Need help Identifying Piece

[Tatcha]

Found this in the Llano Uplift region of Central Texas yesterday Any help as to what this thing is would be greatly appreciated. It looks like something to clean a firearm but I don’t know. Piece opens and there is tiny brush inside. Looked under a microscope, found no markings or numbers on it. Thank you.

 

[Icewing]

Mascara wand?

 

[Darke]

Possibly a pipe cleaner.

 

[Tatcha]

This was found in a rough patch of country, with a history of Mexican soldiers and early Anglo settlers. Staying alive amid black bear, panthers, wolves and Apaches seems like the last place anyone would think to apply makeup, but hey, I guess it gets lonely out on the frontier, so who knows?

 

[Older The Better]

If there is a thread on the opposite side of the brush I could believe a gun cleaning kit

 

[Tatcha]

There is a hoop at the end of it where a thread could have been. Thank you

 

[pganjon]

Maybe to clean the hole for the flash pan fire to ignite the powder in a flintlock rifle? Paul

 

[Tatcha]

Thanks Paul I’ll check into that

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

There is a hoop at the end of it where a thread could have been. Thank you

If there is a loop it would seem to be made to hang on a chain.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

That thing is tiny. It does look like a sample mascara. Is that the entire brush or has the rest of it rotted away? Did you check for any remains of contents inside?

 

[Tatcha]

Metal appears to be copper, piece is one inch. It doesn’t appear any of brush portion has rotted away. Best guesses so far are part of flint lock cleaning kit or fuse for a blasting cap.

 

[TxDetex]

I did a very quick search and found this photo, your find appears similar.

 

[A2coins]

Pretty closehead scratcher for sure

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

View attachment 1709987

I did a very quick search and found this photo, your find appears similar.

Those are a bit larger. I recognize the patch puller and ball puller on the bottom, above that a powder measure...

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Metal appears to be copper, piece is one inch. It doesn’t appear any of brush portion has rotted away. Best guesses so far are part of flint lock cleaning kit or fuse for a blasting cap.

yea blasting cap detonator is a good idea

View attachment 1710043

 

[Tatcha]

 

[Tatcha]

 

[Tatcha]

Pics taken under microscope

 

[HuntinDog]

Deffinatly looks like it might be a flash hole cleaner.

I have no knowledge it that area though...

 

[ticndig]

Deffinatly looks like it might be a flash hole cleaner.

no where near big enough to clean my flash hole .