Introduction

The general adoption of the smoothbore musket as the weapon for infantry in the later 17th Century produced a considerable body of studies by military thinkers throughout the following century. One of the major themes was to maximize the massed firepower to determine the outcome of battles. Various theories were put forward and are discussed below.

In order for a fire system to be of general use, it had to perform adequately in these key areas:

• Whether a method of delivering fire allowed a great amount of firepower to be delivered in the same instant or over a short period of time;
• How well did the fire system allow men to reload after firing;
• Were the officers able to maintain control over the men so that they continued to fire only when ordered; and
• If cavalry was near, did the fire system allow a reserve to be maintained?

Each fire system performed with varying degrees of success in these areas and thus had advantages and disadvantages. No system was unequivocally the best in all four areas, and this led to the debates that raged in military circles throughout the entire period.

More Small Arms Tactics

Introduction
The Quick Fire Philosophy
Firing By Files Philosophy
The Development of Accurate 'Levelling' Practices