How did American forces reload in battle?

[Loyalist Dave]

The bayonet became a last-ditch effort. My dad was in the Korean War. He told me that when he heard the order, "Fix Bayonets" he knew they were going to be in a world of trouble. When/if you ran out of ammo it was always better than nothing.

Right. Today it's a secondary weapon. In the beginning of the AWI, and in previous centuries, the musket was NOT a gun with a knife attached when the bayonet was mounted. It was a spear that could shoot. A very different mind-set. The first couple of years of the AWI the British in open terrain would fix bayonets and charge. No preliminary volley needed.

When Continentals took the redoubts at Yorktown, they were ordered to remove the flints from their muskets, as it was a night, bayonet only attack, and any misfire or panic fire would've given the attack away.

LD

 

[SOLANCO]

The bayonet became a last-ditch effort. My dad was in the Korean War. He told me that when he heard the order, "Fix Bayonets" he knew they were going to be in a world of trouble. When/if you ran out of ammo it was always better than nothing.

If they call for bayonets you know the fit is going to hit the shan.

 

[kipcarter]

Reinforced by RIFLEMEN!
Every stand up musket volley fight with the British didn’t end well. Musket, meaning smooth bore.

The first two lines were riflemen skirmishers who fell back after two shots behind the Continentals. William Washington's dragoons were also Continentals.

 

[Leatherbark]

On Musket Balls vs. Rifle balls for shooting men. It is my belief that Musket balls roll across open fields and inflict leg and groin injuries better than rifle balls. I have shot 69 and 75 caliber balls at long range and when they hit the ground, they often bounce several times to at least knee height. by judging the dust kicked up.
I'd say a Bess round ball skipping along at 200 feet per second hitting a kneecap will put the guy out of commission for a few days. Not as much with a .440 or .490 ball.

Bob

 

[Texcl2]

Rifle use by colonials has been overblown over the years, even Roger’s rangers ( who has been noted for using rifles in their tactics) back in the French and Indian wars primarily used muskets and they could have used any weapon they wanted, muskets were a better combat weapon in most circumstances. The rangers did shorten muskets for use in the thick forests they worked in. They did use rifles in conjunction with the main forces mainly as harassment.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

On Musket Balls vs. Rifle balls for shooting men. It is my belief that Musket balls roll across open fields and inflict leg and groin injuries better than rifle balls. I have shot 69 and 75 caliber balls at long range and when they hit the ground, they often bounce several times to at least knee height. by judging the dust kicked up.
I'd say a Bess round ball skipping along at 200 feet per second hitting a kneecap will put the guy out of commission for a few days. Not as much with a .440 or .490 ball.

Bob

While they might "skip" it was highly unlikely a common thing. The ballistic coefficient of the .680 round ball of the Bess military cartridge, means that fired level to the ground, the ball if it flies without impact in the targeted man or other object, it will impact the earth at a steep angle at less than 200 yards. Without a hard surface such as a rock, a skip would be highly unlikely.

LD

 

[cjgregory]

The first two lines were riflemen skirmishers who fell back after two shots behind the Continentals. William Washington's dragoons were also Continentals.

Ok. Riflemen were attachments. Like a weapons section is attached to a rifle platoon.

 

[smoothshooter]

bayonets. ugh. just thinking about how it felt to have one pushed in. that gives me the Willys that would be a terrible way to die

A puncture wound; especially a deep one in the abdomen or upper body, was pretty much a guarantee of a long, agonizing death that could take weeks.

 

[smoothshooter]

I was wondering about this the other day. For irregular forces like the militia who used their own rifles and were not issued paper cartridges, how did they measure powder for reloads in the heat of battle? Did they really take the time to put powder from the flask into a charge measure before dumping that down their muzzle while taking incoming fire? Or did they just go by "feel" from the powder horn straight to the rifle or musket? To me it seems like fiddling with a charge measure would be a cumbersome fine motor skill that would be very difficult to perform under stress and movement of battle. Was paper common enough that even farmers and common folk carried their own home made cartridges with pre-measured charge and ball?

Sometimes during a given engagement there would have been plenty of time to reload without being in a hurry. 10 minutes later all that could change where all speed was needed.
In some cases a musket man or rifleman might only fire 2 or 3 shots anyway, if that many.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

The correct answer is 'FASTER" than the British.

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

A puncture wound; especially a deep one in the abdomen or upper body, was pretty much a guarantee of a long, agonizing death that could take weeks.

Bad way to die

 

[Clark Badgett]

"Standard" musket size had less to do with the convenience of preloaded cartridges and was more the effectiveness of bullet size. Hunting calibers were underpowered for warfare.

And another incorrect statement.

 

[Clark Badgett]

If you reread the comment, I Think he is saying that hunting calibers, not musket calibers where to small, average hunting rifle would have been around 40 cal or smaller

Maybe for 1812, .50 cal and up was common during the revolution and earlier.