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The black powder for muskets was usually carried in small bottles on a bandoleer. Each bottle contained enough powder to fire the musket once. A number of varieties of bandolier bottles are known.
Click HERE for contemporary descriptions and prices from the 1645/ New Model Army contracts. The lead tops to bandoleer powder bottles are a common find on archaeological sites. They offered an advantage over plain wooden tops because they did not seize up in bad weather. |
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The New Model Army Contracts of 1645/6 include orders for large numbers of bandoliers with blue-painted bottles. They were more expensive than other types and it is not clear whether they were for issue to specific regiments or for 'parade' duties. Note the hank of hand-made hemp match hanging from the bandolier. In re-enactment, only fire-retarded match is hung in this position for safety reasons - although the authentic match is used to fire the muskets. Contact Paul
Meekins paul@paulmeekins.co.uk |
