Brown Bess Hand Mortars
- Thread starter redcoatrifleman
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
A Bess one is pictured here: Hand mortar - Wikipedia
I can't imagine these were pleasant to use!
Used by grenadiers and some artillary units. They are not pleasant to use. They are fired with the but on the ground to take recoil. Not fired from the shoulder.
There was also a grenade cup that was attached to the musket using the bayonet lug. This too was fired with the butt of the musket on the ground.
Used during the Seven Years War, the AWI and into the Napoleonic wars.
There was also a grenade cup that was attached to the musket using the bayonet lug. This too was fired with the butt of the musket on the ground.
Used during the Seven Years War, the AWI and into the Napoleonic wars.
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2005
- Messages
- 5,246
- Reaction score
- 11,027
Hi,
None of the examples of which I've seen photos and descriptions were made after the French and Indian War. Most predate that war as well. According to Bailey in his book on British small arms used in North America, they were fired from the shoulder and had ranges up to 250 yards. They were used on land and on ships.
dave
None of the examples of which I've seen photos and descriptions were made after the French and Indian War. Most predate that war as well. According to Bailey in his book on British small arms used in North America, they were fired from the shoulder and had ranges up to 250 yards. They were used on land and on ships.
dave
It is true that the musket mounted grenade launchers were superceded by artillary mortars which were more effective. When we had some reproduced musket based grenade launchers, we did fire them from the shoulder and can confirm that the recoil is brutal. We did severely damage a musket with a grenade launcher attachment that was not properly fit to rest on the muzzle, not the bayonet lug. The recoil tore off the bayonet lug and splintered the fore end.
redcoatrifleman
32 Cal
Did you guys have the guns fitted with a reinforcing ring on the barrel? All the originals I’ve seen pictures of have ring mounted on the barrel to support the discharger cup socket and prevent just such an incident.
Nobody but actual users, at home. I've heard of folks using empty MAP Gas tanks converted over . TOO MUCH liability to make for sale. The Musket barrels are thin at the muzzle, so as you can see from the photos they are using modified King's Muskets, first models, cut back, giving more thickness to the barrel. The liability problem comes in with some unknowing person slapping one onto his Bess full length, and getting a banana peel rupture to his $1400 musket..., or worse.
I'd much rather have a dedicated grenade launching flinter than such an adaptor. UNLESS you're shooting modified tennis balls, as some guys have used in the past to simulate grenades. Now THAT would be a hoot
LD
I just looked at the Rifle Shoppe's catalog at their hand mortar, which is a stocked, short barreled grenade launcher. It's a well put together piece. However, I have to fault their description of use. The Rifle Shoppe mentions that the grenade's fuse is lit before firing. NOT SO!!! The fuse is lit by the hot gas blowby st the launcher is fired.
On the grenade launchers we used, we reinforced the grenade launcher to ensure that the launcher had a substantial ring to sit on the muzzle, not the bayonet lug. Even the launching of a tennis ball generates quite a bit of recoil. And yes, @Loyalist Dave, firing of tennis balls with a charge of 70 grains or perhaps a bit more black powder makes for a wonderful cloud of white smoke, the reenacting events still consider that a projectile that is not to be allowed as we once found out.
On the grenade launchers we used, we reinforced the grenade launcher to ensure that the launcher had a substantial ring to sit on the muzzle, not the bayonet lug. Even the launching of a tennis ball generates quite a bit of recoil. And yes, @Loyalist Dave, firing of tennis balls with a charge of 70 grains or perhaps a bit more black powder makes for a wonderful cloud of white smoke, the reenacting events still consider that a projectile that is not to be allowed as we once found out.
kmolett
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2005
- Messages
- 106
- Reaction score
- 1
Saving up for the flintlock hand mortar. If I can find a grenade cup for the Brown Bess it will be for display only. I agree with your points about safety.
And don't forget the flame ... or something like that ...
An English flintlock hand mortar by Veteran Arms. Yeah, yeay, yeah ... she was made in India and I'm going to kill myself with it ... so say the Indian arms nay-sayers. Well it hasn't happened yet and it a HOOT to shoot!
Charlie also goes through them before he sells them and I have ZERO complaints about the build quality or parts quality of this build, even the lock was perfectly functional - with balanced springs to boot! - and needed no tuning for the average Joe, although I can't resist super-tuning any new-to-me lo, only because ... I can.
Similar threads
