Following on from my article in the Napoleonic Association Journal (2nd. series, No.8 Winter 1988/9) on The Effectiveness Of Firearms (Brown Bess and Baker Rifle) 1 should like to present another experiment which may give some readers food for thought. My last experiments concerned Rate of Fire/Accuracy when trying to grasp the advantage of a rifle-armed skirmisher when opposed to smoothbore-armed skirmishers. The following tried to get to grips with just how fast a smoothbore can be loaded and fired, in reply to several queries relating to a certain television series, and my own comrades in the N.A.
I have, with homemade simulated reproductions of cartridges copied from museum artifacts, using my trusty Italian repro musket and a borrowed cartridge box, fired four `live' shots in one minute by this method. It requires a great deal of practice, concentration and common sense. Accuracy was only to be expected at 50 yards - anywhere on a man-sized target! (six feet by one foot six inches) Trying to increase that performance by 20% to get five in one minute became the subject of the next experiment.
I had a little trouble with the cartridge box - the simulated wooden block drilled with the requisite amount of holes, then finding out it wouldn't go inside the leather; whether to leave it unfastened after each shot or open;whether to drag it to the front of the body from the right rear hip, etc. The most expedi-ent method (simulated battle action) is to remove the sling from the musket, tie it around the waist on top of the cartridge box flap, with the box on your front right hip.
Problem solved, I moved back onto cartridges. Manufacture dif-fered slightly here from surviving item to item. I found the only real query I had faced with the challenge was a) biting the bullet from the cartridge or b) biting the paper to powder. I'll try to explain... At one end of the cartridge is a lead bullet, at the other gunpowder. I found there were two methods of loading using this cartridge. The first was to take one from the pouch, bite the bullet off, then prime the pan. Next, charge the barrel, then place the bullet still wrapped in the portion of cartridge paper from the mouth and place it in the bore of the gun, and ram home to powder. The disadvantages of loading this way are as follows - you can get a great amount of spillage if you don't tear it just right, and you get a mouthful of nasty-tasting compounds (waxy paper, lead, powder).
The alternative was to take a cartridge, bite to powder and prime the pan, then charge the barrel, then placing the bullet part in the muzzle, tear off the excess paper, then ram home. The disadvantages of this method is again, spillage, but you tend to pull the ball from the muzzle if you don't tear off the excess paper just right, and it is hard to tear with your fingers. However, this method did produce a slight increase in accuracy, probably from less spilled powder, and a tighter wad around the ball. I'll go on now to show how I attempted to gain the 20% efficiency improvement.
As before, I made cartridges and placed them in the pouch on the right front hip. After a brief period to adjust heartbeat and relax (not exactly battle simulated action!) I began to load. I took a cartridge from the pouch and struck the powder end across the flint at half-cock position; this tore the paper and 'automatically' primed the pan with powder. Then, up- ended the musket and charged the barrel with powder, turning the cartridge and shoving the now empty powder end down first, then rammed home. Faster - but not fast enough! I also ended up with a field full of burning bits of paper (hark back to Talavera!) I also experienced a few 'ramming' problems.
Next attempt - taking a cartridge I bit off the ball, and whilst priming the pan and charging the barrel, I used teeth and tongue to separate the bullet from the paper (it isn't glued on, the substance you use for waterproofing just makes it adhere slightly) and then 'spat' it into the bore, tap-loading (banging the butt on the ground a few times) then up to full-cock and fire. Well it worked! BUT - accuracy was deplorable. One ball was seen to strike the target after a few 'bounces' and not even go through! The entire procedure was also fraught with practices that would ordinarily get you escorted from any firing range in the country with a polite enjoiner not to come back!
On the whole, I concluded the experiment certainly looked good, but as an accepted means of loading (if you wish to hit anything!) it is worthless. The entire procedure is full of dangerous practices that could damage the gun or kill or severely wound the firer. In battle conditions, it would be better to yell and throw stones! You also wouldn't end up with a mouth full of yuk and require a good rinse and a stern emetic. Most readers (and all practical shooters) will already know that a properly loaded musket in good hands is capable of great destruction and in terms of history there are many statements and examples that illustrate this, particularly in the delivery of the first volley, followed by the threat of the `brummagum'. An examination of these figures showed that a British battalion of 500 soldiers firing muskets at platoon strength alternately, has the same effect on a target at 75 yards as a Lewis machine gun, over one minute.
I hope this series of experiments is of some use to those who enjoy, like myself, the practical side of reenactment or military researches. BUT I MUST STRESS - the series of experiments required all forms of special licences, permissions, supervisions, etc. It requires a great deal of gun-sense and experience, and an awareness of the potential hazards, with all safety requirements in place and under supervision. Don't try it at home!
I'd very much like to hear from any of our Cousins over the Water who have taken advantage of the more `laissez Faire' gun laws who have tried similar experiments with muskets. For their info, the cartridges contained 3 1/4 drams (89 grains), ball was pure lead and .03 under bore size. Flints were my own Brandon Floorstone, and the powder a commercial No4 (Fffg).
(This article is dedicated to the 9eme. Infanterie Legere and the 68th.(Durham) Light Infantry - two groups who, as `living' history, are sans pareil).
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