How did American forces reload in battle?

[oreclan]

In this post you state that cartridges were not developed until the 1700's. I beg to differ. (I assume you mean paper cartridges.) The Matchlock musket came about around 1475, or so. Very shortly after that the Musketeers were using speed loaders and paper cartridges.

Bandoliers of wooden bottles with a pulvern or priming horn and a ball bag were used generally in the early 17th Century.

 

[Coinneach]

I will add this; I was in the military, spent many years in the corporate world, and a few years in academia. I have seen many official reports and records. They were not always 100% accurate or inclusive.

I retired as a staff officer, we use to say "why write a 2 page report when you can stretch it out to 80 pages"

 

[Tumbledown]

Speculation often precedes enlightenment.

Speculation leads to searching for evidence, which leads to enlightenment. So far, all you've done is speculate in spite of the evidence.

 

[sturmkatze]

LOL!
This is great!

It is truth.

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

In reading Kindig's book on flintlocks there are very many smooth rifles, thus the same loading procedure as a musket could be used.

 

[oreclan]

Here is an 18th century first person narrative that in the heat of battle with the indians at the Ohio Big Bottom massacre, the settler used his hand to measure the powder.
Ohio Rusty ><>
View attachment 268052

And Lewis Wetzel practiced loading on the run. His rifle was supposed to have had an oversized touch hole and was self priming, so he poured powder in to the muzzle from the powderhorn, spit a ball from his mouth in to the bore and seated it with a slap, and fired at his pursuer.

 

[flconch53]

Bandoliers of wooden bottles with a pulvern or priming horn and a ball bag were used generally in the early 17th Century.

The Apostles

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

And Lewis Wetzel practiced loading on the run. His rifle was supposed to have had an oversized touch hole and was self priming, so he poured powder in to the muzzle from the powderhorn, spit a ball from his mouth in to the bore and seated it with a slap, and fired at his pursuer.


As Colonel Sherman T. Potter said - "Horse-hockey!"

 

[Cayman like]

And Lewis Wetzel practiced loading on the run. His rifle was supposed to have had an oversized touch hole and was self priming, so he poured powder in to the muzzle from the powderhorn, spit a ball from his mouth in to the bore and seated it with a slap, and fired at his pursuer.


As Colonel Sherman T. Potter said - "Horse-hockey!"

I've never read old Lew had an oversized touch hole, maybe on some of his rifles. Judge Jolly said he reloaded on the run with a ball one size smaller than usually used. Another contemporary of his a few years younger said when loading on the run Lew always stopped to prime.

 

[nkbj]

Anyone know what time frame when the European militaries started going from having a bandolier of pre-measured charges to having paper cartridges?

 

[cjgregory]

I read through this whole thread. I was looking for something specific. The idea of a tight patch ball combination that required one to use a ball starter. In fact, as the Long Rifle progressed past the Jeager, there was no ball pounding to get the ball down.
The talk about lube and barrel conditioning seems rather useless in the face of cleaning a Long Rifle with straight water and starting a patched ball with your thumb before pushing it down with your ramrod with a just tight enough fit to facilitate a reported accuracy of 200 yards. Lubing the barrel with tallow to prevent corrosion.

This seems a rather simple method of being able to load as many shots as you want before swabbing and cleaning your rifle. How many pictures of ball starters have you seen from the revolutionary war era riflemen?

 

[springfield art]

I think everyone knows about the prepped cartridges our military issued in the Rev and Civil Wars. Volley fire was used place a 'wall of fire';

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

I read through this whole thread. I was looking for something specific. The idea of a tight patch ball combination that required one to use a ball starter. In fact, as the Long Rifle progressed past the Jeager, there was no ball pounding to get the ball down.
The talk about lube and barrel conditioning seems rather useless in the face of cleaning a Long Rifle with straight water and starting a patched ball with your thumb before pushing it down with your ramrod with a just tight enough fit to facilitate a reported accuracy of 200 yards. Lubing the barrel with tallow to prevent corrosion.

This seems a rather simple method of being able to load as many shots as you want before swabbing and cleaning your rifle. How many pictures of ball starters have you seen from the revolutionary war era riflemen?

Thats a good question. Ive never thought about that part.dang someone shooting at you and your trying to load. Ugh..... it would take a very brave person to be in that situation. I know i would not be calm at all. Try to load fast. Think i would pour powcer in first and then the ball. Ram it down but knowing myself i would miss the barrel with the powder and it would fall to the ground. Either then dry ball or break my ramrod. And im not joking with lead flying around. Ughhh. Never honestly know what would happen. I would try to be brave but i know i would be nervous and scared. All these emotions at one time.my heart would be beating 90 miles an hour

 

[cjgregory]

I think everyone knows about the prepped cartridges our military issued in the Rev and Civil Wars. Volley fire was used place a 'wall of fire';

Indeed. This was for smooth bore muskets. This did not apply to riflemen. The .58 caliber mini ball during the civil war was started with your thumb. As it was shoved down, the skirt shaved off the fouling.

 

[Jedd]

Thats a good question. Ive never thought about that part.dang someone shooting at you and your trying to load. Ugh..... it would take a very brave person to be in that situation. I know i would not be calm at all. Try to load fast. Think i would pour powcer in first and then the ball. Ram it down but knowing myself i would miss the barrel with the powder and it would fall to the ground. Either then dry ball or break my ramrod. And im not joking with lead flying around. Ughhh. Never honestly know what would happen. I would try to be brave but i know i would be nervous and scared. All these emotions at one time.my heart would be beating 90 miles an hour

It’s hard to imagine. But at the time, the units drilled all the time of simple drilling procedures so they could go the motions without thinking. This is also why green units that had never been in battle were known to perform badly. Also accounts say that reloading multiple times without even shooting due to nerves or shooting ramrods was pretty common.

 

[Jedd]

I read through this whole thread. I was looking for something specific. The idea of a tight patch ball combination that required one to use a ball starter. In fact, as the Long Rifle progressed past the Jeager, there was no ball pounding to get the ball down.
The talk about lube and barrel conditioning seems rather useless in the face of cleaning a Long Rifle with straight water and starting a patched ball with your thumb before pushing it down with your ramrod with a just tight enough fit to facilitate a reported accuracy of 200 yards. Lubing the barrel with tallow to prevent corrosion.

This seems a rather simple method of being able to load as many shots as you want before swabbing and cleaning your rifle. How many pictures of ball starters have you seen from the revolutionary war era