Musket Worm

 

 

This iron object is called a musket worm. It was discovered in excavations at the St. John’s site and is on display at the Visitors Center. It was made by wrapping a red hot wire around a rod and then tempering the iron so it maintained its shape and strength. It is designed to remove a lead ball which is lodged in a musket barrel from a failed shot. The point embedded itself in the ball and allowed it to be extracted.

Worms were standard parts of the tools carried by a musketeer in the 17th century. When a musket misfired or failed to fire, it was necessary to extract the ball and remove the gunpowder and patch. Early firearms were much given to failure and many injuries resulted from lodged balls.

The early 17th-century military was based on a combination of musketeers and pikemen who carried long, spear-like weapons. The pikemen were to protect the musketeers from cavalry attack. These tactics proved inefficient in the new setting of America where the foes fought a more unconventional form of war.
animated gif of pikeman

As long as muzzle-loading weapons were the standard military issue, a worm was a necessary part of the soldier’s field kit. It is not until after the American Civil War that breech-loading weapon became standard.

Worms were standard parts of the tools carried by a musketeer in the 17th century. When a musket misfired or failed to fire, it was necessary to extract the ball and remove the gunpowder and patch. Early firearms were much given to failure and many injuries resulted from lodged balls

Civil War bullet with extracting worm embedded