Is this a Civil War Cleaner or Wormer?

[Breezie]

Hey Gang,
I'm wondering if this is a Civil War wormer or cleaner? I've looked in several of my CW books, and I really can't tell much difference between them. I'm not even sure this is CW era, but considering it was found near a camp, I think it is. From my understanding, a wormer is to pull out a bullet and of course the cleaner is the clean the barrel, but they look the same to me. Any help and explanation would be appreciated. Breezie

 

[claymation]

I think that it is a "worm", a cleaning implement that screws on the end of a ram rod to retrieve lost patches inside the barrel of a musket. It could also be used to loosely swab the bore between shots to keep fouling at a minimum level.

 

[dick99344]

I think that it is a "worm", a cleaning implement that screws on the end of a ram rod to retrieve lost patches inside the barrel of a musket. It could also be used to loosely swab the bore between shots to keep fouling at a minimum level.

Yep. That is a patch worm for the recovery of lost shooting or cleaning patches. A bullet puller has a screw type end on it for removing stuck balls or bullets. That worm appears to have one tine broken off of it. A cleaning jag was used to swab the barrels out. The jag was made with ribs around the outside diameter. The overal diameter was such that a thin patch could be shoved down the barrel with the jag and then recoverd with the jag. Sometimes the patch would slip off of the jag and then the patch worm would be used to recover the patch. I use a cotton cleaning mop to swab the bore between shots.

 

[BuckleBoy]

All of the worms I have seen in the relic books have been made of iron, not brass.


What does the end without the corkscrew look like? Can I see a photo looking into it?

 

[EdleBrock]

This piece looks more like a cleaning brush than a puller or worm. The twisted wire at one time would have held bristles.

Also, it appears that the twisted wire piece may have been able to rotate the slot to be 90 degrees to the base...thus allowing cleaning of a chamber/breech.

The demarcation in the base makes it appear that it is two separate pieces...as if the wire piece "screwed" into the piece below the demarcation, and the lower piece was actually the tip of a cleaning rod.

Just my thoughts...

 

[Breezie]

All of the worms I have seen in the relic books have been made of iron, not brass.


What does the end without the corkscrew look like? Can I see a photo looking into it?

Buckles, here's your pic:

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

This piece looks more like a cleaning brush than a puller or worm. The twisted wire at one time would have held bristles.

Also, it appears that the twisted wire piece may have been able to rotate the slot to be 90 degrees to the base...thus allowing cleaning of a chamber/breech.

The demarcation in the base makes it appear that it is two separate pieces...as if the wire piece "screwed" into the piece below the demarcation, and the lower piece was actually the tip of a cleaning rod.

Just my thoughts...

Yes I agree. Its a cleaning wire brush. I have one like it in my gun cleaning kit. The threads must be stripped out.

 

[Breezie]

This piece looks more like a cleaning brush than a puller or worm. The twisted wire at one time would have held bristles.

Also, it appears that the twisted wire piece may have been able to rotate the slot to be 90 degrees to the base...thus allowing cleaning of a chamber/breech.

The demarcation in the base makes it appear that it is two separate pieces...as if the wire piece "screwed" into the piece below the demarcation, and the lower piece was actually the tip of a cleaning rod.

Just my thoughts...

Edelbrock, you're right! I went back through my books, and found this pic in Howard Crouch's Civil War Artifacts. I also did some cleaning, and you're also right about it being able to rotate at 90 degrees. I didn't force it, but I cleaned it enough to know it will move.

Thank you Edelbrock,(& BCH for the 'amen') and everyone else for your help. Do we agree on a GREEN check? Breezie

 

[Deftone]

Boy you kids give up to fast nowadays. I was gonna say it went to an old battery terminal brush.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I didnt realize it was Civil War era but Im sure I have one. Now Im not sure if its in my gun kit or tool box. It sure looks like Breezies pic.

 

[Deftone]

But I'm not even sure it's CW!!!!11!!! Since when does under 3 inches clean a gun?

 

[Breezie]

But I'm not even sure it's CW!!!!11!!! Since when does under 3 inches clean a gun?

Deftone, it's broken off. There was probably 3 or 4 more inches that would have held the brush hairs. It was found near a Civil War camp that yielded a CW New York button, rosettes, and horse tack.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,341254.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,341474.0.html

Breezie

 

[aquachigger]

Hey Breezie...Great find! That is definitely a gun cleaning brush. We find those (usually broken) especially in Cavalry camps here in the Shenandoah Valley.