"Sharpe" 2 required us to create for use a seven-barrelled volley gun of the type created by Henry Nock in the late 1780's. Originally designed for the Royal Navy to provide potential mutineers with a suitable deterrent, and later after several alterations to bring down several geese with one fearsome discharge, the volley gun has intrigued both military men and sportsmen with it's capabilities. The original weapon has seven barrels (six in a cluster around a centre one), calibre "52, and weighs over sixteen pounds. Only around 900 were produced, and today they are quite rare and fetch high prices. The film world is also one in which not to hazard your finery.'

We were lucky in finding the NinetyFifth Regiment (Rifles) still in existence in the Napoleonic Association. Not only did they agree to loan us several Baker rifles of the type used by British riflemen in the Peninsular War, but they also supplied us with a reproduction of the volley-gun.

During test-firing in the Crimea on location, it was found that the volley-gun in trained hands was capable of great destruction -- mainly to collar bones and eardrums' - but several practical difficulties far outweightd Its advantages.

Starting with its carriage - how a rifleman already labouring under knapsack, rifle and accoutrements can comfortably or otherwise transport it on his person still remains a mystery to me - several experiments only led to aches, pains or skin abrasions. The mountainous country of the Crimea resembles Spain in its ability to reduce uniforms to rags and shoes to flapping ankle­breakers It also spares noone with faulty equipages....

Loading from cartridge took a trained man over three minutes. Loading offhand took around five minutes - you don't rush with a thing like this! For test firing purposes, the charge consisted of one dram of powder and a patched ball per barrel. Later these charges were increased, the most powerful discharge being over twenty drams of powder through all seven barrels - enough to bowl over two stuntmen and the camera, and leading to a complete unwillingness on several persons to have anything more to do with it on the set!

"Sharpe's Company","Sharpe's Enemy" and "Sharpe's Honour" can be seen on Central Television in the Spring of 1994.

More Notes

#12: Copy of a Circular Letter to the Lords Lieutenents of England and Wales. Whitehall 26th November 1797
#13. Circular. Colonial Department
#14. General Orders
#15. General Orders. Horse Guards. 1st July 1802
#16. Spanish Napoleonic Uniforms - A Further Note
#17. The Volley-gun: The Legend and the Truth