When did the factory made wads and cards come on the scene? I’m talking about these kinds:
I know many nowadays use these wads and cards in their earlier styles trade guns and fusils, but are these actually historically correct? I’ve read period accounts of tree bark, wool, and other natural waddings, but not so much these ones.
Not factory made, but cards stamped to proper size with a circular punch were used very early. There are quite a few references to them in the old literature. Thomas Page, The Art of Shooting Flying, 1767, mentioned their being made of various materials.
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FRIENDLY
And what sort of wadding do you best approve of? I have heard some say that tow is best, others, cards stamped to fit the size of the bore.
AIMWELL
If cards be used, the end of your rammer must be almost as broad as your barrel will admit of, to go down free, and quite flat at the end, to prevent the card from turning; and must be push'd down gradually, to give time for the air to pass, otherwise it will be troublesome. This is therefore not the quickest way. Old
hat [felt] may be used in the same manner, which is rather better: and some say
leather shreds are best.
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There is also circumstantial evidence of hard cards with some weight to them, material not specified, being used quite early on.
The Pennsylvania Gazette
July 18, 1734
From Shrewsbury we hear, That on the 5th Inst. being Training Day at that Place, One of the Soldiers having his Musket loaded with a
hard Wadd on the Charge, in attempting to fire between the Legs of one Samuel Davenport his Fellow-Soldier, about Twenty-five Years of Age, the Wadd struck his Ancle Bone with such Force, that it was shatter'd, and broke quite off; and a Day or two after, the poor Man's Leg was cut off, and it was greatly fear'd he would lose his Life thereby.
The Pennsylvania Gazette
January 16, 1753
ANNAPOLIS, December 7.
Last Monday, being Christmas Day, some People having got pretty merry at the House of Joseph Crouch on the North Side of Severn, his Son very imprudently attempting to fire a Gun between his Father’s legs, shattering the Bone of one of them with the
Wad in a terrible Manner, so that it is thought he cannot recover.
From later, in 1812, A handbook for riflemen;, by William Duane:
"A method has been usefully resorted to of providing a punch made of steel, which by means of a hollow barrel equal to the calibre, cut either hat, or leather pieces to serve as wads, which are forced down immediately on the powder, after the powder is levelled well by a stroke of the but against the ground. This punch is made in the manner of those punches used by saddlers to cut large holes in stirrup leathers, &c.; hats, leather of all kinds, even linen, cotton or woolen cloth, or paper, might be cut with this punch with great advantage for wads; the ball should be laid over this kind of wad, and followed by another well forced in, when it is intended to march loaded."
Spence
