A study on firearms tools

[fernando]

I kept thinking about these ball & buck moulds and, as i had seen one of the kind several months ago in a local dealer, i went back there and bought the thing.
This one is said to be a military version. I wonder if i may date it end XVIII century.
The cavities fit (close to) 15 m/m and 18 m/m bullets (balls) and a 9 m/m buck shot.
The mould itself is rather surdy, made in bronze. The whole device weighs 1,150 Kgs.
I wish Adrian were around to comment on this example; i am sure this is his area, both tool and period, and would be thankful for his input, with all eventual corrections to the above assumptions .
Other members opinions will obviously be welcome

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[adrian]

It is difficult to date & identify this unless there are some identifying marks, even with its measurable caliber as a guide. For most of the black powder military history it was far more expedient to supply ready made ammunition rather than to supply separate lead, casting tools, melting vessels etc & loose powder. Certainly there are examples whereby bullet making utensils/moulds were provided, as a back up, such as to outstations, expeditions & where re-supply was unlikely/unreliable, etc, but this would generally be the exception. If there was a conflict where hastily raised troops may have been required to provide their own arms then ammunition supply would probably have relied to some extent upon casting balls as required at an individual level due to varying calibres.

[fernando]

Thank you so much, Adrian. All wise info noted. Unfortunately there are no marks in it .

[fernando]

This is another bullet mould, which i forgot i had it for a while.
Again a rustic one, of very small dimensions, but still with sprue cutter and a 'cube' for turn off barrels.
Approximate caliber 12 m/m.

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[Marcus den toom]

Hi Fernando

Your first bullet mold is quit a heavy thing
I can't imagine that any particular soldier would carrier it with him, also the fact that it has 3 calibers in it would sugest some other use (shotgun?)

In case of a shotgun it could be explained, since some shotguns had 2 barrels with different calibers. The 3rd caliber could be buckshot?

At the first sight of it i thought immediatly about a german mountain man of some kind, with his double barrel shotgun hunting game , but i do have a significant fantasy

[fernando]

I regret having to cool down your fantasy .
I have meanwhile been paging Collectors Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution, by Newmann & Kravic.
Inumerous moulds are shown there, since folding handle to ball & buck models, similar to all examples shown here.
I don't think these multi use moulds, like the one i have posted, are for double calibre guns but for casting projectiles for different weapons, depending on respective necessity. Naturaly heavy weight devices are not portable and are certainly destined to backing facilities. Whether they may considered military or civilian is a question that, being omitted by Neumann, falls into knowledged Adrian's criteria.

[Andi]

From my last visit at Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, Germany.

An early multi-tool. A powder tester with integrated powder measure and fire striker from the 17/18th century.

The second one is just a single-tool only, a powder measure of the 17th century.