Backwoods Gunpowder Making.

Flintlocks were being discussed as the ignition source.

For saltpeter, all you need is some Spectracide Stump Remover.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Spectra...a1&gclid=CLXCs9WenuECFQbkDQod9CcPxg&gclsrc=ds

 

Those rocks, OK, I get it. I am lucky. The stuff is all around here. Back in the day, it was a favored trade item for flintlocks and also for flint and steel fire making kits.

For those who would like to play around with those, and don't have flint nearby, check Crazy Crow Trading post

https://www.crazycrow.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SRCH

https://www.crazycrow.com/camp-decor-and-primitive-camp-supplies




.

 

Chick poop wood ash rust and charcoal

 

I have never been much for limiting myself. I guess it's a flaw

 

the indians had trade routes and materials such as flint ended up hundreds of miles from its originals source.

 

One of the several reasons that I put back the old "strike-anywhere" matches is that the heads of these matches are extremely volatile. Gunpowder for prison zip-guns is made of match heads. Prisoners make bullets out of wheel weights -- hey, wheel weight lead is great soft lead. You can harden lead with tin and antimony. If reloading you can keep your barrels from leading by putting a gas check on your lead bullets.

My mind is wandering, so bear with me (Scots blood with too much Scotch, or just the right amount, ha ha!). You may wish to lead your barrel such that the rifling goes away. What, are you crazy Old Geezer?!!! No, not crazy quite yet, but do give me time. Lead your handgun barrel so that you can shoot #9 shot in handguns using shot-shells. These are your snake loads! Gotta have your snake loads! Friend of mine (God rest your soul, Gary; will shake hands with you soon, brother) carried a .38 with shot-shells. Rattlers and copperheads. Leaded barrel = smoothbore = no doughnut pattern out of a revolver shooting shot-shells. Rifling gives you a toroid pattern = little shot in the middle.

Have had friends from the Punjab. I got stories about poor folk from the Punjab making their own gunpowder. Listen people, firearms technology is ANCIENT technology. The latter 1800s saw full-auto, so when the "do-gooders" want to ban whatever, they reveal just how stupid they are (or how evil they are).

 

Yes, we find the occasional arrowhead here, but as you said it had to be transported.

Another thing many forget is it wasn't just "Indians" who used stone tools.

Not that long ago, relatively speaking, stone and bone tools are all there were for many people.
Many used them even after metal was being implemented.

 

You can use paper patching also, which will make undersized bullets fit the bore.

 

Thanks for the links, I've spent a lot of time in the Elizabethton area and I may be there in the next few days. I'm visiting the area this week. My parents were from Erwin.

 

stopped by Powder Branch Rd today. Nothing to be seen but a sign commemorating Mart Patton.

 

Had kin in Erwin -- worked the railroads of course (1920s through 1960s time frame for my family). This one great uncle of mine was one exceptionally nice guy; had green thumb -- could grow bumper crops on bare concrete, I swear. The guy had supernatural powers. Loved going to visit him, me and my grandmother, his sister. He went to be with God back in the 80s. Sorrowful funeral that.

One of my sons lives not too far from Elizabethton; Carter county real estate used to be relatively cheap. I remember when North American Rayon was in full production, the whole town stank due to the Rayon production. Did some contract work / studies for NARC; I had to go into every building. Don't know how folk could keep on working/living in a place like that. Now there's a Wal-Mart right in front of where Bemberg (later NARC) stood.

Traffic in Elizabethton is a horror, do be careful.

I guess I don't have to tell you, but I'll remind you. Gotta stop at the Ridgewood BBQ. We used to go there all the time. Their portions of BBQ beans has gone way smaller over the decades, but still they are really good. I heard that Pardner's BBQ went out of business -- now there's a shame. Some Ridgewood folk started Pardner's. Last time I was through there, we didn't even look to see if Pardner's was open.
Crap, I forgot to put in their website -- what there is of it
http://www.ridgewoodbbq.com/
Let's get a map That turnoff on the new roadbed of 19E is a pain to catch, you'll drive right past it. But that new road between the Bristol Hwy and Elizabethton is a God-send; hated the old back-roads.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/R...405ea0117a10bb!8m2!3d36.4339288!4d-82.2657348


Nice gun shop in Hampton. I don't know if they got their firing range built back -- they had a BAD fire in there. Some idiot was shooting tracers -- it was clearly marked to NOT shoot tracers. They had rubber backstops, so ...
Hey, it sez that the "range is now open"! Alright!
https://www.barnettsguns.com/

The Over-Mountain Men started out there in Sycamore Shoals, Elizabethton. Three forces met-up there under the leadership of three Revolutionary War officers. Mary Patton fixed them up with hundreds of pounds of gunpowder (I wonder how many barrels that was?!) and they lit-out for King's Mountain all the way down there in South Carolina. Had they not done so, that British officer down there would have gathered more loyalists and attacked north, so there was no real choice but to attack first. The British officer didn't think those yahoos would ever come up the side of a mountain and attack. What an idiot! I know my own and by God they will go bat-sh## crazy on you! Don't EVEN mess with the Scots-Irish up in the hills; everybody knows that. What an idiot that officer; he didn't make it off that hill. Funny ... maybe not so much for him.

There's Mahoney's in Johnson City. I remember when that place was just a tiny Army surplus store on the corner of Sunset and Knob Creek roads. We boys would go crawfishing near there. Now that was centuries ago! Wow, what a crap website:
https://mahoneysports.com
They have all manner of firearms and now they have outdoor gear targeting people with money, but the selection is overwhelming ... wanna hike in Nepal, they'll help you with that.

The "About" folder has a history about Mahoney's. It is true. Our family knew their family very well. And too, long long ago I bought a few firearms and lots of ammo from there.

I recommend the German restaurant in Johnson City (what a crap website!):
http://eatbrats.com/
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=german+restaurants+johnson+city+tn&atb=v140-1__&ia=web&iaxm=places
Sehr gut! Wunderbar!
If I misspelled above, hey I can't even spell in English, und Ich spreche Deutsche nicht!
Listen, I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY RE-FIRBED THAT BUILDING!!!!!!!! It's on a corner where the old fountain square used to be. They have rebuilt the old fountain!!!! I couldn't believe it! That building sat idle for way over 50 years. I don't remember it being used in the 60s. Built just at 1900??? Only my dad's dad was born before that. If you are in the German restaurant and there is an earthquake, run fast, run very very fast.

 

that brings back some memories. been about ten years. Been to Mahoneys and Weidners. Went up to indian grave gap and took the road across the mountain, stopped at the beauty spot. There is a old boy that was a friend of my dads, he wrote a book called Silver in the Unakas. He spent his life looking for Swift's silver. thanks for the memories

 

here's a photo from my trip