Tompions

[musketman]

What are TOMPIONS?
Asked a friend who was new to muzzleloaders...

Tompions are hand-turned barrel plugs from different types of hardwoods and are available in both .69 and .75 calibers, they may also come in .62 and .58 calibers too. They are turned slightly oversized for the barrel for a snug fit.

Early tompions look a bit like the old, round wooden clothespins and press into the muzzle of a musket or carbine to keep the rain from entering the barrel.

If a tompion is left in the barrel for an extended period of time the trapped moisture will cause rust pits to form along the wall of the barrel.

The M1855 tompion was a wood plug with a brass head and a leather washer.

Later tompions issued with the Civil War M1861-63-64 rifle muskets were made entirely of wood.
The immage below is a Civil War tompion...

Historically, tompions were marked by the soldier with ingenious designs to provide a convenient means of locating his person firearm in a stack.

This was a lot faster than looking for a gun's serial number or I.D. mark...

Here is a tompion installed in a Early Model 1855 Rifle Musket...
http://www.eclectichistorian.net/RifleMusket/StockTip.html

 

[Stumpkiller]

I do a bit of metal detecting, and one interest site had a discussion on odd bullets that are occasionally found near old CW battle sites. Minie-balls with screws stuck in them. Turns out several members had found them and, according to general concensus, soldiers must have occasionally fired their weapons with the two-piece wood/metal tampions in place. The wood fragmented and the screw, occasionally the metal finial too, would be lodged into the lead of the bullet.

Wonder how many barrels burst if this was done with a tight fitting tampion?

 

[roundball]

Musketman, couldn't help but read the entire article about the 1855, and the excellent results achieved using three balls in the .58cal.

Reminded me of my surprise when I experimented with my.62cal smoothbore flintlock...three .50cal - 180grn balls produced outstanding 4"-5" groups at 40yds...plenty of penetration power, so I think I'll try one deer with it this coming season...

(experimentation keeps the mind fertile !!)

 

[musketman]

quote:Originally posted by Stumpkiller:
soldiers must have occasionally fired their weapons with the two-piece wood/metal tampions in place. The wood fragmented and the screw, occasionally the metal finial too, would be lodged into the lead of the bullet.Check this out, this might explain what was found...

http://wesclark.com/jw/tomp1.html

I'm thinking that this might be a reproduction of an origional tompion.

 

[Stumpkiller]

THAT's GREAT. I'm makin some!

I take it there was a tale to tell behind that 'patent'? Someone caught a tampion in the brisket at a reinactment I imagine.

Love it.

"Skillyagalee" - the danger of surviving a battle. Moistened hardtack fried in pork fat.

 

[Zonie]

Whan usin the word Tompion around yer wife be sure to pronounce it correctly.
Iffen ye pronounce it like am things in the store what yer wife buys she might just whomp ye up along side yer head an make ye sleep out in the dogs house. (Like ye don't want ta say "I pulled my Tampon out of my bore and it was all rusty colored! Do you think I should spray some WD40 on it"...WHOMP!!! "I'll teach you to make fun of...").

 

[musketman]

'Zonie, would that be period correct?

 

[Zonie]

MooskeetMan: Ye must have a real nice dog house to be asking a question like that. WHOMP!!!"....AND STAY OUT YOU....."

 

[blckhrn]

Anyone thinking of making one should consider making it big enough to block the front sight. Better safe than sorry.

Musketman:
Later down the thread the link to the exploding tompion;

Ever hear of Civil War soldiers drilling out a 1/4" hole in the nose of a minnie ball and putting a .22cal RF in there for an exploding round?

 

[roundball]

What brand of .22cal rimfire cartidges were there back during the civil war??

 

[Zonie]

Ah dosn't no who made um. Could a been made by the same folks what made that lil revolver fer um.
Course that place probably went under. Ah meens who would buy somethin named Smith&Wesson anyways?

 

[blckhrn]

Don't know who made em but S+W Scoffield was big w/ Confederates if mem serves,Smith model 1-4 )?( .22 rf came before it.

 

[musketman]

Ever hear of Civil War soldiers drilling out a 1/4" hole in the nose of a minnie ball and putting a .22cal RF in there for an exploding round?

Yes I have, I also seen where they would fill the freshly drilled nose cavitity of the minie-ball with BP and a percussion cap fitted down in to hold it all in place...

Of course these were better suited for the breech loading guns, I can see using a ramrod on something like that... :shocking:

 

[blckhrn]

No problem, just ram good and hard to make sure you're seated

 

[blckhrn]

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=5595121

Pre civil war