doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What is this puzzle

I keep going back to grape and canister shot. Strong similarities.

The loop on the bottom is not there as an accident. I think David has the best guess so far.

SRH

I realize they may be 'baskets' at present, but looking closely at the wire mesh, it would appear they perhaps were not at an earlier point in life. In the Chinese finger lock sense, if they were flexible, they might have been used for something like dipping a loaded cartridge's mouth in wax or some similar operation. I could visualize a string being tied to the loop and the head of the cartridge being held by the mesh as it closed up. I think the loop is on the top.

Just a guess on my part.

Thanks to all. Keep the help coming. As to a bore cleaner of some sort, the baskets are very stiff and not compressible. They are larger than a 4 bore, so I cannot think of a bore they could be used in.

Next step might be to ask someone like Joe Salter.

Its also possible they don't have anything at all to do with reloading, so perhaps checking with a source that is knowledgeable in antique hardware and tools.

Since you have good pictures, you might also think of contacting the Smithsonian. Good mystery for the moment in any case.

Daryl,

Will the open ends of the baskets "mesh or nest with each other, making one egg shaped container? If so, they couyld be for sifting dirt from reclaimed shot? Or, separating shot sizes? Or for soaking breech plugs etc. in solvent....

They are "shot concentrators" supposed to give tighter long distance patterns. The theory was that they let the shot "trickle out" over a long distance. They did not catch on, obviously, no doubt because they could not have been too friendly to the bores.

There are references to them in several books and magazines of the 1890s and later.

The eye hooks indicate to me that they are not for use in a fired hull. I would think they are pulled through something, possibly a 10g. barrel.

I think I am obsessed by this....

But looking closer, and doing a little measuring.,..I think Rick might be on to something. Would work perfect in an old fashioned sink or tub drain, placed open end down...would make a great strainer for washing feathered game in the sink, and allowing for quite a bit of debris accumulation before the drain clogged, and a string to the loop would allow for removal.

Oh Heck...who knows!

Daryl,

I did a google Image search using the picture you provided and came up with a very similar set of screens in an add for keeping spiders and wasps out of BBQ grill burner tubes. Muzzle caps for the shotguns might suit the same purpose. A string or lace through the loop would keep track of them.
http://www.grill-repair.com/burner7002screen.html

John