g is a new one on me----I shoot 3 f in everything I =
own
>
>You can use scales to weight it or by volume....NO problem.
>
>> except my shotguns and have done darn well at a many a shoot for many
>> years---I never have shot any of the elephant powder---I shoot 85 gr =
of
>> FFFg in my 54 and have shot a many a  cleans with x's.  Gun has a Bill
>> Large Barrel in it and that is what bill suggested---I have tried =
loads
>> from 50 gr to 150 gr and the 70 to 95 gr has the smallest group with =
the
>> 85gr having the most consistant in all kinds of weather---and
>> temperature---
>
>Heavy loads of fffg WILL sooner or later erode the breech, with all due
>respect to Bill Large.
>
>Fred
>

Roy Parker, Buckskinner, Brewer, Blacksmith and other "B"'s, including =
"BS".
1999 SW Rendezvous info available at http://www.sat.net/~robenhaus

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 23:45:08 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Bow and Drill

The Boy Scouts of America used to have a simple yet inexpensive Bow and Drill
set.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 23:50:43 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Michael Pierce)
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Bow and Drill

will have to check this out---havent seen it in their catalog but mine is
old---
      "Hawk"
Michael Pierce
854 Glenfield Dr.
Palm Harbor, florida   34684
1-[phone]     E-MAIL ADDRESS: [e-mail]

On Mon, 21 Sep 1998 20:55:03 EDT [e-mail] writes:
> <A HREF="http://www.trackofthewolf.com/">Track of the Wolf, Inc.</A>
>
>

_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 23:48:18 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Michael Pierce)
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Powders...

Mr parker I have seen several original rifles just as you
described---what it is is this--if a breech plug is properly installed
the head of the breach comes into contact with the barrel and makes a
seal in other words the champher of  drilling the barrel before tapping
and the champher of the plug makes contact-- this when the plug is
tourqued good and tight and with greese applied to the threads forms a
air tight seal thru the threads and no air--no rust--then unless you have
galvonic corrosion the threads will last for ever and when you break the
seal at the rear and the front you will have on the threads the grease
which turns to a black film---a lot of the oldtimers used black oil to
tap with and then applied this same mixture to the threads before they
torqued the breach---when I fit a breach I usually do it the same as the
old timers and put blue dikum on the head of the breach plug and when I
get it to make full contact with the barrel it is fitted properly I also
try to do the same at the back part of the plug the perfect way is to
have both surfaces to make contact at the same time---takes a while to
file and fit but as you noted it has benifits of making a total seal of
the breach plug and you dont have much chance of blowby which will
eventually erode and ruin the threads---
      "Hawk"
Michael Pierce
854 Glenfield Dr.
Palm Harbor, florida   34684
1-[phone]     E-MAIL ADDRESS: [e-mail]

On Tue, 22 Sep 1998 01:26:51 GMT [e-mail] (Roy Parker)
writes:
>I try to trim followups, but this has too much info.  I recently read
>(Muzzleloader or Backwoodsman - neither handy - or did I read it here
>on the list?) about a fellow who found an old barrel used for a fence
>post (muzzle up) for undoubtedly several hundred years.  Anyway, he
>decided to unbreach it, applied a little heat, and low and behold it
>unscrewed like nothin'.  The threads had been coated with some sort of
>tar, and the metal underneath was like new.
>
>Anybody else have any experience like this with originals or repo's?
>
>
>On Mon, 21 Sep 1998 01:09:42 -0400, you wrote:
>
>>Michael Pierce wrote:
>>>=20
>>> why do you mix the powders fred---how the hell can you be =
>consistant---
>>> mixing FF and FFF g is a new one on me----I shoot 3 f in everything
>I =
>own
>>
>>You can use scales to weight it or by volume....NO problem.
>>
>>> except my shotguns and have done darn well at a many a shoot for
>many
>>> years---I never have shot any of the elephant powder---I shoot 85
>gr =
>of
>>> FFFg in my 54 and have shot a many a  cleans with x's.  Gun has a
>Bill
>>> Large Barrel in it and that is what bill suggested---I have tried =
>loads
>>> from 50 gr to 150 gr and the 70 to 95 gr has the smallest group
>with =
>the
>>> 85gr having the most consistant in all kinds of weather---and
>>> temperature---
>>
>>Heavy loads of fffg WILL sooner or later erode the breech, with all
>due
>>respect to Bill Large.
>>
>>Fred
>>
>
>Roy Parker, Buckskinner, Brewer, Blacksmith and other "B"'s, including
>=
>"BS".
>1999 SW Rendezvous info available at http://www.sat.net/~robenhaus
>
>

_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 07:02:17 -0000
From: "Glenn Darilek" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: fire making, guns in west

In his (dictated to his daughter) book "Evolution of a State"
http://www.erols.com/hardeman/lonestar/olbooks/smithwic/otd.htm
Noah Smithwick told of making firestarting cloth by rubbing gunpowder into
cloth.
Sorry I couldn't find the exact place, but I distinctly remember this.
This reference is for the not for the western mountaineers, but it is for
our period.

This method might cause no small amount of controversy if used in a
rendezvous firestarting contest.
Warning - This method can produce various dramatic results, including a very
fast fire in your beard!

Glenn Darilek
Iron Burner

Allen Chronister <[e-mail]> wrote


>.  .  . Despite extensive reading
>in period journals there is little or no
>information usually given on fire starting except
>to not that a fire was started or "struck" or that
>they had trouble starting a fire because of wet
>conditions.  Without going back and looking at all
>my notes, the only reference I can recall to
>techniques are (all in west, 1800-40):
>--one reference to inability to make fire because
>they had no powder
>--one reference to watching an Indian make fire
>using a twirling stick and wood hearth
>Sorry I don't have the cites with me. . . .

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 08:41:38 -0600 (CST)
From: [e-mail] (Henry B. Crawford)
Subject: Re: Breechplug treatment, was...Re: MtMan-List: Powders...

>...a fellow who found an old barrel used for a fence
>post (muzzle up) for undoubtedly several hundred years.  Anyway, he
>decided to unbreach it, applied a little heat, and low and behold it
>unscrewed like nothin'.  The threads had been coated with some sort of
>tar, and the metal underneath was like new.
>
>Anybody else have any experience like this with originals or repo's?

I did something similar with the barrel of a CVA mountain rifle.  I applied
super-hot water down the bore and worked the breechplug out with a monkey
wrench.  It can be done.

Cheers,
HBC

*****************************************
Henry B. Crawford        Curator of History
[e-mail]     Museum of Texas Tech University
806/742-2442           Box 43191
FAX [phone]             Lubbock, TX  79409-3191
               WEBSITE: http://www.ttu.edu/~museum
******  Living History . . . Because it's there!  *******

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 10:08:29 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Michael Pierce)
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Powders...

H.B.
I thank he is refering to the threads being totaly intact and covered
with a black film--as i stated in my correspondance it's probably the fit
of the breach along with the use of greese or black oil used in threading
and assembly.  most good breach plugs and barrel threads were cut on a
lathe for both internal and external threads and it took a good machinest
to cut them---Yes there was taps and dies but those were quite crude and
hand made and not as precision as todays taps and dies and the threads
cut with taps and dies did not make the seal that those that were fitted.
 in the fitting process the front of the breach plug comes in contact
with the champher of the barrel the same time as the back end of the
breach plug seals the back side of the barrel.  this is a art form and
not many of todays breaches have been fitted this way--Champher to
champer seal makes a total gas seal and air seal---no air no rust ---only
the captured oil or grease in the threads which will turn black with
age--a little heat and WA'''LLA a 2 hundred year old barrel can be
unbreached---WARNING---TOO MUCH HEAT CAN DAMAGE THE BARREL---
the heat causes the outside metal to expand and the inside breach plug is
same size so it makes it easier to remove the plug---this is similar to
installing a barrel sleeve using todays methods----heat the outside of
the barrel---hole in barrel about .001 to .003
sleeve of the barrel about .001 larger than the barrel hole and upon
appling heat to the outside of the barrel the sleeve can be dropped down
the barrel and will make a force fit --this has to be done fast or you
will ruin a sleeve and a barrel---not a TRICK FOR A NOT KNOWING PERSON---

      "Hawk"
Michael Pierce
854 Glenfield Dr.
Palm Harbor, florida   34684
1-[phone]     E-MAIL ADDRESS: [e-mail]

On Tue, 22 Sep 1998 08:41:38 -0600 (CST) [e-mail] (Henry B.
Crawford) writes:
>>...a fellow who found an old barrel used for a fence
>>post (muzzle up) for undoubtedly several hundred years.  Anyway, he
>>decided to unbreach it, applied a little heat, and low and behold it
>>unscrewed like nothin'.  The threads had been coated with some sort
>of
>>tar, and the metal underneath was like new.
>>
>>Anybody else have any experience like this with originals or repo's?
>
>I did something similar with the barrel of a CVA mountain rifle.  I
>applied
>super-hot water down the bore and worked the breechplug out with a
>monkey
>wrench.  It can be done.
>
>Cheers,
>HBC
>
>*****************************************
>Henry B. Crawford        Curator of History
>[e-mail]     Museum of Texas Tech University
>806/742-2442           Box 43191
>FAX [phone]             Lubbock, TX  79409-3191
>               WEBSITE: http://www.ttu.edu/~museum
>******  Living History . . . Because it's there!  *******
>
>
>
>

_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 10:04:51 +0100
From: Allen Chronister <[e-mail]>
Subject: MtMan-List: more on fires

More on firemaking.  Someone questioned how much
char cloth would be needed to start 3 fires a day
for extended periods of time.  Someone else very
correctly noted that once a fire is started it
need not be put out as long as camp stays in the
same place.  This is certainly the practice when
we camp, and it is reflected in period journals.
O. Russell stated that the jobs of a camp keeper
(his original job description) included guarding
horses, cooking and keeping the fires going (p.
51).
John Kirk Townsend described drying meat, during
which time the fire was "going constantly."  (p.
106)
I also found another reference to making fire.
David Meriweather mentioned striking fire with
flint and steel and "some punk we had taken with
us."  (p. 59).  "Punk" of course probably means
charred plant material, not some guy with a
pierced nose, shaved head and a motorcycle jacket.
Allen Chronister

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 14:20:12 +0100
From: Allen Chronister <[e-mail]>
Subject: MtMan-List: need help

Somewhere, sometime in the past, I remember
reading in the vast literature of the western fur
trade, a description of a battle between a group
of Delaware hunter/trappers and a group of
opposing Indians.  The Delawares took up a
fortified position with their families in the
center, and during the fight the delaware women
were casting balls and passing them to the
fighting men.  Great stuff, but I can't locate it.

Can anybody else rmember where it is, or is it
just my imagination?
Allen Chronister

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 18:24:03 -0500
From: "Lanney Ratcliff" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: more on fires

Allen
My step-daughter has brought home a few of those pierced nose, shaved head
punks that I would gladly started a fire with...offered to with a couple of
them.
Lanney
- -----Original Message-----
From: Allen Chronister <[e-mail]>
To: chat <[e-mail]>
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 1998 11:03 AM
Subject: MtMan-List: more on fires


>More on firemaking.  Someone questioned how much
>char cloth would be needed to start 3 fires a day
>for extended periods of time.  Someone else very
>correctly noted that once a fire is started it
>need not be put out as long as camp stays in the
>same place.  This is certainly the practice when
>we camp, and it is reflected in period journals.
>O. Russell stated that the jobs of a camp keeper
>(his original job description) included guarding
>horses, cooking and keeping the fires going (p.
>51).
>John Kirk Townsend described drying meat, during
>which time the fire was "going constantly."  (p.
>106)
>I also found another reference to making fire.
>David Meriweather mentioned striking fire with
>flint and steel and "some punk we had taken with
>us."  (p. 59).  "Punk" of course probably means
>charred plant material, not some guy with a
>pierced nose, shaved head and a motorcycle jacket.
>Allen Chronister
>

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 20:30:28 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Michael Pierce)
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Powders...

i FORGOT TO WARN A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT IN MY EXPERIENCE ABOUT 50 % OF
THE oLD BARRELS  THAT I HAVE UNBREACHED HAVE BEEN LOADED WITH POWDER AND
BALL---BE SURE TO CHECK THE BARREL BEFORE APPLYING HEAT TO THE BREACH
PLUG---

YOU COULD HURT SOMEONE OR SOME THING---ALWAYS CHECK TO MAKE SURE OLD
BARREL IS NOT LOADED---USE A RAMROD OR A METAL ROD TO CHECK---CHECK
PENITRATION TO THE BARREL LENGTH---

      "Hawk"
Michael Pierce
854 Glenfield Dr.
Palm Harbor, florida   34684
1-[phone]     E-MAIL ADDRESS: [e-mail]

On Tue, 22 Sep 1998 10:08:29 -0400 [e-mail] (Michael Pierce)
writes:
>H.B.
>I thank he is refering to the threads being totaly intact and covered
>with a black film--as i stated in my correspondance it's probably the
>fit of the breach along with the use of greese or black oil used in
>threading and assembly.  most good breach plugs and barrel threads
>were cut on a lathe for both internal and external threads and it took
>a good machinest to cut them---Yes there was taps and dies but those
>were quite crude and hand made and not as precision as todays taps and
>dies and the threads cut with taps and dies did not make the seal that
>those that were fitted.  in the fitting process the front of the
>breach plug comes in contact with the champher of the barrel the same
>time as the back end of the breach plug seals the back side of the
>barrel.  this is a art form and not many of todays breaches have been
>fitted this way--Champher to champer seal makes a total gas seal and
>air seal---no air no rust ---only the captured oil or grease in the
>threads which will turn black with age--a little heat and WA'''LLA a 2
>hundred year old barrel can be unbreached---WARNING---TOO MUCH HEAT
>CAN DAMAGE THE BARREL---
>the heat causes the outside metal to expand and the inside breach plug
>is same size so it makes it easier to remove the plug---this is
>similar to installing a barrel sleeve using todays methods----heat the
>outside of the barrel---hole in barrel about .001 to .003
>sleeve of the barrel about .001 larger than the barrel hole and upon
>appling heat to the outside of the barrel the sleeve can be dropped
>down the barrel and will make a force fit --this has to be done fast
>or you will ruin a sleeve and a barrel---not a TRICK FOR A NOT KNOWING
>PERSON---
>
>      "Hawk"
>Michael Pierce
>854 Glenfield Dr.
>Palm Harbor, florida   34684
>1-[phone]     E-MAIL ADDRESS: [e-mail]
>
>On Tue, 22 Sep 1998 08:41:38 -0600 (CST) [e-mail] (Henry B.
>Crawford) writes:
>>>...a fellow who found an old barrel used for a fence
>>>post (muzzle up) for undoubtedly several hundred years.  Anyway, he
>>>decided to unbreach it, applied a little heat, and low and behold it
>>>unscrewed like nothin'.  The threads had been coated with some sort
>>of
>>>tar, and the metal underneath was like new.
>>>
>>>Anybody else have any experience like this with originals or repo's?
>>
>>I did something similar with the barrel of a CVA mountain rifle.  I
>>applied
>>super-hot water down the bore and worked the breechplug out with a
>>monkey
>>wrench.  It can be done.
>>
>>Cheers,
>>HBC
>>
>>*****************************************
>>Henry B. Crawford        Curator of History
>>[e-mail]     Museum of Texas Tech University
>>806/742-2442           Box 43191
>>FAX [phone]             Lubbock, TX  79409-3191
>>               WEBSITE: http://www.ttu.edu/~museum
>>******  Living History . . . Because it's there!  *******
>>
>>
>>
>>
>_____________________________________________________________________
>You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get
>completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno
>at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 02:54:17 -0500
From: Jeff Powers <[e-mail]>
Subject: MtMan-List: Re:Fire and 18th century punks ;-)

Except for the missing roach you nearly described my new outfit and a couple
of other N.A. reenactors on this list!


   >My step-daughter has brought home a few of those pierced nose,
   >shaved head punks that I would gladly started a fire with...offered
   >to with a couple of them.
   >Lanney
Jeff Powers,Rogue & Ne'er do Well

"They make no scruple to break wind publickly" Fr.Louis Hennepin 1698

------------------------------

End of hist_text-digest V1 #142
*******************************

-
 To unsubscribe to hist_text-digest, send an email to
"[e-mail]"
 with "unsubscribe hist_text-digest" in the body of the message.
 For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send
 "help" to the same address.  Do not use quotes in your message.