Loading method

[tg]

Anyone have any period reference for how and what was used for ammo in the matchlocks and how it was loaded? were these mostly smoothbore?

 

[Curt LaManna]

Hi TG,
I've seen old texts with pics of the loading procedures for the Matchlocks. Both French and English. The loading procedures were very similar to the Brown Bess.
All were smoothbore in large cals. .62-.75 normally.
I was reading that the Swedish Army had a minimum caliber of .72 for the Army during the Matchlock era.

 

[oldarmy]

the Renaissance drill book.
By Jacob de Gheyn.
Has many pages of the original wood cuts, showing the loading and handling of the match-lock.
It's out of print, but you can find it on Amazon for $20 or less.
It doesn't give "load data" like 70 grains of 3fff and a .620 ball.
But, it is a great book, if you want a look at the early 17th century musketeer and caviler.

 

[tg]

I was mainly curious what/how the ball was held in place in the smoothbore matchlock guns, I wll dig around a bit when I have time, thanks

 

[Loran]

In my reading, there is no mention of wads or patches. In one account I read, the balls would roll out of the barrels of muskets when soldiers pointed the piece down from the top of a wall.

This might be an isolated incident or a common problem with untrained troops, however. In any case, muskets were normally leveled at the enemy before firing. There was little need of a patch to hold the ball securely in the barrel.

One problem during the period was poor quality control. Musket balls issued to the troops might not fit the bores of their muskets. Some were too large. Some were too small. Windage (the space between the ball and the bore) was often very large.

I suspect that musketeers did use patches sometimes. In many places, I read of musketeers holding their balls in their mouths before loading (health consequences be damned). This makes sense if the balls were patched with cloth.

I usually patch my balls. I have also shot my musket with no patch. Patches are better. I suspect that experienced musketeers of the 17th century would have patched their balls if they could or felt the need.

 

[tg]

Thanks for the reply even with any period reference lackintg I have a hard time believing the concpt of a patched ball was soley developed for the rifled barrel, it is much faster to run a loosely patched ball down the bore to hold it in place, anyway perhaps someday something will turn up confirming the use of patches in pre-rifle dominant era smoothbores

 

[magnus wiberg]

The swedish military match lock musket M/1620 had a regulated charge of 19,9 grams of black powder!
Yes, 19,9 grams, and that is a tremendous charge, even though apr. 0,5 grams was used for priming.
When proof firing one of the first match lock muskets that I built I brought 8 balls of apr 38,0 grams and 8 premeasured charges of 8,0 grams of Fg black to the range. After 5 rounds I had to quit because of the heavy recoil. That was of course partly due to the shape of the butt end of that spanish-dutch type of musket that was common in Europe, including Sweden, in those days. And which is the type of musket that I generally build.
Later, on March 20 1683 ,the proofing load for a swedish match lock musket, was regulated to be 40,0 grams, and the ball should be apr. 48 grams.
You have to take into consideration,though, that BP of those days, 16th and 17th centuries, most certaily was of inferior quality and strength compared to modern black. On the other hand, I undertook careful tests many years ago on a batch of 18th century black powder, that had been stored in that museum for at least two hundred years. And that black showed no signs of weakness. On the contrary, when cronographed it was even superior to modern BP, and when fired with upon 3 mm sheet steel, it showed a tremendous inpact, fully comparable to modern swedish and german black, that was also tested in the musket.
It is considered that the swedish king Gustavus Adolphus introduced the paper cartridge ,including powder and ball ,during the thirty years war, and to be carried in a cartrridge box by the soldier.

 

[oldarmy]

200 year old BP that still works and "packs a punch" :grin:
I had to read your reply twice.
You Quote a "proofing load"
That's allot of powder
Do you see any history of patching the round ball??
Regards
Mike

 

[magnus wiberg]

I can find no evidence of balls being patched during the matchlock era here in Sweden.
At the end of the matchlock era, a 1680 regulation states that the soldier was to rip off the end of the paper cartridge with his teeth, take the ball into his mouth , pour the powder charge into the barrel and use the empty paper cartridge as wadding on top of the powder.The ball was then to be loaded and on top of that paper or flax. That final paper or flax was carried by the swedish soldier stuck between the hat and the hatband.

 

[tg]

My thoughts ran more towards the civilian factor such as the French hunting guns and such, records show balls of several sizes shipped in the same barrels in 1700 to the colonies I am curious as to loading methods for these differing from the military cartridge if there were any.The original straight rifleing was intended to make a place for fouling to collect I wonder how the ball was kept in place and how the PRB sytenm developed and if it crossed over to the smoothbore it seems likely it would have at least to some degree, I know I can load a lightly patched ball faster than by using wadding and am confident it will hold in place better, I just have seen nothing to suggest this was done in the past, I suppose the guy with the rifle used a moderately snug PRB and the guy next to him with a FDC used wadding of tow/cloth/ or leaves and just shot slower during extreme situations?

 

[magnus wiberg]

Many early Swedish and Scandinavian civilian and military rifles were loaded with a round ball that was just slightly larger in diameter than the bore of the rifle (in swedish "trångkula") ,but of the same diameter as the groves of the rifling. The ball was started into the muzzle with a small mallet ,or the ramrod was put diagonally over the ball at the muzzle and "hammered" down.This is believed to be the case since the first rifled guns appeared in this country around 1540 (manufactured at ARBOGA factory).
Today you often find antique hunting rifles dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, that have a ball mould that indicates this type of ball. Many a set of pouch, powderhorn and powder measure that are found together, also have a small metal "handle" with a hole in its center. That hole is always worn lengthwise, indicating that this small metal handle was used to push the metal rod with the ball in front of it down the bore.
After many years of studying and collecting and shooting the muzzleloader, my personal opinion is also that the many old rifles here that have a steal ramrod were intended for this type of "oversize" lead balls. A wooden ramrod would simply break under the strain of loading such a ball.
Then on the other hand , we know that already 1719 is mentioned that a patched ball, smaller in diameter than the bore, was used in rifles, and that this way of loading had then been used for a good while.
Also, many civilian hunting rifles in Scandinavia , starting from 18th century, and also the military "Jaeger" M/1761, use a relatively weak WOODEN ramrod, relatively small in diameter compared to the calibre. And these rifles must have been loaded with an easily rammed PATCHED ball (in swedish "passkula), or the wooden ramrod would have broken under the strain.
I have used both methods, and the first mentioned "trångkula", is very hard to load and next to impossible when the bore is fouling up after a few rounds have been fired. The patched ball , or "passkula", as I gather you know by own experience , is easily loaded for a good many rounds, before fouling starts making it hard.
Magnus

 

[tg]

Good post, the history or lack of so tp speak of the PRB and its use in smoothbores is an interesting topic, logic and common sense do not seem to be supported by any historical evidence which is not that unusual.