I have heard them referred to as flint grips and flint wraps.  I have seen examples from the British camps at Raritan Landing in NJ and from the American cantonment at Pluckemin.  In both cases they appear to be expediently made.

Rich Veit

________________________________________
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of KEVIN M DONAGHY [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 4:29 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Lead gunflint wraps ....

Dear Mr. Branstner,

In my thinking I've heard and would write "flint wrap"  - please keep me in
the loop if the discussion goes off the list-serve since this is also
important for my research into 18th century battlefields and the material
culture of fire arms, and if i hit a primary source document i'll contact
you asap - my thinking is it would have began in the Early Modern
English/French so i suspect more likely wrap than cap.

Sincerest best wishes,

kev

On Tue, Jan 25, 2011 at 3:25 PM, Mark Branstner <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Posing a question for one of my colleagues, Rob Hickson ...
>
> We are doing some research on the sheet lead washers that were used to wrap
> gunflints in order to secure them in the jaws of a flintlock firearm ...
>
> Now, some of these are clearly homemade, but some appear to be manufactured
> specifically for this purpose, often with a hole relieved at the folding
> point at the back of the gunflint.
>
> (1)     Is there a standard term for describing these? I have heard
> "washer", "wrap", "cap" ....
>        Is there a contemporary term? Perhaps out of the fur trade or
> shorekeeper literature?
>
> (2)     Any references that people can remember? From either domestic or
> military sites?
>
> Any help or leads will be greatly appreciated!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark
>
>
> --
>
> Mark C. Branstner, RPA
> Historic Archaeologist
>
> Illinois State Archaeological Survey
> Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability
> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
> 209 Nuclear Physics Lab, MC-571
> 23 East Stadium Drive
> Champaign, IL 61820
>
> Phone: 217.244.0892
> Fax: 217.244.7458
> Cell: 517.927.4556
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
> When you think of that perfect retort five minutes after the conversation
> is over -  that's when you're:
>
>  "... bursting with the belated eloquence of the inarticulate ..."
>
> Edith Wharton in the "The Age of Innocence"
>



--
kevin m. donaghy
graduate student
Temple University
Department of Anthropology