Antique Combination Tool for Percussion Muskets Original Items

Original Item: Genuine antique combination tool for percussion muskets and rifles as made by the East India Company. This tool has six included tools: combination drift and wiper storage; screwdriver; spanner wrench for the spanner nut (“bun nut”) that retains the hammer; socket tool for nipple installation and removal; hinged sharp pin for cleaning the nipple flash channel; a square central hole that allows the tool to be used as a wrench for turning the cleaning/charging rod while cleaning the bore or drawing a charge. The use of the bun nut was characteristic of East India Company manufacture.

Flintlock and percussion muskets and rifles were often supplied with what the British called a “wiper” but which we call a “worm.” The primary function of the wiper was to aid in cleaning the bore. In use, the wiper screwed onto the end of the cleaning/charging rod. A quantity of tow or a scrap of fabric was wound around the wiper to perform the cleaning. The wiper/worm was also sometimes used to extract a charge or ball from the bore. When not in use, the wiper was screwed onto the threaded drift on the tool. We have no wipers for our tools.

If the fit of the wiper plus cleaning material was tight and the bore especially dirty, the extra leverage provided by the combination tool attached to the cleaning rod eased the process.

These tools are clearly individually handmade and show a great deal of variation in the size, configuration and dimensions of all the features. IMA cannot guarantee that the different features of any specific tool will fit a given musket. Condition varies. Dirty from long storage. The photograph with the red background gives a sampling of these tools to allow the buyer to see the range of sizes, configuration and conditions.