Hi there. I've been experimenting with smooth bore paper cartridges and after a couple of shots its starts getting pretty fouled up. I know this is just the reality of muskets back then, but I was wondering was there something the military did to reduce the fouling while loading from a paper cartridge besides swabbing, which doesn't seem like a very smart thing to do in battle. Eventually I just switch to stuffing paper and ball over paper and over shot paper just to reduce the tension on the wooden ramrod.
PC way to cut down smoothbore fouling.
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They went in to battle with a full box but I doubt there was too many times when a fire fight lasted more then five or six shots.
I don't know how rhey did it, maybe spit??
But I do it by adding a grease cookie now and then or a wet with olive oil wad.
But I do it by adding a grease cookie now and then or a wet with olive oil wad.
I'll try that thanks.
Mostly the fouling was more or less ignored by using a much smaller ball than bore diameter. Most paper cartridges used by the military had a o.690" ball wrapped in the paper cartridge in the 0.770" bore of a Land Pattern musket. In situations such as that there would often be time between volleys to run a damp wad of tow up and down the barrel to remove enough fouling to keep on firing. The heat from the previous firing would dry the bore before the next load was presented.
In most line of battle situations, the practice was three shots and a bayonet charge.
In a siege or treed up stand off, there was time enough to run a spit lubricated wad of tow down the barrel to remove enough fouling to continue firing.
When the unit participates in woods walks and we are firing live ammunition, the ball is usually 0.715" in a paper wrapped cartridge. The paper is not lubricated. I have learned and tried to explain to the members of the team to spit on the ball end of the cartridge so when we are in the rapid fire situation where we need to get off 5 or 6 shots in succession. If the ball is not dampened in its paper wrapping the ball will be hard to load. In one stake breaking shoot, several members had balls get stuck in the bore. It required a quick sip from the canteen and spit down the bore along with the steady support of a nearby tree to seat the ball on the powder.
We are not, in most situations, in a line of battle situation. We have the opportunity to look at other methods to control fouling. In some shooting conditions or competitions, I will have a 0.735" ball (paper wrapped) to load down my 0.770" bore. I also will have enough time after the second shot to run my tow (dampened of course) down the barrel. The ball of tow has a linen string tied to the ball of tow to aid in removal of the tow. After the shooting, I rinse the tow and it is good to use for the next series of shots. I do have the steel ram rod to use in competition.
In most line of battle situations, the practice was three shots and a bayonet charge.
In a siege or treed up stand off, there was time enough to run a spit lubricated wad of tow down the barrel to remove enough fouling to continue firing.
When the unit participates in woods walks and we are firing live ammunition, the ball is usually 0.715" in a paper wrapped cartridge. The paper is not lubricated. I have learned and tried to explain to the members of the team to spit on the ball end of the cartridge so when we are in the rapid fire situation where we need to get off 5 or 6 shots in succession. If the ball is not dampened in its paper wrapping the ball will be hard to load. In one stake breaking shoot, several members had balls get stuck in the bore. It required a quick sip from the canteen and spit down the bore along with the steady support of a nearby tree to seat the ball on the powder.
We are not, in most situations, in a line of battle situation. We have the opportunity to look at other methods to control fouling. In some shooting conditions or competitions, I will have a 0.735" ball (paper wrapped) to load down my 0.770" bore. I also will have enough time after the second shot to run my tow (dampened of course) down the barrel. The ball of tow has a linen string tied to the ball of tow to aid in removal of the tow. After the shooting, I rinse the tow and it is good to use for the next series of shots. I do have the steel ram rod to use in competition.
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SIZE
The reason why muskets got and have the reputation for not being very accurate, is that to overcome the fouling problem in combat, the size of the ball was highly undersized to the bore. This allowed more than two dozen shots to be fired without jamming the ball while loading. BUT..., when fired that ball could take a lot of deviation when exiting the bore compared to the musket when loaded to be accurate. WHICH is why the massed formations of soldiers became the tactic, and infantry companies of men were in reality large, multi-barreled, gun batteries when firing in volley, which by the law of averages a few of the bullets would fly toward the intended target.
It is documented that Light Infantry and Marksmen would roll their own ammo meant to be much more accurate than an issued musket round. However, as with a rifle, after several of these had been fired, the shooter had to move to a place of relative safety and swab his bore, OR revert to standard cartridges and inaccurate fire.
LD
Where do you pick up your tow from?
Also that woods walk sounds like a lot of fun, wish we had something similar in FL, but I don't think there are any revolutionary reenactor groups/events in the state as we weren't part of the colonies back then haha.
It’s been many years since I’ve shot them. So a few months ago I was buying some lead from Buffalo Arms and they had a box of .570s. So I bought it and made some cartridges for my .62. 110 grains 2f and the ball. Shot nineteen without a hitch.... sort of.
By the last few I noticed it getting a little tight.
At fifty yards it still had deer hunting accuracy.
By the last few I noticed it getting a little tight.
At fifty yards it still had deer hunting accuracy.
I get tow from several sources. First sources are from spinners and weavers who process flax to make linen thread. My favorite source has left the trade, but tow from flax can be found, but it takes some searching. Most common sources of tow are strands of jute or hemp. You can go to most hobby shops or hardware stores and buy hemp or jute twine to get the coarse fibers to make an effective tow. Cut your twine into 4" to 6" lengths. Pull the twine into strands. Ball the stands into a golf ball sized wad to use as a wad. Tie a string to the ball to use for cleaning. Tow can be rinsed to use again. Then when the tow is no longer effective, it makes good fire start tinder.
