Friction tubes?

[scooter748driver]

Ran across a reference to "friction tubes" and I'm not sure what those are. I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that it has something to do with artillery.

Also, would a cavalry unit need them?

Can anyone shed light on this for me?

Thank you.

 

[RedRover]

You are correct. Friction tubes were the primers for muzzle-loading artillery...

From August, 1864, relative to the Frankford Arsenal at Philadelphia...

Fired by means of a lanyard.

Here's a lanyard...

Any unit employing artillery would require them. Including any guns attached to cavalry outfits. Like these mountain howitzers employed by the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (USA):

 

[Salterr]

Ran across a reference to "friction tubes" and I'm not sure what those are. I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that it has something to do with artillery.

Also, would a cavalry unit need them?

Can anyone shed light on this for me?

Thank you.

You're correct. They look like like brass tubes with a wire twist they come in blue boxes from the arsenal. Inserted into vent hole and attached to the lanyard.

 

[redbob]

Also known as friction primers, here is a number of them ; Confederate, Union and English imports. Also,, here is the box that 100 Union primers would have come in.

 

[Rhea Cole]

The vent where the friction primer is inserted is forward of the pendulum sight. It is removed before the order, " Ready!" Is given.

#3 uses a priming wire to make a hole in the charge. #1 places the friction primer into the vent. #3 places their left hand over the lanyard that is hooked to the primer.

Once #1's arm is extended, he. Nods to #3, who side steps outside of the wheel. When the gunner orders fire, #4 just bends the left knee, the lanyard goes taught & springs back pulling the priming wire igniting the fine powder in the primer tube.

This sequence of photos shows a friction primer in action. The time lapse is about the blink of a eye.

The three stages of a friction primer ignition are visible in this image. The fine horizontal line is the kitchen match chemicals on the priming wire igniting.

The puff of smoke to the left is from the primer.

Jetting up from the vent of the 1841 six pound smoothbore is the charge in the breach going off.

By expanding the top of the jet from the vent & you will see that the primer tube is visible.

Note that no light has made it to the muzzle.

A nanosecond later, the streak at the top is the primer tube rocketing upward.

Look carefully between the wheel & gunner there
is the sine wave of the recoiling lanyard.

On the left the steep waves of the lanyard's recoil toward #4 is visible. The vent is angled slightly forward so that the primer tube would not land on the men or horses. Depending on the wind, they land all over the place.

The great plume of white smoke is all the visitors on the other side of the safety rope get to see.

Remarkably, I took these images with an iPad mini setting atop the limber box. Stones River NB living history volunteer gun crew.