Re: OK - here's another one for you!

Posted by Clabert on January 17, 2000 at 11:54:04:

In Reply to: Re: OK - here's another one for you! posted by Dana S. on January 17, 2000 at 05:45:56:

: : : So - their powder is "soakin' wet" (said in a distinctly DDL Irish accent) and therefore useless...right? So does it dry out in time to put Duncan out of his misery?! Or do they stop at Ye Olde Gunpowder Shoppe on their way to the Huron village? Answers please on a postcard to.... all right a follow up mail will do!

: : : Adele

: : OK ... Since no one seems to want to tackle these things, I'll give it a shot. This one is easy. If the powder was wet when they ARRIVED at the cave, it was surely useless by the time they jumped through the falls & were swept down river. Of course, it was 2 days, or so, later when they arrived at the Huron Village, so it could have dried, however, the probable answer is:

: : It was common practice among Indians & frontiersman to store various necessities in little hideouts, called caches, at various locales within their territory for just this kind of emergency. Undoubtedly, Hawkeye et al visited one of theirs, after pulling themselves from the river, & replenished their powder ...

: : Anyone want to take a stab at the other two questions posed???
: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: Hey Adele and Rich!

: I am TRYING to learn about guns like the one Hawkeye used. HA! Powder? What KIND of pwder? What 'load'? Was it 2f or 3f? Was there a different powder for priming? HMMMMMM? How did they know WHICH powder to hide in the trees? :)))))

: Just joking. This gun thing is the hardest part of trekking for me to understand. I'll keep pluggin' away, though.

: Dana S.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First of all, if you remember they asked for "some powder from your source" and being a militaty base, 2f was used in the muskets. :) But in a .50 caliber rifle like his, I would and do use 3f. He also primed from his main horn before the courier ran from the fort.
The powder was carried by the soldiers in paper cartridges and they were very prone to water damage. And if the stoppers in the horns were tight, just the powder in the front of the horn got wet making it just a matter of poking a stick in to clear the spout. The powder could be poured out and dried in a few hours. Black powder can be dried and maybe reground and it`s ready for use again.
Putting all this aside, being the woodsman Hawkeye was, he more then likly had a cache somewhere abouts.

Clabert

Follow Ups:

• Re: OK - here's another one for you! Jayne 21:29:02 1/17/2000 (3)
  • Re: OK - here's another one for you! Jo 08:08:50 1/18/2000 (2)
    • Re: OK - here's another one for you! Bill R 10:45:29 1/18/2000 (1)
      • Re: OK - here's another one for you! Clabert 13:06:41 1/18/2000 (0)

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Comments:
: : : : So - their powder is "soakin' wet" (said in a distinctly DDL Irish accent) and therefore useless...right?  So does it dry out in time to put Duncan out of his misery?!  Or do they stop at Ye Olde Gunpowder Shoppe on their way to the Huron village?  Answers please on a postcard to.... all right a follow up mail will do!

: : : : Adele

: : : OK ... Since no one seems to want to tackle these things, I'll give it a shot. This one is easy. If the powder was wet when they ARRIVED at the cave, it was surely useless by the time they jumped through the falls & were swept down river. Of course, it was 2 days, or so, later when they arrived at the Huron Village, so it could have dried, however, the probable answer is:

: : : It was common practice among Indians & frontiersman to store various necessities in little hideouts, called caches, at various locales within their territory for just this kind of emergency. Undoubtedly, Hawkeye et al visited one of theirs, after pulling themselves from the river, & replenished their powder ...

: : : Anyone want to take a stab at the other two questions posed???
: : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: : Hey Adele and Rich!

: : I am TRYING to learn about guns like the one Hawkeye used.  HA!  Powder?  What KIND of pwder?  What 'load'?  Was it 2f or 3f?  Was there a different powder for priming?  HMMMMMM?  How did they know WHICH powder to hide in the trees? :)))))  

: : Just joking.  This gun thing is the hardest part of trekking for me to understand.  I'll keep pluggin' away, though.

: : Dana S.
: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

: First of all, if you remember they asked for "some powder from your source" and being a militaty base, 2f was used in the muskets. :) But in a .50 caliber rifle like his, I would and do use 3f. He also primed from his main horn before the courier ran from the fort.
:  The powder was carried by the soldiers in paper cartridges and they were very prone to water damage. And if the stoppers in the horns were tight, just the powder in the front of the horn got wet making it just a matter of poking a stick in to clear the spout. The powder could be poured out and dried in a few hours. Black powder can be dried and maybe reground and it`s ready for use again.
:  Putting all this aside, being the woodsman Hawkeye was, he more then likly had a cache somewhere abouts.

: Clabert


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