confederate issued cone wrenches

[fedhead]

I have seen a confederate issued cone wrench/ musket tool , but i have no information about them being issued. It would seem to me that this is a very important piece of equipment that is needed to maintain a working musket in the field , we know that the federal army issued cone wrenches .

So how common are they? Are there many found now on battlefields ? how many different types have been found? is there any information on them being issued "help" thanks

[Jimmayo]

IMO finds of CS issued wrenches are not as common as the US wrench in US positions. Perhaps the Confederates kept up with theirs better than their US counterparts. I have found a few, most in mid to late war sites especially around Petersburg. If anyone is familiar with the steel mill near Pamplin Park, this hilly area was honeycombed with US and CS rifle pits before it was wiped off the face of the earth by the bulldozers. Most of these pits yielded lots of lock and gun parts. It was almost as if they were using the pits to repair arms. Of course there were many cone wrenches found in them also, some CS. I think my disposition to dig all good iron signals probably resulted in my finding lots of gun parts and wrenches and also punches. If you need a picture of the CS tool I can post one later.

[lukegilly13]

Jim
Does the CS issue look that much different than the US issue? My thinking is that even if the south was able to produce these tools, wouldn't they have copied the US issue tool as it needed to serve the same purpose often on the same gun? Another thought, when rebs capture/acquired/collected cartrige boxes from the feds, shouldnt' those musket tools have been in the front pocket of the box? In other words, could of tools that were dug/found and labeled US actually been used by the confederacy or be a confederate produced copy of the US?

[fedhead]

I would be very interested in pictures, it seems to me that this item is essential so there must of been confederate manufactured musket tools .

[August77]

If you are looking specifically for CS cone wrenches, there is one pictured 'Gun Tools: Their History and Identification' by James B. Shaffer, Lee A. Rutledge and R. Stephen Dorsey. Nick Duvall was selling a set on here not too long ago or can get them direct through R. Stephen Dorsey. There are 2 volumes and they are a pretty valuable reference set to have. The one pictured in vol. 1 is like the ones I used to sell, but can't seem to get right now. In addition to the US issued ones, there were commercially manufactured cone wrenches during this time.

[Joe Walker]

Leighton Young, of Cumming, Georgia was making them at one time (Richmond tool). I have one and it is exactly like my original.

Joe Walker
Waco Guards
CMH

[Jimmayo]

Here are two. One with screw drive open and one with it closed. I think Richmond Depot also carried these a while back.