ball diameter

[Jdzara]

Can someone tell me the diameter of the balls the British army issued for the Brown Bess?

Jerry

 

[Swampman]

Appx. .69 caliber I believe. Bores were all over the place in size, so musket balls had to be on the smaller side to fit down the bore. A Brown Bess will shoot real nice with a snug greased patched ball.

 

[Jdzara]

Thanks, now these were unpatched, correct?

Jerry

 

[Rebel]

Paper cartridges.

 

[Jdzara]

Are the balls in paper cartidges fired unpatched?
Or is the paper used for the patch?
Thanks,
Jerry

 

[Stumpkiller]

Paper is the only patching. About 2-1/2 wraps.

 

[Wes/Tex]

If you're not dead-set on being original you can dip the ball section of the cartridge in lube. The originals were sometimes just pushed down or, if there was time, the ball was pulled from the paper and loaded naked in the bore with the paper used as a wad to hold it in place.

 

[musketman]

Are the balls in paper cartidges fired unpatched?
Or is the paper used for the patch?
Thanks,
Jerry

 

[Swampman]

My big concern with using paper for anything other than reenacting is that it catches on fire. We have enough forest fires to suit me, and I don't want to start one.

 

[Jdzara]

Thanks for the info.
I don't intend to use any thing but cloth patches,
but was wondering how it was done originally.
Thanks again.
Jerry

 

[musketman]

My big concern with using paper for anything other than reenacting is that it catches on fire. We have enough forest fires to suit me, and I don't want to start one.

I agree, wonder if nitrated paper would be the better choice? :hmm:

It would be consummed in the shot...

However, these were a war time use item, so I don't think setting the field on fire would be of high concern when someone is shooting at you...

 

[Grenadier1758]

I've seen many a smouldering cloth patch. The paper patching is no more likely to start a fire than a cloth patch. That said, I wouldn't be shooting during a very dry time unless I had the means to put out any fire that might be started or I could see what is happening down range.

 

[Leonredbeard]

Grenadier,
Just today, shooting my flint pistole in .54, I had patches lubricated with wonderlube burn on the range. I mean competely burn up and took a number of minutes to do so. Plenty of time to start a fire in dry grass or leaves. I have also seen celotex wads burn completely away.
YHWH bless.
volatpluvia

 

[mmahlock]

What I can remember from memory, not having access to my reference books at the moment they would have hade a dia. of .748 in. Unlike today the size of a weapon back then was based on the size of the ball not the dia of the bore like we do today. The Bess shot 12 balls per pound. At least that's what I remember. My Baker was a carbine bore shooting 20 balls per pound with a ball dia of .615 in. Today's reproductions are bored to .620 requireing the use of a .610 dia. ball which is a tad short of 20 per pound.

 

[Puffer]

Appx. .69 caliber I believe. Bores were all over the place in size, so musket balls had to be on the smaller side to fit down the bore. A Brown Bess will shoot real nice with a snug greased patched ball.

According to the "manual" (Brit. Mil. ) the bore of a Bess was .75. the ball size was ..71. The cartridge held 6 - 8 drams of powder.

Puffer

 

[J.D.]

Nominal bore size of the Brown Bess was .750. However, Brit military firelocks were made to a pattern, with allowable tolerances. Tolerances varied widely, due to the relatively primitive technology. By that, I mean the technology of the day did not allow barrel makers the luxury of consistently producing barrels of only .750 bore diameter.

Prior to about 1760, the pattern for barrels for the King's muskets was for a 46 inch barrel with a nominal, or average .750 bore diameter. However, due to the technology of the day, acceptable bore diameters varied from .700 cal to .800.

Since fouling build up could be substantial during he heat of battle, the ball diameter most often used was about .680 to allow easy loading with a badly fouled .70 cal barrel.

J.D.

 

[Swampman]

"The paper patching is no more likely to start a fire than a cloth patch." :rotf:

A properly lubed patch is very hard to ignite. Modern lubes may catch fire. Mine don't.