Getting set up for Black Powder rifle this hunting season, and was given an unused, but unneeded camera bag, and thought it might make a "possibles bag". Being new to Black Powder, I thought I would share what I have so far, and see what the experts think, and what else I will need.
Patch lube isn't obvious. If that thing next to the spanner wrench isn't a short starter, you need one.
Historically, that would be a shot pouch/shooting bag, not a possibles, but I'm glad you things to carry all of that BP mess in. Haha.
To expand a bit on patch lube. Chewing the patch really does work, it just doesn't want to be wringing wet such that it could affect the charge by wetting it.. Saliva on steel is essentially the same as water, and will rust the bore. If you discharge the arm at the end of the hunting day, as you should with the holy black or it's clones, you are going to clean it anyway. Now, I have used crisco to good effect, too. Uv cuss, the mountain man used bear grease. that works too, I am told. In fact, just about anything that eases the patched projo down the bore is just fine, you'll have to figure out what you like. (I have not seen motor oil used, but can't imagine why it wouldn't work ---)
a quote from page 70 of The Flag in American Indian Art says it well: "Possible bag was the name given by early nineteenth-century traders to these rectangular soft-skin bags. The term is a direct translation from the Indian word meaning 'a bag for every possible thing' (Conn 1979, p.152*). A more accurate term might be storage or tipi bag, as these containers held personal items and were placed around the inside of the tipi where they doubled as pillows. When moving camp, possible bags were hung in pairs on either side of a saddle where their sumptuous decoration could be admired." (And with the pockets enough for fire kit and ham radio, I think it will fill that role.)
Makes a good range bag. You don't need all your crap when hunting. In my case, a small flask that might hold enough powder for 10 or 12 shots. The measure on end of flask is a stubby that holds a 1/2 charge, have to throw 2 on reload obviously. I keep a small inline percussion cap holder on a lanyard around my neck. I also carry a patched bullet board with 5 patched bullets. I have used Crisco as a patch lube quite with satisfactory results but switched to one of the high tech shoot forever bullet/patch lubes. seems to me it had "103" in the name. it works quite well also. The only extra crap I carry is a small baggy with cleaning patches. I often run one spit wet after shooting, and one dry, and then reload. Oh almost forgot also in a pocket, spare nipple, nipple wrench, with nipple pick. that stuff and gun and belt knive is about all I carry. I haven't found the need to carry a starter. I get a short grasp of my loading rod, about 4 to 6 inches up and push patch and bullet thru my bullet board into the bore. Repocket the bullet board, and use short grasps of ramroad extension (no more than 12 inches to work the bullet down the barrel. warning ......... Taking a long grasp of your ramrod and trying to ram the bullet way down the barrel with force is a good way to impale your arm with a broken piece of the ramrod!
This gun has a screw breech plug. If necessary, I could push a projectile out after removing the powder.
Why not just remove the Nipple, and then recharge the Powder Charge with fresh Powder, replace the Nipple, and Cap it, and fire the weapon? I have done this a number of times, over the years, with no issues...
That's a good looking modern possibles bag to go with the modern look of the rifle. I've been playing this game for 40+ years now, and most of my gear has taken on a nice patina. My favorite possibles bag was made from a possum hide with the fur on. One of the only modern plastic contraptions in my range box and possibles bag is a CO2 discharger. This thing takes a CO2 cartridge and has a rubber lined cup that goes over the percussion nipple. With a squeeze of the handle, the patched ball, and if you hadn't forgotten it, the powder, is all blown out of the barrel by the CO2 charge. There is a flintlock adapter too, but I haven't seen the need for that yet. On the subject of spit patches and other lubes, I have started using a small tin with a piece of sponge in it soaked in dish soap. Smash the patch down onto the sponge a few times and it's nice and slick. Almost cleans as you go, and isn't so wet that it will moisten the powder charge. A bit off topic, but have you considered using alternative ignition sources to the 209 primers? The TC blog did some fiddling with this and found that the 209 was unsettling the charge before ignition, and opening group size. I switched to .25 ACP cases in a modified breech plug using small rifle primers and saw about a 2/3 reduction in group size over 209 primers.
I'll see if I can dig up some pictures from the AR50ML build, but I used a CVA breech plug and just bored the 209 primer hole to the correct depth to accept the .25 ACP case using the original height of the 209 primer to set "headspace". I think it was a 17/64" bit that was the final size for resized .25 ACP cases. I found so much variety in the diameter of range pickup fired cases that I had to buy a set of dies for the silly little pistol round. A slightly scrunched (narrowed) .223 stripper clip provides storage for the primed cases, and serves as my installer/remover since I have to reach through the ejection port of the AR upper to fit them in place. As a side benefit of using the smaller primers, I get less bolt bounce since my breech isn't locked and is just held in battery by what had been the recoil spring.
If this picture will attach, you'll see the modified .25 ACP plug and an optional musket cap plug that I later abandoned since it would have required a new bolt and big fat firing pin.
