In researching various aspects of history related to our hobby I’m often surprised to find that many of the things we discuss today are very old topics. The question of whether black powder continues to burn for the full length of the barrel, for instance, or the best method for figuring the proper powder charge for any gun. The proper ratio of powder to shot in smoothbore loads, the best wads, the effect of spin on a ball, the best length for a barrel, and why, all have been considered and written about for hundreds of years.
It is also true that many of the practices concerned with managing the guns have come down to us from very early on, and what was good then is still considered good today. I found the advice to gunners written by Francis Grose in _Military Antiquities: Respecting a History of the English Army, from the conquest to the present time_, Volume 2, in 1619, to be very interesting. It sounds surprisingly modern, even though he is writing about matchlocks.
When first learning to shoot, practice with only prime in the pan”¦
“... and being ignorant, to the intent he may be more encouraged, let him acquaint himself first with the firing of touch-powder in his panne, and so by degrees both to shoote off, to bow and beare up his body, and so consequently to attain to the levell and practice of an assured and serviceable shot,
Have a flask for main powder and a smaller one for prime, keep bullets in a pouch or in your mouth during action”¦
“His flask and touch box must hold his powder, his purse and mouth his bullets;”
Make certain the pan is clean, the touch-hole open and well pricked”¦
““”¦.let him first load his peece with powder out of his flaske, then with her bullet, and last with amuring or touch-powder, foreseeing ever that the panne bee cleane, the cover close, and the tutch-hole wide, or else well proind:”
With a spring operated measure on the flask, make certain it drops exactly the proper charge for your gun”¦.
“”¦. the charge of his flaske just for his peece, and the spring quick and sharpe :”
Make sure the spout of your priming flask is wide enough not to clog”¦
“... the pipe of his touch-box somewhat wide, that the powder may have free passage, which otherwise would choak up. ”
Keep your powder dry, put your gun under your arm or coat, etc”¦.
“”¦. and in wet weather have a case for his peece, somewhat portable, or else of necessitie he must keepe the same from wet under his arm-hole or cassocke, or by some other invention free from damage of the weather,”¦”
Keep your gun clean and the mechanism well oiled”¦
“it is moreover requisite, that a souldier keepe his cocke with oyle free in falling, and his peece bright without rusting;”¦”
Have the proper tools, with sockets for attaching to the ramrod”¦
“”¦. neither must he want his necessarie tooles, as a scowrer, tirebale and worme, having every one a vice to turne into the end of the scouring sticke, so that if through wet weather, or any other accident, his peece will not be discharged, the skilful souldier may with his tireball pull out his bullet with the worme, the paper, and wet powder, and with his scourer make his peece clean within. His scourer must be trimmed on the end with a linen cloth of sufficient substance, therewith to make cleane the cannon of his peece within.”
Have a big end on your ramrod”¦
“The one end of his scouring stick ought to have a round end of bone of just bigness with the mouth of his peece, therewithall at his pleasure, to ramme in powder and paper”¦”
Have vent picks attached to your straps so you can keep the touchhole clean and ensure that both prime and main powder ignite at once”¦.
“”¦.let a souldier have hanging ever at the string of his tutch box, or some other readie part of his garment, a couple of proyning pinnes at the least, that if by fortune the tutch hole of his peece be stopped or furred up, hee may therewith both make his pan cleane, and yeeld a ready passage, that the fire may have her course, by incorporating both the tutch-pouder without and the corn-pouder within together.”
So, 400 years ago matchlock shooters had already worked out a great number of the things we tend to lay claim to as modern ideas. The more things change the more they stay the same.
I’m sure you noticed that he speaks of a main powder flask and a priming powder flask, and of corn-pouder and tutch-pouder as two separate things.
Here’s the kind of soldier he was talking about, a sketch by Lemoyne, 1564, with his flask and tutch-box.
Spence
P.S. Safety was also a consideration, especially that burning match.
“Secondly, the match is very dangerous, either where bandeleers are used, or where soldiers run hastily in fight to the budge-barrel, to refill their bandeleers ; I have often seen sad instances thereof.”
It is also true that many of the practices concerned with managing the guns have come down to us from very early on, and what was good then is still considered good today. I found the advice to gunners written by Francis Grose in _Military Antiquities: Respecting a History of the English Army, from the conquest to the present time_, Volume 2, in 1619, to be very interesting. It sounds surprisingly modern, even though he is writing about matchlocks.
When first learning to shoot, practice with only prime in the pan”¦
“... and being ignorant, to the intent he may be more encouraged, let him acquaint himself first with the firing of touch-powder in his panne, and so by degrees both to shoote off, to bow and beare up his body, and so consequently to attain to the levell and practice of an assured and serviceable shot,
Have a flask for main powder and a smaller one for prime, keep bullets in a pouch or in your mouth during action”¦
“His flask and touch box must hold his powder, his purse and mouth his bullets;”
Make certain the pan is clean, the touch-hole open and well pricked”¦
““”¦.let him first load his peece with powder out of his flaske, then with her bullet, and last with amuring or touch-powder, foreseeing ever that the panne bee cleane, the cover close, and the tutch-hole wide, or else well proind:”
With a spring operated measure on the flask, make certain it drops exactly the proper charge for your gun”¦.
“”¦. the charge of his flaske just for his peece, and the spring quick and sharpe :”
Make sure the spout of your priming flask is wide enough not to clog”¦
“... the pipe of his touch-box somewhat wide, that the powder may have free passage, which otherwise would choak up. ”
Keep your powder dry, put your gun under your arm or coat, etc”¦.
“”¦. and in wet weather have a case for his peece, somewhat portable, or else of necessitie he must keepe the same from wet under his arm-hole or cassocke, or by some other invention free from damage of the weather,”¦”
Keep your gun clean and the mechanism well oiled”¦
“it is moreover requisite, that a souldier keepe his cocke with oyle free in falling, and his peece bright without rusting;”¦”
Have the proper tools, with sockets for attaching to the ramrod”¦
“”¦. neither must he want his necessarie tooles, as a scowrer, tirebale and worme, having every one a vice to turne into the end of the scouring sticke, so that if through wet weather, or any other accident, his peece will not be discharged, the skilful souldier may with his tireball pull out his bullet with the worme, the paper, and wet powder, and with his scourer make his peece clean within. His scourer must be trimmed on the end with a linen cloth of sufficient substance, therewith to make cleane the cannon of his peece within.”
Have a big end on your ramrod”¦
“The one end of his scouring stick ought to have a round end of bone of just bigness with the mouth of his peece, therewithall at his pleasure, to ramme in powder and paper”¦”
Have vent picks attached to your straps so you can keep the touchhole clean and ensure that both prime and main powder ignite at once”¦.
“”¦.let a souldier have hanging ever at the string of his tutch box, or some other readie part of his garment, a couple of proyning pinnes at the least, that if by fortune the tutch hole of his peece be stopped or furred up, hee may therewith both make his pan cleane, and yeeld a ready passage, that the fire may have her course, by incorporating both the tutch-pouder without and the corn-pouder within together.”
So, 400 years ago matchlock shooters had already worked out a great number of the things we tend to lay claim to as modern ideas. The more things change the more they stay the same.
I’m sure you noticed that he speaks of a main powder flask and a priming powder flask, and of corn-pouder and tutch-pouder as two separate things.
Here’s the kind of soldier he was talking about, a sketch by Lemoyne, 1564, with his flask and tutch-box.
Spence
P.S. Safety was also a consideration, especially that burning match.
“Secondly, the match is very dangerous, either where bandeleers are used, or where soldiers run hastily in fight to the budge-barrel, to refill their bandeleers ; I have often seen sad instances thereof.”
