How to Fire a Brown Bess Musket

[tenngun]

I honestly don’t know if a flash in the pan could light nitrated paper or not. However they had to prime the pan, and that requires opening the cartridge.
The twine at the base of the ball was only to hold it in place. The whole of the cartridge paper function as a wad.
The idea was to load fast, and best wad wasn’t as important as quick load.
Reading loading manuals from the time demonstrated making a good load was a well known skill, but that was for civilians. For a musket no one cared. It was all about outing as much lead in the air as one could
The Brit’s did teach some marksmanship, but that ended at the first volley

 

[Loyalist Dave]

...,
The twine at the base of the ball was only to hold it in place. The whole of the cartridge paper function as a wad.
..., The Brit’s did teach some marksmanship, but that ended at the first volley

Correct, if you don't cinch the paper tube between the powder and ball, then powder gets under the ball as the ball will move about inside the paper cartridge, and you get really craptastic results in an already compromised shooting system due to undersized ball for speed reloading.

Don't fall for that old myth about lack of marksmanship.
It only suffers when the rate of firing is high, but Brits were known to shoot much less than their opponents, whether Continentals, Germans, Spaniards, or The French. If there is too much smoke, then nobody is aiming well, and if the rate of fire is high then one simply doesn't get the chance, but the Brits by firing less volleys, made them count.

PLUS as the battle continues the accuracy of the musket with the combat ammo, improves. The warmed up barrels make the powder more easy to ignite, so less time to come off the target when one squeezes the trigger, AND the bore gets smaller due to fouling = less variation in ball position as it exits the barrel. IF the enemy is kind enough to close the distance by marching forward or trying to bayonet charge.... even better.

LD

 

[fireman1]

Interesting thread. Thanks to those who share their knowledge.

 

[Youngblood]

Interesting that those guys seem to be shooting in the direction of the tourists there. Lots of misfires fairly early on.
Pretty cool though.

 

[Youngblood]

I did see youtube video recently but cant find it now, guy might have had a Charleville, but he poured the powder then turned his cartridge up before ramming so the empty paper section was skyward. He seemed to think he had been doing it “wrong” before and claimed better accuracy with the paper tube facing up.
To each his own, you can get lost in youtube pretty easy. Start off looking at a guy with a Bess or a Charley and end up with hogs n tannerite. lol

 

[smoothshooter]

I was just at an event. A guy was selling rifles and equipment. He gave a little lecture to tourist about trade guns. How Indians were given cheep fusils that couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn and only shot one time in three.
These sort of myths exist and still exist. And on you tube look great on camera
You don’t ask you can’t learn. And the info your given while learning can be pretty poor.
Then living history blends well with bushcraft. And what seems like a great idea wasn’t done in the old days.
Ml are fun, and requires a learning curve. Back in the old days they didn’t have much of a means to test ideas and they too operated from myths we don’t do today.
Should one want to do it the old way the info is available, but the myths persist, even from the most experienced
This is an ever learning black hole. We never reach the bottom. Acme is behind on orders and has yet to deliver my time machine.

Did you correct the guy?
I would have called him out on it, but would have tried to be tactful and polite about about it.

 

[tenngun]

Did you correct the guy?
I would have called him out on it, but would have tried to be tactful and polite about about it.

No I didn’t. On line I will converse with someone, but I’ve heard all sorts of manure, but you, I, can’t go around like the ministry of truth in a conversation I wasn’t involved in.
I’m a stitch counter wannabe. And am too well aquinted with where my own outfit fails. I couldn’t very well comment on hc when dressed in my cotton breaches

 

[ord sgt]

After picking the cartridge from the cartridge box, the folded (non-ball) end is torn off with the teeth. Some powder is put in the pan to prime, the pan is shut, and the open end of the cartridge inserted in the barrel, allowing the powder to pour down the barrel. The ball and now-empty cartridge are rammed home.

At the time of the revolt against England, to be a member of the army, one had to have two opposing teeth in order to tear the paper cartridge open.

 

[smoothshooter]

No I didn’t. On line I will converse with someone, but I’ve heard all sorts of manure, but you, I, can’t go around like the ministry of truth in a conversation I wasn’t involved in.
I’m a stitch counter wannabe. And am too well aquinted with where my own outfit fails. I couldn’t very well comment on hc when dressed in my cotton breaches

I see your point.

 

[Joemolf]

This is interesting bite off ball, prime, powder, spit ball, tap, and fire.
And even used the old cliche “Bite the Bullet “ though not sure if balls were ever called bullets. Seems to me that someone was doing this; not that I would LOL

 

[user 55620]

I watched an interesting display from Fort Niagara (I think). A member of staff showed how to load and fire a Brown Bess. He also lectured on the method of use. If 9 soldiers fired, 6 balls would leave the muzzles. The other 3 would not fire. A 1 in 3 fire rate was average. If the enemy was more than 50 yards away they would be safe anyway. That is why the British stood shoulder to shoulder to fire. It would give a possible 1 in 3 chance (again) of a hit. ⅓ would be too high. ⅓ would be too low and ⅓ stood a chance of hitting something within 5ft of the target.
There is also a video of a soldier getting out of bed and dressing. That is worth watching. By the time the soldier was dressed the battle would be over.