Lube question

[jbarber]

Ha, Ha, Gotcha! I'll bet y'all thought that this was a question about BULLET lube, greasy kitchen concoctions for which Lefty and his ilk would emerge from hibernation in order to perpetuate an interminable thread to which every skirmisher would add his or her two cents. But, n-o-o-o, it's a question about the lube (oil) a CW soldier would use on his firearms.
Seriously, in nearly sixty years of reading and research, I've never run across any information regarding just how the CW soldier carried oil or grease for his weapon - to oil the bore, lube the lock mechanism, wipe down the piece to prevent rust. Has anyone ever seen a CW oil can or bottle? Has anyone ever run across mention of gun oil in surviving military stores requisitions or inventories? Ever seen a contract or purchase order for same?
The blue government printing office pamphlet which was issued for the Springfield 1863 model specifies wiping the bore (lightly) and metal with an oily cloth, but from whence the oil to do so?
I know that within the vast repository of CW knowledge residing in the membership of N-SSA teams that the answers can be found.
Have at it!

[Timmeu]

Whale Oil!

[jbarber]

Yup, Marty, I figured that the oil used by the CW soldier would be whale oil, as that was pretty much the universal lubricant of the period. My question relates to how was it issued and in what sort of container. Does documentation exist to answer to answer these questions.
BTW, I have about a pint of sperm whale oil, purchased back in the day when it was a legal substance. It's water-white, odorless, and really,really slippery. Doesn't gum up or thicken with exposure to air.

[Eggman]

This is a dangerous question. In Vietnam one time I wanted to oil up a recaptured M-16. Two Vietnamese mamasans were working nearby, so I got out my Vietnamese-English dictionary and asked them, in their own language, if they might have a can of oil. After twenty minutes they still had not stopped laughing, so I left the area.

[Eggman]

A couple of other thoughts -- it would seem that providing gun oil and other lubricants like for wagon wheels and such for an army of more than a million men might require a little more oil than the local whale population might provide. I'm wondering where the thousands of gallons of oil that the draft dodger John D. Rockefeller was pumping out of the Pennsylvania oil fields were going. As to
"seeing" oil containers in photos, my only recollection is of railroad men standing along side their locomotives with those oil cans with the really long spouts for oiling the running gear. I wonder what was in those cans. Maybe Standard Oil can tell us.

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

Lord's "Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia" has three examples of oil containers, but doesn't say what was in them. I did read one account of Iron Brigade soldiers grabbing tallow to rub on their muskets when they marched past a slaughtered beef at Brawners Farm.

[Maillemaker]

I believe my reproduction sergeant's tool has a resevoir for oil built into it. I do not know how accurate the reproduction is, though.

Steve

[John Holland]

Your Sgt's tool is English, and the oil reservoir is correct. The question about what the American soldier used is a good one.

JDH

[Blair]

Question?

Why are these 'tools' called or referred to as "sergeant's tools"?
Finding period oils that could have been used maybe somewhat easier. Just a thought?

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

I think they're called Sergeants Tools, because everyone didn't get issued one, just the SGT.

I looked in my reproduction manuals for Springfields, and they just say 'oil' without any description of type or brand.

[Emmerson Miles, 0233V]

On the old web site one could see the price of target materials that are available from n-ssa. I cannot find that info any where now. Does anyone know where I can get that list?

[Des]

On the main page open up "about the NSSA". Then open Rules and Forms and you will see the target list. Hope this is what you were looking for.

[Timmeu]

Here is a chart that I found in a reprint of a railroad catalog from the 1860's. Looks like whale oil is at the top of the list and readily available as well as some other interesting items. There were a lot of whales killed in the past and not nearly so many needs for lubes.

[ThomasKavanagh]

Question?

Why are these 'tools' called or referred to as "sergeant's tools"?
...

IIRC, in the 18th and 19th c British army, they were called "sergeant's tools" because only the sgt had one. He was the only one who was authorized to do the stripping required to oil/grease a gun lock. The r&f could swab the barrel, wipe 'em down, and pipeclay the slings and straps, but weren't thought to possess the mental acuity to actually work on a gun's innards.

Perhaps the Norteamericanos, N&S, had similar reasoning.

tk
2883V
Wheat's Tigers

[jbarber]

Marty, that's an interesting attachment! It appears that sperm whale oil was tremendously expensive in 1860 dollars. A gallon was worth more than a laborer's daily wage at the time. Can't begin to guess what some of the other oils on the list were. Paraffin, which on the list is spelled parrifine, probably does not refer to the white, waxy stuff, but to heavy kerosine. The British still call kerosine paraffin.
Thomas, I was aware of the oil dropper in the sergeant's tool, but, of course, it is a British implement. I'm still wondering about a U.S. counterpart. Somewhere there's gotta be info on how the CW soldier was provided with oil for his firearm. I do know that the soldiers had to scrounge for cleaning patches - they called them "gun rags" back then. I've read of them tearing up useless Havelocks and shirt tails for this purpose. Also, tow - unbleached lined fiber - was available for this purpose , as it was used as packing material in limber chests, medical supplies, and so forth.

[Ron/The Old Reb]

" The market is fluctuating "
Sounds like things haven't changed in 150 years.

[Timmeu]

The whole guide was very interesting. It had nearly everything you needed to build Railroads and steamships. Also gives you a good view of industry in 1860.

[jbarber]

Marty, your guide sounds like a great original source of industrial information. I would like to see it sometime. Any chance of bringing it to any of the MW skirmishes this season? If you have any interest in mid-nineteenth century industry, I've got a couple of books you might like to read. I'll bring 'em to the first shoot. Jon Barber, 1483V

[Timmeu]

http://www.historybroker.com/cdbooks/transport/lowburgess/open.htm

This the url to the guide I found the page in. I just copied a page out of it. It was interesting to look through. Enjoy!