Silk as a patch material

[woodse guy]

Anybody use silk for patch material? Does it work? Are special lubes needed.

 

[Billnpatti]

Silk will not stand up the heat. It is very likely to leave crud melted in your bore.

 

[curator]

The concept of using silk as a patching material was invented for some unknown reason by the Holly-weird producers of "Last of the Mohicans." It was never part of the original James Fenimore Cooper book or anywhere in the "Leather Stocking" series. In the movie, Hawkeye (Natty Bumpo//Daniel Day Lewis) cuts a piece from the hemline of his girlfriend's dress to use for patching. He then claims he gets an extra 20 yards range by using silk. Total BS. However since the movie, this question comes up often. As pointed out by the other poster, silk is not particularly tolerant of heat

 

[Zonie]

To the best of my knowledge the answer is NO.

If you look at an electric iron you might notice the heat settings start with OFF, RAYON, SILK, WOOL...
This gives a clue that silk doesn't like high temperatures and burning black powder is downright hot.

Add to that the fact that silk fabric is almost always very thin.
A patch must be thick enough to fill the rifling grooves and seal them against the high pressures of the burning powder. Thin material won't do that.

I think most of this idea that silk would work comes from the movie Last of the Mohicans where some idiot decided the hero should champion the idea of using silk to gain an advantage.

My advise is to forget about using silk and stick to cotton or linen. We know they work nicely and your significant other won't get Pi**d about the big hole someone cut in her bloomers.

 

[Woodyrock]

Naval big gun powder bags are silk because it burns away without residue of hot sparks....your patch would not likely make to the muzzle, but then try to explain how paper wasp nest does not burn.
Woody

 

[MSW]

To the best of my knowledge the answer is NO.

If you look at an electric iron you might notice the heat settings start with OFF, RAYON, SILK, WOOL...
This gives a clue that silk doesn't like high temperatures and burning black powder is downright hot.

Add to that the fact that silk fabric is almost always very thin.
A patch must be thick enough to fill the rifling grooves and seal them against the high pressures of the burning powder. Thin material won't do that.

I think most of this idea that silk would work comes from the movie Last of the Mohicans where some idiot decided the hero should champion the idea of using silk to gain an advantage.

My advise is to forget about using silk and stick to cotton or linen. We know they work nicely and your significant other won't get Pi**d about the big hole someone cut in her bloomers.

aw shucks ... another perfectly good 'old wives' tale' down the drain ...

in truth, I did try this...

once ...

only once ...

still have a half yard of silk around here somewhere ...

 

[Patocazador]

Back then all the silk came in very limited supplies, mostly from China and France. I imagine silk was worth a whole bunch in the colonies during the early 18th century. It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution that it became semi-affordable.

That girl would have told Hawkeye, Chingachook and Uncas to GTH. :nono:

 

[woodse guy]

But everyone knows that guns never have to be reloaded. I was thinking more alone the lines of a natural fiber but Zonie's comment about the iron seams to have pointed out the problem with silk better then anything. Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[bpd303]

I tried some silk from an old worn out Japanese Kimono that I had. The silk was thicker than from most garments. The accuracy was acceptable but I never found the fired patches to see how they stood up. I wouldn't recommend them though unless you have an old kimono laying around.

 

[Wes/Tex]

That girl would have told Hawkeye, Chingachook and Uncas to GTH. :nono:

:thumbsup: And well she should! For one thing, I don't see the daughters of an infantry colonel wearing silken underthingies in the woods in the first place. Cotton or linen would have been far more comfortable, like all natural fiber garments. Secondly, I haven't found a whole lot of the movie dialog following Cooper's original work...no matter how hard I look, I just can't find the part where Gen Webb says the French only want to eat and make love with their faces, rather than fight! :thumbsup: :rotf:

 

[toot]

silk is better left on a woman's torso!!! not pushed down a gun barrel!!!