Gun care of old while at sea

[WestKentucky]

We know that most naval vessels had cannon and almost all vessels had some arms of some type aboard. This certainly was before remoil was available in a rattlecan. So, back in those days they used bronze for maintenance purposes for cannon, but what else did they need to do? Did they oil their iron? How did they keep salt from ruining the guns?

 

[4thPointOfContact]

Mineral oil, vegetable oil, whale oil, lard, bacon grease, elbow grease, lots of scrubbing, paint, more paint.

 

[rs7]

Stainless something, Glock something. A bit of CLP. Check every other week,(ammo too). You'll be fine.
P.S. Boats are a pain corrosion-wise. Make a list and inspect at least every other week. Rust and corrosion do not sleep. If it looks bad, it's bad.
I said, "Make a list". Make a list. Happy sailing.
P.S.S. What exactly do you think these men were doing sailing for days, weeks, months on end?

 

[Bezoar]

cannon loved black paint. thats how they did that. Sure you see models with shiny brass cannon, and in movies, etc. But in reality that cannon was intended to LAST. and black paint and proper maintanence made it so that according to records, a bronze cannon cast in 1690 was still being used in 1780

 

[Catshooter]

Sperm whale oil, I would imagine. I'm old, but I'm not old enough to know first hand.

It was cheap, available, works well for both wood and steel (iron) and since it never turns to varnish it stores well and won't gum up the works.


Cat

 

[rcmodel]

How about the same way we kept the brass cannon in front of the 5th. army Headquarters building gleaming 24/7, 365 days a year.

Lots of sailers on a ship with nothing to do between wars.
Except braid & splice rigging rope, scrub the decks, eat wormy hard-tack, and get Scurvy.

And, polish the cannons, & the polish ships bell.

rc

 

[bainter1212]

A reliable source of lube was "galley slush". Basically this was the fat that floated to the surface when the sailors' salt beef or salt pork was boiled. The Captain's steward could also use it as a lard or butter substitute when cooking for his master.
It was used so much onboard a ship that the cook had to be careful how much he gave out and to whom, lest he run out.