Items from the UK for help with please...

[user 60782]

Good day,
I was hoping some of you well informed people could help me out identifying the items in the picture. I think they are all to do with black powder guns, but apart from that I have no idea, especially the brass fish?!?I got these at a auction along with a huge wooden cloth lined case which I guess had a gun in it at some time?
Any help is greatly appreciated as I would like these to go to a good home if I can ID them.
Regards Cliff

 

[TCMonts]

Most are pretty standard items. The large brass cylinder is a traditions powder flask and the three small ones are spouts for it that will allow you to dispense difrent weight charges from it. the tree dark "L" shaped items are Ruger Old Army nipple wrenches. the long square thing is an in-line capper, the spring may have come out of it. The fish? well if you use your imagination, it could be an oiler, a small container for primer powder or a way to carry some caps if the hole is large enough, or just a nicr looking trinket. The items in the box may be powder measures but I can't see them well enough to say for sure. Hope that is some help.
TCM

 

[Acorn Mush]

I believe the dark L-shaped object in the left foreground is a generic cap and ball revolver nipple wrench, the nipples of which have parallel-sided wrench flats. The Ruger Old Army nipples have hexagonal flats.

If you can spread out and post another picture the parts in the box at the rear center of the photo, perhaps we can be of further assistance to you.

The brass fish is an intriguing item. Can you post more pictures of it, taken from different angles?

 

[appalichian hunter]

The Ruger nipple wrenches laying against the flask are worth a few bucks, to the person looking for one.

 

[leadhoarder]

The box looks to be a paper cartridge box but I cannot tell what is in it.

 

[ROA457]

The items in the box look very much like plug gauges, scoring gauges that is. The plug has an appropriate sized diameter plug for the hole in the target and there is a flange on the outside to bring all variations in caliber sizes to one dimension. Check out gauges for ISSF, NRA etc. I would agree with the fish being an oiler of some sort, betcha the small fish has an extension that would capture a drop of oil, bit like a dipstick.

 

[user 60782]

That fantastic help, thank you all. More details I have provided. the fish I find has the end part that is removal able and I can hear things inside it. I have tried to take a picture of what this looks like. the parts in the box are all like springs with numbers on th eend on them.
R

egards Cliff

 

[Acorn Mush]

ROA457 is right about the plug gauges for scoring paper targets. Good eyes there. Haven’t seen any of those in a LONG time. The numbers correspond to different calibers used in competition. I am interested in any more info that may surface regarding the brass fish.

 

[ROA457]

I wonder if what inside the fish has gone hard over the years, what used to be soft (eg foam etc) to hold the oil has now hardened to the point of being solid? Dogfax does it look round? mishapen? can you scape some off for better identification. I can't see it being powder to prime a flintlock, but willing to accept being wrong. The attachment points on the fish would indicate it hanging from something.

 

[user 60782]

ok so I have prized out the thing rattling and it is as shown (taken via microscope). It was a half sphere shape (now broken in two), see below. I also tried to get a view of inside the dolphin using a USB microscope. I am not getting any smell of oil from teh inside either.
Rgds

 

[Old army]

I wonder if it is powder? Might be worth trying to ignite a small portion. If it does burn, or if the granules look as though it could have been 4f then I’m going for powder to prime a flintlock

 

[user 60782]

Ok found it on Etsy. Described as eyeliner powder bottle...what ever that is . So a bottle for keeping gunpowder in then.
Thank you all for your help. Now to find a good home for these bits.

 

[user 60782]

Just want to say a massive thank you all for your help on educating and informing me on these items. It is very much appreciated.

 

[Acorn Mush]

Happy to be able to give a bit of assistance. Please don't be a stranger around here. There are LOTS of very knowledgeable people who contribute on a regular basis.

Have a great day.