How to Make a Bore Swab

[Shooey]

Hello Cannoneers!
I am not at all familiar with cannons but my friend has a replica and we'd like to fire it. My question is how can we learn how to make a bore swab??

The cannon is a half-scale Napoleonic 1848 Howitzer. The barrel is about 2 or 3 feet long and the bore is about 2.5 inches. We plan on firing a LIGHT load (he has data) under a little newspaper.

Any info you kind gents could provide is appreciated, we'd like to shoot it in a SAFE manner. If we can't or shouldn't, then so be it!

 

[musketman]

I believe the swab was a long pole with a jag at the end almost to bore size, then fleece (wool) was fitted to the jag permanently to bring it up to the bore's internal diameter...

The other end of the pole could be fitted with a concaved plunger, like whats on the end of your ramrod and used to load the gun...

 

[capnwilliam]

Yes, and you'll need a worm, also.

Capt. William

 

[Will Bison]

Paint rollers on the end of a pole covered with a cotton tube sock work well. You also need a worm, make it from a large coil spring.

 

[Shooey]

Thank you all for your replies! I do have one question, please educate me. Why would I need a worm?

I know on my rifles they're used for pulling out stuck patches, and some folks use them for pulling dry-balls (I"ve never done that you know . . . :

But if we're not firing balls, and not using patches where's the need for a worm? Thanks again.

 

[musketman]

But if we're not firing balls, and not using patches where's the need for a worm?

It is better to have and not need, than to not have and need...

What if the end of the swab breaks off in the breech?

It's the worm to the rescue...

You never know, a deranged chipmunk could crawl down the barrel and get stuck and die, again, the worm would remove it in nothing flat...

 

[mike alexandre]

You need a worm to make sure all the paper/foil or whatever you wrap your BP in is removed b4 you swab. Try making one from a sewage pipe worm which goes on the end of a flexable drain rod.

 

[Gary]

Why a worm? Because it's authentic if you want to practice safety. The barrel was wormed out before a new charge was introduced. They didn't do it for fun but for safety. Might as well keep your fingers and hands.

 

[capnwilliam]

In our 1815 drill at Jean Lafitte National Park, we worm before charging cartridge (no telling who might have put what down the barrel: or, whoever wormed it last time might have missed something); and then again after we fire (sometimes, the explosion blasts out the aluminum foil cartridge wrapping, but usually it doesn't; and you don't want any unwanted potential projectile down the bore.)
:no:

Capt. William